Tips to Make Your Email and SMS Marketing Stand Out and The Top Software to Help You Grow

Do you feel like your email and SMS marketing efforts aren’t performing like they should?

If you’re tired of seeing the same old metrics month after month when pulling your email and SMS marketing stats, now’s the time to change that!

These are two of the most effective ways to reach your customers and if you’re not seeing the results you should be, it’s time to take a step back and see what’s not working. After you take some time to reflect, it’s time to take action.

In this article, you’ll find some insight on how you can improve your current email and SMS messages to make a bigger impact. Then, we’ll take a look at several softwares available to help make creating, sending, and managing all of your messaging needs simpler.

Here’s a quick look at what we’ll cover in this article:

  • Tips to make your emails stand out
  • Tips to make your SMS messages stand out
  • Email marketing software
  • SMS marketing software
  • Full-service marketing software

Tips to Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out

Let’s face it, when you send an email you’re competing with hundreds of other messages that landed in your subscribers’ inbox all at the same time. It’s easy for these messages to get passed up or deleted and many companies run into this challenge frequently.

But your emails don’t have to blend in and get glazed over. By taking a hard look at what your current email strategy looks like and a few ways you can improve might be all you need to start seeing more open and less unsubscribes.

In this section, we’ll take a look at a few different ways that you can make your emails stand out. From improving your subject line to incorporating personalization — each of these tips will help you reach more customers.

Rethink Your Subject Line

Your subject line is the first thing your subscriber sees and it’s the most important element of your email. For many people, it’s the deciding factor between opening or deleting an email — so it can’t be ignored.

Just how important is your subject line? Well, 33% of email recipients open emails because of catchy subject lines, we’d say it’s pretty important for a successful message.

To help you get started on improving your current subject lines, here are a few best practices for writing killer subject lines:

  • Keep it direct and to the point
  • Add personalization to grab attention
  • Don’t make it too lengthy
  • Add a sense of urgency
  • Provide offers and incentives
  • Make sure emails are timely

The number of characters in your email can make a big difference when it comes to open rates. If your message is too short it might not get the point across but if it’s too long it could easily be cut off in a user’s inbox.

There are several things you can do to improve your subject lines, but it all comes down to understanding what works best for your audiences. To learn this you’ll need to take time to dig into what is working and what isn’t, this can all be done by reviewing analytics and A/B testing.

Over time, you’ll start to learn what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to create click-worthy emails from the start.

Only Send Relevant Content

When it comes to emails, you need to ensure that the content you’re sending to your subscribers is relevant to their wants and needs. Consistently sending irrelevant marketing messages will result in less opens and more unsubscribes.

Your subscribers will be much more interested in your content if it is relevant to them. This will not only increase your performance metrics, but will also build stronger relationships.

Speaking Socially

Creating and sending relevant content is a huge opportunity for companies looking to connect with their subscribers. Not only will you see higher open and engagement metrics but you’ll also be building stronger relationships in the process. Image courtesy of Speaking Socially.

To improve the relevancy of your content, you’ll want to have a deep understanding of who your customers are. By developing customer personas and learning what a typical buyer’s journey looks like, you can know what the most important message for each group is.

Here are a few tips to sending relevant content:

  • Send timely messages
  • Create triggered emails
  • Schedule holiday and event messages
  • Localize when possible

In short, the more relevant your email content is the more likely you are to engage and convert more people. Choosing to neglect the importance of relevant content will only result in more unsubscribes and wasted time.

Don’t Forget to Personalize

Did you know that personalized emails can deliver 6x higher transaction rates? This is just one of the many reasons why adding personalization to your email marketing strategy is so important.

Not only will it provide you with increased revenue, it’s also something your customers want. In today’s day and age, consumers expect that the brands they shop with know who they are and what they want. If they aren’t receiving a personalized experience from one brand, they’re likely to find another that values their interest more.

personalized emails

There are tons of different ways to add personalization to your emails, but there are a few specific ones that your customers are looking for. From knowing the items they’ve purchased to understanding their interest and personal information — you have a world of opportunity when it comes to personalization. Image courtesy of SaleCycle.

