A Guide to Text Message Marketing for Small Businesses

New businesses require a lot of marketing to break into the industry. Some struggle to find flexible ways to market their products or services; others use artificial intelligence or automated email marketing to promote their brand. But, not many realize how important it is to use text message marketing for small businesses.

SMS Marketing Vs. Social Media Marketing

A popular belief among small business entrepreneurs is that social media marketing is currently the most effective method. It’s basically free, so they feel more inclined to lean towards it, hoping that it can make their businesses successful.

The misconception here is that only posts and stories are free on social media. But, disseminating them to wider audiences costs money. An effective social media marketing campaign includes running ads that target a specific audience, which brings two major problems to the table.

First, AI targets audiences mostly using emails they signed in with. The problem here is that customers may not use those emails anymore, or they might have registered on Facebook with another email. This means that the ad messages can get lost, and you end up wasting resources. And then there’s the fact that not everyone clicks on ads they see on social media.

Second, artificial intelligence targeting is not always precise. Yes, it identifies what the user’s previous preferences were, but it doesn’t guarantee that they're up to date. Besides, the user may receive a lot of similar ads and just hide them all away.

Another issue with imprecise targeting is that AI targets an audience based on age groups or location. This means that messages reach all members of the targeted audience, which is unnecessary.

On one hand, you might think the more people see ads, the more you’ll establish brand awareness. On the other, people that see similar ads multiple times a day are more likely to ignore them. This means that most of the actual ad placing is a waste of time and space.

Why You Need SMS Marketing for Small Businesses

In contrast, SMS marketing specifically targets customers that opted in with their phone numbers. People regularly check their text messages, if not instantly. Most of the time, SMS marketing lists do not require an address verification as email lists do. This reduces the chances of wasting resources and applies a personalized approach to a customer.

SMS messages are short and concise, so chances are high that the customer will read your texts. This alone raises brand awareness greater than most other marketing channels. Mass texts and marketing messages via SMS are also a cost-effective means to communicate with your customers. Hence why SMS marketing for small businesses is one of the most efficient channels.

Dexatel SMS Marketing Platform for Small Businesses

There are a number of SMS marketing platforms out there that can help you reach your goals. If you’re a small business owner, check out our text message marketing platform which has an abundance of features. You get a free trial to check the quality of our services. The platform offers one of the best text message services at a bargain price—it even has one of the highest delivery rates at 98%. 

Excel Import

Dexatel allows you to easily upload Excel spreadsheets to the platform. This comes quite handy when uploading contact lists, creating a better user experience.

Custom Segmentation

This feature allows you to divide your customer database into segments. You can use this to differentiate loyal customers if you plan on making special offers to them.

Message Scheduling

The Dexatel platform allows you to schedule dates and times for sending text messages. You can preset specific time periods, and the platform takes care of the rest.

Size Customization

The system allows you to divide long text messages into multiple parts for better efficiency. Users receive text messages without being bombarded with too much information.

Message Personalization

Message personalization creates a friendlier atmosphere between your company and clients.

Ready-Made Templates

You don’t even need a writer to have someone prepare the SMS texts for you. Dexatel provides you with SMS templates that you can customize to suit your business.

Mobile-Friendly Website

You don’t need a computer to use the Dexatel platform. Our website is mobile-friendly and optimized for all devices.

Advanced Analytics

This feature allows you to track multiple data. You can get information on message delivery rates, customer engagement rates, and more.

API Integration

As a built-in function, the platform includes API integration for automated text messages.