There are over 5 billion people who use SMS, with more than 80% of them keeping their message notifications switched on. Considering the rise of mobile users this past decade, SMS has become a crucial component for the success of your omnichannel marketing strategy.
Munvo’s Brad Penwarden, VP of Technology & Solutions, and Twilio’s Kevin Boutin, Partner Account Executive, dive deep into the world of SMS marketing and how SMS can result in a better bottom line for your business.
Table of Contents
The M-Commerce Landscape
In the ongoing pursuit of customer relevancy, the importance of developing and maintaining dynamic experiences predicated on consistent and personalized conversations with your customers is increasingly critical. The dominance of mobile enables accessibility and favors the use of SMS marketing.
“66% of millennials prefer to be reached by SMS, messaging, or social media apps” Twilio & Lawless Research, 2019
How SMS marketing integrates with the customer journey
Incorporating SMS in your omnichannel marketing strategy can significantly improve your customers’ experience, however consumers have shown concerns around the conversational economy, including:
Where is this message coming from – can it be trusted?
How is my data being used/going to be used?
Can I get information on my terms?
Here are best practices to deliver real-time conversations to your end users while accounting for their concerns:
Personalization
Most consumers prefer tailored communications that highlight their use preferences, history and needs. With personalization, the risk of unwanted generic messages is reduced.
Relevancy
Communications are appropriate for the stage in the customer journey and are delivered at the right time.
Trust
Communications are from a recognized sender that contains verifiable content that is secure.
Munvo, with SMS Gateway and Twilio, has enabled customer engagement in the following areas:
Promotion/Interest
To put this into context, lets visit an example where a retailer used SMS Gateway to drive user growth. During this stage, the customer opts in to a marketing promotion and receives digital offers such as free shipping, by texting a number.
Product Selection
During this stage, the goal is to optimize customer acquisition cost. Following the same example and based on the user’s behaviours, the customer is incentivized to use a promo code for a limited offer on a specific product category.
Post Purchase
Equally important, the post purchase stage focuses on improving customer satisfaction. With SMS Gateway and Twilio, customers are kept updated about the delivery status of their recent purchase.
Value Added Services
Lastly, customers are engaged by value added services and dynamic support thereby reducing churn.
SMS marketing is essential for a successful omnichannel strategy, with over 5 billion users globally. Munvo’s Brad Penwarden and Twilio’s Kevin Boutin discuss how SMS can boost your business. Key points include the importance of personalized, relevant, and trustworthy SMS communications in enhancing customer experiences throughout their journey—from promotions to post-purchase.
SMS marketing boasts high engagement, with a 98% open rate and 45% response rate. For businesses looking to leverage SMS to improve customer interactions and conversions, Munvo and Twilio offer valuable insights and solutions.