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Imagine this…

You’re mindlessly scrolling LinkedIn on your phone when the familiar ding of a text message distracts you.

To your surprise, it’s a text message from a sales rep at a SaaS company. You demoed their product yesterday and loved it, but it’s pricey so you asked for time to think about it.

The sales rep’s text says:

“Hey [your name]! This is Nate from ABC SaaS. Thanks again for chatting yesterday. I know you’re on the fence, but I talked to my manager and she gave me the green light to offer you 30% off your first 3 months if you sign up today. Do you want me to send you the discount code?”

Suddenly you’re fantasizing about the first campaign you’ll create with this new tool.

“That would be great!” you reply.

How did you go from scrolling LinkedIn to purchasing a subscription in a matter of seconds?

In today’s edition of Why We Buy, we’re taking a look at SMS Marketing—how smart marketers are pulling 98% open rates by meeting customers where they spend most of their time.

Let’s get into it…

🧠 The Psychology of SMS

As far as your brain is concerned, texting (aka “short message service” or “SMS”) isn’t just a convenient way to communicate.

Receiving a text message starts a dopamine loop in your brain.

You get a rush of dopamine and endorphins, which make you crave more of these feel-good chemicals.

A text message from a loved one can produce as much dopamine as an orgasm. That’s nuts, right?

We love chasing dopamine rushes which is why the ding of a new message can spark you to unconsciously pick up your phone before you even realize you’re doing it.

It’s no wonder that 1 in 3 consumers checks their text notifications within one minute of receiving a text. Or that consumers check their text messages more than any other app on their phones.

So what does this mean for marketers?​
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🧐 Inside Your Buyer’s Mind

Texting is integrated into your buyers’ lives in ways that other marketing channels aren’t.

Email marketing campaigns have a 20% open rate on average. But, SMS campaigns have a 98% average open rate.

As a marketing channel, SMS is still fairly new compared to channels like email or social media. Yet more than 50% of buyers have already opted-in to receive promotional SMS campaigns.

​SOURCE​

Text messages feel personal.

No wonder 96% of marketers using text messages said it helped them drive revenue.

When done well, SMS marketing can deepen brand love and drive more sales. But poorly designed SMS campaigns can backfire.

If you annoy people, they’ll opt out of your texts AND from buying your products.

Let’s explore how smart marketers use SMS…
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🤑 How To Apply This

Alright, how can you do SMS marketing to sell more?

​Craft a welcome message that makes a great first impression

You know first impressions count. But did you know that creating a positive experience in one area of your business impacts how people perceive your competency in other areas?

Behavioral scientists call this the Halo Effect.

For instance, when you walk into an Apple store it’s uncluttered, filled with warm light, and you’re immediately greeted by a smiling Apple employee who is ready to help you. Your positive experience with the store unconsciously makes you believe that Apple’s products will also be easy-to-use and delightful.

Much like how Apple shows customers what they can expect from their products with their store design, your first SMS message needs to teach buyers what to expect from you.

Don’t teach them to expect spam.

The first text you send should showcase your brand’s personality and to immediately deliver value—like promotional codes or exclusive access.

FUNBOY nails it with their welcome message:

Remove unwanted sludge from your onboarding or booking process

People are busy. If they need to call you or visit your website to book an appointment, they may put it off or buy from a competitor instead.

SMS is a low-friction way to communicate with prospects and customers.

Messages like this (below) make buyers feel like they have a personalized line of communication with your team and show you’re easy to work with.

Allowing buyers to ask questions or book via text simplifies the buying experience for customers and removes friction (aka “Sludge”).

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​Nudge buyers with abandoned cart messages

Abandoned carts break marketers’ hearts. Especially after you worked so hard to get them to your website in the first place.

Give buyers an extra nudge to purchase with a special offer SMS. To create a sense of urgency, make it an expiring discount that people need to use fast or risk losing.

💥 The Short of It

Your phone is somewhere near you right now.

So are your buyers’ phones.

Meet buyers where they are by using SMS to create moments of delight, make them feel special, and remind them when their favorite products are available.

​Until next time, happy selling.