That’s why you need to make the investment in personalizing your content. It will provide you a leg up on the competition and make your subscribers more interested in your marketing message.

Not sure how to get started with personalization in your emails? Here are a few pointers:

  • Use segmentation to group similar audiences
  • Incorporate dynamic content
  • Send product recommendations based on previous behaviors
  • Develop special offers with specific subscribers in mind

When you’re just getting started, personalization can be simple such as a birthday or anniversary message. But as you start to progress in your personalization journey, you can find new and creative ways to weave personalized touches into all of your emails.

Tips to Make Your SMS Marketing Stand Out

SMS messages have one of the highest open and engagement rates, but if you’re not seeing the results you want it might be time to take a look at what you’re sending your customers.

Just because SMS boasts impressive metrics doesn’t mean that there isn’t a strategy that needs to be in place. You need to define what you’re sending your customers and make sure that the content aligns with what they want from your brand.

In this section, we’ll take a look at just a few different ways you can tweak your current SMS messages to help them stand out and engage more subscribers.

Offer Incentives and Make Them Exclusive

If your subscribers are willing to provide you with their phone number, you need to make it worth their time. One of the best ways to do this is by offering exclusive inventives. Whether you share exclusive discount codes or have entire sales targeted at only your SMS subscribers — it’s got to benefit them.

In fact, coupons and incentives are two of the top reasons why people choose to subscribe to a company’s SMS marketing list.

reasons to subscribe

There are a number of different reasons why people subscribe to SMS lists, but incentives, coupons, and reward points top the list. By sharing this content, you’re providing something of value to these subscribers and they’ll be much more engaged. Image courtesy of Listrak.

Here are a few examples of how you can incentivize your subscribers:

  • Send SMS exclusive discount codes
  • Share upcoming sale details
  • Create urgency around a soon expiring discount
  • Special campaigns targeted at only SMS subscribers

Incentives are a great way to engage your subscribers and convert more into purchasing customers. When you’re adding value to their life, they’ll be excited to see a message come across their screen from your brand.

Send Your Messages at The Right Time

When it comes to sending your SMS marketing messages, there are times that are more effective than others. You’ll want to take into consideration when your audience is most likely available and checking their phones.

Of course, we all check out phones throughout the day, so it’s not necessarily a concern around whether your message will be sent. It’s more about whether your message will be read and acted upon.

There are a few different habits that many people follow when it comes to phone usage, and understanding this can help you plan when to target them. For example, sending a text message during prime commuting time to work will likely result in a missed opportunity.

While you probably don’t want to send a message to your customers right when they wake up, it’s good to understand their habits and when they are most engaged with their phones. This will help you find patterns and opportunity areas on when your messages will perform the best.

It’s been shown that the most consistent engagement timeframes are Monday through Friday from 9 am – 4 pm.

But if you choose to invest in an SMS marketing software, many have the ability to read customer data and pinpoint the best time for each subscriber. With this technology, you can then be sure that your audience is receiving your message at the most opportune moment.

Keep Your Message Concise and to The Point

One of the challenges that comes with SMS marketing is that you are confined to a 160 character limit. This means that whatever message you’re trying to get across, it has to be done concisely and to the point.

SMS marketing challenges

The 160 character limit is definitely one of the biggest challenges that come with SMS marketing. But don’t let that discourage you from using this marketing tool, you just need to learn to get your point across in a quick, concise manner. Image courtesy of respond.io.

While this one might take some time to get used to, the more you write copy for SMS marketing campaigns the better you’ll become at getting the point across within the limitation. It’s also beneficial because the customer doesn’t have to sort through a long message to get the point.

