The accelerating advancement of technology can make it difficult to keep up. Finding the right channel to reach your target audience — whether you’re trying to attract survey respondents, webinar attendees, contract signers, research participants, or engaged customers — is all about meeting them where they are. If you’ve been relying on email as your go-to communication tactic, it might be time to consider SMS messages.
For instance, you may not have ever considered delivering rewards and incentives by SMS, but the benefits are too great to ignore. Here are three ways you’ll boost the success of your programs when you send virtual gift cards by SMS.
READ MORE: What Are the Best Virtual Gift Cards for Different Types of Recipients?
Mobile is the way of the future. According to the Pew Research Center, 97% of Americans have a cellphone. And the World Advertising Research Center predicts that by 2025, nearly three-quarters of internet users will access the web only on their smartphones. With that kind of widespread use among consumers, SMS will give you better access to younger generations who grew up texting and may not have or regularly check email. You can also reach recipients who have a phone plan but no internet access at home.
Every marketer and researcher knows how challenging it is to get high engagement with emails. But engagement with texts is much better. In fact, open rates for SMS messages are as high as 98%, according to Gartner, compared to about 20% for email. When you’re sending rewards, that means high claim rates and lots of happy recipients.
The option to send virtual gift cards by either email or SMS lets you better tailor your surveys and campaigns to your audience and needs. It also allows you to offer a consistent experience for recipients. For instance, if you’re collecting data from younger adults, you may choose to send the survey itself via text message. In that case, you can send the incentive through the same channel, providing a smoother experience for the recipient. It also means you don’t have to collect additional information (i.e., an email address) to send the reward, since you already have the respondents’ phone numbers.
Convinced that SMS delivery can help your rewards program? Now you can do it in BHN Rewards! Here’s how:
1. Start a new campaign like you always do, but select the SMS delivery option instead of email.
2. Add your recipients. (Make sure you have the country code and phone number for all of them!)
3. Edit your SMS message — keep in mind character counts and remember that one message equals 160 characters.
4. Create your mobile-friendly reward claim page, confirm your payment, and your SMS rewards will be sent out!
That’s all it takes! If you’re already a BHN Rewards user, there are just a few minor modifications to deliver by SMS and reap the benefits of better reach, engagement, and flexibility.
New to BHN Rewards? Request a live demo!
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
Hannah is a reformed journalist who has more than 15 years of experience and now focuses on content marketing for innovative tech companies.
