什么是短信营销？ 运作方式、规则以及如何开始

介绍

想想上次有企业给你发短信是什么时候。也许一家沙龙确认了您的预约，一家商店告诉您包裹正在运送中，或者一家餐厅发送了周末优惠券。您可能会在几分钟内阅读它，并且在放下电话之前您可能已经采取了行动。

那么什么是短信营销呢？最简单的是，企业向同意接收消息的人发送一条简短的文本，该消息将到达人们最常查看的屏幕上。

本指南解释了什么是短信营销、它在幕后如何运作、您可以发送什么、美国的规则是什么，以及小团队如何在没有大量预算的情况下开始。

要点

• 短信营销是基于许可的促销、提醒、更新和对话短信。
• 促销消息需要书面同意，并且每条消息都需要选择退出。
• 企业通过注册的 10DLC 号码、免费电话号码或短代码发送。
• 从一个目标开始，一个干净的选择列表和一条简短、清晰的信息。
• 跟踪交付、回复和选择退出，并从那里进行调整。

什么是短信营销？

短信营销是指向获得企业联系许可的人员发送促销和以客户为中心的短信的做法。 SMS 代表短消息服务，与每部手机上的普通文本背后的技术相同。

“营销”这个词可能会产生误导。许多最好的短信并不直接销售任何东西。它们提醒患者预约，告诉购物者他们的订单已发货，或者让忠实的客户提前获得折扣。销售是一种用途。让客户了解情况并保持联系是更重要的事情。

短信营销与朋友发送给您的短信有两点不同：

• 它是基于许可的。 企业可能只向选择加入的人发送营销短信，并且每条消息都需要一个明确的方式来停止接收它们。
• 它是大规模发送的。 企业不是一次输入一条消息，而是使用消息传递平台一次性向数千名联系人发送同一条消息或其个性化版本。

短信营销如何运作？

您无需了解电信方面即可使用它，但快速了解情况可以帮助您做出更好的决策。

从您的屏幕到客户的电话

您可以在 SMSLocal 等平台中编写消息并选择接收者。该平台将文本传递给运营商网络，然后运营商将其发送到每部手机。然后，平台发回一份交付报告，显示哪些内容已到达、哪些内容失败以及谁回复了。

企业发送的号码

在美国，企业通常从以下三种号码之一发送：

• 本地 10 位号码 (10DLC)，看起来就像一个普通的电话号码，让客户感觉很熟悉。企业在发送之前注册其品牌和活动。
• 免费电话号码，这是客服流行的，需要自己验证。
• 一个简短的代码，为大批量营销活动构建的五位或六位数字。

哪一种适合取决于您发送的消息数量以及需要多快开始。如果您不确定，我们的指南 A2P 消息传递 解释商务短信与朋友之间短信的不同之处。

选择加入优先

在任何人收到营销文本之前，他们都必须说“是”。这可以通过网络表单、结帐时的复选框、关键字文本（例如“文本 SALE 至 12345”）或前台的纸质注册表来实现。记录每个人同意的方式和时间。

您可以发送哪些类型的消息？

短信营销不仅仅涵盖折扣代码。常见的消息类型分为几组。

促销信息 经典用途：限时抢购、新品上市、优惠券、忠诚度奖励、生日优惠和活动邀请。这些需要客户事先书面同意。

交易消息 响应客户所做的事情：订单确认、发货更新、一次性密码和收据。它们是预期的且有用的，这就是客户倾向于欢迎它们的原因。我们的帖子 交易短信 更深入。

提醒和警报 包括预约提醒、付款到期日、服务变更和天气关闭。

对话消息 邀请回复。客户发短信询问问题，您的团队回复短信。双向对话将广播频道转变为关系。

大多数企业将这些混合在一起。例如，牙科诊所可能会每周发送预约提醒，每年发送两次召回通知，并向提出要求的患者发送季节性美白优惠。

为什么企业使用短信营销

它到达了人们已经所在的地方

在美国，几乎每个人都拥有手机，文本不需要应用程序、登录或数据连接即可阅读。与电子邮件相比，电子邮件可能会在数十条其他消息中未打开，而文本往往会更快地引起注意。

它的设计很短

A text forces you to say the point in a sentence or two. That discipline helps customers act: a time, a code, a link. If you want to know exactly how long a text can be, read our guide to the 短信字符数限制.