It should be very obvious to the customer exactly what you’re telling them and what the next steps they should take are. This direct manor will get to the point quickly and lead customers down the path you want them to take — converting.

Find The Right Marketing Software for Your Needs

Another valuable way to improve your email and SMS marketing is to invest in a platform to create and manage your efforts. These programs can provide you with new technology and capabilities that you wouldn’t have access to on your own.

In this section, we’ll take a look at three different product groupings:

  • Email only marketing software
  • SMS only marketing software
  • Full-service marketing software

Email Marketing Software

If you’re just looking for a way to improve your email marketing capabilities, this is the section for you. We’ll take a closer look at a few of the top marketing softwares that are solely focused on improving your email efforts.

When looking at an email marketing platform, you’ll want to make sure you know what capabilities you need.

Here are a few things to look for in an email marketing software:

  • Simple email building tools and templates
  • Automation capabilities to schedule and send emails
  • List management and segmentation
  • Reporting and analytic dashboards

Each platform discussed in this section will help you manage these things and much more — so let’s dive in.

1.   Constant Contact

Constant Contact is an email marketing software that can help you communicate with your customers and grow your business through eCommerce integrations. From helping you create professional-looking emails with ease to automating campaigns to send customers the right message at the right time, Constant Contact can help.

Turn your vision into life with the help of the simplicity of Constant Contact’s drag and drop email-building tool. Then connect your emails with your eCommerce site to maximize your revenue potential.

Email Marketing Capabilities:

  • Simple drag and drop editor to make your email creation process a breeze
  • Automation capabilities that include triggered emails, contact segmentation, and resend emails to non-openers
  • eCommerce tools to help you drive sales and grow your online presence
  • List management assistance to keep your list up-to-date and keep subscribers engaged

Pricing: there are multiple plan options including the Email plan that starts at $20 per month, the Email Plus plan that starts at $45 per month, and the Pro plan starting at $195 per month

Website: https://www.constantcontact.com

2.   Moosend

Moosend is an email marketing software designed for marketers of all skill levels who are looking to grow their business. Having the ability to create, send, and manage all of your email marketing efforts from one central location will improve your daily routine and increase revenue.

Moosend

Create emails that stand out and grab your reader’s attention. With the right tools in place, you can make the most out of every message you send and keep your customers engaged. Image courtesy of Moosend.

Email Marketing Capabilities:

  • Segment your audiences based on their real-time behaviors to create even more personalized experiences
  • Analytics and reporting to help you understand the effectiveness of your campaigns and identify new opportunities
  • Easily create emails with premade templates and a drag and drop editor
  • A/B test your emails to better understand what your subscribers react to

Pricing: the price is based on the number of subscribers you have, but there are three plan options including, a Free plan, the Pro plan starting at $8 per month, and the Enterprise plan which is customized based on your business needs.

Website: https://moosend.com

3.   AWeber

AWeber is a great email marketing tool for small businesses that are looking to reach more customers and expand their business. This email marketing software can help you from email creation to delivery and everything in between.

Email automation allows you to automatically send messages to your subscribers based on their data. Set specific qualifications, wait periods, and tags to ensure only the most relevant content is reaching your customer.

Email Marketing Capabilities:

  • Automate email sequences to send your subscribers the most relevant content right when they need it
  • Develop trigger campaigns that send messages based on your subscriber actions
  • Make email creation simple with their drag and drop builder
  • Integrate with your other marketing platforms to have a full customer view

Pricing: there are multiple pricing options available including a Free plan, and a Pro plan that starts at $16.15 per month and varies based on the number of subscribers you have

Website: www.aweber.com

4.   GetResponse

GetResponse is an email marketing software that can help you reach your customers with the right content, at the right time. By understanding who your audience is and building customized email campaigns around their needs, you can achieve all of your email marketing goals.

GetResponse

With professional looking email templates, you can create marketing messages in no time — with no coding required. This will save your teams time and delight your customers with appealing emails. Image courtesy of GetResponse.

