Exciting news! After a year of unprecedented product innovation at Act-On, we are thrilled to announce yet another feature launch…
Automated SMS marketing has arrived!
Act-On customers now have convenient, easy-to-use access to the most engaging digital marketing channel in existence with our brand new automated SMS marketing feature. Marketers are always looking for new ways to connect with their audience, and now Act-On customers can leverage this channel to supplement and augment their communication strategies.
Get the Best Automated SMS Marketing Experience With Act-On
Our automated SMS marketing feature is not a bolt-on solution to add to a Franken-stack. This feature is a built-in solution that provides a seamless experience, powerful segmentation, and in-depth reporting.
Unlike any other vendor, Act-On allows you to schedule SMS messaging within your automated programs, complementing and amplifying your existing outbound communications strategy. You can also send unscheduled behaviorally triggered SMS messages when the iron is hot. Again, no other marketing automation vendor empowers marketers to leverage situational SMS marketing in real-time.
Our solution is as intuitive as it is easy-to-use, giving marketers the ability to compose and preview messages in mobile form factors, shorten links, track links, capture behaviors and responses, and generate granular or comprehensive reporting for strategic SMS marketing development. You can even toggle back and forth between your automated email programs and your automated SMS marketing, allowing you to deliver the perfect message on the proper channel when it matters most.
“Our industry-leading SMS automated marketing product is all about improving customer experience and allowing marketers to send messages to customers about things important to their day-to-day lives,” said David Greenberg, chief marketing and product officer at Act-On. “With this new solution we aren’t simply checking a box and allowing our customers to send mobile alerts or spam. We are providing growth-minded marketers the keys to an entirely new automation strategy to reach their audiences.”
Why You Should Include SMS in Your Marketing Arsenal
When you absolutely must connect with your target audience, automated SMS marketing is tough to beat. Automated SMS marketing represents a highly integrated channel that supports all of your messaging workflows, bridges communication gaps, and helps you build and improve relationships. With engagement rates above 90%, SMS gives marketers the opportunity to deliver timely, direct, and relevant communications with willing recipients.
Marketers are always seeking new personalized communication methods that go beyond traditional digital channels like email, social, and web. Automated SMS marketing can serve as that new tactic to help you deliver relevant, data-driven messages no matter where your audience is in their buying journey — and the numbers don’t lie.
- Analysts report open rates of better than 95%
- Over 90% of SMS communications are read within three minutes of receipt
- Greater than 40% click-through rates
- 97% of adults text weekly
- Americans are twice as likely to text than call
And SMS marketing communications can reach your recipients even when they don’t have an internet connection, giving you nearly constant access to your target audience!
Automated SMS Marketing Use Cases
SMS marketing has unlimited potential for B2B and B2C applications across every industry. Proven effective use cases include:
Reinforcing a Positive Customer Experience — Customer comms that build trust and loyalty
- After hotel check-ins, send confirmations with floor plans, schedules (for events/restaurants), in-hotel and local restaurants, and other local info
- Newly purchased product info and links to learn more or view associated and recommended items
- Engage customers in fun promotions, games, and sweepstakes
- Send follow-up survey to gauge your performance and improve over time
Alerts and Notifications — Deliver helpful information in real-time for the best possible experience
- In-venue notifications in the moment… “Go to Gate E for the shortest line”
- Critical system outages
- Appointment/event notifications
Promotional Opportunities — Profile and behavioral triggered opportunities
- Product promotions and releases, relevant coupons, flash sales
- Available job positions
- Promotions based on purchase history
This list only scratches the surface of what’s possible with SMS. To learn more about the most innovative automated SMS marketing use cases, please click here to speak with one of our marketing automation experts.
SMS Best Practices to Ensure Success
SMS offers a lot of opportunities, but there are important rules and guidelines that are important to understand and follow — both at the regulatory level and in terms of customer expectations and best practices.
Current regulations dictate:
- Express written consent to receive SMS automated marketing prior to receiving the first message
- Predefining SMS messaging topics, messaging triggers, and frequency
- Potential fees associated with any text messaging
- Confirming enrollment and sharing data privacy and opt-out details
In addition to the legal guidelines involved, here are a few best practices for SMS marketing to follow:
- Providing clear examples of the type of content recipients should expect
- Clearly informing recipients before changing the messaging types and criteria
- Sending SMS only within business hours, and never sending business-related content on holidays
- Providing occasional opt-out opportunities at regular intervals
There are also expectations for what not to do to ensure positive experiences and results. These are essentially based on being a good SMS citizen:
- Many consumers are gradually adapting to SMS as a marketing channel, so tread carefully and don’t overdo it
- SMS carriers and your customers may block you if you abuse the channel, so establish a regular cadence and ramp up slowly
- Your customers may be upset if you reach out with irrelevant or poorly timed messages, so personalize your communications and content based on interests and engagement
Reach Out Today to Learn More About Act-On Automated SMS Marketing!
Automated SMS marketing from Act-On is the future of personalizing the customer experience. This new channel opens up a world of possibilities, empowering you to deepen relationships and drive new and repeat business. When paired with marketing automation as part of a full-scale omnichannel digital strategy, SMS can broaden your reach and extend existing relationships!
To learn more about our new automated SMS marketing feature, please book a demo with one of our marketing automation experts today. Or, if you’d rather experience the Act-On growth marketing automation platform at your own pace, we’d love for you to take our interactive product tour. Regardless of your marketing journey, we’re excited to hear from you soon and help you explore the next great marketing channel with Act-On.