As we all find ourselves under lockdown. Reaching a wide audience with limited resources can greatly impact your business scope. With anxieties high, businesses need to go that extra mile. Businesses need to inform customers about what they are doing to aid the world in fighting this virus, the measures in place to ensure services continue, and lastly, how to lighten the load for citizens during this difficult time.

The key is to reach many, if not all of your consumers, with many not having access to the internet, SMS is the best way forward. This is why we are giving you 10 good reasons why you should use SMS marketing during this lockdown period.  

Photo, Tim Robberts/Getty Images.

1. Immediate delivery

With 98% of messages read within 3 minutes of being received, SMS is very fast and efficient. It is delivered in a matter of seconds, so your marketing message will reach your target audience (clients) almost instantly.

2. Personal

Since mobile phones are almost always within our arm’s reach, SMS is landing straight into the client’s hands. By personalising your communication with clients, you’ll easily grab their attention. Also, text messages have a 209% higher response rate than a phone call, email, or Facebook. This means that your clientele is sure to receive it and respond if need be.  

3. Cheap

Text messages are cheap particularly if you buy them in bulk. No other marketing method provides such affordable results, particularly compared with traditional marketing tools, such as TV, radio or print media.     

4. Global Reach

Text messages can reach millions of people in no time, wherever they are. It can reach virtually all of the 6-7 billion mobile phones in use today. SMS is the only technology synchronised between all mobile operators in the world, which means that text messaging can connect the world. Additionally, this means that even phones without internet access can receive and read these messages.

5. Simple

Due to its simplicity and reach, SMS has become a globally adopted communication channel. Everyone knows how to open, read and text a message. Moreover, thanks to the limitation in length (160 characters), messages are small, direct, concise and go straight to the point.

6. Precision

Text messaging enables you to laser target a specific group of people (customers and prospects) with different marketing messages. By delivering the right message to the right group of people, you can boost sales and improve communication with your clients and potential clients.  

You can also inform your clientele about how you will help during this pandemic and inform consumers of the services on offer during this lockdown period.   

7. Direct

Some reports say 91% of adults keep their mobile phone within arm’s reach 24/7. Hence, SMS is among the most direct ways of communicating with clients, besides meeting face-to-face (which most businesses are unable to do right now) and a direct phone call.

8. Time-efficient

SMS is an excellent timesaver since text messages can be scheduled and you can send one message to a large group of people at once without writing each message individually. This allows you to concentrate on other areas of the business which is a huge benefit.

9. Trackable

SMS can be easily tracked using the delivery reports. These reports enable you to see how efficient and successful your SMS campaign is. This will help you understand what works best for you, empowering you to get the most out of your future marketing campaigns.    

10. Reliable

Unlike email which is seriously fighting against spam and different junk email filters, SMS is safe. Mobile phones don’t have a spam box, so upon hitting the send button, you can be sure your marketing message has arrived safely. Even if the mobile phone is switched off or out of the signal, SMS will be delivered within 48 hours of being sent.        

With these reasons, it is clear to see that SMS marketing is a very powerful tool for driving sales and growing (or maintaining) an active customer base.

iTouch Packages

While there are many levels of access found within companies, to find the best packages that will suit your company and its communications needs for your colleges or consumers, please take a look at our messaging packages:

Enterprise Messaging Services which covers SMS, Email, USSD, Voice, Short Codes and Number Context

Rich Media Messaging which covers MEMS (interactive password-protected SMS protocol, rich media campaigns), MMS and RCS (Group chats, video and audio messages.

Omni Channel Messaging Platform which allows for SMS, email, automated voice communication, airtime and data provisioning (sales and reward programme) from one cloud-based platform.

If you would like to evolve your business to the digital environment concerning the above, and more reliable and cost-effective than traditional post, there would be no better time to make this change. Simply email us at priority@itouch.co.za with the subject of EMS (electronic messaging services)

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