Overcoming SMS Marketing Challenges in High-Risk Businesses

How often do you check your phone? Probably more times than you can count! While we frequently ignore notifications from various apps, an SMS always catches our attention. Text messages occupy a unique spot on our smartphones because they stand out on our screens, demanding our focus. No matter how busy we are, a text message draws us in like nothing else. SMS allows you to tap into that habit, delivering time-sensitive updates, exclusive promotions, and personalized messages right when your customers are most engaged. Whether it’s a business deal, a friendly reminder, or a helpful tip, the immediacy of SMS communication means your customers are more likely to take action. With open rates soaring up to 98%, SMS marketing is not just impactful; it’s essential for businesses eager to make an impact.

However, for high-risk businesses like alternative finance, the mortgage industry, real estate, and insurance, SMS marketing comes with extra challenges. These businesses must deal with stricter regulations while still trying to engage with their customers. But as Winston Churchill wisely said, Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. With the right approach, you can turn these challenges into opportunities. In this blog, we'll explore how high-risk businesses can tackle these challenges and use SMS-based Marketing and automation tools to their advantage.

Common SMS Marketing Challenges in High-Risk Businesses

In a high-risk industry, reaching out to customers promptly is a race against time. SMS marketing offers an effective way to connect and engage with your audience quickly. However, there are challenges, such as staying compliant with regulations and building trust and staying ahead of competitors. Here are some common SMS marketing challenges you might face:

1. Regulatory Compliance

   Staying compliant with SMS marketing rules can be a real headache in a high-risk industry. Between TCPA requirements and new 10DLC standards, you must ensure that every message meets the latest regulations. It can be hard to handle as the rules are updated often. Falling behind on compliance could lead to fines or other setbacks. So, it is crucial to have a solid plan in place.
   Solution: That’s where Easify comes in. It offers built-in 10DLC compliance, helping you simplify the process and keep your campaigns on the right side of the law without the hassle.

2. Building Customer Trust

   Building customer trust is crucial for high-risk industries like alternative finance, real estate, and insurance.
   Solution: We understand your challenges and help you build strong and trustworthy relationships with your customers.
   Here’s how Easify can support you in building customer trust through responsible SMS marketing practices:
   • Gain Consent:
     We emphasize the importance of obtaining consent from consumers before sending messages, ensuring your audience feels respected. We encourage sending bulk messages only to your opt-in list, which cultivates trust and improves engagement.
   • Easy Opt-Out Options:
     It’s easy for customers to opt-out or unsubscribe from messages whenever they want, showing that their choices and privacy are respected. If a customer is registered on the Do Not Call (DNC) list or sends a "STOP" message, our system automatically halts further communications.
     Easify serves as an effective transactional SMS tool, significantly contributing to lower opt-out rates. By delivering essential information and updates directly to your customers, we ensure that your messages provide value and relevance. This targeted approach helps maintain customer engagement and satisfaction while minimizing the likelihood of unsubscribes.
   • API Integration:
     Easify's API simplifies the process of obtaining customer consent before sending messages. It also helps you automate message sending and manage your contact lists. Ensuring compliance with regulations while respecting customer preferences helps you build trust, improve engagement, and deepen your connections with your audience.
   • Legitimate Phone Numbers with 10DLC Compliance:
     Easify helps you use 10DLC-approved phone numbers for mass texting, ensuring your messages come from a trusted, verified source. It improves delivery rates, reduces the chance of messages being flagged as spam, and keeps you compliant with regulations like the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act)
     Thus, maintaining customer trust and retention.
   • Maintaining Clean Contact Lists:
     Easify features a built-in DNC list filter, automatically removing any numbers registered on the Do Not Call list. Our platform regularly updates and scrubs your contact lists to ensure compliance and that your messages reach the right people.

3. Deliverability Issues

   High-risk industries often face challenges with messages not reaching customers due to carrier restrictions, spam filters, and improperly formatted messages.
   Solution: Easify tackles this automatically by using verified numbers and offering guidance to optimize message content, ensuring your texts reach the right audience smoothly.

4. Measuring Effectiveness of SMS Campaigns

   Measuring the effectiveness of SMS campaigns in high-risk industries can be challenging. With strict rules and changing customer responses, it’s hard to know what’s working and what’s not. Without the right tools and metrics, you might find it challenging to see the impact of your campaigns.
   Solution: To overcome this challenge, use SMS analytics from your SMS platform to track key metrics. Analyzing these metrics helps you understand what’s performing well and where improvements are needed. Regularly reviewing this data will help you make smarter decisions and refine your campaigns to better connect with your audience.

5. Integration with Existing Software

   Integrating SMS marketing tools with existing customer relationship management (CRM) systems or other marketing platforms can be challenging. It often requires time and expertise, and without smooth integration, you might face delays and several calls with your IT expert or support in running your campaigns.
   Solution: Easify can connect with your CRM and Marketing tools in no time and send SMS campaigns to your customer list. Easify’s built-in integration modules save time and keep your campaigns running smoothly. Now, you can reach out to your customers instead of wasting time dealing with technical issues.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's not about big changes but small steps, like choosing the right tools, like Easify, to overcome SMS marketing challenges. With Easify supporting you, you can focus on compliance, connect with your audience, and transform challenges into opportunities. Visit https://easify.app to learn how Easify SMS Marketing can empower your business to succeed!