SMS (Short Message Service) and Email Marketing are the 2 most popular methods of digital marketing. With so much competition in today’s market, every business owner and marketer must be aware of which one is the best fit for their business.
In this article, you will discover the differences between the two, the pros and the cons of each and ultimately, which one you should opt for.
Key Differences Between SMS and Email Marketing
As its name suggests, SMS is a communications protocol that allows you to send short text messages to other users. It was initially designed for mobile phones, but as companies continue improving their services and making them available on multiple platforms, the number of users utilizing SMS daily has increased.
Due to the nature of the services, SMS is usually used to convey quick bits of information. However, this versatile protocol is also used by businesses to send promotional offers and other types of messages to customers and other interested parties.
SMS is considered to be the poor man’s email marketing as it doesn’t require you to set up an email marketing campaign in advance to begin with. This means you don’t need to be an expert in email marketing to start using it. You just need to know how to send texts.
Email Marketing, on the other hand, is a form of marketing in which you send mass emails to potential customers or other interested parties. The emails can be heavily relied upon to promote your brand, product or service and allow you to build a database of leads.
The most noticeable difference between the two is the email marketing interface. Since the inception of the protocol, designers have worked hard to make the user experience as pleasant as possible. Emails can be accessed from any device and are usually received in a matter of minutes.
Another major advantage of using email marketing is the ability to segment and target specific audiences. This is made possible by the use of specific addresses, which you can capture from website visitors as they browse your online store.
On the downside, emails can be a bit more expensive to send compared to SMS messages. Your costs include the provider’s fees as well as your computer’s storage fees if you’re using a desktop computer to send the emails. Not to mention the various software you might need to set up your campaign in the first place.
The Pros and Cons of Each
Before you decide which one is the best fit for your business, you must understand the benefits and drawbacks of each.
SMS is ideal for businesses that need to send short promotional messages to potential customers. It is versatile, easy to use and doesn’t require any special training for the person doing the messaging. Since the majority of users possess a mobile phone, you can be sure they will have access to it whenever they need to receive a text.
However, if you’re looking to build a business that relies heavily upon text messaging, then you might want to consider developing an app instead. If your product or service is more suitable for visual media, then you might want to opt for Email Marketing.
Email Marketing is often considered to be the gold standard of digital marketing. It requires a bit more work upfront to set up your campaign, but you can be sure that you will reach a wider audience compared to SMS marketing. It also offers you the opportunity to target specific groups of people based on various interests.
The primary disadvantage of using email marketing is the inability to tailor your message to specific audiences. You can’t choose who receives the emails and you have no means of tracking the results of your campaign. This makes it much harder to make sure you’re reaching the right people and gaining the most out of your investment.
Which One Should You Go For?
So now you know what are the differences between the two most popular types of digital marketing, the pros and the cons of each. It’s up to you to decide which one you should opt for.
Many business owners and marketers try to do everything themselves. If you’re looking to grow your business rapidly, then you might want to consider pursuing both alternatives and using the best from each. If your business is already functioning, then you can consider using one form of marketing to focus upon and improving upon.
In summary, SMS is great for small businesses that need to reach a large audience quickly, while Email Marketing is the gold standard for those who want to target a smaller, more specific audience.