SMS marketing: 5 top tips for brands to reach a global audience

If you are a global brand today, there is no better way to reach your customers all over the world — and reach them quickly and reliably — than with SMS marketing

According to a Yotpo survey, 80% of British, American, and Australian shoppers are signed up to receive text messages from at least one brand, and 44% actually prefer SMS to other channels because it’s immediate, convenient, and allows them to quickly get updates. Whether you sell products or services, having this direct line of communication between your brand and the consumer will ensure you can engage anyone in any country at exactly the right time to drive behavior and purchases.

SMS is still a fairly new channel to many, and the laws, regulations and best practices for sending text marketing messages can vary depending on your location. So if you want to take advantage of one of the fastest revenue-driving channels, expand your reach, and do so successfully, follow these five tips.

1.) Craft your SMS strategy around each unique audience

Just as SMS is new to some marketers, it’s new to some consumers too. What was once a channel reserved for friends and family is beginning to take off as brands connect with customers on a more personal level and in a much more convenient way. In places like the United States, however, SMS marketing is already common practice and popular among brands and consumers alike. So think about the consumer sentiment wherever you are choosing to send messages, and adjust your strategy to best appeal to that audience.

For example, for consumers who don’t often text with brands and may need more convincing to sign up, you may want to leverage a greater variety of opt-in tools like pop-ups, footer widgets, keywords, and QR codes, and offer more exciting incentives such as free shipping, a percentage off their next order, or exclusive access to a new product. Once you’ve grown your list, start slowly to avoid coming off as spammy — send a few messages and increase as you begin to understand how and when they prefer to engage for the best results.

2.) Create customer segments to make messages relevant

Segmentation will allow you to more effectively target customers with personalized content for a higher chance of conversion. Group customers based on location, such as customers in London or customers in New York City, as well as behavior, such as customers who completed a purchase in the last 60 days or members of a particular loyalty program tier, to make every promotion and update you send feel as though it’s been crafted exclusively for them.

3.) Consider local events and languages when planning campaigns

Speaking of personalized content, you can ramp up engagement with your SMS marketing by tying your campaigns to exciting local events. Look out for key dates on the calendar that will resonate with your target audience, then plan creative promotions, product drops, and more to drive clicks (an SMS campaign planner can help with this).

Maybe you are having a sale for Australia’s End of Financial Year (EOFY), or want to launch a product giveaway via SMS for Guy Fawkes Night — in any case, these campaigns are a great way to capture attention. Similarly, you can localize your message copy too. Embrace the local language, spelling, and slang, adding a personal touch with a quick “merci,” to foster stronger relationships with your customers and improve the results of your campaigns.

4.) Talk to your customers to discover their preference

Not quite sure what your customers want? Ask them. Whether you use a survey, conversational SMS flow, live chat, or even social media, gathering honest feedback in addition to your customer data will help you design a mobile experience that excites them to both increase engagement and revenue for your business.

5.) Send your message compliantly in any time zone

Pay careful attention to legal requirements for SMS. In the European Union, the guiding data privacy and security law is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but you’ll want to look to regulatory bodies wherever you are sending and maintain compliance with the laws they set to prevent fines and keep your opt-out rates low. This includes properly collecting consumer consent prior to texting as well as sending your messages at the right time according to time zone differences, so you never disturb a subscriber during quiet hours.

All of the above will be easy to navigate when you choose the right SMS marketing provider for your business — one that specializes in international SMS, and prioritizes compliance and deliverability wherever you send. Yotpo SMSBump has the tools and the expertise to set you up for long-term success. Learn more about the SMS marketing platform and how to craft your global SMS strategy at Yotpo.com.