Text marketing is an emerging technology as a popular and effective digital marketing trend. 9 out of 10 users prefer to text with business and are 50 times more likely to read text messages than emails. Stay-at-home orders have had a significant impact on digital marketing due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the deadly disease. Studies show that since COVID-19, cell phone use has increased by 56%. Clearly, there is nothing better than a smartphone if one is at home and has time to pass. As more companies appear to be embracing text marketing in 2021, you'll need to keep your strategy fresh while taking advantage of the latest SMS marketing trends.

Now that more business companies are turning to text technology, we can expect savvy marketers to advance their strategy using automation, branding companies, and personalization. We can also expect to see the best marketers - who are affected by the high engagement of texting so we will use it for other methods like customer retention and effective marketing.

Best Text Message Marketing Trends

Here are some of the best Text Message Marketing Trends that can help you make your business better than ever with SMS marketing.

  • Widespread Adoption of SMS
  • Developing SMS as a customer service channel
  • Integrating SMS With Other Channels
  • Focus on Automated Text Messages
  • Conversational Chatbots 
  • Use SMS as a brand marketing channel
  • More SMS Personalization
  • SMS as a Customer Service Channel
  • Adoption of B2B SMS
  • Using SMS for Customer Retention
  • Using SMS for Influencer Marketing
  • User-Generated Content
  • Social Commerce and Shoppable Ads
  • Mobile Commerce Growth
  • Location-Targeted Mobile Ads
  • Rapid 5G Adoption
  • Mobile Audio Marketing
  • Voice Search
  • Demand for Personalized SMS Marketing Will Rise
  • SMS Relationship Building is Strong

Widespread Adoption of SMS

I have said this before but it is worth mentioning once again: SMS will continue to grow in popularity. A new report from Forrester Research predicts that consumers will receive more texts in 2021 than ever before as brands seek to build more direct relationships with consumers during epidemics and economic downturns. This is also confirmed by our 2020 SMS Marketing Report where we surveyed more than 60% of businesses that plan to increase their budgets.

If you're still unsure, global spending on SMS marketing will increase from 57 57 billion in 2015 to 83 83 billion by 2024. 

Developing SMS as a customer service channel

Customer service plays a supportive role in the marketing department by fulfilling your brand promise. Users expect quick and accurate answers to their queries and are not afraid to share their negative experiences on social media platforms. Studies show that more than 50% of consumers prefer texting customer support reps over phone calls, a process that is becoming more mainstream.

SMS can facilitate many customer service functions, such as:

  • Sending order confirmation
  • Provide delivery tracking information
  • Confirmation and scheduling of appointments
  • Answering frequently asked questions
  • Keep asking for product and service feedback

Texting with customer support allows anyone with a mobile phone to quickly resolve issues without having to endure long-term transfers and transfers. Timely solutions with less SMS can also help boost customer confidence and boost the bottom line.

Integrating SMS With Other Channels



Over the past few years, retailers have relied heavily on SMS for customer service, with one-third using it specifically to communicate with consumers. As technology such as unstable chat increases in popularity, consumers are becoming accustomed to stepping away from their phones or computers instead of clinging to them while the customer service interaction continues. SMS takes advantage of this facility, which allows people to carry out their daily activities regardless of their status as an inquiry. According to a study published by eWeek, 89% of consumers said it was important that customer support be available through a variety of channels, including SMS.

If this sounds familiar, you'll be glad to know that 2021 is a year in which most brands prefer to use chat, text, and social media messaging platforms. It's been a long time coming. Going back to 2018, 70% of people chose the 'Message US' button on the 'Call Us' button on the company's website or app. Increasing efficiency will also benefit the business. Employees can handle multiple text conversations at once - but only one call at a time. But when it comes to SMS, you can send a message to many users with the click of a button.

Focus on Automated Text Messages



Slowly but surely, brands are realizing that they can apply their own approach to email marketing over SMS. That's why we expect to see many businesses take advantage of different text marketing automation strategies. These automatic text messages will come in the form of abandoned cart SMS, appointment confirmation texts, SMS renewal reminders, and more. The ultimate goal is not only to create less work for the sender but also to use SMS throughout the customer's journey. Texts that are timely, personal, and hyper are powerful enough not to be sent.

