If you haven't added SMS to your marketing strategy yet, now is the perfect time to learn about the undeniable benefits of this mobile communication tool. One of the key advantages of text messaging is that it works on every phone. The numbers speak for themselves: 90% of text messages are opened and read within 3 minutes of receipt. SMS advertising is a proven marketing solution, and investing in this type of campaign is a safe bet. Follow Octopush's tips to get started with SMS advertising.

1. Clarify your goals

Before moving to the execution phase of your advertising campaign, it is crucial to take stock of your marketing objectives. This will allow you to create an SMS campaign that takes into account and focuses on the key points that will help you grow your business. To maximize your chances of success, your text campaign must meet 5 essential criteria, and must be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Relevant
• Achievable
• Time-bound

2. Clarify the call to action in your SMS

One of the reasons some advertising campaigns fail is that the call to action in the text message is not clearly presented. Upon reading the message, the user doesn't understand what they are supposed to do. A text campaign relies on 2 factors: the keyword and the short code. It is recommended to integrate the keyword and short code directly into the call to action (rich SMS).

3. Create an engaging text message

A mobile phone is a very personal device. Consumers who authorize you to send messages to their mobile device should be treated as loyal customers. An excellent way to do this is to encourage your prospects to sign up for your campaign by offering them something of value. This could be a 30% discount or a "buy one, get one free" offer. The latter are ideal for increasing the value of orders placed on your website, in particular. However, incentives don't necessarily have to be monetary to be effective. This type of message should focus on the following points:

• Personalization
• Reminders
• Engagement
• Accessibility
• Privileges

4. Obtain consent

Text messaging is a communication channel that requires consumer consent. Your prospects must clearly opt in to receive your SMS offers. This can be done in two ways:

• By texting a keyword to a short code
• By submitting their mobile phone number via an online form.

5. Follow the rules

In addition to obtaining customer consent, your SMS advertising campaigns must comply with certain regulations. Here are the most essential ones, particularly for France:

• Clear identification of the advertiser
• Including an opt-out mechanism in the text message

6. Leverage the immediacy of SMS

A 90% open rate. This figure makes text messaging an essential channel for communicating with your audience. Taking advantage of this immediacy in a relevant way will increase the conversion rate of your advertising SMS. If your event is on Friday night, sending a text before Thursday night is far too early. In addition to well-planned timing, your SMS must deliver high-value content to the user via a clear and concise call to action.

7. Be consistent in your advertising efforts

As with any aspect of a marketing strategy, it is essential to seek overall consistency in your campaign. Whether through the tone used in your SMS, the type of message, or the sending schedule, ensure you create an SMS marketing campaign that makes sense to your prospects.

8. Use all media channels to promote your campaign

SMS is a highly dependent marketing channel. To ensure a good subscription rate for your service, use social media, radio, email, etc., to promote your SMS campaign.

9. Measure your campaign

There are many ways to evaluate the success of your campaign. Here are some important factors to track, which will give you more insight into the success of your efforts:

• Monitor the growth of your subscriber list and identify the actions that generate new sign-ups.
• The unsubscribe rate. It should not exceed 2-3%.
• Cross-channel engagement by keyword: use different keywords depending on the channel used to find out which media your customers prefer.
• The redemption rate will help you determine the percentage of customers who actually used your offer.

Before launching your next mobile SMS marketing campaign, take the time to apply these 9 tips, and your SMS campaign will have every chance of being a success. Octopush offers an SMS sending service at very competitive rates, with no commitment, to allow you to get started with SMS marketing safely.