The standard SMS campaign consists of two main components: a short code –simply, a phone number – and a keyword that will trigger a campaign promoted via a call-to-action communication.
The call-to-action is the most critical component of any SMS marketing campaign. It is important to present the message in a way that customers can recognize and respond to quickly. Best practices suggest that the selected keyword should be the focal point of the call-to-action and everything else involved should revolve around that.
Typically, the audience segments that do interact with your SMS campaigns are more likely to be your more dedicated customers. Granted, to involve your audience in SMS marketing campaigns, like email, requires some opt-in functionality. Usually, you can handle this feature in one of two ways:
- Having the customer text the short code with the keyword, subscribing them to your campaign;
- Provide a client with a web form where they can subscribe and register their number to take part in your campaign(s).
The SMS channel is very dependent on other marketing mediums, as direct action is required by the customer to take part in any campaign. When it comes time to promote your marketing campaign, make sure to leverage all available media outlets to maximize exposure and capture engagement.