You have decided to get started with SMS marketing to boost your revenue and increase your sales. You have chosen a provider for your bulk SMS messaging and you are ready to launch your first campaign. How can you ensure your SMS campaign is a success? To help you get the best possible start in SMS marketing, Octopush shares some fundamental rules to follow to ensure your marketing campaign is a success.

1. Acquiring data

For your SMS campaign to be a success, it is essential to build a targeted and relevant list of recipients. This initial process is crucial for the smooth running of your campaign. Conversely, an inappropriate recipient list can lead to your SMS campaign being suspended by carriers, or even a violation of the laws governing SMS marketing.

The foundation of SMS marketing lies in the fact that the contacts to whom you send your promotional messages have clearly and consciously given their consent to receive information from your organization.

Several methods will allow you to easily obtain this authorization:

• Mobile opt-in, where the customer uses their phone to text a specific word (the SMS keyword) to your company using a special number (the SMS short code), while being fully aware that this constitutes signing up for your SMS campaign.
• Web opt-in, where the customer enters their phone details into an online form on your website.

In both cases, the process is completed by sending a confirmation SMS to the user's phone, requiring a YES reply via SMS for the subscription to take effect.

To encourage users to engage with your brand and subscribe to your SMS offers and promotions, the choice of keyword is extremely important. Here too, a few simple rules will help you find the right keyword to drive prospect engagement.

• The SMS keyword must be easy to remember and easy to spell. Your goal is for users to remember it and be able to type it easily.
• Avoid special characters or those that could cause confusion. E.g., a lowercase 'l' which can look identical to an 'i' or the number '1' in certain fonts.
• Ideally, choose a short and unique keyword.
• Avoid homophones, which have the same pronunciation but different spellings or meanings, to avoid generating errors.

Now that you have created a prospect database according to best practices, you are ready to send your first messages. Here too, the keys to success are simple.

2. Writing your SMS

The basics of writing your messages are simple: brevity and clarity are the watchwords for an impactful SMS campaign.

Above all, certain key figures can help you create relevant SMS campaigns. Infrequent but perfectly targeted messages will generate much better response rates than repeated bulk sends, which are often perceived as intrusive.

A recent survey shows which type of SMS triggers the most conversions from customers:

• 66% for discount offers;
• 52% for offers including a deadline;
• 50% for offers based on geolocation;
• 47% for product-based offers;
• 45% for offers based on similar products;
• 31% for general offers.

Choose the subject of your campaign carefully to maximize your conversion rate and ROI.

When it comes to writing the body of your message, with a strict 160-character limit, simplicity and clarity are essential. However, this should not lead you to omit certain important information:

• The name of your company or campaign so you are easily identified by recipients, especially if you are using a shared shortcode.
• A clear and consistent call to action to encourage your targets to engage with your brand as soon as they open the SMS.
• If additional information is needed, consider including URL links in your SMS (link to Rich SMS article).

By following these basic principles, you are equipped to write text messages that adhere to the rules of simplicity and relevance. Your SMS campaigns will be more impactful and successful. For more information on how to make your SMS campaign a success, check out our article on SMS marketing best practices (link to SMS best practices article).

Once the writing phase of your SMS campaign is complete and your messages have been distributed using your chosen SMS sending module, you still need to analyze your results to measure your success.

3. Analyze your results

Analyzing your campaign results is a very important phase of your SMS campaign. Indeed, it is by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your campaign that you will be able to evolve your marketing strategy to generate even more results.

3 essential points will serve your analysis:

• The deliverability rate, which tells you whether your SMS messages were successfully delivered by the operator(s). Although this information remains basic and does not guarantee that your SMS messages were opened and read, it allows you to check the health of your recipient list. Certain numerical indicators will help you identify potential improvements:

99 – 100% Top98 – 99% Great94 – 97% Good90 – 93% Acceptable80 – 89% CautionBelow 80% Alert.

• The click-through rate, which will be measured for SMS messages containing a URL link. The URL data will allow you to quantify the number of people who clicked on your link. Don't forget that the link in your message must always target a mobile version of your website!
• The usage rate of your coupons and discounts, which will indicate the level of engagement of your campaign's recipients.

By following these guidelines for creating your first SMS campaign, you maximize your chances of success. With a 99% open rate and maximum accessibility, SMS is an essential tool for the growth of your company today. Knowing how to use this tool optimally will allow you to take full advantage of the immense and still untapped potential of this marketing medium.