The benefits of SMS for business are no secret. But one of its most useful applications is one that many probably haven’t heard of: election campaigns.

That’s right—bulk SMS has proven to be an effective means of campaigning for a number of politicians. In fact, even in the last US election, both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton made widespread use of bulk SMS to further their campaigns.

Below, we’ll examine the utility of bulk SMS for election campaigns, focusing on its utility in past election cycles.

Bulk SMS in the 2016 US Presidential Election

SMS marketing played a large role in the 2016 US Presidential Election. Compare how both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton used SMS to reach their voters.

Donald Trump

The winner of the US Presidential Election, Trump may be argued to have had the better SMS strategy of the two. A look at the two candidates’ approaches reveals that Trump did use his SMS a bit differently than Hillary.

Could these differences have helped him get elected? It’s possible.

Perhaps one of the largest differences between the two candidates is that Trump made more creative use of MMS. In fact, Trump became the first politician ever to send an MMS video to his voters—something that Hillary would never do.

In doing so, Trump was able to tie in his long-standing Trump brand into his election campaign. A branding master, Donald Trump perfectly utilized his SMS campaign to get contributions and donations from his supporters.

Even more importantly, Trump still maintains an active campaign and has done so throughout his presidency, helping him stay connected to his voters while in office. This unprecedented strategy is expected to give the President a boost in the 2020 election, as he has made sure to stay on the campaign trail for a number of years.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary also made use of a far-reaching SMS campaign, and though she didn’t win the election, she did manage to win the popular vote. This speaks to the utility of her approach.

Unlike Trump, however, she did not make use of MMS video, though she did make pictures a part of her campaign. Additionally, studies have shown that she tried for a more casual style and way of reaching her voters.

Neither candidate was the first to make use of SMS in an election. For example, former US President Barack Obama had a comprehensive campaign that made use of SMS to his ultimate advantage.

With SMS an increasingly popular option for elections, it would benefit all politicians to invest in a robust SMS marketing strategy. With a great SMS campaign, politicians can stay better connected to their constituents and potential voters.

What’s more, as SMS continues to evolve, these leaders will need to stay on top of current trends. By missing out on the latest innovations, they can find themselves down when compared to their competitors. For this reason, be sure to make use of the latest-and-greatest in SMS technology as you prepare your election campaign.

Are you a business owner looking for an effective way to market? If so, it’s time to turn to bulk SMS advertising. This growing field, which uses automated text campaigns to offer special deals, key information, and other business data to consumers, provides businesses with many benefits.

Still, you may be wondering how it stacks up against other forms of advertising such as email and social media. In this post, we’ll examine the benefits of bulk SMS and analyze its ROI compared to traditional marketing channels.

The Facts

When compared to email, social media, and other marketing channels, bulk SMS offers several key benefits. Notably, the service is highly cost-effective and quick to use. Unlike traditional marketing, which requires extensive paid advertising, SMS allows you to market to your consumers for just a few cents per text.

And the results are quite clear. With over 98% of consumers checking their SMS alerts, it’s evident that SMS marketing is driving the future of business marketing. While emails and other text promos are left unopened in a consumer’s inbox (or even spam folder), SMS marketing texts are generally opened within the first three to five minutes.

What does this say about bulk SMS? Simply put, it means that bulk SMS offers a much higher return on ROI than other forms of marketing—even social media. Data consistently bear out that consumers will always check their text messages, even if they deactivate their Facebook accounts.

For your business, this signifies the importance of an effective bulk SMS campaign that can reach thousands of individuals for low costs. If you are looking for an advertising method that can give you the greatest return on your investment, there’s simply no better strategy than bulk SMS.

Let’s put it this way: who doesn’t want to make thousands of dollars simply by paying a few cents? If you wish to be part of this, it’s time to invest in SMS marketing. No matter whether you’re a startup or a major player, SMS can offer you high-end benefits for a fraction of the cost.

The best part? Bulk SMS marketing has been proven to drive business, grow customer loyalty, and increase brand recognition. This means that this marketing strategy goes far beyond giving you simple monetary returns on your investment.

