Our Crystal Ball: The Future Of Text Message Marketing In 2017!

What You Need To Know About 2017 Text Marketing

EDITORS NOTE:  This article has been updated!  Find the new article here: “The Future of Text Marketing!”

Text message marketing is changing. It’s becoming more and more popular. Mainstream companies are adopting the marketing technique.

It’s no surprise that companies like Coke and Dunkin Donuts, and other major players are adopting text messaging as a marketing vehicle.

Texting is popular… How popular?

Try 6 billion text messages a month… in just the US alone.

Texting is popular, and many millennials prefer to communicate via text message. For some people they only communicate with text messages!

As a result, many major corporations are turning to text messages to communicate with customers and prospects. They are using text messages to send out important information, special offers, coupons, and event reminders. Major corporations are now using text messaging in a huge way!

Why?

In a word – RESULTS!

You see, big industry isn’t going to use something for very long if it doesn’t work. And right now text messages work really really well.

The response rates to text messages are crazy high.

Consider email. If you send out an email, you’re lucky if 20% of the people open the email to read it.

When it comes to text, 90%+ of all text messages are read!

It’s staggering… 90%+ engagement rate.

No wonder so many companies are jumping on the text message marketing wagon.

The 90%+ engagement rate is the number one reason small businesses MUST start using text message marketing in 2017. If you want to help your business grow… text message marketing is going to be the number one way to do it!

So let’s take a quick look at my forecast for 2017.

2017 Text Message Marketing Forecast.

I’ve got three big observations for text message marketing in 2017… and all of them will impact small business. SO pay attention.

Prediction #1 – Text Message Marketing Will Continue Growing.

Honestly, this isn’t much of a stretch.

Texting is so popular, and so many people are using it, that growth is inevitable. I knew texting had reached main-stream, when my mother started texting everyone – instead of sending emails.

My mother isn’t a cutting edge technology lover!

As a matter of fact, she still struggles to use the internet and email some time. But with texting, she realized her kids and grand kids responded much more quickly. Results drove her to use texting to communicate.

Small business is no different. If you want to have success communicating with your customers – start sending them text messages.

Prediction #2 – Text Messaging Will Get Creative!

Ok, this prediction is going out on a limb.

I think text messaging… and text marketing is going to change over time. There are really creative people using texting for dozens of different reasons.

For example…

During NY fashion week, several people used text messages to send out pictures of clothes on the runway!

Instead of posting to Facebook, or a blog… they pushed their pictures out to friends and colleagues.

But the creativity doesn’t end there.

I recently read about some writers who are putting together fiction stories… all written in text message format. The entire story is designed to be delivered over text! People’s creativity is amazing.

What will be next?

I’ve got no idea… maybe more in sharing technology, or in information gathering… or in entertainment. I don’t know what, but I have a feeling many really smart people will be using texting in CRAZY ways!

And that brings me to the third and final prediction…

Prediction #3 – Text Messaging Response Rates Will Fall.

GASP!

Did I really just say that? Everyone in the industry is going to kick me for saying such a negative thing… but it’s the truth.

Look. Text messages are a new thing. Despite being almost 25 years old, texting is catching on more and more.

Use rates are accelerating. More and more business and marketing and communication is happening via text. And the only realistic expectation is for texting engagement rates to fall.

Right now, the industry brags about a 90%+ read rate for delivered texts.

Just remember – email used to have read rates that high… back when you got a handful of emails a week. Now you get overwhelmed by the emails you receive… and as a result, engagement has fallen.

It will happen for text messages too.

But don’t be scared. It’s not like read rates will fall from 90% to 0%. People will still read texts and engage… but over time, engagement will fall!

So, there you have it, three predictions for text message marketing in 2017.

If you’re thinking of getting started with texting for your business, check this out…