Conversational Chatbots 


The use of chatbots is on the rise. Chatbots answer users' questions by mimicking human interaction through a combination of pre-programmed scripts and artificial intelligence (AI). Chatbots can make reservations (and cancel), survey, order, answer questions, and the list goes on. Chatbots enable you to learn more about your users as chatbots interact with them, creating future marketing opportunities and increasing engagement.

The ability to provide service 24/7 improves customer satisfaction while reducing the need for support staff, and saves your business money and time. Chatbots, as "adults", can collect data from previous exchanges and provide answers to frequently asked questions. This growing information database provides users with the information they need and reduces programming costs.

Use SMS as a brand marketing channel

Some brands, such as cookware startup Equal Parts and furniture brand Burrow, see SMS as a brand marketing channel. More brands will follow suit next year. We will see that businesses use texting to answer more complex consumer questions that require a human response. These text hotspots are intended to communicate more frequently with both existing and potential customers.

More SMS Personalization

According to SmartHQ, 72% of consumers say they are now engaged only in marketing messages that are personalized and tailored to their interests. Therefore, today's brands are expected to do more than just shout slogans to their audiences. They are expected to make personal contact and remember who the user is, what they like, what they think, and what they want. As a result, expect marketers to send more personalized text messages using customer data: time, age, country, gender, etc. To provide them with more valuable offers and news at the time to send to your desire customer.

SMS as a Customer Service Channel

Customer service plays a supportive role in the marketing department by fulfilling your brand promise. Users expect quick and accurate answers to their queries and are not afraid to share their negative experiences on social media platforms. Studies show that more than 50% of consumers prefer texting customer support reps over phone calls, a process that is becoming more mainstream. SMS can facilitate service functions to many customers at a time, such as:

  • Sending order confirmation
  • Provide delivery tracking information
  • Confirmation and scheduling of appointments
  • Answers to frequently asked questions
  • Ask for product and service feedback

Texting with customer support allows anyone with a mobile phone to quickly resolve issues without having to endure long-term transfers and transfers. Timely solutions with less SMS can also help boost customer confidence and boost the bottom line.

Adoption of B2B SMS

Over the past two years, B2B companies have begun incorporating SMS into their marketing and sales strategies. Last year, 61 people suggested contacting them at work via text message. This is an increase of 56.4% from 2014. We expect to see this trend accelerate in 2021 as more business people use SMS for lead generation, send valuable content and interact with existing clients.

Using SMS for Customer Retention

There has been a broader trend in marketing that can be summarized as follows: Sustaining is the new conversion. More business owners and marketers are focused on retaining existing customers. According to Forbes, this is the first reason that spending on loyalty and retention marketing will increase by 30% next year.

In 2021, we will see more brands shipping:

  • SMS renewal reminder
  • Membership Reminder
  • Reminders for subscription service
  • Missed payment notifications

Using SMS for Influencer Marketing

The industry of influence has been jumping in the last few years. Despite the hype, clients are getting better. In 2021, we will look at high-performance deals, based on the number of sales or clicks. This is where the process of SMS marketing comes into play. Imagine you have an influential person named Meghan who is offering her fans 10% off your product. She could ask her fans to text 900900 in "MEG10". When they do, they get a discount link, and companies have a valuable phone number that they can re-market.

User-Generated Content

User-generated, or UGC, is a highly effective form of marketing. UGC is content related to your brand - text, images, audio, and video that users voluntarily create and publish online. Unlike effective marketing, in which consumers are sought after and paid to marketers, user-generated content builds a high level of trust based on real-life, unparalleled experience and feedback.

User-generated content can be a single-edged sword. If the UGC is positive, it can generate invaluable word of mouth that promotes sales and confidence in your brand and product. However, negative content can do the opposite of losing the impression and trust of your customers about your brand.

Examples of user-generated content include:

  • Blog
  • User reviews on Yelp, Reddit, and other forums
  • Social media posts on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest

Social Commerce and Shoppable Ads

In the past, shoppers searched for products and brands while browsing social platforms, then went to the brand's website to make a purchase. But toggling between platforms can disrupt the brand of the user experience, resulting in lower consumer frustration and conversion rates. The eye buys! Enabling social commerce and purchasing ads to integrate commerce into social media platforms, enabling seamless shopping and brand experience.

