Unwanted messages are those that recipients didn’t consent to receive, whether explicitly or implicitly. In the context of SMS marketing, this includes:
- Spam messages: These are unsolicited bulk SMS messages sent to a large number of recipients. They often contain commercial offers or promotions that are irrelevant or unwanted by the recipients.
- Phishing messages: SMS phishing involves sending texts that deceive recipients into providing personal or financial information. These messages often impersonate legitimate organizations or people to obtain sensitive information.
- Other inappropriate messages: This category includes any SMS messages with abusive, harmful, malicious, and unlawful content sent without the recipient’s consent or after they have unsubscribed.
How unwanted messages can hurt your brand reputation
Sending unwanted SMS messages can seriously hurt your brand’s reputation and damage the trust you’ve built with your customers. SMS is a more personal and immediate way to communicate, so if your subscribers start getting texts that aren’t relevant or feel intrusive, they might get annoyed, delete your messages, block your number, or unsubscribe from your SMS list.
When people opt out or report your messages as spam, it can hurt your reputation with mobile carriers. This could lead to your texts getting filtered out or blocked altogether, meaning fewer people will see your messages. This drop in deliverability can further impact how well your campaigns perform and reduce your return on investment (ROI).
How to make sure your SMS messages are welcome
To make sure the texts you send to subscribers are well-received and effective, follow these 4 tips:
- Use segmentation: Send the right messages to the right people by segmenting your audience based on characteristics like demographics, shopping history, or website behavior. This will make your texts more relevant and valuable.
- Personalize your messages: Use your customer’s name, mention a recent purchase, or tailor your message to their interests.
- Send high-quality content: Keep your texts short and to the point. Make sure every message you send provides something valuable—be it an offer, update, or relevant content—to keep your subscribers engaged.
- Maintain list hygiene: Regularly review your SMS subscriber list and remove inactive numbers. Try to re-engage those who haven’t responded recently to make sure you’re sending messages to an active and engaged audience.
A marketing automation platform like Klaviyo helps you fine-tune your SMS marketing strategy. With features like customer segmentation, customizable SMS templates, and actionable reporting, Klaviyo makes sure the texts you send aren’t unwanted by your subscribers but are relevant, personalized, and engaging.
Sign up for Klaviyo today to send SMS messages that help you build stronger relationships with your subscribers and maintain a positive brand reputation.