CEO of Mitto , an innovative communications platform company that drives customer acquisition for global brands.
In recent years, marketers have adopted a new take on digital marketing. Content reigns here, and the consumer controls everything. Consumers demand a seamless experience tailored to their personal preferences.
In 2023, this is a world where marketing teams are under-resourced. Many companies have cut staff (not to mention budgets) to prepare for the coming downturn. Attackers are sending misleading messages that can destroy year-long customer relationships with a single click, and consumer disillusionment with big tech has led to massive churn from previously successful digital platforms.
This change keeps brands on their toes. What does this mean for digital marketers? What trends will help the brand stay on top? Here are some observations and recommendations to follow the current market trends.
Discover new channels
The digital presence of consumers continues to diversify beyond "traditional" channels such as SMS, chat apps, and social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We are seeing the rise in popularity of new social networks like Mastodon, Steemit, etc. as consumers get tired of big tech.
Advanced brands wishing to test the reach of these multiple channels with their audience should start with a small test campaign and a limited budget. This allows marketers to test the situation and better understand the features and audience of the platform before moving on to larger campaigns.
But testing the latest cutting-edge platforms doesn't mean ignoring existing networks that have worked in the past, as they continue to be a source of successful interoperability. These existing networks have proven themselves and should remain part of the marketing mix. Meta, for example, continues to support a large Facebook user base and offers global access via WhatsApp, while platforms like TikTok and Instagram allow in-app purchases.
Have a two-way conversation
Word of mouth marketing continues to actively attract consumers. It uses multiple channels to communicate directly with consumers, just like shop assistants do in brick-and-mortar stores. Conversational marketing can also be done through chatbots, messaging apps, live chat, social media, and other channels.
For example, if a customer cannot find an item on a retailer's website, a chatbot will appear to help the customer, such as browsing the physical store. Research has shown that this type of interaction resonates with consumers; More than 7 in 10 consumers say they expect real-time interaction when shopping. Even more buyers (90%) say they expect an immediate response to their support request.
Conversational marketing for brands allows companies to collect valuable information about their customers, including their preferences and behaviors, which can be used to create personalized marketing campaigns that target unique audiences. And research shows it works. 77% of marketers who use SMS to send personalized offers report increased sales.
Small budget, big impact
Many marketing teams are entering 2023 on a smaller budget as companies brace for the current economic downturn. This tighter fall budget will encourage brand strategists to reallocate traditional ad spend to platforms with lower cost awareness, further diversifying their omnichannel marketing strategy.
Marketers looking to maximize the ROI of their budgets and maintain customer retention rates should consider increasing their investment in SMS, which consistently outperforms other messaging channels. Add to that a near-universal open rate of 98%, which means almost all messages sent are opened and read by the recipient. Text messages also have an excellent 45% response rate. Compare that to a measly 21% for open responses and 2% for email campaigns.
Texting also has the advantage of immediacy. Text messages are usually read within minutes of being received, making this a great way to quickly get important information such as special offers and appointment reminders to customers.
Here are seven best practices for using SMS in your marketing campaigns.
• Obtain permission. It is important, and in some places required by law, that consumers consent to receive marketing SMS messages. This can be done by asking customers to enter keywords in a shortcode or by filling out a form on your website. Also follow all applicable rules when sending SMS messages, e.g. B. US Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
• Use a unique sender ID. Use a recognizable sender ID so that customers know who the message is from.
• Short. SMS messages have a limited number of characters, so it's important to count each character. Make sure your message is clear, concise, and contains a specific call to action.
• Accurate news time. Send the message at the time and day of the week the recipient is most likely to see it. Avoid texting early or late at night or on holidays. Try experimenting with different times and days to see what is the best response rate.
• Personalize messages. Use the recipient's name and tailor the message to suit their interests and preferences to make it more relevant and interesting.
• Offer price. Make sure your message benefits your customers. Offer exclusive discounts, promotions or special offers to SMS subscribers only.
• Suggest disconnection. Always enable the "unsubscribe" option ("Reply N to unsubscribe from this message") in your SMS messages if you no longer wish to receive them.
Today, marketers face an ever-changing set of challenges as the growing number of channels used to acquire customers is offset by budget constraints. Marketing teams looking to do more with less should adjust their omnichannel marketing strategy to invest less in less efficient channels in favor of more profitable ones.
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