Comparing WhatsApp, SMS, and Email marketing: An in-depth analysis
Delivering timely and relevant information to your customers is crucial for effective marketing. Businesses dedicate significant efforts to finding the most effective communication channels to connect with customers, promote their products and services, and secure successful deals. Among the popular options available, SMS, emails, and WhatsApp provide convenient means for customers to receive information promptly, while also allowing them to engage in ongoing conversations. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement!
However, with various options such as SMS, email, or WhatsApp marketing, it’s important to have solid reasons to make your choice. This article is a valuable resource to assist you in making an informed decision.
In this article, we will discuss:
- What is SMS marketing?
- What is email marketing?
- What is WhatsApp marketing?
- Choosing the best option for your business: Email marketing, WhatsApp marketing, or SMS marketing
What is SMS marketing?
Ever since the advent of mobile phones, SMS or Short Message Services have emerged as a popular communication channels and continue to be widely utilised worldwide. Brands leverage SMS broadcasting to effectively reach a larger audience and deliver information in a convenient and easily understandable format. One of the significant advantages of SMS broadcasting is that it doesn’t rely on an internet connection, making it accessible to a broader range of users. Furthermore, being text-based, SMS broadcasting is perfect for sending concise and succinct updates to keep recipients informed.
Advantages of SMS marketing
No need for smartphones
SMS marketing allows you to effortlessly send broadcast messages from any mobile device, enabling you to connect with customers who may not have smartphones.
Not dependent on Internet connection
One major benefit of SMS marketing is its independence from Internet connections or data packs. This means that SMS messages can be received even in situations where internet connectivity is unreliable.
No need for additional app installation
Unlike WhatsApp, SMS does not require any additional apps, such as WhatsApp Messenger or the free WhatsApp Business app. SMS capabilities are already pre-installed on all phones, regardless of whether they are smartphones or not.
Disadvantages of SMS marketing
- SMS marketing solely relies on text content and does not support the inclusion of media files.
- SMS messages are restricted to a maximum of 160 text characters per message.
- Without the use of specialised tools, senders of SMS messages are unable to determine whether their messages have been read.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing plays a crucial role in business communication and is widely recognised as one of the most effective marketing channels. It offers extensive personalization capabilities and the ability to segment audiences, making it an essential component of any comprehensive digital marketing strategy. With email marketing, you can effortlessly send a single message to a large group of recipients, commonly known as an email blast. Additionally, there are numerous service providers like Mailchimp, MailerLite, and SendinBlue that offer robust email marketing solutions. Let’s explore how email marketing benefits brands and contributes to their success.
Advantages of email marketing
Delivering personalised message broadcasts
When it comes to sending personalised messages to a specific target audience, email marketing proves to be the ideal choice.
Enabling media files
Email designs can be customised to incorporate various media elements, such as images, gifs, and videos, allowing for more interactive and engaging messages. Additionally, email tags can be utilised to personalise the content, such as including the customer’s name if it is available in the database.
Enables performance tracking with comprehensive analytics
By leveraging the analytics offered by email marketing platforms, businesses can gather valuable insights to inform their marketing strategies. These analytics encompass metrics such as open rate, clickthrough rate, engagement levels, and the duration recipients spend interacting with emails.
Message status display
Marketers can easily track the status of their messages, identifying unread emails and allowing for targeted follow-up efforts with this specific group.
Disadvantages of email marketing
- While email marketing is widely used, there is a significant risk of emails ending up in spam folders and not reaching the desired audience.
- Given the length and frequent use of emails, there is a likelihood that readers may skim or overlook important information.
- To reach out to someone through email or include them in an email marketing campaign, it is essential to obtain the user’s permission, ensuring compliance with current regulations and data privacy standards.
What is WhatsApp marketing?
With the emergence of WhatsApp Messenger in 2009 and the subsequent introduction of the WhatsApp Business app in 2018, WhatsApp marketing has gained significant traction. This messaging platform has become a preferred choice for billions of users worldwide, leading to its widespread adoption as the primary means of text-based communication. As of July 2020, an impressive 50 million businesses were actively using the free WhatsApp Business app, a remarkable achievement considering its relatively recent release. In this article, we will explore the benefits that WhatsApp marketing offers businesses.
Advantages of WhatsApp marketing
Supports multimedia files
WhatsApp goes beyond simple text-based communication by supporting multimedia messaging. Users can enhance their messages with emojis, stickers, and GIFs, adding a touch of fun to their conversations. Additionally, WhatsApp allows the sending of rich media files, such as audio and video files, further expanding the possibilities of communication.
Facilitates the creation of multiple message broadcast lists
With WhatsApp, you have the convenience of creating multiple broadcast lists and effortlessly adding contacts to them. This eliminates the need to select individuals individually every time you want to send a broadcast message. What’s even better is that recipients won’t be able to tell if the sender has sent the same message to multiple users.
Offers authentication through a verified account
Due to the extensive usage of WhatsApp, there is a possibility of multiple accounts using the same business name. In order to establish credibility and trust, businesses are required to verify their legitimacy. The presence of a green tick next to the business name serves as the ultimate symbol of verification. This indicates to users that the account is authentic and that any information received from it can be relied upon.
Check out our blog post on WhatsApp Business account verification to learn how to get your account verified on WhatsApp.
Other features
WhatsApp marketing offers users a range of additional functionalities, such as:
- Setting up away messages to inform about unavailability
- Facilitates the sharing of brand catalogs
- Displays message delivery status
Disadvantages of WhatsApp marketing
- Gaining detailed insights into customer message interactions, such as reading time and clickthrough rate, is not currently feasible.
- Due to its requirement for additional installation, WhatsApp is limited to users who have the app, unlike SMS, which is a pre-installed feature.
Choosing the best option for your business: Email marketing, WhatsApp marketing, or SMS marketing
When it comes to broadcasting marketing messages or engaging in mass communication, marketers face the challenge of choosing the right platform that aligns with their business goals and target audiences. It is highly recommended for brands adopt a multichannel distribution strategy, allowing them to provide updates and connect with customers through their preferred communication medium. For example, newsletters can be sent via email, urgent notifications can be delivered through SMS, and promotional messages can be shared via WhatsApp. Alternatively, giving customers the option to choose their preferred platform for brand communication can also be an effective approach.
Don’t underestimate the significance of omnichannel customer engagement when it comes to improving customer relationships, boosting revenue, and optimising the customer journey. Incorporating multiple distribution channels allows you to effectively communicate with your customers in a timely and personalised manner.
Read the entire blog originally published in Pepper Cloud Blogs.
