Recently, businesses have been looking for new ways to connect with customers and drive engagement. One highly effective method is sending SMS messages to website users and subscribers. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explain why SMS marketing can be so impactful and show you how to easily implement SMS messaging on your WordPress site.
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Why Use SMS Marketing for Your WordPress Site?
Here are some of the main reasons SMS messaging should be part of your digital marketing strategy:
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Extremely high open rates: Studies show SMS messages have open rates around 98%, much higher than email open rates which tend to fall between 20-30%.
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Faster response times: People respond to texts within 90 seconds on average compared to 90 minutes for emails.
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More personal connection: SMS messages feel more personal and thus get users‘ attention unlike other distracting digital channels.
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Flexibility: SMS can be used for promotions, order updates, event reminders, surveys, and more.
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Compliance: When done properly following opt-in consent, SMS marketing complies with anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR.
Just remember not to overdo it. Most users won‘t want more than 2-3 SMS messages per week. You‘ll achieve the best results when you combine SMS with your other marketing channels like email, and always get clear opt-in consent first.
Here are some statistics that highlight the power of SMS marketing:
- 90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes of being received (Forbes)
-SMS marketing has a 98% open rate compared to just 20-30% for email (Mobile Marketing Watch) - 90% of customers would choose to receive promo codes via SMS over other channels (SlickText)
- 83% of millennials are more likely to respond to a text than other communication channels (MobileBridge)
Step 1: Choose an SMS Service Provider
There are many excellent SMS service providers to choose from. Here are some of the most popular options along with key features and pricing:
Twilio
- Pay per message starting at $0.005 per SMS
- Scalable cloud infrastructure
- SMS and MMS capabilities
- Extensive APIs and integrations
- Best for developers and advanced features
Brevo
- Packages start at $10 for 100 SMS messages
- Easy drag-and-drop message builder
- Integrates with your WordPress site
- Automation options available
- Best for easy setup without coding
MessageBird
- Prices start at $0.05 per message sent
- Omnichannel platform also offers WhatsApp, voice, email
- Dashboard and API provided
- Real-time delivery reporting
- Best for those needing multiple messaging channels
Amazon SNS
- Cost effective bulk SMS packages
- Integrates seamlessly with other AWS services
- Scales to any message volume
- Cloud-based so no servers to manage
- Best for those already using AWS
When choosing your SMS provider, look for clear and competitive pricing, high deliverability rates, compliance features to follow telemarketing regulations, responsive customer support, and simplicity of getting set up, unless you require advanced customization.
Step 2: Set Up Your SMS Account
Follow these steps to set up your SMS account:
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Sign up for a provider and choose the package or plan that fits your needs. Purchase SMS credits if required.
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Verify your phone number to confirm you own the number before sending any messages.
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Set a sender name so recipients immediately know the SMS message is from your business when they receive it.
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Enable compliance features like opt-out keywords so you can automatically handle recipients who text back STOP or other opt-out phrases to follow anti-spam regulations.
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Connect your WordPress site using the provider‘s plugin or API integration. Most make this seamless.
Be sure to closely review all legal requirements based on the countries you are sending SMS messages to. For example in the United States, the TCPA law applies. Stay compliant from the start.
Step 3: Build Your Subscriber List
There are a few recommended methods to start building your list of SMS subscribers:
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Website opt-in forms – Add an on-site signup form with a checkbox for subscribers to consent to receive SMS messages from you.
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Import contacts – If you have an existing CSV contact list, import it into your SMS platform. Remove any contacts that didn‘t consent to SMS.
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Sync email subscribers – Match your email subscriber list against a mobile number database to identify those you can also SMS.
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Social media channels – Leverage your existing social media followers by collecting phone numbers from interested followers.
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Retargeting ads – Use retargeting ads to convert visitors into SMS subscribers by promoting an opt-in form.
The key things to remember are always getting explicit consent before adding any contact to receive SMS messages, providing an easy way for them to opt out at any time, and importing only contacts who already gave consent. This helps ensure SMS marketing compliance.
Step 4: Create and Send Your First SMS Campaign
Once your SMS account is set up and contacts imported, it‘s time to create your first text message campaign:
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Write a compelling message – Get attention with a great hook relevant to your subscribers and end with a clear call to action.
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Keep it brief – SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, so you need to get to the point fast.
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Personalize the message – Use merge tags to include the recipient‘s first name when possible to make it feel personalized.
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Target your list – Select the specific subscriber list you want to send the SMS campaign to. You can segment by interests, purchase history, demographics, etc.
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Test it first – Send a test message to your own phone number before broadcasting to confirm everything works as expected.
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Analyze results – After sending your campaign, closely review the open rate, click-through rate, and opt-outs. This data will help optimize future SMS campaigns.
The process is very similar when sending one-off transactional SMS messages like order confirmations or shipping notifications. The same best practices apply.
Top SMS Marketing Strategies and Best Practices
Here are some top tips for running effective SMS marketing campaigns:
Get consent – Never send marketing texts without getting opt-in consent first. This is essential for both compliance and positive response.
Personalize the messages – Use merge tags to include recipients‘ names and make it feel customized.
Have a clear CTA – Every SMS should have one clear call to action for recipients to take.
Watch frequency – Limit to 2-3 marketing SMS per week max unless customers request more.
Provide value – Don‘t make it all promotional. Share coupons, content links, service updates, etc.
Automate SMS workflows – Send SMS automatically when users take certain actions like subscribing, purchasing, etc.
Follow up – Set reminders via SMS to follow up with users who abandon cart, haven‘t purchased lately, etc.
Get Started with SMS Marketing Today
Adding SMS messaging to your WordPress marketing strategy is simple and highly effective when done properly. With an experienced SMS provider, compliant list building, and compelling SMS campaigns, you can drive great results.
To learn more, see our guide on how to choose the best SMS marketing service. Or let us know if you have any other questions!
