It’s hard to ignore the stats surrounding modern SMS marketing campaigns. Most business owners know that their target market groups are less likely to answer the phone (or even an email) than their forebears. Combine that knowledge with hard facts, and there’s no wonder SMS marketing campaigns are the fastest-growing marketing type out there. Nearly 90% of texters read their messages within three minutes, and SMS offers a 98% open rate. Add this to the whopping 75% of customers that want to receive special offers via SMS, and texting becomes the obvious first choice for marketing campaigns.

What is also evident as some companies grow and others falter is that not all SMS marketing campaigns are beneficial. Here are some ways to maximize ROI and ensure your next SMS marketing campaign helps your business. 

Build Trust & Rapport Early

One of the most pertinent issues brands face when implementing SMS campaigns is acquiring customer phone numbers. Marketing of the past relied heavily on opportunistic encounters (think billboards, posters, etc.). The heavy lifting brands did for this type of marketing relied on researching consumer commuting & purchasing habits and cooperating with property owners to advertise in valuable places.

For SMS marketing campaigns, the biggest issue brands face is gaining the trust of their consumers. Consumers are statistically more likely to make brand decisions based on SMS marketing, but it takes more work to gauge the best way to ask for a customer’s phone number. We live in a time when a leaked number means – at best – daily spam calls. At worst, it could mean the identity theft of a customer, which creates personal problems for customers and potential legal issues for brands. Vital recently found that customers dislike disclosing their phone numbers so much that it can create a form abandonment rate of nearly 50%. 

But if customers hate disclosing phone numbers, how do brands ensure they obtain that information for SMS marketing campaigns? The answer is simple: establish trust and rapport with customers early in the consumer-brand relationship, and build phone number collection into this trust framework. For instance, you may choose to collect phone numbers for callbacks and have an opt-in term for callbacks or make the opt-out wording in your terms and conditions clear from the start. Additionally, incentivizing opt-ins is a great way to show that by giving you something, you are willing to give them something back.  

Security around phone numbers is also a personal issue for customers. However, brands can use this advantageously as an opportunity to build trust. Providing security methods like two-factor orientation can quickly showcase a brand’s commitment to their customer. 

Make It Personal

Marketers know how to take a marketing campaign and make it personal. They understand that personalization involves knowing about a consumer’s personality and applying that to the marketing campaign. However, providing valuable content also means helping customers understand and solve their problems. SMS marketing campaigns have been undeniably helpful in this field. Modern customers like the ease, flexibility, and laid-back nature of SMS marketing. 

But that doesn’t mean that all SMS marketing campaigns are created equally. For example, campaigns that leave a lasting impression can be perceived as more personal. That can make a massive difference in the success of a campaign.

Brands can’t easily pair their customers with personal shoppers or on-demand call center help. So, how can brands make these personalized marketing opportunities available on a wide scale? Artificial Intelligence has made an enormous difference and will continue to shape this area of marketing. Mitto is one of many omnichannel marketing providers aiming to update how brands personalize their campaigns. Ilja Gorelik, COO and co-founder of Mitto mentioned their AI platform’s operating structure in an interview with Martech: 

“Our AI routing platform automatically adjusts for the optimal ratio between quality and cost and constantly improves with new inputs from our own Real Time Monitoring system that sends test SMS to a network of mobile devices to simulate the best routes and delivery rates in real-life scenarios. Doing this allows us to reach and change a route before customer engagement can be affected. AI powers all of this.”

Omnichannel marketing strategies that successfully use AI help brands keep interactions personal and positive.

Give Customers Choices

Customers get a lot of choices surrounding their brand interaction – but not all of them are those they necessarily enjoy. Regarding customer service communication, giving customers the choice of how to engage with their brands goes a long way toward maintaining a consumer relationship.

Marketing campaigns can get confusing because customers need help understanding what you’re offering and may see a choice, like asking for their phone number, as a limiting factor. In other words – they might see a brand asking for their phone number as a brand ensuring they will call you. When collecting something as sensitive as a phone number from a customer, build that trust and rapport mentioned earlier by offering them choices for the use of their phone number. Make it clear that they can receive information via call or text so they feel as though they have made an informed decision that allows them to receive the information they need in an easy & effective way. 

Customers also want to utilize text messaging whenever they want, even on devices other than their phones. Omnichannel marketing tools allow brands to set up website features that let customers click to text using the consumer’s preferred A2P messaging app and a prepopulated phone number. That gives them a sense of security while allowing them to reach out on their own terms. 

