This year marks the 29th anniversary of SMS or short message service. What started as a friendly exchange between two Vodafone colleagues has now blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon. Consumers send and receive text messages every day and businesses around the world utilize SMS notifications as a valuable way to reach new and existing customers.
Like most tools and technology, the value comes when businesses properly align with what their customers want. On average, the open rate for text message marketing campaigns is 98% compared to 20% for email marketing campaigns.
This should definitely motivate and inspire businesses to invest in SMS marketing, but it’s important to remember that open rates don’t automatically lead to engagement. To help businesses better align their marketing efforts, CleverTap polled 1,000 respondents to find out more about their SMS marketing preferences as well as the industries that they believe send the ‘best’ marketing messages.
So which industries are at the top of the SMS Notifications Leaderboard?
56% of Respondents Ranked Food-Related Industries Highly
It’s fair to say that consumer behavior has evolved significantly in the last year, particularly when it comes to food-related purchases such as groceries and takeaways. According to the CleverTap survey, this enthusiasm for food even extends to SMS marketing best practices. More than half (56%) of survey respondents said that food-related industries were the best at sending these messages with restaurants reaching the top spot, followed closely by food delivery and groceries.
Tip: It’s worth keeping track of the types of SMS messages that work well in your industry and other industries. Check that your marketing message has a distinct and clear purpose as well as a tangible benefit for the receiver. For food-related businesses, consumers rely on order and delivery updates, which is why these industries probably rank high with customers.
Timing and Frequency are Key to SMS Marketing Success
Just like baking and comedy, timing is a key ingredient in SMS marketing success. For 28% of consumers, the optimal time to receive an SMS notification from a business is anytime during the week (Monday to Friday). If you drill this down further, 20% said that from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays work best.
Weekends are also fair game but only 8% said they are happy to receive marketing SMS notifications anytime during the weekend. This increases only slightly – 10% – for Gen Z consumers. This shouldn’t dissuade businesses from sending notifications Saturday and Sunday, but according to the research, weekdays are ideal for most age groups and consumers.
Tip: As mentioned above, check in with your industry’s average open rate and engagement. Use the findings above to guide your timings and adjust accordingly to align with what your customers respond to best. Also, try different message formats like email or push.
Regardless of whether your strategy currently includes SMS marketing or not, it’s never too late to invest in this valuable marketing tool. As the survey revealed, consumers enjoy receiving these messages from businesses but only when they align with their preferences and needs. The content must be purposeful and the call-to-action must be clear. To help businesses further, check out this infographic that highlights common mistakes, the ways that businesses annoy customers with notifications and top tips on frequency.
If you play your cards right, your customers will get the message.
