Avoid these 12 common SMS marketing mistakes

When SMS marketing works, it really works (we’re talking an open rate of 98% and a read time of just 90 seconds). To give yourself the best chance of success, make sure you avoid these common mistakes before you launch your SMS campaign.

1. Being too wordy

The attention span of most people is only eight seconds, so your text messages must be concise and direct. We recommend sticking to 160 characters so it fits into one SMS. As longer texts also cost more, being brief is a double win.

2. Using text lingo

While acronyms and text lingo were all the rage in the early 2000s (remember LOL and GTG?), they’re certainly not appropriate for business communications, even via SMS. Avoid any unnecessary slang or text talk to ensure your audience takes your message seriously.

3. Not including an opt-out

Spam compliance is everything when it comes to SMS marketing. You need your customers’ permission to send them marketing messages and must allow recipients to opt-out at any time.

4. Remaining mysterious

While a little mystery can be enticing, it’s certainly not recommended when it comes to contacting customers. By law, you must identify your company name within the Sender ID or the message itself.

5. Sending messages at inconsistent times

A late-night SMS is a sure-fire way to annoy your customers. Pay attention to the time of day you send your SMS (your customers will appreciate not being woken up). Also, keep the context in mind and read up on the best times to send your particular message.

6. Forgetting a CTA

Space is limited when sending an SMS. Even if you craft a compelling, powerful message it’s all for nothing if you don’t follow up with a CTA. People are bombarded all day with ads so it’s important to tell them exactly what you want them to do.

7. Ignoring link previews

The link preview feature allows the recipient to get a glimpse of where the link will lead to by pulling an image from your web destination. This immediately shows the recipient how the link may be relevant to them, encouraging higher click-through rates.

8. Accidentally texting invalid numbers

Phone numbers are often changed or disconnected. Accidentally texting an invalid number can decrease your deliverability score and muddy your campaign statistics. Our bulk SMS gateway will automatically detect and segment invalid numbers so you don’t risk texting them again.

9. Copy-pasting the URL you want to include

Don’t clog up your SMS with long links. Burst offers a tracked link feature which shortens any URLs you wish to send out and tracks your click-through rate. You should also use UTM parameters to help track SMS traffic more precisely with Google Analytics.

10. Using desktop designs for mobile traffic

If your SMS is sending customers to a landing page, you must optimise the page for mobile users. If a page takes more than three seconds to load, 53% of mobile visitors will leave.

11. Sending a generic blast to all customers

While it can be cost-effective to send bulk SMS, it’s also important to segment your customers based on their interests, location, and demographics. Taking a scattergun approach often misses the mark. Instead, use data cleverly to send limited-time promotions to people in particular areas or with specific interests.

12. Glossing over personalisation

There’s nothing more off-putting than receiving a message that begins with “Dear valued customer”. Keep accurate customer data so you can address your customers by their name, mention what they recently ordered, or remind them of a particular appointment they’re due for.

Now you know what not to do, start dreaming up your next SMS marketing campaign today with our handy SMS templates.