How to Add SMS to Your Email Marketing Efforts

Email and text marketing are two of the most powerful tools in a marketer's toolkit. They can create an unstoppable force for driving conversions and sales when used together.

In this article, we'll show you how to add SMS to your email marketing efforts so that you can engage with more customers and boost your sales.

What is SMS Marketing Vs. Email Marketing?

Develop an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

Marketing technology has made considerable progress in recent years. One of the most significant changes has been the move towards multichannel (or omnichannel) marketing. That includes SMS (texting) and email marketing channels.

If you opt for an omnichannel strategy, you will likely retain an average of 89% of your customers. Moreover, your customers will have around a 30% higher lifetime value.

The omnichannel approach takes advantage of the fact that consumers often use multiple channels during the buying process, including both online and offline methods.

By reaching consumers through multiple channels, your business can increase the chances of engaging with them and ultimately converting them into customers.

Additionally, cross-promotion between channels can have a positive impact on results. For example, if a customer sees your post for a product on Instagram, they may then go to your website to learn more about and potentially buy the product.

Finally, omnichannel marketing can also create a more seamless customer experience, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

Still, many business owners, micro-entrepreneurs, freelancers, and side-hustlers just don't understand the need for an omnichannel marketing approach. In fact, many have a "what's the big deal?" mentality when it comes to integrating SMS with email marketing methods.

So, allow us to explain.

SMS Marketing

Both SMS and email marketing allow businesses to reach out to customers with marketing messages. However, how they are delivered to those customers isn't the same.

SMS marketing is generally considered to be more personal than email marketing because it's a one-to-one communication between a business and a customer.

As such, it can be an excellent way to build relationships with customers. Email marketing, on the other hand, can be perceived as more formal and less personal because it's one-to-many communication.

In addition, SMS messages are typically shorter than email messages, making them more concise and accessible for customers to read on the go. They have a much higher open rate, too - to the tune of 98%.

Email Marketing

While SMS messages have a higher open rate than emails, they're still a powerful tool in the marketer's tool kit. As it happens, email marketing has an ROI of $36 per dollar spent.

You can use email marketing to cultivate and nurture leads that aren't quite ready to make a purchase and build relationships with customers.

Another benefit of email marketing messages over SMS texts is that you can take your time to inform and explain because emails can be any length you want. Consider this carefully when crafting your marketing strategy.

Both SMS and Email marketing methods benefit businesses of all types—so how can you combine the two and achieve incredible results?

Start with SMS to Build Excitement

If you have an event or an upcoming sale, you can kick off an awareness campaign by sending out an SMS message. It's all about speed and ensuring you tell the people who are most likely to get excited.

Say you want people to know about the sale or whatever upcoming event you have, and you want them to save the date.

Since SMS texts have a higher open rate than emails, it makes sense to begin an awareness campaign with texts, then follow up with more SMS messages, and finally with emails that can provide the customer with in-depth information.

Follow Emails with Texts

While you can follow texts with emails that provide more information, you can also reverse the process. For instance, if you've written a blog or a newsletter and you typically send out emails linking to those pieces of content, you can follow up with a short text message that essentially provides a more concise version of the email.

It's like a quick, one-two punch that allows you to connect with more people than either method alone.

Get Reviews and Feedback

If you're serious about your digital marketing strategy, then you know that customer feedback is essential. Without it, you won't be able to fine-tune your process and ensure that your customers are happy.

There are several different ways to collect feedback from your subscribers. For example, you can encourage them to leave feedback on their experience via text and email.

For example, if you request feedback via email, you can use text automation to remind subscribers to give their feedback several days after you send the email.

Create a Regular Rhythm

When adding SMS to your email marketing efforts, you want to try and create a steady cadence. Being consistent with your content's quality as well as the frequency with which you send it is crucial.

Emailing and texting your subscribers regularly also helps improve overall deliverability, as it shows email providers and SMS carriers that your messages are welcome and expected.

The key is balance.

If you send an excessive amount of emails, your subscribers are likely to mark them as spam, which will damage your reputation and make it harder to reach your target audience.

On the other hand, if you don't send enough emails, your subscribers may forget about you or stop opening your messages altogether.

Combine Your SMS and Email Marketing to Increase Customer Engagement

Using email and SMS marketing hand in hand can help you drive customer engagement. However, the idea isn't to send text messages and emails at the exact same time.

Instead, as previously suggested, you should stagger your messages, allowing each channel to do what it does best while bolstering your overall message.

In today's competitive marketplace, providing a well-rounded customer experience is essential for success. By using SMS and email marketing methods, you can connect with your customers on their terms and provide them with a seamless experience.

Using SMS and email together can be a powerful way to increase engagement and sales. You should use SMS to create excitement, follow up with emails, and send out regular messages on a cadence that works for you. However, it's essential to be balanced in your approach so that your customers aren't overwhelmed.