SMS Marketing Demystified: Cracking the Code of Short Links

First, we recognize the power of SMS as a game-changing marketing tool - 85% of customers would prefer to receive an SMS over a voice call or an email (G2). Secondly, we believe that a ‘start with the customer’ approach is the only strategy capable of cultivating long-term loyalty, and long-term growth. By putting the customer at the heart of marketing strategy, communicating with them through the channels they’d prefer, and making the whole process a breeze, you can build SMS campaigns that elevate engagement and deliver the results you want.

So far, the feedback’s been fabulous, but never one to rest on our laurels we’ve taken things a step further by adding a new ‘short links’ feature to OptiText - so now you can build even better campaigns. Ready to find out how? Let’s dive in.

Presenting… Short links!

Short links are condensed versions of your URLs created by link shorteners, typically provided by your SMS vendor (like OptiText!). These links take your customers to the desired destination, whether it's your website or mobile app, without taking up valuable character space in your messages. They can make a major impact on your SMS campaigns, not only by making them more engaging but also by:

• Increasing marketing real estate: With only 168 characters available in an SMS marketing message, leaving the URL as-is consumes valuable space. Short links allow you to convey your message more effectively - and create a lasting impact.
• Reducing costs: Using the long URL as-is, if your message exceeds 168 characters, your SMS campaign will be sent as two messages instead of one. By avoiding multi-part messages, you can reduce the cost of sending your SMS campaigns.
• Boosting click-through rate: We’ve all been on the receiving end of text messages with long URLs - so we all know how off-putting and spammy they can appear. Utilizing a short link, along with your trusted brand tone of voice, enhances the trustworthiness of your link and increases the likelihood of clicks.
• Improving performance tracking: Integrated link shorteners from your SMS vendor provide enhanced tracking capabilities, enabling you to measure engagement and perform deeper analysis, such as campaign uplift and incrementality.

That’s big results from little links! And these short links offer a plethora of use cases, whether you're utilizing them to guide customers to the latest deals or informing them about new product launches.

Unlock the full potential of SMS + Short Links

Now that you’re convinced, if you plan to incorporate short links into your SMS marketing strategies, remember a few Opti-tips to maximize your potential returns:

• Test and track: Continually optimize and test your tactics, including the short links themselves, landing pages, and message content. A/B testing ensures high-impact campaigns that convert effectively. With Optimove, you can take advantage of   
  Self-Optimizing Campaigns (SOC), a particular type of A/B/n campaign comprised of two+ competing actions plus a control group for comparison. SOC learns and improves campaigns automatically via its results over time, so you’re always shipping the campaigns that will reel in the best results.
• Link every time: Make sure every SMS campaign you send contains a link. The goal is engagement or purchase, and the best way to help customers along that journey is to get them where they need to go - whether that’s your website or mobile app.
• Get personal: With Optimove’s advanced content and experience personalization tools, you can create SMS campaigns that resonate with the customer and drive engagement. 77% of marketers who used personalization in their SMS campaigns reported increased revenue (Forbes) – why not join them?
• Go beyond the clicks: Your click-through-rate is one of the most important KPIs when it comes to SMS. But what about beyond? With Optimove,  you can track KPIs that give you deeper insights into campaign performance and how you can optimize moving forward. How much additional revenue did your SMS campaign generate? What was the compounding impact of your SMS journey? These are answers that Optimove can provide.
• Avoid free link shorteners: Remember that using certain free link shorteners may result in penalties or non-delivery of your campaigns by mobile carriers. Free link shorteners are less trustworthy compared to those provided by SMS vendors or branded links.
• Ensure mobile-friendly content: When using short links to direct customers to a website, ensure that the landing page is optimized for mobile. This guarantees a smooth, seamless experience for your customers, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Why SMS with Optimove?

OptiText (our native SMS tool) makes it easy for you to integrate SMS marketing into your personalized multichannel campaigns, empowering you to orchestrate, measure and optimize all your channels under one unified platform.

On top of that, OptiText empowers you to take advantage of additional benefits offered by Optimove, from SMS short links to location targeting, deep linking – and so much more!

If you’re ready to discover how intelligent SMS marketing, combined with short links, can elevate your brand – talk to us!