There’s no denying that email and SMS marketing are still effective ways to reach potential customers. Both industries have grown over the past few years despite the rise of newer technologies like social media and text messaging. If you’re trying to decide between using email or SMS for your marketing efforts, keep in mind that many things can make one channel more effective than another. For instance, if you’re sending a newsletter with lots of information, opt for an email campaign; but if you only want customers to know about something new or exciting coming out at your store (like a sale), send out an SMS message. Instead! Here are some tips on how best to use each type of communication technique:
Keep it simple.
When designing your emails, it’s essential to keep things simple. Remember that people are busy, and many won’t read through your email in its entirety. Here are some tips for making the most of what little space you have:
- Limit the number of words. The more information you include in any given email, the less likely users will open and read it.
- Avoid jargon and industry-specific language (unless you want to alienate readers). Use a conversational tone instead!
- Keep layouts simple, so they’re easy on the eyes (and for users to navigate). You can use lots of whitespace without overcrowding messages, which helps highlight compelling content within an email or text message marketing campaign even more effectively than dense designs.
Don’t go overboard.
While we understand that you may be tempted to send several emails or text messages weekly, this is generally not advisable. For example, if your subscribers have opted in to receiving communications from you once daily, sending them more than one email per day can result in an overabundance of information and make them feel overwhelmed or annoyed.
The same rule applies to SMS marketing: instead of sending multiple texts per week, focus on sending one message at a time and making it count! Your customers will thank you for it.
Include a call to action.
Include a call to action.
A call to action is the purpose of your message and will inspire your contacts to take any action, such as clicking on a link or submitting their email address. Here are some examples of calls to action:
- Visit our website [link]
- Sign up for our newsletter [link]
- Subscribe now [link]
Make it worthwhile for the subscriber.
If you want to engage your subscribers, give them something they’ll want. This can be a discount code or special offer, access to a behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening inside your company, or anything else that will make them feel like there’s something in it.
When engaging customers through email and SMS marketing campaigns (especially if you’re using automated messages), ensure you have permission from each subscriber before sending any content out. If someone opts to receive communications from you, then, by all means, send them information about your business! But if they haven’t given their consent—if they haven’t opted in—don’t send anything without first asking permission.
Use an online marketing tool to keep them organized, track performance, and automate delivery.
An online marketing tool is the best way to keep your list of subscribers organized, track performance, and automate delivery. Not all devices are created equal, though. Here are five tips for finding the right one for you:
- Every tool will have different features and capabilities, so it’s essential to look at each feature individually before making any decisions. Make sure the tool offers what you need, but don’t worry if it doesn’t show everything under the sun—it may cost more than you’re willing to spend or be too complicated for your needs.
- Some tools allow users to create custom templates that can be used repeatedly with minimal changes every time they send out emails or texts (this is called “drag-and-drop” editing). If this sounds like something that would help streamline your workflow, ensure this feature is included within whatever software package(s) you choose!
- Most email marketing services come equipped with built-in analytics tools that let subscribers see what messages have been opened by others on their lists (or even which ones have been deleted when someone tries reading them). This information can help inform future strategies about what content people are most interested in seeing from brands they’ve signed up for mailing lists!
- Suppose a company has multiple branches operating under different brand names but all located under one umbrella organization (like Coca-Cola Enterprises). In that case, it makes perfect sense why they’d want those individual businesses sending out notifications about sales/events/etcetera through separate email accounts instead of just one corporate account.
Keeping your emails and text messages short, sweet, and to the point is key.
- Keep your emails and text messages short, sweet, and to the point. No one wants to read a novel on their phone!
- Don’t use too many words: the shorter, the better.
- Don’t use too many pictures: they can be distracting or unnecessary.
- Don’t use too many links: you don’t want people to accidentally click on something that takes them away from your intended message.
- Don’t use too many colors: black-and-white is usually best when it comes to sending text messages or emails with images displayed prominently in them (for example, a newsletter)
We hope these tips help you to streamline your email and SMS marketing campaigns. With these five pointers in mind, you’ll be able to create an email campaign that engages your audience and drives traffic to your website! Happy sending.