In other words, what you’re really getting with bulk SMS is an ROI that yields strong and sustainable customer loyalty—which can drive business for months and even years to come. Bulk SMS marketing offers more intangibles than any other form of digital or mobile marketing. For this reason, businesses that have not yet embraced SMS services should seek to do so in the near future in order to remain competitive. With a majority of businesses seeking to increase their SMS budgets in 2019, it’s imperative that businesses start now to mold the perfect SMS campaign.

SMS.to offers businesses with an easier way to do SMS marketing. With this top-end service, you can increase your business’s name recognition and start generating more profits and traffic to your company’s website.

SMS marketing has exploded over the last decade, with businesses across a variety of sectors embracing SMS platforms. Still, it’s hard to imagine the current state of SMS marketing without looking at a number of key statistics.

In this post, we’ll examine some of the most important SMS marketing statistics of 2019 and analyze the current state of this increasingly-important advertising technique.

• 61% of Businesses Have Yet to Embrace SMS

Despite the SMS “boom,” a majority of businesses have still not embraced the platform. With 61% of businesses still out of the loop on SMS, engaging in targeted SMS campaigns for your business could give you a distinct competitive edge.

This means that businesses should focus more on developing effective SMS strategies that could put them ahead of their rivals and increase their brand loyalty and recognition with consumers.

• 98% of SMS Alerts Are Read by Consumers

Businesses might not have fully embraced SMS, but consumers have. In fact, data reveal that 98% of SMS alerts are read by consumers. This rate is significantly higher than the rates for email and phone responses.

This means that SMS will likely play a much more significant role in future business marketing. For businesses that haven’t yet capitalized on the success of SMS, low SMS competition and high success rates dictate that the time to start employing SMS marketing strategies is now.

• 33% of Businesses Plan to Target Loyal Customers through SMS Rewards

Brands are always looking for ways to reward their loyal customers. With SMS, they have an effective way to do just that. That’s perhaps why 33% of businesses plan to target their loyal customers through SMS rewards in 2019.

This means that brands are increasingly seeing the impact that SMS can have on developing a sense of loyalty and connection between themselves and their consumers. Over the coming year, it’s likely that even more businesses take advantage of this trend to better position themselves in the eyes of their consumers.

• 47% of Marketers Believe Retail Uses SMS Most Effectively

When it comes to SMS, it seems one industry is a clear winner. According to 47% of marketers, the retail industry leads the way in terms of SMS API marketing. This means that SMS competition in the retail market may be fiercer than in other fields.

Still, it also means that businesses looking to start successful SMS campaigns of their own should look to the retail industry to find a catalogue of effective work from which to draw inspiration.

• 73% of Businesses Plan to Increase their SMS Budgets

With all this being said, it seems that even businesses that have not yet embraced SMS will do so in the near future. Specifically 73% of businesses plan to increase their SMS budgets in 2019, marking a dramatic shift in marketing strategy. With the effectiveness of SMS marketing no longer in question, it’s imperative that marketers in a variety of industries take advantage of SMS to grow their businesses and increase their brand recognition amongst consumers.

Ethiopia’s strategic location makes it a regional powerhouse. And with approximately 20% of the population now living in urban areas, the country continues to use its location to increase its overall development.

Because of this, there are now more business opportunities than ever in the country. Even more importantly, however, is that this growing population has put more money in the hands of Ethiopians. In turn, this has led them to embrace new-age technology—such as smartphones.

Due to this, Ethiopia is on the cusp of its own digital revolution—and business owners and marketers should take note. Under these conditions, bulk SMS has become an increasingly important form of marketing in the nation, and it just might help your business, too, if you’re looking to open shop in Ethiopia.

For these reasons, check out the following information relating to the state of SMS marketing in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: An Overview

Though much of Africa continues to lag behind when it comes to digital development, Ethiopia is looking to be a trailblazer in its region. Because of its proximity to a number of trading areas, Ethiopia enjoys a robust population. Additionally, businesses make use of SMS marketing for all of the following reasons:

• The Country Continues to Digitize

Though Africa is one of the last continents to feel the effects of the digital revolution, one may now say that it’s in full swing in Ethiopia.

