SMS vs. WhatsApp Marketing: what are they and which is the best?

Nowadays there are 2 very effective communication channels available to get in touch with customers: among these, we have WhatsApp and SMS. Actually, we know that texting is out of style, or am I wrong? 

That is why businesses have started adopting WhatsApp as one of the most popular channels to start marketing and connect their activity with customers. This messaging app shows an even more effective and efficient communication able to talk to people and increase the response rate compared to the obsolete SMS. 

In addition, let’s remember that WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in the world, so the potential growth is incredible. An excellent marketing strategy promoted by WhatsApp can make the difference between a profitable company and an unprofitable one. 

In this article we will describe the most important differences between these two communication channels and how you can use them for your company. SMS vs. WhatsApp Marketing, which is the most effective channel? 

What is SMS Marketing?

Have you ever received messages directly on your mobile phone without even notice it? 

Maybe an SMS from a shop you recently visited, from the bank or even from a restaurant you have been to. This is called SMS marketing and is the way in which many companies decide to reach their own customers fast and successfully. We always read messages knowing that, when we are interested in something in particular, we tend to look for information about and companies understand this very well, which is why they use this specific methodology. 

However, there are also some disadvantages of SMS Marketing. Firstly, text messages generally have an impersonal quality and customers may feel annoyed by the number of messages they receive. In addition, text messages are commonly short, without a lot of room to give context and a clear explanation of what we are selling. 

What is WhatsApp Marketing?

After this, customers are contacted by agents to whom they can describe all their doubts, make purchases, request returns or advice. This is how these new tools are used by most companies in our modern days. 

Thanks to its simplicity, conversion rate and openness, WhatsApp has become a pioneering platform in the marketing strategy of companies. 

Why WhatsApp Marketing is better than SMS?

1) Bigger range: WhatsApp has a larger user base than SMS, which means that a WhatsApp marketing campaign has the potential to reach a bigger audience. 

2) Real-time interaction: WhatsApp enables real-time interaction between customers and companies, by leading to faster and clearer replies. 

3) Multimedia messages: In addition, WhatsApp allows you to send not only text messages, but also multimedia ones, like images, videos and audio files. 

4) Groups and broadcast lists: WhatsApp permits you to create groups and broadcast lists in a simple and high-performance way, by allowing companies to send messages to a large number of customers at the same time.

Why is SMS less effective for marketing campaigns?

Another point against this technique is that today’s devices have different ways to communicate. Therefore, SMS have taken a back seat as they have been replaced by apps like WhatsApp capable of creating faster and, above all, practical conversations. 

Finally, SMS does not show the possibility of being customized and integrated with other platforms, this makes marketing campaigns that use this tool less effective than what happens with platforms like WhatsApp Marketing or other social networks. 

How can CRM for WhatsApp help businesses manage their customer interactions?

A CRM is nothing more than a platform capable of helping companies manage customer relationships. Referring to WhatsApp Marketing, a WhatsApp CRM allows companies to control their communications using the instant messaging app. 

The advantage of a CRM in your marketing campaigns using the aforementioned platform is the ability to manage leads in a very effective way, by defining a sales funnel capable of filtering the best customers and obtaining more and better sales along with a first-class service.

How to take advantage of WhatsApp marketing to get more customers in 2023?

Here below we leave you some useful tips to use WhatsApp Marketing in 2023, obtaining more customers: 

1) Use WhatsApp Business: WhatsApp Business is designed purposely for companies, allowing you to control communication with your customers successfully. 

2) Offer flawless customer service: Customer service is a fundamental part of the success of any company. WhatsApp allows you to communicate with your customers in real time, by leading you to an immediate interaction. 

3) Create a mailing list: A mailing list is an effective way to send mass messages to all your customers. You can write personalized messages to your customers individually or by dividing them into small groups.

4) Use content marketing: Content marketing is a successful strategy with the aim to attract potential customers. You can use WhatsApp to share interesting content like news, helpful tips, guidelines and tutorials. 

5) Use the power of emojis and stickers: Emojis and stickers are elements that can help your communication with customers in a very effective way, turning conversations into extremely friendly ones. 

6) Promote your WhatsApp number: Make sure you promote your WhatsApp number across all your marketing channels, including your website, social media, email addresses and printed materials. This way people will be able to interact with you and quickly access all your information.

How can Callbell help you improve your WhatsApp Marketing?

1) It can merge all conversations channels: Callbell allows you to centralize all conversations from your customers on different channels, like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct and Telegram, in one place. 

2) It can automatize replies: With Callbell you will be able to set up automatic answers to the most frequently asked questions or schedule the sending of messages at a specific time. 

3) It can personalize messages: Callbell allows you to personalize your messages by giving you the possibility to enter the customer’s name, his position or any other information considered relevant. 

4) It can analyse and measure the performance of your campaigns: With Callbell you can control the number of messages sent, delivered, read and to which customers replied. You will also be able to view conversion rates and average response time. 

In general, Callbell is an extremely complete tool with multiple features including an internal CRM, an online store, sales and support tools. The service is very intuitive and it perfectly manages to combine all its features with WhatsApp. If you desire to improve your results and speed up your activities, create a Callbell account by clicking here.