4 Don't's of SMS Marketing in 2024

Ben, the (cough*fictional*cough) CEO of a thriving ecommerce company, thought he had SMS marketing down to a science.

But he soon discovered that the landscape of SMS marketing is far more nuanced than it appears.

He’d been using SMS for promotions and flash sales and all that good stuff…

But when his team integrated SMS into their customer service—engagement rates skyrocketed.

Ben's revelation echoes a growing realization in the marketing world: SMS is not just a standalone tool but a versatile platform with untapped potential.

The possibilities stretch far beyond simple promotional texts.

Previously we’ve discussed the do’s of SMS marketing.

Now it’s time for some don’t’s. But here we’ll explore the less-trodden paths of SMS marketing and beyond—the hidden pitfalls and unexpected opportunities.

So in the immortal words of Nintendo’s Luigi: “Let’s-a go!”

Don’t: Neglect Cross-Channel Integration

You’re missing out on some opportunities if you view SMS just as an isolated channel in an island apart from your other marketing channels.

Think about this: a customer browses your website, abandons their cart, and receives a well-timed SMS reminder. They click the link, complete the purchase on mobile, and later receive an email confirmation.

This is a familiar journey that serves as an example of cross-channel integration.

The goal isn't to bombard customers across all channels, but to create a seamless experience that adds value at each stage.

Some practical examples might include:

• Sending text reminders for important emails
• Offering exclusive text-only promotions to social media followers if they opt in to your texts
• Driving traffic to your live streams or webinars via SMS

Don't: Overlook Consideration of SMS for Customer Service

We’ve all had unfortunate customer service experiences.

Any of the following sound familiar?

You send an email and don’t hear back for days.

You try to chat online but it’s just a bot that keeps sending you “help” articles.

You call and get put on hold, only to finally be told that you need to be transferred and start the whole process over—sometimes multiple times.

SMS has the potential to be a convenient way for people to get answers quickly. So overlooking SMS could be a missed opportunity to give your customers service that meets them where they are.

And SMS customer service becomes another perk that you can market to your customers and prospects.

Don't: Underestimate the Power of Conversational AI in SMS

AI is nothing new at this point.

But its applications continue to expand.

One application of AI that we’re dipping into is conversational AI in SMS, via SMS Chatbots.

SMS Chatbots allow you to stay in touch with customers and prospects 24/7, so that you can reach them anytime anywhere, and they can reach you.

You can create and market a Chatbot to help answer your audience’s inquiries instantly when they have a question or concern.

Your Chatbot can be thoroughly trained on everything about your business by giving it access to your documentation—and then it will be equipped to handle basic questions so that your audience doesn’t have to wait.

Don't: Forget About SMS as a Data Collection Tool

With SMS’s outstanding read rates and view rates, it can actually be an effective way to get people’s feedback.

You can use SMS to send links to surveys or even to ask a survey question or two directly.

Odds are that people will be much more likely to follow through than if you sent the same survey via email or hosted it as a popup on your website.

Of course, remember that if you link to an external survey, you need to make sure that the survey is mobile-friendly so that the recipient doesn’t have a frustrating experience trying to fill it out.

How Could You Be Using SMS More Fully?

It's clear that the potential of this channel extends far beyond simple promotional messages.

SMS is a versatile tool that can transform not only your marketing strategy but your entire communication strategy as a whole.

Are you using SMS to its fullest potential? How can you be using it more fully?

Consider selecting one of the don’t’s mentioned above and applying it to your own strategy in the upcoming 3 months.

Then who knows? You may just find that it’s revolutionized your business.

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