Already, the country is one of the highest-rated in Africa in terms of smartphone penetration. In fact, some studies show that it’s ranked thirty-second overall in the world.

From this, it’s easy to tell that Ethiopia is looking to digitize. This participation in the digital revolution has helped make Ethiopia one of the most prosperous and business-friendly countries in the region.

• The Population Is Becoming More Modern

All of this means, too, that the population is becoming more modern. As they continue to accept new modern trends and take advantage of them, businesses are now seeing a boost in the number of overall customers they can reach.

What’s more, it’s also likely that these same customers are more likely to reply or respond, as they’ve become connected through a number of new digital avenues—of which SMS marketing should be included.

• It’s Becoming Increasingly Effective

All of this works to make SMS marketing in the region increasingly effective. With a growing number of citizens using smartphones, and with a growing urban population, Ethiopia is becoming a great country for businesses to target with their bulk SMS marketing

With the proper SMS marketing tactics, businesses in Ethiopia can start to see an upswing in their overall profits and in their customer participation rates.

The Bottom Line

Due to a number of factors, Ethiopia is becoming a receptive recipient of SMS marketing. With a growing number of the population now connected with smartphones, this popular form of marketing is more effective than ever.

For this reason, it’s becoming used by a growing number of businesses that are looking to capitalize on its effects. If you’re looking to boost your business in Ethiopia, consider adding this great technique to your marketing strategy.

If you’re a business owner, you may have considered using an SMS gateway for your business. You’ve seen others use them to great success, but you’re still not sold on whether or not SMS is right for you.

In this post, we’ll tell you seven of the most important reasons why you need a reliable SMS gateway for your business. Ready? Let’s start!

1. Cost-effective

SMS wouldn’t be so popular if it weren’t so cost-effective. Whereas traditional print and digital marketing schemes can cost your business thousands of dollars, SMS marketing can be completed for just a few cents per text. This dramatically reduces the cost of advertising while ensuring that you reach a wider demographic.

2. Universal Accessibility

In today’s world, nearly everyone has a smartphone. This means that it’s never been easier to advertise through texts. By connecting with various service providers, SMS marketers can provide businesses with a platform that can be used just about anywhere.

This can only mean one thing. With universal accessibility, businesses can capitalize on a broader market and enjoy greater sales.

3. Widespread

What’s more, the use of SMS gateways to market business products and services is becoming increasingly widespread. This means that businesses that don’t take advantage of this amazing marketing technique are in danger of losing out to the competition.

For businesses that wish to stay on top, embracing SMS technology is a must headed into the next era. Though the technology has been around for decades, its prevalence and effectiveness only look to increase in the coming years.

4. Ease of Integration

No two businesses are the same. For this reason, SMS technology is compatible with a variety of different business formats. Whether you use HTTP, REST, SOAP, or any other platform, you can count on SMS to have you covered.

How is this possible? Simply put, API integration can seamlessly connect existing business software with valuable SMS systems. This ease makes SMS an attractive option for businesses looking for a cheaper, easier way to market.

5. Speed

If you’re a business owner, you have a few options. You could cold call your consumers, but that might make them angry. You could email them, but they might not respond. Or, most wisely, you could text your customers… and likely get a response.

Data indicates that text messages have a response rate eight times higher than that of email. This means that the speed of SMS marketing is a game changer for businesses everywhere. If you’re looking to increase the speed of your advertising campaigns, SMS marketing may be the way to go.

6. Measurable

SMS marketing also provides businesses with a way to track progress. This means that businesses who use SMS are able to see what’s working and what’s not and make modifications to their marketing strategies where necessary.

Having a system that’s can be measured is huge for any business looking for real growth. This means that businesses striving for competitive gains should turn to SMS for their marketing needs.

7. Highly-effective

The proof is in the pudding: SMS marketing is highly-effective for businesses around the world. As a cheap alternative to traditional marketing, SMS offers surprisingly beneficial results. In fact, it could be said that SMS marketing is a key component of any future business’s marketing strategy.

For this reason, it’s time for businesses to turn to SMS and see directly how it can benefit them.

