Businesses in Nigeria adopt effective communication strategies to engage with their target audience. One such strategy is using bulk SMS for event promotion and notifications. Given the widespread use of mobile phones in Nigeria, bulk messaging has become crucial to marketing, advertising, and customer engagement.
This article will help you better understand how bulk SMS in Nigeria offers an efficient way to connect with your audience, whether you are hosting a product launch, concert, or corporate seminar.
Bulk SMS in Nigeria
Unlike emails or social media ads that might go unnoticed, text messages have an incredibly high open rate, with 97% being read within minutes. This makes SMS the most immediate and effective mode of communication, ideal for event promotions. This tool’s power is immediacy, ensuring your message is seen and acted upon almost instantly.
For businesses, bulk SMS offers a way to creatively promote events, provide updates, and maintain engagement with prospective and current customers. It is not just limited to customers; bulk SMS can also be used to notify and interact with employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Why use bulk SMS for event promotion?
1. High open and engagement rates:
Text messages are almost always read, unlike emails or social media notifications, which may be ignored. Bulk SMS ensures your event promotion is seen and acted upon.
2. Cost-effective:
Bulk SMS is an affordable solution for businesses of all sizes. Whether you are a startup or an established brand, bulk SMS allows you to reach thousands of people without blowing your marketing budget. This affordability ensures that you can reach a wide audience without overspending, making it a cost-effective choice for event promotions.
3. Access to live communication:
SMS marketing provides immediate access to your audience, allowing you to send reminders or updates. For example, you can notify attendees about ticket sales, changes in venue, or last-minute scheduling updates. This immediate access ensures that your audience is always up to date, enhancing the convenience of SMS marketing.
4. Seamless integration with other channels:
While SMS is effective, it integrates well with other marketing channels such as email, social media, and physical media. This allows businesses to use SMS as a more comprehensive marketing strategy.
Promotional SMS campaigns: Maximizing impact
Promotional SMS campaigns raise awareness, drive sales, and promote events or services. These campaigns can include invitations to webinars, product launches, or exclusive offers. To ensure the success of a promotional SMS campaign, it is important to follow some best practices:
1. Get prior consent:
Nigerian regulations require businesses to get permission from recipients before sending promotional SMS. This can be done through online forms, checkbox opt-ins, or SMS subscriptions.
2. Time your messages strategically:
Timing is crucial when sending promotional SMS. Aim to send your messages when people are most likely to read them early mornings, late afternoons, or days leading up to the event.
3. Balance frequency and volume:
Avoid bombarding recipients with too many messages. Carefully plan your campaign to avoid overwhelming your audience while keeping them informed. It is important to balance staying in touch with your audience and respecting their time and space. For instance, sending a reminder a day before the event and a follow-up message after the event can keep your audience informed without being intrusive.
4. Comply with regulations:
Adhering to Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) regulations is important for any bulk SMS campaign. Always include opt-out instructions and sender identification, and ensure your messages comply with marketing standards.
Best practices for crafting effective bulk SMS messages
To ensure your promotional SMS campaigns are successful, follow these tips:
1. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA)
A strong and direct CTA is essential in bulk SMS campaigns because it guides the recipient on what to do next. To make it effective, use action-oriented verbs that encourage immediate responses. Phrases like “Shop Now,” “Redeem Offer,” or “Claim Your Discount” create a sense of direction, ensuring the recipient knows exactly what is expected.
Additionally, keeping the CTA simple reduces confusion and increases the chances of engagement. Pairing the CTA with urgency, such as “Limited Stock Available” or “Only 24 Hours Left,” motivates the audience to act quickly, capitalizing on the immediacy of SMS. For instance, a CTA like ‘Book Your Seat Now’ for an upcoming event can create a sense of urgency and prompt immediate action.
2. Use short links
Since SMS has limited characters, it is important to maximize every word. Short links help you save space and maintain a clean and professional appearance. URL shorteners allow you to share links to specific promotions, product pages, or events without overwhelming the recipient with long, messy URLs.
