Email and SMS are two of the most common, fast and efficient communication methods. Both are used by businesses in order to get messages out to customers; business SMS and email marketing usually provide results above and beyond those of direct marketing campaigns. Bulk SMS and email marketing are lower-cost alternatives, with the SMS being a better way to build and maintain a more personal relationship with customers. Here, you will learn some of the biggest differences between the two marketing methods.In comparing bulk SMS to email marketing, there are more differences than there are similarities.
With SMS, you can type a message on your computer or on your phone, and send it to many contacts at the same time. With email, there’s the “reply all” button, but selecting certain contacts takes a bit of time. What’s more, text messages are far more likely to be read than emails; most people carry their mobile phones everywhere (the same can’t be said for computers!). Many people discard email marketing messages without even opening them, and in many cases, spam filters send these messages to the “junk” email folder.
Being a newer marketing method, bulk SMS hasn’t encountered these problems yet. Text messages don’t come with spam filters; people must manually block messages. SMS marketing is far more immediate, and many businesses send messages to people in local areas, because it’s easier for them to act on those messages. There’s an immediacy to text message marketing that just isn’t there with an email campaign.
Email marketing is a one-way communication method, (albeit far-reaching and rich in content) while SMS marketing allows for large-scale, two-way communication between you and your customers. Both methods are powerful marketing tools, and a well rounded strategy will combine the two. For instance, you can send an email blast that also encourages readers to send an SMS to receive additional offers. Combining SMS and email marketing is a great way to increase response rate and build your brand, because you’re offering your customers a choice in how they’ll respond.
Email marketing may have its drawbacks, but it still has its place; it’s an ideal way for businesses to offer deals and send newsletters to those who have opted in. SMS marketing will likely become more and more popular, as it calls recipients to action, and makes it difficult for them to disregard your message.
Must Read - Business Mobile Trends 2011
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