How to Understand and Reach Your Audience

Understanding who you talk to is just as important as what you say. In this blog, we explore how data-driven insights, customer behaviour, and clear goals form the foundation of successful SMS marketing.

Why Audience Understanding Matters in SMS

SMS marketing is personal. When done well, it is one of the most direct, effective, and high-converting marketing tools available - especially for eCommerce. But getting results starts long before you hit send. It begins with understanding your audience and defining the role SMS plays in your overall strategy.

Successful SMS marketing is built on three things:

1. A clear purpose
   Why are you using SMS at all?

2. Integrated strategy
   How does SMS support your other channels?

3. Audience insights
   Who are you messaging, and what do they care about?

Let us break it down together.

Understand Your Audience

A high open rate is not the same as high conversion. To move beyond awareness, you need to send messages that resonate and that requires knowing your audience in detail.

Start by mapping these areas:

The better your understanding, the stronger your SMS engagement. This data helps you tailor timing, language, and content so the message is relevant and useful - never random or intrusive.

How to Collect the Right Insights

Audience knowledge should come from real data - not assumptions. Most companies already sit on useful insights. Here is where to look:

• Email marketing systems
  Analyse opens, clicks, and engagement

• Social media
  Understand who engages, when, and how

• Customer feedback
  Surveys, support chats, and reviews

• CRM & eCommerce data
  Transaction history, product interest, lifecycle stage

• On-site behaviour
  Page visits, time spent, cart activity

Pull these insights into your marketing platform or automation tool, and let segmentation do the work.

The Bigger Purpose of SMS Marketing

SMS is more than a promotion channel. Used strategically, it strengthens customer relationships, builds loyalty, and supports your entire digital customer journey.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want to improve the customer experience?
  → Send useful notifications like shipping updates, new arrivals, or account changes.

• Do I want to drive more conversions?
  → Highlight flash sales, time-sensitive offers, or abandoned cart reminders.

• Do I want to increase loyalty and retention?
  → Share personalized deals, birthdays, or exclusive member content.

Each message should support your wider marketing goals. SMS works best when integrated with email, social, and your website - not in isolation.

From Insight to Impact

Once you know your audience and your goals, SMS becomes a high-performing, low-noise channel. Messages are short - but when done right, they carry impact.

Want to build your audience understanding and improve the effectiveness of your SMS campaigns?