Connecting with your customers via SMS, MMS or WhatsApp can send sales soaring provided you do it well.
Are you looking for ways to boost your turnover without overspending on marketing? For scores of small and mid-sized Australian enterprises, the answer is yes.
Constrained business and consumer spending has made maintaining sales and growth a challenge across multiple sectors in recent times. That’s likely to persist into 2027, as stubbornly high inflation and rising interest rates see customers continuing to search for savings and crimp their spending on non-essentials.
An SMS, MMS, WhatsApp or RCS messaging campaign that promotes the quality and value of your offering can be a cost-effective way to draw in new customers and bring old ones back.
Sending costs are minimal and 98 per cent of messages are opened within minutes of being received. That compares favourably with promotional emails which are only opened 25 per cent of the time or less.
Top performing brands have enjoyed extraordinary returns on this form of marketing – as high as 725 times in some instances.
But those stand-out results don’t occur by accident. Here are some tips for delivering messaging campaigns that resonate with customers and prospects and help brands like yours win mind and market share.
Add value first
Yes, increasing your revenue is the goal but hitting customers up with the hard sell right off the bat tends to be more off putting than attractive. A better approach is to start by offering value. That could take the form of an account balance update, a voucher or the chance to enter a competition – whatever you deem an appropriate ‘conversation starter’ for the cohort you’re targeting. Your aim should be to build a relationship over a series of interactions, not score instant sales.
Seek explicit permission to engage
While most Australians are receptive to messaging – 89 per cent of us opt in for SMS communication from retailers – it shouldn’t be assumed every individual or business on your mailing list will be pleased to hear from you. Explicitly asking them whether they’re happy to be contacted when you collect their details, and obtaining their permission to re-engage if you’re reactivating a legacy list, will help you avoid complaints and the risk of running afoul of regulators.
Make offers relevant
Customers may be receptive to receiving messages in principle but start smashing them with random offers and they’ll soon start hitting the opt-out button. Someone whose purchasing history is focused on fashion, for example, is more likely to be receptive to a beauty deal than a discount on pet food. Keep your offers targeted and relevant and they’ll be more likely to hit their mark.
Don’t pester people
A little of what you fancy may do you good but an overdose of it, not so much. Being pestered by a business day and night is a turn-off for customers and can make them less likely to open their wallets.
If you’re planning to make messaging a regular component of your marketing mix, working out an appropriate communication cadence upfront will help you avoid becoming an irritant to your target market.
Use automated flows
‘Automated flows’ can make interactions with customers feel natural and unforced and hasten their journey towards the point of purchase. This term refers to a sequence of pre-written messages that are based on specific triggers or schedules. When a certain customer action, time or date arrives, a tailored message is sent automatically. It’s a tried and tested means of keeping the conversation going and boosting conversion rates.
Retailers deploying automated follow-up messaging flows can typically enjoy revenue of more than $100,000 from a several hundred dollar spend investment on SMS. At the same time, they can achieve an increase in cart conversion of between 3,000 and 75,000 per cent.
Partner with a messaging vendor that understands Australian law
Australia’s privacy legislation and spam laws are significantly different from those in other jurisdictions, such as the US and the EU. Our regulations around the use of personal data for marketing purposes have tightened significantly in recent years and penalties for its misuse have increased. Partnering with a messaging vendor that can provide guidance and advice, and whose platform has been localised to accommodate Australian requirements, will help ensure your campaigns don’t land your business in hot water with the Australian Communications and Media Authority or the Privacy Commissioner.
Making messaging work for your enterprise in 2027
Compelling, cost-effective messaging campaigns can be a great way for SMEs to boost sales and profits and in challenging economic times, never more so. Taking a structured, strategic approach will help your business make the most of its investment in this marketing channel in 2027.