May 12, 2016

Is SMS Making a Comeback with Retail?

Retailers are just now discovering the potential for SMS integration within existing marketing strategies.  They are starting to understand that engaging a customer with a 98% read rate leads to 8X more engagement than email, which only has a 22% open rate. (Mobile Marketing Engine)

Whether a retailer is entering late in the game or has been trying for years, they all know that the common denominator for success is the phone. All generations use it. They all rely on it. Even Baby Boomers are now mobile at a rate of 87%. (eMarketer) For the growing consumer market, namely Millennials and Gen Z, there are new ways to automate smart targeting campaigns, but one stands above the rest. It isn’t flashy. It won’t dazzle you with wonder. It’s simple. Text messaging is the #1 form of reach because SMS is the most instant and reliable tool businesses can use to communicate with the consumer.

 

Did You Know

 

 

So why not integrate SMS marketing solutions on the device people are already using on a daily basis?

 

What About Apps?

Apps are fun, but most lack effectiveness. Why? Unless you’re providing something that hasn’t been done before, you’ll end up becoming part of this stat:

99% of all apps are only used once. (mobile marketing engine)

Reliability can be measured in this stat alone. Why invest top dollar building a great app that runs the risk of total and complete ineffectiveness, when you can save your money and rely on SMS, where 90% of all messages are read within 3 minutes of delivery? (Mobile Marketing Engine)

Apps may be perceived as instant; however, the message is delivered via push notification, which holds an inconsistent 20-80% read rate that pales in comparison to the 98% read rate of SMS.

 

IRIO’s SMS Retail Solutions

If you want to activate text messaging for your business, there are several mobile solutions in the retail industry that will add value to any campaign. For example:

  • Mobile Promotions
    Through IRIO’s mobile promotion solution any business can create enhanced target marketing campaigns with mobile coupons, which are 10X more effective than print. (Mobile Marketing Engine)
  • Retargeting
    Automate customer engagement for specific e-commerce headaches, such as shopping cart abandonment. IRIO’s retargeting solution, offers instant incentives for shoppers who have forgotten their items. With just one simple, automated text message, you can reel the customer back in and complete the sale.
  • Surveys
    SMS surveys are convenient and fast, which are key components of a successful survey campaign. IRIO’s survey solution is more relevant than email and automates customer insights.
  • Sweepstakes
    If you could win something, why not win fast? With a text message, a business can provide an instant result. A customer can enter to win any sweepstakes and either win right then and there, or be notified the second a winner is selected. This convenience can quickly generate new leads for your business.
  • Marketing/Sales Automation
    IRIO’s custom API solutions can eliminate needless man-hours for properties and retailers alike. With custom keywords, a customer can text in and receive all the information they need. Whether it’s in-store purchasing or out of store advertising, a keyword makes the difference with nearly unlimited potential for driving traffic through the door and to your site.

 

Take Action

So if you’re a retailer and are considering joining the digital trend that is mobile marketing, consider your target audience. Their likes and dislikes. What they use to communicate and how they go about their daily lives. Discover SMS. Discover IRIO. But more importantly, discover the undervalued power of delivering a text message to a customer the moment you push “send.”