Throughout the years, there have been many forms of marketing. With the advent of social media came more digital options to reach consumers. More and more people rely on the Internet for marketing and advertising.

However, SMS marketing remains a viable form of marketing outside social media. With SMS marketing, you can directly contact consumers with their phones. You can even implement SMS marketing together with other internet-based strategies.

With this effective tool comes many technical terms that at first may appear challenging. Join us as we enumerate the basic marketing SMS terms in this quick and easy SMS glossary.

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Defining SMS Marketing

If you're new to the topic, the first order of business would be to understand the definition of SMS marketing. What is it, what are the processes attached to it, and what does it entail?

This section discusses the meaning and content of SMS marketing and how it can benefit your business. You can then decide whether you want to add this strategy to your toolset and expand the possibilities in improving operations and marketing in your company. 

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What is SMS Marketing?

SMS marketing, or Short Message Service marketing, is a strategy of sending informative or persuasive content to consumers through text messages. SMS marketing is synonymous with text marketing. 

Unlike other marketing strategies, SMS marketing is an opt-in arrangement, which means that your consumers actively sign up to receive your messages. While it's not a strategy meant to attract new customers due to this limitation, SMS marketing is an effective support strategy in marketing that allows you to maintain a relationship with existing clientele and provide them with information and promotions that can benefit your brand. 

So why does SMS marketing keep going strong despite the other types of marketing out there? That's because almost everyone old enough to have a cellphone has one or has access to one - SMS marketing allows you to penetrate a large market even when more modern tools are present. 

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What Do You Need to Start SMS Marketing?

First of all, you need to secure a device and a phone number that you can use to send messages to customers.

Your mind may immediately turn to a cell phone and a SIM card, but that’s not the only option. 

Nowadays, getting a phone number through other means is also possible. Virtual numbers are an alternative you can use - they are connected through the Internet and can be accessed through apps on your smartphone, laptop, or computer. This way, you have more options when it comes to devices. You can also integrate other devices with apps that complement your SMS marketing. 

Once you have the means to reach people, you must build a list of contacts. These are the people you will be sending the messages to. 

After that, you can implement your strategies and reach out to consumers with SMS marketing. 

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Benefits of SMS Marketing

There are many advantages that SMS marketing possesses that will bring value to your business. Let's take a look:

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Affordable

Compared to other strategies, SMS marketing costs less investment but retains the usual marketing benefits. 

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Higher Open Rate

SMS has a higher open rate than emails, as people tend to open text messages more than emails. 

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Wider Scope

Because most people use phones, you can reach a broader demographic and range of people.

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Compatible with Other Marketing Strategies

SMS is flexible and can be implemented with other marketing techniques for higher effectiveness.

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Efficient

As soon as you send an SMS, it immediately reaches customers. There is no delay and ups the chance of engagement. 

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Freedom for Customers 

Customers will appreciate the free choice to opt in or opt out of SMS marketing initiatives. It gives an excellent light to a brand if they respect a customer's preferences and boundaries.

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Easy to Use

Sending an SMS is easy, even for those not used to technology. It's an excellent choice for beginners and those needing more confidence in handling technology. 

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Getting to Know the Terms

Finally, we get to the part everybody is waiting for - the glossary of SMS marketing terms. Here are some words you should know:

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Glossary of SMS Terms:

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• SMS - Short Message Service; a text-based communication system where short lines of information are exchanged between mobile devices. 
• SMD Delivery - the process of sending SMS or text messages to users for commercial purposes, generally in bulk.
• Text Marketing - synonymous with SMS marketing
• MMS - Multimedia Messaging Service; a communication system similar to SMS but allows transmittal of image, audio, and video files
• Bulk SMS - a text message transmitted to many people, even hundreds to thousands, in one instance.
• Text Registration - instance when a user signs up for additional text messages or a particular service on their phone.
• Flash SMS - a type of text message that is directly displayed on the phone screen without needing to be opened manually; usually cannot be saved or retrieved.
• SMS Bot - an automated app that performs a repetitive action through SMS messaging.
• SMS Aggregator - a mobile telecom company that serves as an intermediary between companies and processes a large number of SMS messages in a carrier-compliant manner.
• Email to SMS - a feature that lets someone send an email message converted into SMS and sent through the mobile network.
• Application to Person (A2P) Messaging - sending texts from a software application to real people who have opted in to receive the messages.
• Person-to-Person (P2P) Messaging - sending texts from one person to another.
• Conversational SMS Marketing - a strategy where texts are set casually. While informal and purposeful, they are more personal and allow the chance to provide information or specialized services to customers.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is software used to monitor customer relationships. Works well with SMS marketing
• Location-Based SMS - when advertising text messages are sent based on the receiver's geographic information
• Mobile User - someone who uses a mobile device to interact/connect with a brand
• Push Notifications - Mobile device alerts are displayed on the screen even when no specific interface is used.
• Audience - a targeted portion of the population that has been identified as those who show interest in the brand
• Auto response is an automatic message sent from an SMS system that needs little to no manual control. 
• Consumer - a person who can purchase from the brand
• Mobile forms - a formatted data collection tool that works well with mobile devices
• Unsubscribe is an option that lets users opt out of the messages sent on their phones. 
• Subscriber - a mobile user who has opted in to receive SMS
• Member - customers who are part of a brand's subscription-based group
• Spam - unsolicited messages who harass users for the sake of profit or attention
• Conversion Rate - The rate at whereon a user proceeds with an action suggested or initiated by the business
• Engagement is when an individual interacts with and reacts to marketing initiatives. In this case, it's SMS marketing. 
• Customer Retention - retaining existing customers, achieved through repeat business transactions and customer loyalty.

