In April of 2020, the Wallstreet Journal published an article on how texting customers is no longer taboo because everyone is stuck at home.
It begs to question, why was it considered a taboo anyway? From a marketing standpoint, texting was, in fact, a form of communication that was severely underutilized by businesses. The presence of COVID merely catapulted it forward at an incredible speed.
That said, the text marketing trends 2021 are starting to look rather promising.
Since more and more businesses are on the texting train, you can expect marketers to implement strategies that are even more tech-savvy than before. Tweaked techniques can include brand personalization and campaigns that are automated. It won’t be uncommon either for you to see influencer marketing and customer retention as a direct result of high texting engagement.
Do you find yourself interested in the text marketing trends of 2021? These are the top 10 trends to look out for:
- 10 Digit Numbers
- Widespread SMS Adoption
- Influencer Marketing
- Automated Text Messaging Focus
- Implementation of SMS as a Channel for Brand Marketing
- Customer Service via SMS
- SMS Personalization
- Customer Retention Through SMS
- Omnichannel SMS Integration
- B2B SMS
Let’s take a closer look at each of these trends.
10 Digit Numbers
Who doesn’t love toll-free texting? Companies that offer customers toll-free numbers are always big hits.
Why the push for a ten-digit number, you might ask? The primary reason is that many carriers have already announced their intent to discontinue shortcodes. Another reason is that toll-free numbers let brands send more extensive campaigns on a 1-on-1 basis with customers.
Widespread SMS Adoption
It is expected for SMS (i.e., text messaging) to enjoy continuous growth in popularity. Studies conducted by Forrester Research have predicted that companies will send out more texts to consumers come 2021. To further establish more direct consumer relationships amidst the economic and pandemic fallout, brands are increasing their text messaging budget.
Influencer Marketing
The influencer industry has been on the rise for some time now. In the last couple of months, it has grown leaps and bounds primarily to the vast number of people who have stayed home. Despite this, consumers are no longer easily hyped or swayed by these internet celebrities.
Text marketing trends in 2021 are said to introduce more performance-based deals. Simply put, it relies heavily on the number of clicks or sales a brand will receive. This is where you can encounter SMS marketing.
How is this done? Like discount codes that you can input before checking out your cart items, influencers can provide fans with a unique promo code. They can then send the code to a designated number, and fans will receive the discount link while the company has their number—a phone number they can repeatedly market.
Automated Text Messaging Focus
Brands have always utilized the email marketing approach. It is, however, only now that they see the light. They are slowly realizing that they can do the same technique with SMS. You can get auto text messages that are confirmation texts, reminders, abandoned cart items, SMS, and many more.
Implementation of SMS as a Channel for Brand Marketing
Numerous brands are beginning to see SMS as a channel to market their goods and services. In the coming year, you will see businesses respond to more complex queries via texting. The main goal is to encourage better communication with both old and new clients.
Customer Service Via SMS
At some point during the pandemic, you may have tried to reach customer support over the landline. Odds are the interactive voice response (IVR) machine told you that all operators were currently busy and to please stay on the line where you wait for hours, listening to hold music.
Worry not! The year 2021 promises more support through social media channels, chat, and text messages. Businesses benefit from a workforce that is more efficient, and customers get faster resolutions.
SMS Personalization
A recent survey showed that more than 70% of consumers are more likely to engage in personalized marketing messages. Brands today are expected to forge better connections with their customers.
As a result, marketing experts are to send tailor-made messages by using the subscriber data: age, gender, country, timezone, etc., for the primary goal of providing offers to the right people at the right time.
Customer Retention Through SMS
The economic fallout resulted in more businesses and marketers who are focused on retaining their current customers. For this reason, an increase in marketing geared towards loyalty and retention has shown increases of up to 30%.
Omnichannel SMS Integration
As part of the 2021 customer experience strategy, the omnichannel approach is expected to take center stage. It is no secret that countless brands have approached SMS as a traditional and direct marketing method that is standalone. They often did campaigns through the collection of phone numbers gathered through brand websites.
In the following year, it is expected that these brands will integrate the flexibility SMS has to offer marketing channels. You can do this by combining SMS and social media marketing, combining texts and email promos, or sending newsletters via text messages.
B2B SMS
B2B companies have been taking advantage of text messaging as a sales and marketing tactic. The incorporation of this strategy has been beneficial for many companies. Since 2014 there has been an increase from 56.4% to 61% of individuals who do not mind being contacted at work as long as it is done via SMS. Expect this to be part of the text marketing trends 2021.
With vaccines being manufactured, the world is starting to see the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel. However, it would be foolish to think that in the end of it would simply mean getting back to our old lives. This is not the case. All indicators point for us to adapt to the new normal and embrace tech-savvy marketing trends. For some ideas on how you can harness the power of text message marketing, check out some of the features offered by Txtra, the text messaging marketing experts.
