What can the new SMS (Short Message Service) Marketing feature in CRM 2016 do for your company? The new SMS feature allows your marketing department/marketing staff to become truly mobile. It allows your marketing department to step into the modern era. Marketers within your company can now create powerful SMS marketing campaigns. They will be able to integrate this feature into the already existing multichannel campaigns running within your establishment. Dynamics CRM 2016’s new SMS feature will support both outbound and inbound SMS marketing in select markets.
Here are a few abilities that SMS includes in the CRM 2016 release:
· You will now be able to configure inbound SMS campaigns with SMS keywords to get SMS opt ins.
· Now your business has the ability to maintain a database of the opt in and opt out preferences of your marketing contacts.
· Promotional SMS messages are now a breeze to send out to opted contacts.
· Your marketing department will now be able to track the performance of the SMS marketing campaign.
What does this mean for you and your business? – The ability to advertise and market more efficiently, and with better results. Here is a chart that shows the effectiveness of SMS vs. email.
| Averages & KPIs | SMS | SMS Effectiveness** | |
| Message open rate | 22%1 | 99%1 | 5x higher |
| User response time | 2.5 days2 | 90 seconds2 | 2,400x faster |
| Link click-through rates* | 4.2%3 | 19%3 | 4x higher |
| Messages received by an individual each month | 1,2164 | 1784 | 7x less |
| Proportion that is spam | 90%1 | 1%1 | 90x less |
1. Http://www.businss2community.com/digital-marketing/sms-versus-email-marketing-0957139
2. Http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/sms-marketing-campaigns/
3. http://www.tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2014/04/02/sms-vs-email-marketing-gloves/
4. http://www.technews.tmcnet.com/channels/textmessagingresource/articles/371821-text-messaging-might-be-best-marketing-vehicle-2014.htm
* CTR of messages delivered
** Numbers rounded (whole)
SMS has a few advantages, as in your marketing message isn’t being dropped into a spam folder. The customer has the choice to opt out right away and it’s easy for them to do. If your customer wants to proceed with your offer, you will receive their response in seconds not days. Customers see less SMS messages than marketing emails, so they are more inclined to read them. Here is an example of an SMS Marketing message:
The letter A is called the short code to which the message will be sent. The letter B is called the keyword. It’s a string that invokes a specific action such as opt in, opt out, poll, etc., when sent to a specified short code. As you can see in the example above, it shows that when you opt in you will receive up to 4 messages a month and that message and data rates apply. Customers are also allowed to opt out immediately if they aren’t interested in receiving an SMS message. Both the opt in and opt out provide the marketing department with instant feedback. A customer also has the option to ask for help in this example. Microsoft Dynamics marketing handles the opt in and opt out automatically so they do not need to be removed by hand. SMS marketing can be used in conjunction with other multichannel marketing efforts.
If you would like to learn more about how CRM 2016 SMS Marketing can help you to increase your businesses revenue stream, please contact me at abrokken@ktlsolutions.com
ALEX BROKKEN | Sr. Business Development Executive
Alex graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration and History from COE College in Cedar Rapids, IA. He has over 17 years of IT consulting experience in the hardware, software, and professional service arenas, both in the private and public sectors. Having owned a small business for over 10 years, he brings a unique insight into the problems of a SMB. For enjoyment, he coaches both the house and travel soccer teams. Other activities such as golf, fishing, biking, and hunting are done on a regular basis.
