The future of SMS marketing

Over the past two decades, SMS marketing has become deeply ingrained in our lives to the point where we can hardly imagine life without it. Despite this, marketers still don't view it with the same high regard as email marketing or social media marketing. What a mistake! Here's what the future holds for SMS marketing.

 

• The core of digital marketing:

Email marketing has always been a fundamental channel for digital marketing campaigns. However, the buzz around social media marketing is understandable, given its strong targeting and customization capabilities. On the other hand, SMS marketing offers equally valuable benefits but remains underrated by marketers. If you hesitate to adopt SMS as a marketing tool, now might be the best time to reconsider your decision. Why? Because SMS has evolved to become not just a viable marketing platform but a truly worthwhile one.

 

• Mobile Penetration Peak:

The first SMS-enabled mobile phone was introduced to the market in 1993. However, it was in the late 1990s that mobile phones quickly gained popularity as cellular networks became more stable and allowed for messaging across networks. By the year 2000, 12% of the world's population owned a mobile phone, and that number has steadily increased over time. Today, there are over five billion unique mobile subscribers worldwide, with over 65% of people globally owning some form of mobile device. Even though the number of smartphone users is rising, almost 30% of mobile subscribers still do not have an internet-connected smartphone, but they can all receive text messages.

 

• System Developments:

In the early days of SMS marketing, there were hardly any regulations guiding marketers on proper usage. It was essentially a free-for-all platform for any company willing to bear the costs. Additionally, it suffered from a lack of any rulebook, a gap that email marketing already filled. However, the digital landscape has changed dramatically, and SMS has become not just a viable but an appealing digital marketing platform.

 

• Data Privacy Regulations:

Numerous regulations have been developed and widely accepted worldwide to encourage respectful practices and protect data privacy. These regulations have made people more receptive to receiving promotional texts. In fact, currently, 75% of consumers don't mind getting texts from brands as long as they have opted in.

 

• Lower Costs:

In the early 2000s, a single SMS could cost between ten to twenty cents, depending on the carrier. For businesses using bulk SMS, costs quickly piled up. However, over time, costs have significantly decreased due to various factors. Presently, there are countless marketing packages that make SMS a cost-effective platform, with some even reducing costs to one cent per text.

 

In conclusion, SMS marketing has evolved to become a powerful and cost-effective digital marketing tool. Marketers should embrace its potential and consider it an essential component of their marketing strategies to achieve greater success in reaching their target audience.