3. Personalize the message
Rather than sending a generic message, including the recipient’s name or referencing their previous engagement with your business creates a more intimate connection. For example, “Hey Tina, check out our latest deals just for you!” can make the recipient feel valued.
4. Keep the tone professional yet emotional
Balancing professionalism with an emotional appeal is key in SMS marketing. While the message should remain clear and professional to build credibility, injecting a sense of excitement or addressing the recipient’s needs makes it more compelling. For instance, rather than stating, “Sale on now,” you could say, “Don’t miss out on these exclusive savings tailored just for you!” This evokes a sense of exclusivity and urgency, sparking an emotional response.
5. Use brand identification
Trust is significant when recipients decide whether to open and engage with an SMS message. Including your business or brand name in the message or sender ID establishes credibility and ensures the recipient recognizes the message as legitimate. For instance, a message sent from “Jumia” rather than an anonymous number is more likely to grab attention and build trust.
Integrating bulk SMS with other marketing channels
Bulk SMS is an excellent standalone communication tool, but its impact can be magnified when integrated with other channels. For instance, you can send SMS reminders about upcoming events that have already been promoted using your social media platforms. For example, if you promote a music concert, you can send an SMS notification a week before the event as a reminder.
Similarly, you can use SMS to notify attendees of exclusive social media giveaways or drive them to your website to purchase tickets.
Utilizing bulk SMS in Nigeria for event notifications and current updates
Bulk SMS is useful for sending current updates during the event itself. Whether it is a change in the schedule or a reminder about venue entry protocols, SMS ensures that every attendee is on the same page. Some organizations using bulk SMS for event promotion and notifications in Nigeria include:
1. Jumia, Nigeria
One of the primary uses of bulk SMS is to promote sales and discounts. For Jumia Nigeria, a leading e-commerce platform, bulk SMS is crucial in driving traffic to its website during flash sales, exclusive offers, or seasonal discounts. By sending out timely messages about promotions, Jumia stimulates customer interest and prompts immediate action, whether browsing products or purchasing.
The immediacy of SMS ensures that these promotional messages are seen almost instantly, resulting in higher conversion rates. This demonstrates how businesses can harness the power of bulk SMS to boost sales and keep customers engaged.
2. United Bank of Africa (UBA), Nigeria
Enhancing Customer Engagement for Financial Services For banks like United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), bulk SMS offers a transformative opportunity to enhance customer engagement and facilitate various transactions. UBA has utilized bulk SMS to inform customers about upcoming events, such as school debates, promote services like savings schemes with rewards, and keep them informed about terms and conditions.
Through targeted messages, UBA ensures that its customers stay updated on the latest events, helping to strengthen the bank’s relationship with its clientele.
3. Shoprite, Nigeria
Shoprite’s Anniversary Promotion Success Retail businesses in Nigeria have also found bulk SMS invaluable in driving foot traffic and boosting sales. For instance, Shoprite, one of Nigeria’s largest retail chains, successfully used bulk SMS to promote its anniversary weekend sale event. By sending targeted messages to customers in the local area, Shoprite will experience an increase in foot traffic and a boost in sales during their promotional weekends.
Bulk SMS: Enhancing customer loyalty and generating sales
Bulk SMS is a great way to build long-term customer loyalty. It allows businesses to send targeted promotions, share exclusive discounts, and inform customers about upcoming events or product launches. By maintaining regular contact with customers through SMS, businesses can boost engagement and encourage repeat event attendance.
With the potential to generate higher conversion rates than other channels, bulk SMS enables businesses to tailor messages based on customer behavior, improving the communication’s relevance and effectiveness. When used correctly, SMS campaigns can improve sales, brand loyalty, and customer satisfaction. By following best practices, complying with regulations, and integrating SMS with other marketing channels, businesses can unlock the full potential of bulk SMS to drive success in their event promotion campaigns.
