For a long time, social media has proven to be an effective marketing channel for celebrities. Whether theyre announcing concerts or just trying to stay relevant, posting on social gives them direct access to their fans.

Take Cristiano Ronaldo, for example. With over 400 million followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, he can reach millions of fans within minutes. His social strategy has been so successful that hes earning more from Instagram than his salary at Juventus. It was reported last year that he earns an average annual income of $47.8 millionfrom Instagram alone.

So, why would anyone leave? Well, there seems to be a new trend in town. Lots of popular celebs are now taking an old-school approach by sending SMS (text) messages to their fans. Theyre sending breaking news, providing daily updates and asking questions. A recent campaign saw Jennifer Lopez asking fans to text her with their song requests for her Super Bowl LIV halftime show.

This is all done via a company named Community, which provides celebs with a platform to log in and send messages in bulk. They can then view replies and respond if necessary. Some of the celebs who have already signed up reportedly include Paul McCartney, the Jonas Brothers, Diddy and Mark Cuban. Ashton Kutcher is also both an investor and user of the platform.

At Reach Interactive, we arent surprised by this new trend, as consumers are striving for personalized content. As a result, users of our SMS marketing platform are beginning to adapt. Rather than sending out generic campaigns, they are sending targeted messages that attempt to build personal connections with each recipient.

Whats up with social media?

Its becoming more and more difficult for celebrities to get their content seen on social media. On average, only 8% of a pages total likes will see any given post on Facebook. That means that a page with a million likes will only have 80,000 views on any given post. Flip that around, and you have 920,000 missed opportunities.

Its the same on Instagram and Twitter, too. As followers rise, engagement falls. The average engagement rate for accounts with less than 1,000 followers is 7.2% on Instagram and 1.4% on Twitter. However, when accounts have over 100,000 followers, those numbers fall significantly, as engagement is just 1.1% on Instagram and 0.3% on Twitter.

Theres also the issue of internet trolls. Its pretty common to see jokes in the comments section of celebrities posts. While some of those messages are light-hearted, others can be malicious and personal. With platforms doing very little to combat this problem, its no surprise when celebs call it quits. Just last month, Lizzo left Twitter due to trolling on her account.

Why SMS?

A big benefit of using SMS is that it is direct. Celebs can send messages that go straight to their fans inboxes. Those messages arent going to be missed. Theyll sit there until they are either read or deleted. This is a big benefit because it means that fans no longer have to refresh their social feeds to read updates.

Texting is also personal. Fans can receive direct messages from their heroes. Imagine sending a message to a local fan that says Concert announcement in your city. Id love it if youd be there, Jodie. That message is much more personal than a generic tour poster that is published on every social channel possible.

Finally, texting doesnt have to be in bulk. It can be as simple as arranging numbers based on area codes or geographical location. Then, if celebs have any upcoming events, they can target fans in that town, city or state.

How can businesses benefit?

Itd be naive to think that celebrities would completely ditch their social channels and focus solely on SMS. Instead, theyre now able to utilize both platforms when communicating with fans. There is no reason businesses cannot use a similar strategy. All you need to do is grow your list.

Your business may not have the same number of followers as the celebrities mentioned, but growing your SMS list can still be easy. You just need to let your existing channels do the work. Easy wins are to include your number in email campaigns, publish it on your website and post about it on social channels. Budget dependent, you can also use traditional methods such as direct mail, billboards and TV ads. And you could even get creative and run podcast ads or use influencers.

The key to growth is to offer an incentive. For celebrities, thats easy. Theyre providing fans with an opportunity to receive a direct response. For businesses, youll get more opt-ins by offering a monetary discount. Send a welcome offer such as 20% off or buy one, get one free. Also, try to make it clear that your SMS subscribers get exclusive access to discounts and products.

Consider your messaging strategy.

Once you have a sizable list, its all about strategy. Firstly, your content needs to add value. You can send texts that are informative, such as appointment reminders or delivery notifications. Or, you can send marketing messages that include calls to action, such as discounts and product launches. Then, consider timing. For example, a fast-food chain would have more success on a Friday evening than on a Monday morning. Finally, avoid bombarding your customers, as this will undo all of your hard work. Further, giving out too many discounts can hurt your brand.

This strategy can also be implemented across all of your other marketing channels. Whether youre sending a text, sharing a post or sending an email, think about your content in terms of value added, timing and consistency. As a result, youll be able to develop a successful multichannel strategy that targets unique customers across each platform.

Link:
Why Celebrities Are Texting Their Fans, And What Businesses Can Learn - Forbes