In his Martech interview, Mitto’s Ilja Gorelik spoke of the importance of giving customers choices and highlighting the importance of customer service. He emphasized the need to take an omnichannel vs. multichannel approach and highlighted how that would help with consistency and consumer choice: 

“I am more concerned with educating on the importance of taking an omnichannel, not multichannel, approach. Brands need to speak to customers wherever they are – be it SMS, Chat Apps, or another channel – with a single consistent voice; otherwise, they risk losing them and their revenue. Therefore, seamlessly combining multiple digital channels will become a foundational element to unify customers’ touch points across all channels.”

Customer Service Should Still Be #1

AI application and personalization do create extraordinary results regarding customer engagement. However, the biggest driver of SMS marketing campaign effectiveness is, most often, customer service. Unfortunately, customers have some tall orders regarding brand engagement via text. According to a recent poll, over two-thirds of all surveyed customers noted poor customer service was more negatively impactful than a delay in product shipment. Compare this with a recent survey by Salesforce, where 71% of those surveyed indicated that they expected real-time engagement with brands. 

It’s straightforward with this type of feedback SMS could be the perfect solution to common customer engagement pain points. SMS allows brands to communicate nearly instantaneously, over time zone barriers and over language barriers, to prevent poor customer service. And when it comes to global issues, texting provides consumers with quick and convenient ways to pay regardless of where they are located, including using PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more. 

Ilja Gorelik spoke to this in his Martech interview, as well: 

“Global brands have global customers, each interacting with brands slightly differently. Some prefer to interact with brands on SMS, and some on chat apps like WhatsApp and Viber. Some don’t have a preference; they want the ability to engage with a brand on whatever channel is most effective at that moment in time.” 

Addressing global consumer issues, personalization, and security issues is a complex puzzle that doesn’t make brand marketing easy. But if the right SMS solutions can address all three of these issues, it can go a long way toward building customer brand satisfaction. Mitto’s SMS marketing tools address these issues and work toward improving the customer experience and the brand experience. 

HubSpot is a powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that has become increasingly popular among businesses of all sizes. This platform offers a range of features and tools designed to help businesses better manage their sales, marketing, and customer service efforts, all in one centralised location. With its intuitive user interface and robust set of capabilities, HubSpot has quickly become one of the most popular CRM solutions on the market, helping businesses build stronger relationships with their customers and drive growth.

One of the key benefits of HubSpot is that it offers a complete suite of tools for managing customer interactions, from lead generation and tracking to sales pipeline management and customer support. This means that businesses can keep all of their customer data into one centralised database, making it easier to manage and analyse. In addition, HubSpot’s powerful marketing automation capabilities coupled with its innovative inbound marketing tools enable businesses to create more personalised, targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience and drive engagement.

HubSpot is an excellent choice for businesses looking to streamline their CRM processes and take their customer interactions to the next level. By providing a single, centralised platform for managing all aspects of the customer journey, HubSpot enables businesses to improve efficiency, and productivity, and boost sales. Keep reading to find out how you can get started with HubSpot.

What is Hubspot

First of all, HubSpot all about? HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing, sales, and service platform that helps businesses attract, engage, and delight customers. The platform offers a range of tools and features that allow businesses to manage their customer interactions, automate marketing and sales processes, and gain insights into customer behaviour.

One of the main benefits of HubSpot is that it provides a unified view of customer interactions across different channels, such as email, social media, and website interactions. This allows businesses to understand their customers better and personalise their communications based on their preferences and behaviour.

In addition to contact management and CRM capabilities, HubSpot offers a range of marketing and sales tools, including email marketing, lead capture forms, social media publishing, and analytics. These tools are designed to help businesses attract and nurture leads, as well as track and analyse the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.

Another benefit of HubSpot is its focus on inbound marketing, which emphasises attracting and engaging customers through helpful and relevant content, rather than interruptive advertising. This approach can help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.

HubSpot is an incredibly powerful system as long as you use it correctly. How much you get out of the CRM depends on how well you get it set up and integrated with your business — that’s why it’s so important to get the installation phase right!

Get Started With HubSpot

HubSpot is incredibly user-friendly. While it might seem overwhelming at first, there’s an easy process that you can go through to get yourself set up with this powerful CRM system.

If you’re not technically proficient, you might have some trouble with a couple of the steps below. However, the Hubspot support team and partners are close by to lend a helping hand — more on that later!

