9 August 2023 | SMS for Marketing & Communication
What is SMS marketing? And why should you, who sell events and experiences, use the channel?
In this blog post, you will learn what SMS marketing is, some reasons why you should invest in the channel as well as a bunch of suggestions for what your SMS mailings can contain. In addition, we give you three things that are good to remember before you send your SMS.
SMS marketing is mass sending of SMS to a group of recipients, with the aim of selling something. The text messages can also contain pure information before an ice hockey match, an event or a visit to your ski resort. In addition, you can send out an SMS after the customer's visit, with a link to a customer survey for example. Yes, the possibilities are many and only creativity sets the limits!
SMS marketing is similar to email marketing, but does not require as much design and text. However, SMS requires that you carefully think through what you want to say, that you say it with few characters and that you do not misuse the channel. Just like with email marketing, it's important that you're clear about the target group you want to talk to.
The SMS channel can be used for several different reasons:
Today, the vast majority of people have their mobile phone within arm's length. And not only that, the mobile gives off both vibrations, sound signals, light and notifications. In other words, it's difficult to miss an SMS that drops into the inbox, and strategically smart of you to use the channel.
Text messages are hard to miss (but easy to message!) because the mobile phone is always with us and alerts us through notifications, sounds and lights. This means that SMS is also a fast way of communication. If you need to reach your customers and recipients with urgent or time-limited messages, then sending an SMS is the way to go.
With the help of SMS sending, you can drive traffic to your website through, for example, campaigns and information. The more people who see your website, the more potential customers.
It's a good idea to message recipients about temporary offers and time-limited campaigns via SMS. Yes, it's even really smart to do it if the discounts are valid for a shorter period!
Do you have the ability to filter and segment your customers? Perfect! Then you can base your recipient lists on event tags, past purchase history and geographic areas, to name a few examples. You then use the recipient lists to notify customers via SMS of similar concerts, shows and packages. Similarly, you can create segments for your ideal customers.
You now know what SMS marketing is and why you should use the channel. So what should the SMS contain? Of course, it's up to you to choose what your SMS should contain, and it also depends on what you want to achieve with the mailings. In any case, here you will get some tips, ideas and suggestions that can help you get started:
Do you have a few tickets left for sale? Try sending an SMS to those who live within 0-20 km of your premises, park or facility – maybe the recipients can get in at short notice! You can also promote ticket releases to the people who have previously bought a similar ticket, or suggest buying an annual pass or subscription.
In connection with shopping holidays such as Black Friday, Mother's Day and Christmas, you can use SMS to distribute temporary discounts. Choose whether all recipients should be able to take part in the offer or whether only the most loyal customers should receive it. It's perfect to think Exclusivity, Scarcity & Urgency here.
Pre-visit SMS has a really high opening rate. Use them to tell about parking, wardrobe and food options, but also to send address details, links and check-in or opening times.
With SMS sending, you have the option to remind about various options. To those who have not yet booked a visit to the restaurant, you can, for example, send a friendly "Don't forget to book your table in the foyer – we only have a few left". To the visitors who come with children, you instead send reminders about face painting and child-friendly food options.
Sometimes a concert needs to be canceled or the amusement park closed. It may also be the case that temporary renovations affect accessibility and that guests need to leave in good time. Or that a water leak affects the visit. SMS is then a perfect channel to use to notify visitors of important information, as the channel is fast and missed by few.
To strengthen the relationship with your customers, you can send birthday greetings via SMS. The most optimal thing is to send them as automations. A greeting with a special offer for the birthday celebrant is a simple thing that is appreciated by most people.
Do you want to find out what the visitors thought of their visit to the museum, the arena or the theme park? Then send out a link to a customer survey via SMS. Also write why the customer should complete the survey and how it will help you.
Ready to start? Soon, just soon! First read through the points below.
As SMS is a fast channel, you should make sure to keep the SMS as short as possible. Also use a link shortener if you need to include a link. You can usually see in your SMS tool how many characters you typed together and how many SMS they created together.
You need to have a strategy for when to send SMS. Just because SMS is a fast channel that reaches the most recipients, you must not misuse the channel. You should have a plan and use SMS in a strategic way, just like with other channels.
Since SMS reaches the recipients relatively immediately, you should think about what time you should send your message. Most people sleep at night, so sending your SMS at night can be found disturbing by the recipients.
"We use SMS to inform buyers of important changes. Not everyone checks their email inbox – but SMS are hard to miss and therefore perfect for that type of communication!"
Emil Axelsson
Scalateatern Karlstad
SMS has become a powerful channel. When you want to convey important information to your guests – such as when the doors open for the concert or where visitors can park their cars – SMS is perfect to use. You can also suggest booking a glass of champagne for the break, or promote an event for your ideal customer. Yes, with SMS there are many possibilities. In addition, they are hard to miss – but extremely easy to send!