Nigeria has become one of Africa’s best-known success stories. With an urban population at nearly 50%, this African powerhouse is home to some of the most affluent in the region.

This sprawling urban center is home to one of the largest customer bases in the area. This makes it great for businesses who are looking to get off the ground in Africa. Because of their cosmopolitan attitudes, Nigerians prove to be some of the most up-to-date on the continent.

Coupled with this is the fact that Nigerians are at the forefront of the technological revolution in Africa, and you can see why bulk SMS has become an effective marketing means in the country.

In fact, for those who are looking to do business in this African nation, bulk SMS proves one of the most effective marketing methods. But what do you need to know about bulk SMS in Nigeria? Let’s take a look.

Nigeria: An Overview

The state of bulk SMS in Nigeria proves strong for several reasons. For those looking to take their businesses to the next level, consider the following reasons why bulk SMS is a powerful tool that may help you.

• Large Urban Population

One of the most important factors leading to the success of bulk SMS in Nigeria is its large urban population. This large population has more cosmopolitan attitudes, making them much more likely to respond to marketing schemes.

What’s even more impressive is that Nigeria’s urban population currently stands right at 50%–one of the highest in all of Africa. This makes it one of the best places for business—and means that it has one of the most affluent customer bases.

For this reason, bulk SMS proves especially effective in Nigeria—and this will only continue to increase in the coming years, as the nation continues to develop.

• Growing Number of Smartphone Users

With over 25 million smartphone users, Nigeria has a large number of consumers who can be reached through SMS marketing. This makes it an especially effective strategy in the nation, as a number of people own smartphones.

Even better, this number continues to increase as the country modernizes. This means that there’s room to grow. Currently, smartphone penetration in this African nation stands at just 13%–meaning that millions more can be expected to start using smartphones in the coming years. This makes SMS marketing an emerging, yet effective, means of digital marketing.

• Increasing Business Opportunities

Because of both of these factors, there’s a growing number of business opportunities. And as these businesses grow in number, they’re also increasing their marketing tactics.

And yes, that means that they’re not using SMS marketing, too. Because of this introduction, Nigerians are familiar with SMS marketing and may respond more favorably to it.

The Bottom Line

Nigeria is one of the most successful countries in Africa. Because of its high urban population, it proves one of the most susceptible to the benefits of SMS marketing.

With a large proportion of the population now modernizing and beginning to use smartphones, one can expect SMS marketing in the region to become a powerful force in the years to come.

Are you a business owner looking to take full advantage of bulk SMS to grow your marketing campaign and connect with a wider demographic of consumers? If so, then it’s time to find out how you can SMS creatively to engage with a broader audience.

In this post, we’ll tell you some of the best insider tips and tricks on how to use SMS marketing to grow your clientele and your business. By following the information in this guide, you can be one step closer to gaining that competitive market edge.

So let’s dive in!

• Links

Smart businesses know how to integrate SMS API Gateway campaigns with other aspects of their marketing strategies. This means that they use valuable linkbacks that can connect their text messaging campaigns with email marketing strategies and traditional web-based promos.

This is accomplished through links that redirect consumers to landing pages that generate traffic to business websites and ask consumers to sign up for email notifications. With this more connected approach, businesses can stay on top of their marketing at all times.

• Competitions

Several businesses make use of innovative competitions that can be used to drive increased involvement and sales from their consumers. These competitions can ask consumers to find certain purchases that contain specific codes that can be used to redeem rewards.

Consumers love the idea of competitions, and they love the convenience of accessing these competitions straight from their mobile devices. With over 90% of consumers checking their mobile devices every five minutes, businesses that take advantage of these competitions are priming themselves for increased sales and greater brand awareness.

• Special Offers

Similarly, businesses can offer consumers links and codes to special offers that can be redeemed for discounts, vouchers, and other rewards. This will help drive consumer loyalty and increase consumer interaction with your brand. For businesses looking to increase sales, offering mobile-based special offers is a great way to mobilize a consumer base hungry for deals.

The best part? Depending on your business, the number of special offers you can provide is limitless, so SMS marketing offers your business a fool-proof and sustainable marketing advantage!