Social commerce uses social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to promote and sell products and services. Shoppable ads enable your brand to tag products in the image posted on social media or Google, giving customers the ability to navigate through the ad for more information.

Mobile Commerce Growth

Not surprisingly, the scale of mobile commerce, or e-commerce, has grown exponentially. The widespread use of mobile phones and tablets has paved the way for e-commerce to become a major part of internet marketing. Mobile sales are expected to reach a staggering 3.5 3.56 trillion in 2021, up 22.3%.

Consumers are finding it easy to shop online, it is very important for mobile to improve their website. The effects of COVID-19 have pushed consumers away from shopping malls and online shopping sources. To take advantage of this mobile trend, make sure to remove barriers to online shopping for your customers.

Location-Targeted Mobile Ads

Location-based mobile ads are automatically coming to them as a way to serve location-based ads to mobile users. According to industry forecasts, mobile advertising spending in the United States is projected to reach 32 32 billion by the end of 2023. Location-targeted advertising has shown a remarkably effective way to eliminate marketing noise, deliver offers that meet the needs of consumers at the right time. Bluetooth technology helps determine the perfect time and place to serve ads, increasing the chances of engaging users. When your target audience is in a particular area of ​​your location, encourage them to block customized ads based on their preferences.

Rapid 5G Adoption

5G is the standard for state-of-the-art technology for broadband cellular networks. Attractive data enables 5G marketers to deliver heavy experiences that were not previously available due to bandwidth and speed limitations. As consumers upgrade their devices to take advantage of carriers' 5G technology, marketers must be prepared to take full advantage of its capabilities. Offers high data transmission as well as 5G bandwidth enhancements to enable high definition VR experiences and 4K streaming video. Brands are racing to harness the power and opportunities that 5G generates before you can outperform your competitors.

Mobile Audio Marketing

It's easy to "think", "market" and "watch" visual programs, but what about audio? The explosion of podcasting and music playlist apps has eliminated the possibility of using audio for marketing purposes. Now 50% of all homes in the United States have podcast fans, listening to more than 34 million episodes of 1.5 million podcasts. Podcasts can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere on mobile devices, and are a favorite source of entertainment and education for travelers.

Voice Search

When it comes to audio, has your business ever considered improving voice search? Studies show that one-third of the American population uses voice search. Voice Search is expected to grow by 9.7% to 122.7 million subscribers by 2021. Users of mobile devices use voice search to take advantage of virtual assistants such as Google and Siri. The challenge is that different search terms are used to speak than typing. Voice search marketers need to target long-tail keywords in order to get the speaker's style of speaking in a short way. In 2021 and beyond, if you include voice search in your marketing plan, your SEO strategy will definitely consider these differences.

Demand for Personalized SMS Marketing Will Rise

According to SmartHQ, 72% of consumers now engage in personalized marketing messages tailored to their interests. And why not? If your customers do not realize that you know their needs, they will find a company that works. If your "vanilla" SMS messages miss this mark, creating personalized text messages will make your customers feel valued. Adding a personal touch to automated messaging makes it more likely that your audience will connect with your brand and take action.

SMS Relationship Building is Strong

Building relationships is a long game. If you're negotiating with your customers just to sell something, you're missing out on opportunities to connect with them and build brand loyalty. If you don't know your customers' birthdays, then the holidays are a great time to say thank you and express your heartfelt wishes. Sending SMS messages during the holidays will set you apart from your competitors and can generate profits in sales and customer engagement.

Conclusion

At the end of this article, I would say that if you want to make your business successful, then you must use the ichitchat platform. This online platform is very suitable for this type of marketing. Is. Your mobile marketing strategy is a pillar of your overall marketing goals. CM.com's mobile marketing cloud includes a myriad of tools to help you get your business to customers on their favorite mobile channels. Your mobile marketing strategy is a pillar of your overall marketing goals. CM.com's mobile marketing cloud includes a myriad of tools to help you get your business to customers on their favorite mobile channels.