Whether you want to promote a business event or a new product, SMS marking can be the best option for you. But have you ever thought why your SMS campaign is not working? This is because of these small mistakes you made unknowingly.

 Are you not satisfied with your SMS marketing campaign? Hasn’t it given you results yet?

If you are like most of the marketers, you may start blaming SMS marketing or consider it no more efficient in the world of online marketing.

If SMS marketing is dated in today’s online marketing world, we wouldn’t have these facts…

• Over 80% of users open every SMS text message they receive
• 68% of business have combined mobile marketing into their overall marketing
• 60% customers want businesses to use SMS messages to interact with them.

It is clear that SMS marketing helps you build your customer base and go well with your other marketing campaigns. In short, it is as efficient as email marketing and online marketing.

You can also read: 10 Best Email Marketing Software & Tools To Make Your Business Grow

So, why are you not getting results? Well, it may be because of the mistakes you make while creating the marketing campaigns. You don’t care of the things like customer segmenting, language, length, frequency and the timing of the messages.

Here we have rounded up such blunders that should not be the part of your campaign anymore.

Top 10 SMS Marketing Mistakes:

Mistake #1: Not Knowing Your Customers

Understanding a customer is extremely important in any form of marketing. Otherwise, it is like shooting in the dark expecting to hit the target. For example, SMS alerts from an insurance company are likely to appeal a homeowner than a student. This is why you should do market research before starting your campaign. Know your customer’s likes and dislikes, issues, gender, location and behavior.

Mistake #2: Lacking Personal Touch

A presentation is a heart and the soul of your SMS marketing. In simple words, you should create something that attracts your customer’s attention and prompts them to buy. In this scenario, you have to understand your audience (like we say in the first point). Make sure your SMS contains the info your target audience is looking for. Give it a personal touch by addressing your customer by their name. By doing so, you will make them feel special.

Mistake #3: Using No Call to Actions 

As Call to Action or CTAs is the phrases used to invite user’s response. Some of the common examples of CTAs are Buy Now, Find Out More, Visit Us Today and much more.

As we know CTAs are important for mobile landing page design in a similar way for SMS marketing. If your message lacks CTA, your customer will confuse or not know what action you want them to take, whether it’s subscribing to something or buying your products.

Mistake #4: Poor Timing of Sending SMS

“When you send SMS” is as important as “what SMS you send”. In other words, you should choose the right schedule of sending messages. Sending daily messages can interrupt (or irritate) the customers, making them unsubscribe your services. On the other hand, occasional messages fail to build a dialogue with them.

The optimal solution is here! Avoid sending messages at inconvenient times, like early morning, late night and rush hour. Don’t send messages during the weekend either due to the high opt-out rate. 1-2 messages per week can work. However, choose the time when your ‘TARGET AUDIENCE” is active.

Mistake #5: Sending Text Without Permission

This is one of the common mistakes most SMS marketers make. They keep on sending messages to the subscribers without their permission. They not only “annoy” the subscribers, but also spoil the reputation of the company. On the top of that, sending bulk SMS without subscriber’s consent can attract legal penalties. So, make sure to have permission from each and every subscriber before executing your campaigns.

Mistake #6: Sending Same Message Again and Again:

Sending the same offers again and again can lessen the impact of your messages. As they know they will get the offer again, they won’t subscribe or buy immediately. Moreover, they get bored by receiving same messages over time.

Mistake #7: Sending Lengthy Messages

Keep 3 Cs in mind while creating a promotional message: Concise, Clear and Call to Action. 160 characters per message is still a standard length for promotional messages. Long messages look broken up, confusing and unprofessional.

Mistake #8: Using Industry Specific Language

A typical customer won’t be able to understand the jargons or too complex language used in the messages. Make sure to create clear, simple and easy to understand the message. Keep in mind that you are writing for people, not your business community. Many experts think that you should use professional language (free from acronyms and slangs) for your brand credibility.

Mistake #9: Not Using Clear Language

Consider creating attractive and compelling messages to make your customers participate in your program. A general and plain text won’t be that impressive. You can use offers, deals, specials, free, tips, and discounts for making attractive messages.

Mistake #10: Complicated Subscription Process

If your SMS message lives up to the above-mentioned points, then your message may be lacking in this area. It is common to see many of the messages don’t come with an easy subscription process. Some of them are activated with QR Codes which is not possible for a feature phone user. Likewise, a customer finds it difficult to unsubscribe as they don’t get care number or link with the message.

So, these are some common mistakes that affect your text marketing negatively. Make sure that you don’t fall to such common mistakes, or else your SMS campaign may not go as per your expectations.

About the author

Internet Marketing Analyst, present Director @kvrwebtech.com Since 2009. Providing Internet Marketing as a medium for all kind of businesses to achieve the modern era goals. Have been highly successful in cultivating projects in Real Estate, Financial and Education Sector.