• Follow-ups

Another way that businesses are using SMS is to follow up with customers. This can be done to measure customer satisfaction and gain valuable feedback pertaining to customers’ unique experiences. With these follow-ups, businesses can glean key data that can be used to modify ineffective marketing strategies and increase conversions and re-buying intentions for “colder” customers.

With an increase in SMS technology, businesses are taking advantage of the above creative strategies to drive consumer engagement with their products and services and generate more sustainable sales. If you’re ready to try SMS marketing for your business, remember that there’s no better time to start than the present. With SMS.to, you can take advantage of these marketing pros to increase your market space and grow your business. This means that it’s time to see what you can do to expand your profits through bulk SMS today!

Are you ready to find out why businesses around the world are turning to Viber Messenger? In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this increasingly-popular social app and find out why it’s become one of the most important business channels of 2019.

In general, Viber Messenger is increasingly favored by businesses because of its high popularity, ease of use with customers, high levels of encryption, and ability to promote brands. Let’s take a look at each of these points, in turn, to see what Viber Messenger can do for your business.

• Volume of Users

Businesses love Viber because it’s popular. Simply put, having more people means more marketing opportunities—and Viber’s got plenty of people. According to the app’s official website, the service has over one billion unique users worldwide.

Needless to say, not many apps can say that.

What’s more, with over seven million interactions every minute the app is one of the most widely used and popular in the world. It’s no wonder, then, that businesses have turned to Viber as a prime marketing source.

It’s this simple: Viber offers a massive and diverse client base that businesses can use to their marketing advantage.

• Instant Communication with the Customer

Additionally, Viber offers instant communication with customers. Because of the app’s instant messaging nature, businesses can now connect with customers at record rates. This means that customer service has never been easier. Brands like Coca-Cola and Shakira have already partnered with Viber to offer high-level customer service and gain quicker feedback from their fans.

With this instant communication comes better marketing opportunities, as well. Brands are now able to direct concerned customers to their webpages and generate traffic to their websites. This makes Viber a superior marketing option.

• Encryption

Viber advertises high-end encryption that’s designed to keep business and personal data safe. For this reason, it’s become an increasingly popular option for brands that wish to keep their data private. With top-level security, the app ensures a seamless business experience.

For the consumer, Viber allows for a convenient way to interact with established brands without fear of data breaches. For this reason, an increasing number of businesses and consumers look to partner with Viber in the years to come.

• Create Accounts to Promote Your Brand

In the past, Viber allowed for Profile Accounts that could be used to promote brands. Now the app is working on Communities that will allow brands to get their stories out there and interact with a wide base of consumers.

This makes Viber an attractive landing spot for business for several reasons. For starters, brands now have the ability to market to a wide demographic for low rates. On top of this, they can see their consumers’ feedback in real time, ensuring effective changes can be made to their marketing strategies when necessary.

As you can see, Viber looks to play a major role in business in the coming years. Due to its ease, security, and marketing opportunities, the service is quickly becoming one of the hottest social apps for business in the world.

For those looking to get into the bulk SMS market in Cyprus, it’s worth going over a bit of information. In general, Cyprus poses a great market for bulk SMS advertising, with several nationwide carriers and a high population of mobile phone users.

Let’s take a look at some specific data concerning mobile phone use in Cyprus and how that can affect bulk SMS marketing there.

For starters, there are several notable networks in Cyprus: CYTA, MTN, and PrimeTel PLC to name a few. With the right bulk SMS service, you will find it easy to market through all these major carriers—plus more! With the popularization of SMS technology, more and more carriers are embracing the prospects of SMS notifications and marketing.

But just how prevalent is mobile use in Cyprus? You may be surprised at the numbers. As of 2019, nearly 100% of residents own mobile phones, with over 94% of residents reading their texts within the first four minutes of receiving them.

Those are some pretty impressive numbers, and they should encourage anyone looking to do business with SMS in Cyprus. With a vibrant community of mobile phone users, there’s never been a better time to market in Cyprus. In fact, with the nation’s large percentage of mobile phone users, it can be considered a mobile hotspot and a prime location for your SMS campaigns.

