Consumers who engage in more than one channel are typically a brand’s most valuable customer. And Listrak’s Mobile Marketing Solution is designed to engage your audience on their favorite – and sometimes only – device.

75% of customers prefer to have offers sent to them via SMS rather than through adverts on mobile apps or online, according to study from Digital Marketing Magazine. And SMS coupons are 10 times more likely to be redeemed and shared, according to Mobile Marketing Engine. But while the technology has existed for a while, brands have been slow to adopt the functionality until recently. Only 25–30% of businesses currently use SMS to communicate with customers currently.

Adding a mobile marketing solution to your digital marketing mix gives you a direct connection to your customers and gives you a competitive edge. Plus, it works really well with your email campaigns.

For example, you can use SMS to build your email list through a Text to Join campaign, like this example from Rainbow Shops. Through the first 10 months of running this campaign, Rainbow has seen a 92% email acquisition rate through its Text to Join message; and because of the offer, a large percentage of the new subscribers have also converted.

Read the full case study on Rainbow Shops' SMS campaigns here‍

You can promote your mobile marketing program through your on-site popup - but follow best practices. Don't just ask shoppers to enter their mobile number as they aren't opting-in to the mobile messaging campaign. Instead, share your keyword and short code and let them initiate the conversation.

You can also use your email campaigns to build your mobile list, like this example from Pier 1:

But just because the two channels work so well together doesn’t mean you should use them the same. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• While emails can go out daily – or even multiple times per day – SMS should be used sparingly, no more than once a week.

• SMS should include your best offers or discounts.

• SMS should also have a feeling of exclusivity as well as a sense of urgency / immediacy.

• Great SMS campaigns include immediate flash sales, new product releases, coupons, local event alerts and reminders while campaigns that don’t work well include upcoming sales, future events and coupons that aren’t immediately enabled.

• The content of your SMS campaigns should be direct – you only have 160 characters, which includes the mandatory legal messages, such as “Reply STOP to end”. With that being said, we recommend sending a single message at a time – don’t send two or three messages in a row to cram in a lot of text. If the message is too lengthy, send an email instead. Also, don’t overdo it with abbreviations. While some common abbreviations are okay, such as “Txt STOP 2 end”.

• You can use a URL shortener, such as bit.ly, for your call-to-action links and you should allot 10 characters of the 160 limit for your link.

• Unlike email, which can be sent any time of the day, SMS campaigns should be sent from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm local time.

• Your emails and SMS messages should work together, they shouldn’t compete. Don’t send different offers in the two channels the same day.

• Mobile marketing is highly regulated, so be sure to follow all the current rules, regulations and guidelines around signage, promotion and messaging.

Listrak’s Mobile Marketing Solution – Target Your Audience‍

With Listrak, you'll be able to create keyword campaigns and transactional messaging and send broadcast SMS messages - and you'll even be able to  target your audience by segmenting your list by geographic location by area code, purchase behavior or other attributes.

Later this year, clients will be able to execute automated campaigns across mobile and email through a single conversation in Listrak Conductor. This will allow you to reach each subscriber in their preferred channel with a personalized message. And this, in turn, will increase loyalty, revenue and customer satisfaction.

Questions about our Mobile Messaging solution? Download our Mobile Marketing Guide or let us know in the comments section.