Email Marketing Capabilities:

  • Send emails of all types including newsletters, autoresponders, new blog promotions, and more
  • Get to know when your subscribers are most likely to open emails and send your messages at the right moment
  • Create transactional emails to send reminders and updates on recent purchases
  • Utilize their list of free templates to make email creation quick and simple

Pricing: there are several plan option available including, the Basic plan starting at $15 per month, the Plus plan starting at $49 per month, the Professional plan starting at $99 per month, and custom pricing plans are available

Website: www.getresponse.com

SMS Marketing Software

Next up is a focus on marketing software that is designed to improve your SMS marketing strategy.

Similarly to the email platforms, there are a few things you’ll want to look for in an SMS software, including:

  • The ability to schedule and automate your messages
  • List management capabilities
  • Subscriber segmentation and personalization
  • Analytics and reporting capabilities

Each of the platforms we are about to cover will provide you with everything you need for your SMS strategy.

1.   EZ Texting

EZ Texting is an SMS marketing software that will allow you to reach your customers on their most used device — their smartphone. With this platform you’ll have the ability to create, send, and track your efforts from one central dashboard.

EZ Texting

Send your customers texts to notify them of upcoming sales and promotions. By providing exclusive discounts and codes to your SMS subscribers is a quick and easy way to grow your subscriber list. Image courtesy of EZ Texting.

SMS Marketing Capabilities:

  • Send SMS messages to promote contests, coupons, exclusive in-store promo codes and more
  • Automate alerts and notifications for events and appointment reminders to keep your subscribers informed
  • Grow your subscriber list and increase lead generations capabilities
  • Use SMS messages to improve your customer service for faster response times

Pricing: there are multiple plan options available including, the Value plan starting at $19 per month, the Essentials plan starting at $29 per month, the Premium plan starting at $49 per month, and Custom plans starting at $229 per month

Website: www.eztexting.com

2.   SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting is an SMS marketing software that can help you reach your customers more effectively and efficiently. With this platform you can engage with your audiences in 2 way conversations, incorporate personalization, and track the success of your campaigns.

Easily create emails from your centralized dashboard. You’ll be able to identify keywords, engage in 2 way conversations, develop autoresponders and more.

SMS Marketing Capabilities:

  • Communicate with your customers via texting with 2 way communication to improve customer satisfaction and quickly close deals
  • Create autoresponders to keep your customers engaged over an extended period of time
  • Automate and schedule messages to be sent out on a specific date and time
  • Use custom fields to incorporate personalization into each of your SMS messages

Pricing: pricing is dependent on how many emails you plan to send a month but their plan starts at $45 per month

Website: https://simpletexting.com/

3.   Zipwhip

Zipwhip is an SMS marketing software that can help you make the most out of your customer text messages. With the ability to automate sending, manage responses, and set up auto replies, Zipwhip will make your SMS strategy a success.

Create and send SMS campaigns to promote upcoming sales and promotions. Then keep your customers in the know and provide an exclusive experience that they can only receive via SMS.

SMS Marketing Capabilities:

  • Run campaigns timely campaigns to notify customers of new products and drive revenue
  • Build your subscriber list by incorporating lead generation into your strategy
  • Set a solid foundation for increasing your brand awareness and help your customers get to know you better
  • Send real-time alerts and reminders to keep your subscribers informed and up-to-date

Pricing: there are multiple plan options available including, the Started plan starting at $19 per month, the Unlimited plan starting at $49 per month, the Premium plan starting at $99 per month, and a Commercial plan that has customized pricing

Website: https://www.zipwhip.com/

4.   Tatango

Tatango is an SMS marketing software that can help you improve your text message reach and build stronger relationships with your subscribers. With the ability to create customized workflows, send targeted messages, and take a deep dive into who your audience is — Tatango can help take you to the next level.

tatango

Create workflows to automate your SMS sending capabilities and engage customers at the right moment. By sending a relevant message at the most opportune time, you’re much more likely to land more conversions. Image courtesy of Tatango.