As of 2015, Cyprus enjoyed an average mobile penetration rate of 96%. What’s more, the nation boasted around 2.3 mobile phones per household. Those numbers alone are strong indicators of the nation’s readiness for SMS campaigns. With this data, it’s clear that SMS marketing in Cyprus is the way to go! Reach more people than ever before with targeted text ad campaigns that can reach nearly 100% of Cyprus households.

For businesses and consumers alike, it’s important to realize that Cyprus falls under the jurisdiction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The law, passed by the European Union in 2016, seeks to protect consumers against unfair data collection and sharing. For business owners, this means that any data collected as part of SMS campaigns must be willingly disclosed to the consumer. What’s more, the regulation requires that businesses follow proper data collection protocols and seek measures to protect personal data.

Those seeking business in Cyprus must understand the current regulatory climate and adjust accordingly. For the most part, however, businesses should be thrilled to participate in proven-effective SMS campaigns in Cyprus. With nearly one million individuals, an overwhelming majority of whom have mobile phone access, the nation is a prime location for future SMS marketing.

With the diverse applications of bulk SMS marketing, a variety of businesses should capitalize on Cyprus’s readiness to do business by investing in SMS ad campaigns in the island nation. Data indicate that businesses that do will notice a substantial financial return.

SMS.to offers businesses a high-quality SMS tool that can be used to promote business, grow sales, and increase brand loyalty. If you’re looking for a top-end SMS service, there’s no better time to invest than now!

Over the last few years, supermarkets have joined an increasingly large number of businesses that have turned to SMS marketing to keep customers more engaged with their services. With interactive opt-in features, these supermarkets are using bulk SMS strategies to effectively market to an interested and passionate demographic, thereby boosting sales and generating profits.

 

In this post, we’ll look at some of the specific ways that supermarkets are using SMS marketing to keep customers involved with and excited about their services.

• Send Regular Special Offers

No one likes saving money more than the average grocery shopper. That’s why we have extreme couponing. Now, with SMS-delivered special offers, consumers have a completely modernized way to shop discounts. Instead of waiting for coupons to be delivered in the mail or searching them out in the store, customers can now have regular special offers delivered straight to their phones.

This streamlines the shopping process for the average consumer and increases the supermarket’s chances of hosting a successful sale. As you can see, then, SMS marketing provides the perfect platform for increased growth and consumer interaction for your business.

• Providing Methods to Unsubscribe

Another way that supermarkets are keeping their customers engaged is by providing them with ways to unsubscribe. In general, customers choose to sign up for text message alerts, and they can choose to stop receiving those alerts at any time.

This makes SMS marketing pressure free for the consumer. Unlike past marketing strategies that sought to junk up consumers’ mailboxes with spam ads and flyers, SMS offers no disadvantages to the consumer. For this reason, more and more consumers are choosing SMS alerts as a hassle and pressure free way to do their shopping.

• Competitions and Freebies

Nothing keeps consumers engaged more than competitions—for free stuff. Supermarkets know this and regularly take advantage of the fact through SMS alerts. By promoting special deals that come available through competition, store owners are making sure that consumers focus on their brands and invest money into their goods.

For both the consumer and the business owner, then, bulk SMS alerts provide for a better shopping experience. Customers engaged in competitions (such as who can find the winning text code featured on a select few of a certain product) are more likely to patronize a particular business, thus driving sales and increasing customer loyalty to the brand.

• Targeted Approach

What’s more, supermarkets are able to use SMS alerts to target a specific demographic of customers that are willing to spend more money and invest more time in shopping at their location. Because customers must opt-in for SMS alerts, businesses can be sure that their SMS strategies are targeting a more passionate and interesting demographics.

This drives consumer spending in what’s arguably a business’s most important demographic and helps supermarkets increase sales. For this reason, bulk SMS API alerts look to be a central part of supermarket marketing strategies moving forward.

With this in mind, it’s time that businesses check out the versatile and powerful SMS.to! This highly-effective bulk SMS service can revolutionize your business’s marketing and help grow your business.