Text Message Marketing-Luke LAwton
Everyone has gotten a text from an unknown number asking them to vote for a candidate or to download some random app. To many these texts are annoying and seem useless because you think that no one will ever listen to it. However, this text message marketing schemes is one of the most effective uses of mobile marketing.
Everyone has a cell phone and people are getting them at even younger ages than before. Text message marketing shows that 99% of the text messages are read compared to 30% that marketing emails get opened. This is a massive difference in open and read rate and is obvious that whatever you watch to promote will be seen in some capacity.
Study by business.com shows, “short message service comparison found that text message marketing offers a read rate of 95 percent within three minutes of delivery, making it one of the best methods of marketing with minimal costs.” This kind of marketing is an instant gratification for the company being promoted because of how fast these messages are opened. Most people do just shrug it off or even delete the message but people in their subconscious be aware of what or whomever they are promoting.
In the book Webs of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion 2nd Edition it makes it clear that usability is key to making people gravitate toward your product. The author states, “By making your site easy to use, you are in effect, giving your customers more mental space to take in the information that really matters.” Since everyone has a phone and knows how to use it this makes the usability of text message marketing very useful. Everyone has sent and read texts and don’t even have to think how to use it. No matter the age of the people they are texting, and this is why it is so usable for everyone.
The price of this style of marketing is inexpensive for the company trying to reach out to as many people as possible. This text message marketing would be especially helpful for a newer business because the only cost that comes with this is the text massagers provider, but in many cases, this has already been bought, making this essentially free marketing.
The article The Benefits of SMS Marketing in 2024, from Live Vox, says, “Despite the near-universal usage of text messaging, the majority of brands still don’t take advantage of SMS as a marketing medium. The space is much less crowded than platforms like email, which makes it easier for you to stand out and means you face less competition for customers’ attention than you do in a place like their inbox.” Again, this gives newer company’s massive advantage in the early stage of their business because they would stand out.
Also, this is kind of marketing does not get in the way of people’s lives or is obnoxiously in your face. It is just a quick look at your phone, and you never know, you might find a product that you really like without having to do any of your own research.
Overall, I was very surprised on how effective this kind of marketing is. I always get these messages from politicians and do not give them much though. However, the data shows that they are a great way to get your business out there for other. I do not get messages promoting products that often and it would be a great way for a young and upcoming company to reach millions of people very cheap and effectively. Everyone has a phone and text messages can be a great asset to market.
Sources:
The benefits of text message marketing. business.com. (n.d.). https://www.business.com/articles/text-message-marketing-benefits/
Livevox. (2024b, January 3). The benefits of SMS Marketing in 2024. LiveVox. https://livevox.com/the-benefits-of-sms-marketing/#:~:text=With%2091%25%20of%20consumers%20interested,and%20versatility%20of%20SMS%20messages.
Nahai, N. (2017). Webs of influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion. Pearson Education Limited.