It supports every size of business

A neighborhood bakery and a national retailer can both send a text. Pricing is usually based on how many messages you send, so a small list costs little to start.

It is measurable

Delivery reports, link clicks and replies show what worked. You can run two versions of a message and keep the winner.

It works alongside other channels

SMS does not have to replace email or social media. A strong plan uses each channel for what it does best, such as email for longer content and SMS for time-sensitive nudges.

The Rules You Need to Follow

Texting customers is regulated, and breaking the rules can be expensive. These are the basics for US businesses. They are a starting point, not legal advice, so talk to a lawyer about your specific situation.

• Get consent. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the FCC's rule at 47 CFR 64.1200 call for prior express written consent for marketing texts sent with an automatic dialing system.
• Identify yourself. Every message should make clear who it is from.
• Offer a simple opt-out. Include wording like "Reply STOP to unsubscribe," and honor requests promptly.
• Respect quiet hours. The FCC rule on telephone solicitations bars them before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the called party's local time, and many businesses apply the same window to marketing texts.
• Register your campaigns. Carriers expect businesses sending from 10DLC numbers to register their brand and use case before sending.
• Follow carrier and industry guidelines. Industry groups such as CTIA publish messaging standards that carriers enforce.

If you want the carrier side in detail, our 10DLC registration guide covers brand and campaign registration step by step.

How to Start SMS Marketing

You can launch a basic program in an afternoon. Here is a practical path.

1. Decide what the texts are for. Pick one goal at first, such as reducing missed appointments or bringing back lapsed customers. A narrow goal makes the first campaign easier to judge.

2. Build a list the right way. Add a sign-up box to your website and checkout, put a keyword on a sign in your shop, and ask at the point of service. Tell people what they will receive and how often.

3. Choose a platform. Look for contact management, scheduling, personalization, replies and delivery reporting. With SMSLocal you can import your contacts, write and schedule messages, and review delivery results from one dashboard.

4. Write a message worth reading. Lead with value, say who you are, keep it short and give one clear action. A good example: "Maria's Bakery: Fresh sourdough is out of the oven. Show this text for a free cookie today. Reply STOP to opt out."

5. Pick your timing. Send when people can act on the message. A lunch offer works at 10:30 a.m., not at 9 p.m.

6. Send, measure and adjust. Check delivery, clicks, replies and opt-outs. If opt-outs climb, your messages may be too frequent or off-target.

For ideas on what to send, see our collection of SMS marketing ideas. If you plan to message a large list, our guide to a bulk SMS campaign covers choosing a provider and the features to look for.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Texting people who never opted in. Buying a list is a fast way to get blocked and fined.
• Sending too often. A weekly message is plenty for many businesses. Tell people the expected frequency when they join.
• Writing like an ad. A message that sounds like a billboard gets ignored. Write the way you would speak to a regular customer.
• Forgetting the opt-out. Missing STOP language causes compliance problems and annoys customers.
• Ignoring replies. If a customer answers and no one responds, you lose the benefit of a two-way channel.
• Skipping the test. Always send the message to your own phone first. Check the link, the spelling and how it looks.

SMS Marketing vs Email Marketing

People often ask which is better. The honest answer is that they do different jobs.

Email suits long content, newsletters, receipts with detail and messages people read at a desk. SMS suits short, urgent, personal messages such as a reminder or a limited-time offer. Email also costs less per message at very large volume, while SMS usually reaches people faster. Many businesses use both and send the same offer by email first, then follow up by text for those who have not opened it.

结论

What is SMS marketing, in the end? It is a simple idea: send useful, permission-based text messages to your customers, and measure what happens. Done well, it makes your business easier to hear and easier to do business with. Done poorly, it feels like spam.

The difference comes down to a few habits. Ask before you send. Say something worth a customer's time. Keep it short, make it easy to opt out, and learn from every campaign.