SMS Marketing Capabilities:

  • Develop messaging workflows that send texts to your subscribers based on their real-time interactions
  • Segment your subscribers to ensure you’re sending the most relevant messages every single time
  • Better understand who your subscribers are with detailed analytics
  • Integrate personalization into your messages to increase engagement and see a higher return on investment

Pricing: pricing is not available on their website, but you can talk with a sales representative to better understand what fits your business needs

Website: https://www.tatango.com/

Full-Service Marketing Software

Last but not least, let’s take a look at a few full-service marketing platforms that will allow you to manage both your SMS and email marketing from one central location. Each of these platforms will offer something a little unique, but all of them are great options for taking both your email and SMS strategies to the next level.

1.   Listrak

Listrak is a full-service digital marketing platform that can help you reach your email and SMS marketing goals. Whether you’re simply looking for a tool to help schedule and analyze campaigns or something more advanced like predictive product recommendations — Listrak has the tools you need.

listrak email

Make the most out of every customer interaction. Whether it’s via SMS messaging or email, knowing what to send and when to send it will drastically increase the success of your marketing campaigns. Image courtesy of Listrak.

Email and SMS Marketing Capabilities:

  • Automation to make scheduling and sending both email and SMS messages easier than ever before
  • Cross channel marketing capabilities to create a seamless brand experience from one channel to the next
  • Personalization and predictive technology to send your customers the most relevant message, on the right channel, at the right time
  • Improve customer data and reporting to better understand your customers and improve their experience

Pricing: pricing is not listed on their website but you can speak with a representative to better understand your options and create a customized plan

Website: https://www.listrak.com/

2.   Mailjet

Mailjet is a full-service marketing software that will allow you to manage both email and SMS marketing on one platform. By making email creation simple and allowing you to leverage transactional SMS messages, you’ll quickly see the benefits of investing in this technology.

With the right tools in place, creating email and SMS campaigns can be a breeze. Whether you choose to use a pre designed template or want to create something a little more unique, it can all be done within the Mailjet platform.

Email and SMS Marketing Capabilities:

  • Send transactional SMS messages to your audiences including order confirmations and shipping details
  • Make the email creation process simple with templates or utilize an easy to use email builder
  • Easily track and understand how both your email and SMS campaigns are performing with analytics
  • Manage your contacts and subscriber lists to keep track of what audiences are engaging with your content

Pricing: pricing is dependant on how many emails you plan to send each month and there are multiple plans including, the Free plan, the Basic plan starting at $9.65, the Premium plan starting at $20.95, and the Enterprise plan that is customized based on business needs

Website:https://www.mailjet.com/

3.   Maropost

Maropost is a full-service marketing software that will help you maximize revenue through its automation and multi-channel capabilities. From better understanding and segmenting your audiences to creating messages that engage users based on recent behaviors, Maropost can do it all.

Maropost

With a simple dashboard you can get a quick snapshot of who your customers are and how they’re engaging with your campaigns. The more you know about their wants and needs, the more you can personalize their experience. Image courtesy of Maropost.

Email and SMS Marketing Capabilities:

  • Segment your audiences based on customer data, website actions, and previous engagements
  • Create triggered messages that are sent to subscribers based on their specific actions
  • Integrate dynamic content into emails to increase personalization
  • Build customer journeys and workflows through the email journey builder tool

Pricing: there are multiple plans available including, the Essential plan, the Professional plan, and the Enterprise plan — you must contact a sales representative to get detailed pricing

Website: https://www.maropost.com/

Are you ready to take your email and SMS marketing to the next level?

Then what are you waiting for! With the help of these tips and finding the perfect software partner, you can move towards a much more effective marketing strategy. Whether your main focus is on one specific channel or you’re looking to revamp them both — you won’t regret taking the time to improve upon your current efforts.

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