For now, here are the key steps you need to take if you want to get started with HubSpot:

• Sign up for HubSpot: To get started with HubSpot, you’ll need to sign up for an account on their website. You can choose to start with a free account or sign up for one of their paid plans.
• Set up your account: Once you’ve signed up, you’ll need to set up your account. This involves adding your company information, setting up your sales and marketing preferences, and connecting your social media accounts.
• Import your contacts: The next step is to import your contacts into HubSpot. You can do this by uploading a CSV file of your contacts or by syncing your contacts with your email provider.
• Create your pipeline: HubSpot’s CRM allows you to create a custom pipeline to manage your sales process. You can set up stages, deal properties, and automation rules to help streamline your sales process.
• Create and automate your marketing campaigns: HubSpot’s marketing tools allow you to create and automate your marketing campaigns. You can create email campaigns, landing pages, forms, and social media posts all within the platform.
• Monitor your performance: HubSpot provides detailed analytics and reporting tools that allow you to monitor your performance. You can track your website traffic, email open rates, lead conversion rates, and more.

Get a “Done for you” Onboarding

While the Hubspot platform is intuitive and easy to use, getting it set up properly can be a real challenge. In fact, more than 70% of CRM integrations fail — that’s mainly because most business executives take it upon themselves to get their CRM systems up and running. Even the most tech-savvy companies often have trouble getting their CRM system going and integrated properly.

The key to having success with a CRM system is to set up the system according to your business needs and goals. That’s especially difficult when you’re new to using HubSpot and don’t fully understand how to extract the best out of the system yet.

That’s why you need to work with HubSpot partners — dedicated agencies who are experts in using the HubSpot platform. Not only can they get you set up with Hubspot, but they can also help you with powerful integrations, automations, and other customisations that will really set your business apart from the rest.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a digital marketing strategy that focuses on refining a website’s content and structure to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). In a bustling city like London, SEO has emerged as an indispensable tool for small businesses seeking to carve out an online presence and draw in more customers. By investing in SEO, these businesses can significantly bolster their financial standing, elevating their revenue and profits over time.

Driving Organic Traffic: The Key to Success

A major advantage of SEO lies in its capacity to channel organic traffic to a business’s website. Organic traffic encompasses visitors who discover the website via unpaid search engine results. By optimising their website’s content and structure, small businesses can enhance their search engine visibility, making it simpler for potential customers to locate them online. Consequently, small businesses can attract more qualified leads and boost their chances of converting these leads into paying customers.

Cost-Effectiveness: Maximising ROI

Another financial boon of SEO is its cost-effectiveness when compared to other digital marketing channels. For small businesses operating on limited marketing budgets, SEO can deliver a substantial return on investment (ROI) at a relatively low cost. Unlike traditional advertising methods, such as print ads or billboards, SEO targets potential customers actively searching for a small business’s products or services. By concentrating on pertinent keywords and phrases, small businesses can effectively and efficiently reach their target audience.

Credibility and Authority: Building Trust

SEO can also assist small businesses in establishing credibility and authority within their industry. High rankings in search engine results in pages signal expertise and knowledge to potential customers, fostering trust and confidence in the business. This, in turn, can lead to more conversions and repeat customers. Additionally, creating high-quality content and securing backlinks from reputable sources can enhance a small business’s online reputation and brand image, positively impacting its bottom line.

Gaining Valuable Insights: Understanding the Audience

SEO offers small businesses valuable insights into their target audience’s behaviour and preferences. By analysing website traffic data and user behaviour, small businesses can develop a deeper understanding of their customer’s needs and preferences. This knowledge enables them to tailor their marketing messages and offerings to better cater to their customers, leading to heightened satisfaction and loyalty.

Long-Term Benefits: A Sustainable Investment

SEO represents a long-term investment that can yield enduring financial benefits for London’s small businesses. Unlike traditional advertising methods that demand continuous investment, SEO ensures a consistent stream of organic traffic and leads over time. Through ongoing optimisation of their website’s content and structure, small businesses can sustain their visibility and relevance in search engine results pages, guaranteeing a steady influx of qualified leads and customers.

Conclusion

SEO can have a profound financial impact on small businesses in London. By driving organic traffic, reducing marketing costs, establishing credibility and authority, extracting valuable insights, and offering long-term benefits, SEO is an essential tool for small businesses looking to thrive in today’s digital market. Consequently, London-based small businesses should consider incorporating SEO into their digital marketing strategy to achieve sustainable growth and profitability over time.