Does your eCommerce business target millennials more than any other age group? Are you hearing crickets from your email or social media marketing efforts? Do you think those marketing channels aren’t worth the investment anymore? Then it may be time to invest time and energy in the new way of marketing which is SMS marketing.

Millennials are constantly on their devices texting with their besties, boyfriend/girlfriends, and family members. Why not capture their attention by sending them a short text and start a conversation with them?

We are going to deep dive into some important information and data about why your next marketing budget should be invested in SMS marketing.

Millennials Cannot Live Without Their Smartphone

Have you heard that 92% of millennials own a smartphone? What is more shocking and should pique the interest of your marketing team is what we are about to tell you next…

According to Adweek, millennials spend approximately 33% of their time texting every day! Capture their attention while they are texting. 

Not only are they constantly texting, but they are always checking their phone for the latest notifications. Inc states that millennials check their phone at least 150 times a day. That's 150 times a day to get them to read your latest text message! 

Keeping Your Millennial Shoppers Happy So They Are Brand Loyal

Believe it or not, millennials have a major economic impact since they are the nation’s largest living generation. 

Millennials are picky about who they are brand loyal to. To keep your millennial customers brand loyal, you have to create a personalized brand experience that aligns with their values because they will only respond so much to offers, discounts, and new products or services. 

They have no issue in trading their privacy such as giving their phone number for something valuable. For example, if you want to keep your brand top of mind, use SMS marketing to keep them informed with the latest products, sales, prices, news, or brand updates in a matter of seconds. This will help reduce the time spent on your customer support team via email or live chat which is another motive as to why millennials prefer texting as their main form of communication. 

Millennials Do a Majority of their Shopping Online

eMarketer conducted a recent study and they discovered that 85.9% of American millennials are estimated to be online shoppers. Among the 25 to 29 age group, 50% said at least half of their shopping happens online and 27% said “all or almost all” of their shopping takes place online. The SMS opportunity here should not be ignored as it can make a big impact on any small or medium-sized business.

Having an engaging social media profile with some likes and comments on social media isn’t enough for millennials anymore, according to Accenture. Millennials follow brands on social media to find out the latest offers and products not to get a brand experience. When asked how they prefer to communicate with a business, 44% of millennials replied text messaging and 38% said social media. Although it is only a 6% percent gap, it is big enough to make a difference for a business.

In light of the global pandemic last year more people have been ordering their groceries online. 30% of millennials are doing their grocery shopping online. This number is expected to grow rapidly because online shopping is saving people money because they are only buying what they need and aren’t influenced by what is around them in the store. Also, they are saving a lot of time each week from a grocery run. No more need to block time out to drive to multiple grocery stores, create a grocery list, and drive back home. 

With SMS marketing you are saving them time and money, but also letting customers reply at their convenience. Your text won’t get lost in the inbox or the spam folder.

Recap: SMS is the Most Effective Way to Contact Millennial Customers

As the digital marketing guru, Neil Patel said, SMS marketing provides a competitive edge that not all businesses are on board with yet. Having the option to reach out to your customers through a text message could give you a step-up over competitors who aren’t implementing this marketing strategy yet.

If you better understand your millennial target by creating unique experiences in alignment with their core values, and saving them time and money then you’re on the right path to a successful SMS marketing strategy.