Did you know that 90% of people read a text message within the first three minutes? (venturebeat, 2021). In a mobile-driven world it should come as no surprise that SMS marketing is at the forefront of capturing customer data and retention. However, according to a study conducted by McKinsey and Company, long-standing email marketing campaigns are just as effective in reaching a wider consumer base and are up to 40 times more effective than social media. It’s even growing in popularity, as emails are now accessible from a range of devices and do not evade our personal space like SMS seems to do. So, which channel is better at driving results? At LANA we recognise the importance of using the right marketing channel to drive customer engagement. So, we’ve dissected SMS and email marketing, so that we can help you decide which channel is right for you.
What is the benefit of SMS marketing?
SMS is the best form of communication relating to sending time-sensitive information that requires immediate action. It is generally used to send promotional offers, personal alerts and payment reminders. Some of the key advantages of SMS marketing are
- Immediate messaging
- Conversational and personable
- Concise due to character limit
- High visibility
- Mobile friendly
- Strong customer engagement
What is the benefit of email marketing?
According to the Data Marketing Association approximately 99% of consumers check their emails every day. Email marketing enables marketers to send long-form content including newsletters and brochures. Some of the key advantages of email marketing are:
- Targeted and personalised messages
- Test before you send
- Cost-effective
- No character limit
- Add interactive content such as GIFS, images and videos
- Increase website traffic
What are the key differences between SMS and email marketing?
Click-through-rate
This is referred to as the number of customers who have seen an SMS or email and actively click on a link directing them to a website or promotion. As SMS marketing is shorter and more concise, it generally has a higher click-through-rate compared to email marketing.
Cost
Whilst the cost can vary depending on the type of campaign, typically email marketing is less expensive than SMS marketing. This is because there are a variety of email marketing platforms such as Mail Chimp that allow you to send up to thousands of emails a month, and these plans are relatively inexpensive.
Personalisation
SMS marketing is limited in customisation as it tends to be shorter and often lacks character, as images and GIFS aren’t shown. As a result it is generally only used for short promotions or for notifications. Comparatively, email marketing is highly personable as custom emails can be sent to customers depending on their demographic, location, behaviour and position in the customer journey.
Testability
Email marketing is highly test friendly as there are a variety of tools that are available to test the effectiveness of email design, subject lines, sender information and the type of media used. So, compared to SMS marketing, marketers can significantly reduce the guesswork from their decision-making due to testing.
So, which one takes the win? Perhaps get the best of both worlds
Both marketing channels clearly have their strong areas, but typically its best to use both. SMS marketing can help in determining customer engagement and building a list of email subscribers. Email marketing can then be used to send personalised messages to recipients including newsletters and videos. There are several ways in which you can use both to complement each other such as sending text messages prompting customers to subscribe to an email list for brochures.
Curious To Know More? Contact LANA
As a marketer, it is pivotal to grab the customers attention as much as possible. At LANA we understand the importance of various marketing channels and how they can be best used to capture engagement for your business. Contact us on +61 2 5503 5262
to know more about how SMS and email marketing can be used for your specific business needs in order to boost your marketing performance.
