Many have argued that customers and clients are fatigued with texts and SMS’s, and there is some truth in this. However, the text has changed, and this is no longer the case. The old text message was initially based on a mix of shortened, difficult-to-understand abbreviations, text, and emojis. However, with so many American adults using text message and spending so much time on their mobile devices, marketing and advertising gurus and professionals have been noting the return of the text. Text messaging is back, and it’s back for business.

The SMS marketing campaign has thus developed and grown from its first inception to a point where the text is now generally accepted as the first customer interaction platform ticked off the marketing list. It’s a change that has seen businesses of all sizes, shapes, and types use the humble text message to reach out to customers, build their brand and sell their products. This article will delve into some of the uses and tactics to get the most from the new form of text messaging for marketing.

The uses of SMS campaigns

· Personalized marketing

An SMS campaign based on big data and thus able to pinpoint customer and client needs and buying profiles will be more successful than a generic series of ongoing texts. One of the main reasons customers unsubscribe from text message services is that they have been too generic and unstructured. Those businesses realize this and have become more precise, sending discount offers based on previous purchases and not sending constant reminders for abandoned carts. The more developed and mature text message for marketing can thus be incredibly successful if personalized and targeted.

The best ways to achieve personalized marketing using SMS include the flowing.

· Change and customize the sender name using aliases or allow them to choose usernames.

· Be dynamic in your address, i.e., the manner in which you address customers needs to vary so it’s read as different and interesting each time.

· Use chained text messages, the 160-character maximum doesn’t need to apply to you if you have the right software and know-how to use it.

· Your marketing tone needs to give the message a human feel. Keep it conversational and direct.

· Exclusive offers and discounts

The text has now become one of the best and immediate ways to communicate exclusive offers and specials. It’s a proven fact that those customers who sign up for text subscriptions are most interested in receiving exclusive discounts and promotions.

The fact that mobile phones are integrated and connected allows links to be sent with immediate click-throughs. The ultimate end goal and possibly the right type of text is to send the offer that is read within a minute and then have the customer in the online store in as seamless a fashion as possible. Mobile purchases are on the increase and show no sign of slowing down, the text is the perfect ‘in,’ and as a means to promote brands and products, there is currently nothing better.

· Holiday and birthday greetings for customers and clients

It’s the ultimate in individualized touch, and as long as you have the permission to use the data collected, then sending a personalized birthday greeting or welcome to the ‘tribe’ message after a product purchase can be a good thing to do to build loyalty. These must be well planned, short, and not about the sale at all. There must be a genuine feeling of well wishes, or the customer and client will see through this as a sales gimmick. Lastly, the holiday wishes must also be generic to avoid any cultural faux pas. The premise here should be that if you don’t know the customers’ holiday preferences and culture, don’t send a card or message.

· Fundraising and financing

The text has become the go-to contact for non-profit SMS donations as well as start-up financing. Most people have their banking and payments set up on their smart mobile, and as aforementioned, being able to seamlessly click through from a text to the donation page makes fundraising a simpler process than door-knocking. The key in this regard is to ensure that cyber security is top-notch because any financial and monetary-based processes done online will be subject to risk from cybercrime.

The SMS has developed, and there are many who would argue that it is the way of the future for marketing. This development is arguable due to the availability, accessibility, and analysis of big data to direct and improve the text message sent to clients and customers. In conclusion, it should be kept in mind that marketing and brand building is an integrated process and must be linked with the other aspects of the marketing and advertising campaign. Everything has to be connected so that there is cohesion within your business and its messaging.