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Learn from Fast Growing 7-8 Figure Online Retailers and eCommerce Experts

EPISODE 257 44 mins

Getting Personal with Customers using SMS Marketing



About the guests

Alex Beller

Kunle Campbell

Alex Beller is the Co-Founder & President of Postscript, based in Los Angeles. He is a Philosophy graduate from University of Southern California. Prior to starting Postscript, he worked with StackCommerce as Director, Business Development.



On today’s episode, Kunle is joined by Alex Beller, Co-Founder & President of Postscript, a 2 year-old SMS-marketing platform built for eCommerce brands. Alex is an SMS marketing expert. Alex shares his insights on how the industry has evolved and progressed since his previous appearance on the show.

 

Alex speaks about why SMS marketing works as a revenue generator and what makes it tick. He shares some of the interesting resources his company has built and is working on for the eCommerce ecosystem, and how the company is growing after having raised $4.5 million earlier in 2020.

 

The one distinct differentiator for SMS marketing is that it is probably the most personal outreach marketing channel available. It is also a channel, where as a marketer, you have more “ownership” of. Leveraging this channel is becoming more and more crucial to getting the desired ROI from your campaigns.

 

If you are thinking about using SMS-marketing or feel your campaigns aren’t doing well, then you definitely can’t miss this episode. You will get to hear best practices, examples, use cases and tips to grow your SMS marketing ROI.

 

Here is a summary of some of the most important points made,

  • SMS is a top-3 revenue generating marketing channel
  • ReallyGoodTexts.com is a readymade SMS swipe file resource
  • SMS beats MMS in terms of ROI
  • SMS marketing is highly regulated in the US
  • Humanising your messaging tone helps you build a connect
  • Timing and frequency of messages need to be strategised
  • SMS lists can grow off-website as well

Covered Topics:

On today’s interview Kunle and Alex discuss,

  • Why SMS campaigns work
  • DNA of a good text message
  • Compliance requirements
  • Campaign best practices
  • Creative use-cases of SMS
  • List building strategies

Timestamp:

  • 05:00 – Who is Alex Beller?
  • 06:15 – Current adoption trends:
    • SMS is consistently a Top 3 revenue stream for most marketers
    • Using multiple acquisition channels to build SMS lists
    • Use cases are advancing
    • Improved targeting
  • 07:30 – Inspiration behind starting ReallyGoodTexts
  • 09:48 – The DNA of a good text msg:
    • Always start with your (brand’s) name
    • Space stuff out so that it’s not clunky
    • Include emojis, short links
    • The TONE is most important
  • 12:40 – Customising Deliverability:
    • TCPA in the US is the most stringent policy in the world
    • A non-compliant text can cost upto $1500 in damages
    • Shortcodes have the highest deliverability (but cost more)
    • Long code messages often get filtered/blocked
  • 16:50 – What is measurable in SMS campaigns
    • Cannot track opens
    • Clicks to conversion funnel is tracked
  • 17:55 – “Less is more with SMS” – Do this to not annoy your customers!
  • 18:50 – Get “personal” with your messages for results
  • 19:18 – If you use SMS for marketing only, then you’re missing out big time
  • 19:45 – Sample “Non-marketing” use cases:
    • Blume sends out scannable gift cards and runs a book club through SMS!
    • Building conversational flows
    • The 1-2-3 combo after you’ve received an order
    • How about automated reminders to water your plants?!
  • 22:20 – What you can learn from brands using SMS successfully
  • 24:50 – Why the timing of your messages can make or break your campaign
  • 28:35 – Best channels to build a great list:
    • Collecting at checkout with an optin checkbox
    • Mobile/desktop pop ups
    • Onsite landing pages/product pages
    • Using non-site methods like leaflets in packages with a CTA
    • Social Media: Facebook Lead Ads / Instagram Stories / Influencers
    • Mining your communities and groups
  • 31:20 – Facebook & Instagram listbuilding tips
  • 33:10 – SMS marketing trends post COVID:
    • Guess which emoji has been trending!
    • By the end of March’20, a quarter of all messages sent were solely about COVID
    • Brands started using SMS for “checking-in” with customers
  • 36:30 – What is new at Postscript
  • 38:25 – Become a certified SMS-marketer for FREE
  • 41:15 – Leveraging SMS marketing in UK

Takeaways:

  • “Less is more” when it comes to SMS copy
  • Building and nurturing SMS lists will lead to long term success
  • The timing and frequency of your messages are key
  • Postscript has easy one-click integrations with Facebook & Instagram

Links & Resources

Tweetable Quotes:

“The data reveals that touching people through multiple channels will yield better results than touching them with just one channel.”

Facebook Group • Continue the Conversation

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Here is where to apply to join the Facebook group
>>http://bit.ly/ecommercefb<<

———–

SPONSORS:

This episode is brought to you by:

This episode is brought to you by Klaviyo – a growth marketing platform that powers over 25,000 online businesses.
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About the host:

Kunle Campbell

An ecommerce advisor to ambitious, agile online retailers and funded ecommerce startups seeking exponentially sales growth through scalable customer acquisition, retention, conversion optimisation, product/market fit optimisation and customer referrals.

Learn from eCommerce Entrepreneurs & Marketing Experts


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