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Glossary of SMS Marketing and Text Messaging Acronyms Used in Modern Business:

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• CTA - Call to Action. A statement that persuades or suggests to the audience to do a particular action. (e.g. Buy now, Like, and subscribe)
• UX - User experience. The overall impression and experience of a user using a service or digital application
• ROI - Return on Investment. A computation reflecting how well a business performs based on the costs it has incurred
• CTR - Click-through Rate - the number of users who click on a link or advertisement.
• SMB - A Small or Medium Business
• SEO - Search Engine Optimization. A marketing strategy that uses keywords and trends to create content that will attract and retain customers.
• EOD - End of Day
• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
• ASAP - As Soon as Possible
• OOO - Out of Office

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Getting Started on SMS Marketing

To get started, first, secure your device and your secondary number. Again, you have the option to use an app or virtual number or to use a number from a SIM card. From there, you proceed to: 

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Secure customer contact information

To reach customers, you must build a list of their contact details. That can be done through membership registration forms, personal requests, and many more. Be sure to inform customers that their numbers will be used to contact them. 

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Work on consent

As mentioned earlier, prepare disclosure statements when you gather any personal information from customers, including your intents and purposes for them. Do not unilaterally send advertisements - set up your SMS content to be sent only to customers who opt-in for the experience, and allow them to opt out when they no longer want messages sent to them. 

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Plan out SMS content

SMS marketing, just like any other form of marketing, involves careful planning. What kind of information do you want to send customers? When and how often will you do so? Many businesses set up a calendar, focusing most messages on special events, sale days, and holidays. 

Ensure that your text messages align with your brand, are relevant, short, and sweet, and include a call to action.

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Choose a good SMS service

Effective SMS service will serve as your partner to success in SMS marketing. Select one with all the features you need at the appropriate price point. Be sure to choose a service with an excellent technical support team to ensure maximum operability. 

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Top SMS Marketing Applications to Try

If we've convinced you to start on SMS marketing, here are some excellent apps you can start with:

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TextMagic

TextMagic is an excellent app for beginners - you can quickly get started in minutes. It has a user-friendly interface and contains essential SMS tools, to begin with. After a monthly fee for the number, each message is pay-as-you-go.

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SimpleTexting

This app is ideal for marketing campaigns via SMS. It has a user-friendly platform and uses keywords for a more efficient filtering method. You can start at $29 monthly for 500 credits and top up with various volume plans.

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Sakari

As with SMS marketing, Sakari is ideal if your focus is primarily on outgoing texts. Sakari is integrated with Zapier and starts at $16 for messages sent and received. 

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LimePhone

LimePhone's $9.99/user monthly plan includes unlimited SMS and features such as auto messaging and scheduled messages. It features a dedicated support team and many other support tools ideal for business. 

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Begin Your SMS Marketing Journey with LimePhone

LimePhone is a virtual number service that allows users to enjoy unlimited SMS and MMS, along with text tools such as automated messaging, broadcasting, and scheduled messages.

Not only that, its packages include other support functions like voicemail, call routing, call analytics, call recording, and integration to various social media and CRM platforms like Facebook, Slack, Zendesk, and Salesforce. 

LimePhone is easy to use and a good choice for beginners with its affordable packages and a wide array of helpful business tools. 

Try LimePhone with a free trial when you sign up at their official site. Visit limephone.io to start your free trial today.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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• Is SMS marketing expensive?

- Sending a large volume of messages may cost a bit, but employing an effective package with your SMS service will significantly reduce costs while taking full advantage of the benefits.

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• Do I need a second number for SMS marketing?

- Not necessarily, but it is highly recommended. A second number will help separate personal and work communication for higher efficiency, better prioritization and organization, and an excellent work-life balance.

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• What is a virtual number?

- Virtual numbers are phone numbers that function through an internet connection. They can perform the same functions as regular phone numbers, with added features such as web integration and compatibility with laptops and PCs.

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Final Thoughts

SMS marketing can serve as an effective boost to your marketing initiatives. Not only is it accessible and affordable, but it is also user-friendly and can easily be delegated to employees when needed.

Knowing the basic marketing SMS terms will help you smoothly integrate the strategy into your operations while ensuring you completely understand what you do. 

With the help of a powerful but easy-to-use interface like LimePhone, you can quickly expand your marketing power for only a tiny investment.

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