To text or not to text 🤳 – that is the question. And the answer is to text.

SMS (short message service) marketing, is becoming standard for reaching people with real-time updates like transactions, reminders, and updates about brands. Often it can be more personal, highly engaging, and efficient for both customers and companies.

It’s so effective, that in 2020, almost 50 million Americans opted to receive SMS marketing messages. So let’s get into the nitty gritty and good stuff about SMS.

Top SMS Practices to Keep in Mind:

1. Ask for permission! Let customers opt-in to receiving text messages.
2. Identify yourself to let customers know which brand is talking to them.
3. SMS should be for immediate value, not long-term campaigns.
4. Time your messages well and keep time zones in mind.

What to use SMS Communication For:

Transactional SMS – Account alerts, emergency alerts, logistical messages (like shipping confirmations)

Marketing SMS – Sales, promotions, recommendations, events

What to look for in an SMS Marketing tool:

• Accuracy – Make sure you choose a company that can ensure good deliverability and keep your lists up to date.
• Scalability – if you increase your SMS list and campaigns.
• Integration – If you have a CRM you love, make sure they can share the SMS data with it.
• Reputation – SMS can be flagged for spam, too. Find a company that adheres to best practices and respects your customers.
• Testing – A good company will let you test out what your customers are going to be experiencing first!
• Analytics and Reporting – Of course this should be a given, you need to know how it’s performing.

OneSignal is a company that handles SMS marketing so check out their full post about best practices before you launch your own SMS communications.

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Open rates aren’t enough anymore. And since email clients like Apple Mail are steering away from tracking opens, it’s time to switch gears. Polls are an active way to engage your audience and learn more about them at the same time.

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After 9 years, lime-flavored Skittles have returned to replace the less popular green apple. Skittles acknlowedges that a lot of people have been upset over the lack of lime, and have taken upon themselves to apologize to everyone. Every. Single. Complaint.

They mean it –– Skittles even had a “press conference” for the apologies.