Introduction : Why SMS Is a Powerful Tool for Businesses
According to DataReportal (2024), Thailand has recorded more than 97.1 million active mobile connections, representing 136% of the country’s total population. This figure incredibly reaffirms the wide reach of mobile networks and what SMS messaging can deliver.
The rise of instant gratification provides SMS in bulk as a secret sauce in the communication power tools kit. Recognizing this immense potential in SMS messaging, there are SMS providers such as SMS2Pro who have also emerged with their products to leverage this massive extent to mobile users .
With the increasing use of SMS, we list down 6 reasons why businesses should use SMS messaging to improve their operations and drive growth.
1. High Opening and Engagement Rate
SMS boasts an impressive open rate of 98% (Forbes, 2024), where the majority of messages are read within minutes of landing, making it the ideal vehicle for time-sensitive campaigns. With billions of mobiles used around the world, SMS has incredible reach. Whereas other social platforms rely on access to the internet or installing an app, SMS only needs a very basic phone connection. The universality of these availability puts this within the reach of nearly everyone.
From the aforementioned statistic, we know that Thailand has an astonishing 97 million active mobile connections. This statistic highlights the incredible opportunity for brands looking to connect in a tech-savvy, mobile-first market.
SMS provides a direct line to customers for Thai businesses, making sure that their messages are not only seen but also acted upon. The immediacy of SMS makes it even more effective from promotions to updates.
2. Increase Engagement Rates and Enable Real-Time Communication
SMS is an instant message service, with average delivery of less than 1 second (SMS2PRO). It allows businesses to deliver messages to their audience in real time, making sure messages are delivered at the right time and efficiently.
From promotional offers, time-sensitive alerts to transaction confirmations, SMS lets businesses get in touch with a wide target audience almost instantly.
High level functions such as 2-Way SMS empower businesses to interact directly with their customers, and also foster real time communication. This can include confirming or canceling bookings, subscribing to the latest updates, and more. These real-time interactions not only streamline processes like booking and subscription management but also enhance customer experience by providing immediate responses.
[Read More: What Is 2-Way SMS? | How to Boost Customer Engagement with 2-Way SMS]
[Read More: How Topgolf Thailand Uses SMS to Win Customer Loyalty and Boost Engagement Rates]
3. Lower CPC, Higher ROI: A Cost-Effective Marketing Solution
SMS marketing is a more economical marketing channel than others. It may not require high production costs like TV commercials, billboards, or online ads, which makes it a budget-friendly option for companies.
Being a marketer myself, I have tried different channels to communicate that come with a high price to pay — from hiring brand ambassadors at high costs, booking billboards, shooting videos, and spending tons of money on marketing budgets starting from millions of baht.
In contrast, SMS messaging offers a relatively cheap option, for instance, costs vary from 0.18 to 0.60 baht per message (depends on the provider). This also makes SMS a much more cost-effective solution than traditional marketing tools.
4. Real-Time Insights and Instant ROI
The downside of traditional marketing methods is that they are costly and time consuming, yet businesses often find it hard to measure their ROI.
Therefore, companies might be investing a large amount of money without knowing the exact time or manner in which the results will come.
Most SMS providers have a back-office dashboard to help manage SMS campaigns and follow-ups.
The instant delivery rates seen with SMS mean businesses can assess campaign performance rapidly, tracking read and open rates right from the dashboard.
[Read More:Tracking Tools To Improve Your Marketing Performance : How SMS Tracking Works]
Now businesses can receive real-time insights and directly linked ROI results, eliminating the waiting period prevalent in conventional marketing techniques. They not only make for a cheap option but also provide immediate feedback as an easy way for businesses to quickly shift their marketing strategies while minimizing costs.
5. Easy to Use, Wide Access
One of the main advantages of SMS is that it does not rely on internet connectivity, so anyone with a mobile phone can use it.
SMS open rates typically exceed 90%, making it a valuable channel for reaching customers in remote regions or areas with poor internet connection.
From a business point of view, SMS is a fairly simple, easy and direct component to work with, compared to digital marketing channels like Google SEO/SEM, and other digital marketing channels where you need to have a lot of expertise and strategize on how to be competitive with others and reach the audience you want.
Sometimes, trying to secure a top ranking can be overwhelming. On the other hand, SMS marketing is pretty simple. It allows businesses to reach their target audience with a single click without having to compete with other parties. All it took was sending in bulk messages to the target group and your message was right in front of their face.
6. Increase Customers Loyalty with dynamic personalised sms
SMS, as a text-based messaging tool, is not just a medium of sending simple alerts or updates but a chance to make communication personalized and meaningful.
Utilizing customer-specific information, like names, dates of birth, purchase history, or preferences, allows businesses to tailor messages that speak directly to their audience.
By adopting this data-driven approach to dynamic content, you move away from generic marketing, but creating messages that are relevant and tailored to each recipient.
SMS messaging is short and sweet but can be very powerful if personalized to your audience. Every human appreciates being spoken uniquely and this bonding helps in creating a deeper gulf between the business and the customers.
For instance, sending a personalized birthday or special occasion greeting allows you to acknowledge your customers in a way that makes them feel special. This small gesture can go a long way in building goodwill and a stronger emotional connection with your brand.
Consider the following example:
Dear {Customer’s Name},
On your special day, enjoy a 10% discount when you shop with us between {Start Date} and {End Date}! Use the discount code {Discount Code} – EXCLUSIVE ONLY for you!
This approach creates a sense of personal care and can drive repeat business by making customers feel appreciated.
[Read More:
- What is Dynamic Text and How Can Businesses Leverage It in SMS Campaigns to Win Customers?
- How to create dynamic text for SMS Marketing campaign : Step by Step guide to send customise sms campaign ]
Conclusion
While there are so many advantages of SMS, businesses need to switch their mind to some challenges SMS may confront. Click here to read : The 4 Main Challenges of SMS Marketing in Thailand.
Nevertheless, SMS is still an incredibly effective marketing channel with many benefits, including a high rate of engagement and open rates, low cost, ease of use with real-time communication capabilities, and wide accessibility.
As a result, SMS has proven to be an incredibly effective channel for businesses to reach their audiences. We can safely say that SMS will remain a central, critical communication channel for the industry.
[Read More: The Future of SMS: What is Next?]
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