SMS-vs.-email-and-incorporating-branded-short-links-in-your-marketing-strategy

SMS vs. email and incorporating branded short links in your marketing strategy

The question should not be “should I use SMS marketing or email marketing?”, it should be “when should I use both mediums, how can I optimize the results I get from each?”.

Both SMS marketing and email marketing have proved to be effective. However, there’s a certain time and place for each one within an overall marketing strategy. SMS and email marketing both have pros and cons but using them correctly and strategically could make all the difference in the success of your campaigns.

Before jumping to which one to use for a specific campaign, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is the message I’m sending time-sensitive? If yes, SMS may be the right call.
  • Do I expect the user to want to get back in touch immediately? If yes, email might be the best path forward.
  • What will the message contain? If there are images, lengthy text, etc. email would be the best bet.
  • What is my expected outcome?

 

SMS is immediate, direct, and to-the-point

SMS marketing is best used for quick, time-sensitive, and short updates to your audience. It can be a great way to quickly communicate order or shipping updates, alerts or personal notifications, sales or promotions, etc.

 

Maximizing the value of SMS marketing

Make sure your messages are timely and to the point. You have a limited amount of space to capture your user’s attention. Avoid sending content that is too long and split into multiple messages.

Ensure the content is relevant and that it merits the attention of your user. Don’t just send a text to send a text.

Make sure your call-to-action is clear so that the user knows what to do and what to expect. Using branded links helps promote trust, so that your audience knows where they’re going, what they’re clicking on, etc. 

BL.INK’s branded short links also allow you to track click-through rates and gain insight into when, where, and how many times the link was clicked. Use BL.INK’s URLBuilder to create the perfect link, complete with campaign parameters for further insight into your campaign’s performance.

Campaign Analytics BL.INK

For more SMS marketing best practices, check out our resource on Delivering Messaging Campaigns that Click.

 

Don’t overlook email marketing

Email marketing is most effective when communicating major updates or promoting longer-form content. 

Monthly newsletters are a great way to highlight product updates, new features, upcoming promotions, and recent changes.

Relevant blog content can also be used to re-engage customers or prospects.

Also, keep in mind that email is best when two-way communication is likely. If you’re anticipating that a user may want to contact you after the initial touch-point, use email so that the user may easily reply or get back in touch with you.

 

Email marketing best practices

Email should be used sparingly, but consistency is also important. There’s a balance between staying in touch and over-communicating. 

No one wants to be bombarded with emails, and you run the risk of being cut off by your contact(s) if you’re sending too many emails – especially if the content is lacking substance. 

When using links, either in the body of the email or in an image, use branded short links. Using BL.INK for your short links allows you to keep a pulse on click-through rates to see how your email campaigns are performing.

Even better, BL.INK’s URLBuilder allows you to create the perfect links with the correct campaign values set for a more in-depth analysis of campaign success.

 

Conclusion

In summary, depending on your industry, specific campaign or message, and your audience, there may be a place in your marketing strategy for both SMS marketing and email marketing. With both, make sure you have permission from your user, deliver timely and relevant content, and track your links with BL.INK to build a better campaign each time.

 

Ready to go? Let’s chat.

 

Delivering Messaging Campaigns that Click 

In today’s market, standing out and being heard is on every marketer’s mind. BL.INK has compiled best practices across a number of customers to share the key elements of success that differentiate the best from the rest.