What would you say are your top 3 effective marketing channels? If your three answers didn't include Klaviyo SMS marketing, you could be missing out on a huge opportunity to drive engagement and revenue growth for your business. With an average read rate of 97% within 15 minutes of receipt, it's not hard to see why so many campaigns that include it are successful.
That said, it's not as simple as creating messaging and using a scattergun approach to reach your customers. Instead, it takes a well-thought-out SMS strategy to use the channel to its fullest potential.
You've first got to get subscribers to opt into receiving SMS messages from your business, after which you have to give serious thought to a range of aspects, such as:
- The right type of tone and content
- The correct time of day to send your marketing messages
- Ensuring you keep your audience happy and engaged
- How to encourage readers to purchase
While SMS marketing may still be relatively new, brands that can leverage its power can enjoy a strategic advantage. The impact can be truly significant when employed via popular platforms like Klaviyo.
Understanding How to Use SMS Marketing
One of the appealing benefits of Klaviyo SMS marketing is that it allows for two-way communication between businesses and customers. Brands can conduct conversations easily and swiftly, as well as facilitating
better customer experiences.
Want an example? Well, imagine a customer requesting important information about a high-ticket item via SMS. You reply with lightning speed and furnish them with what they require, giving the customer the confidence to purchase and creating a positive brand perception.
So, that's the WHY, but now we look at the HOW as we investigate some things to consider when putting your SMS marketing strategy together on Klaviyo.
Knowing What to Send, When & How Often
If you want to add value to the experience your customers get rather than simply annoy them, you need to understand what kind of messages to send, when and how often. We'll start by looking at what your customers might want to hear about.
What to Include in Your SMS Marketing
Research into the subject shows, for the most part, people subscribing to your SMS mailing list want to know about the following transactional info:
- Order confirmation
- Delivery confirmation
- Shipment confirmation
Also popular are messages about promotional codes and coupons. Klaviyo figures show that 30-50% of people asked would accept these types of texts and view them as welcome and appropriate. Customers seem to want; a) reassurance that their order is on its way as planned and b) access to exclusive discounts and offers.
Other texts people prefer include:
- Personalized discounts based on past purchases
- Offers related to the customer's interests
- Special announcements
- Back-in-stock notifications
- New product announcements
- Invitations to VIP experiences
- Links to helpful articles
- Birthday deals
The basic rule of thumb regarding your Klaviyo SMS output is that your messaging should be short, easy to read and offer value. Whether that's an opportunity to get a first look at a new product or an extra 10% off of their favorite products is up to you.
When to Send Your Klaviyo SMS Marketing Messages
Another critical factor to consider when creating your SMS marketing strategy is WHEN to send your text messages. While things may vary slightly from sector to sector, there's a sweet spot during which customers receiving your messages are most likely to respond.
Generally speaking, that time is between 12 pm and 1 pm on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which coincides with a midday lunch break for most professionals in the US. This gives your texts the best chance of being opened, with those sent at the beginning and end of the month also seeming to enjoy better conversion rates.
Another way to differentiate yourself from the competition is to avoid the prevalent marketing tactic of sending messages on the hour or half-hour. By sending yours at 11:34 or 12:38, you can stand out and win your audience's attention.
Other helpful times to send promotional messages include:
- Mid-morning at the Weekend - to allow enough time for customers to engage
- Paydays - people are more receptive to impulse buys after the serotonin rush that comes when their monthly wages hit their accounts
- When a shopping cart is abandoned - a gentle reminder that the customer has failed to complete their purchase offers another chance to recoup lost revenue
How Often to Send Your SMS Marketing Messages
The last thing you want to do is annoy your customers with your Klaviyo SMS marketing, but bombarding them with too many will surely do so. Klaviyo's Consumer Sentiment Report shows that over 96% of people were happy to receive texts from brands weekly.
- 30% said a few times a week
- 13% would be happy with one or once every other day
Just 4% of respondents said they wouldn't want any kind of text messaging from their favorite brands. Most of those thinking this way come from the baby boomer generation.
So, there's a straightforward way to keep pretty much every one of your subscribers happy - send interesting, value-laden text messages at least once a week. Go over this line, and the numbers stack up against you, impacting subsequent interaction and conversion rates.
Creating Extra Revenue Through Smart SMS Marketing Campaigns
If you're looking for new opportunities for interaction and sales, you need to seriously consider putting together your Klaviyo SMS marketing strategy. Offering a conversion rate in the region of 29%, nothing else comes close. Due in part to the convenient and immediate nature of texting, it's a channel that online retailers can use to drive traffic and sales.
Even with all this potential, you need to time your texts well, deliver the right message frequency, and ensure they're both valuable and interesting. Get that right, and the rewards for your efforts will surely come.
