SMS marketing is extremely effective, if it’s done right. You can use SMS marketing for a variety of great reasons such as: coupons, vouchers, appointments, reminders, events, invitations, feedback, votes, contests, information, store locators and more. In 2018, SMS still remains one of the most effective marketing tools. It’s inexpensive in comparison to print, radio and web ads and gives you the ability to engage and track customer relationships on a different platform. We want your campaign to be just as successful as you do, so we’ve put together some top tips to ensure you’re getting the most out of marketing via SMS.
Achieve your objective right away.
First, decide what kind of campaign is appropriate for your target audience. For example, do you want to remind customers to return a form? Perhaps you would want feedback on customer service? Maybe your company would like to remind clients about forthcoming appointments? Would you like to promote in-store deals? Make sure your content is both informative and engaging.
Be quick.
Being brief is a skill that Twitter has perfected, and you can too. Twitter swiftly became one of the most popular social networking services in the world despite having a 120 character limit on tweets. There is no reason why you can’t achieve the same level of success with a 160 text message limit. Emphasize the most crucial information first and in a concise manner. Avoid narrating your life story and make sure your message is concise and direct.
Be suitable
Always proofread and refrain from using slang or text speak. Even in texts, time-sensitive language is crucial, action verbs work well, and good sentence structure is still necessary. While standard abbreviations are fantastic, they may alienate some audiences if used excessively. Between 2008 and 2010, text messaging doubled among 18 to 24 year olds, grew by more than 100 percent among 25 to 34 year olds, tripled among 35 to 54 year olds, and even quadrupled among those 65 and older, according to a Lafayette Journal and Courier report. Keep in mind that you aim to reach audiences of all ages!
Take it a step farther.
Making the message personal by including customer names and details of previous activity will give you the edge. Include links to products on your webpage, promotional videos, pictures and your Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn page to make sure they’re wired up. Using incentives will encourage a call to action e.g. ‘’Text SALE10 to receive 10% off your next offer and to keep updated with future offers.” This will enhance engagement and give you an idea of what messages your customers like to receive and what they don’t.
Traffic bottlenecks are awful.
By providing mobile-friendly links to your website and social media pages to integrate them all, offering the option to share the message with friends and family to increase opt-in rates, and sharing other platforms that you can be reached on (email address, customer service, dedicated number, etc.), you can make sure that you’re consistently directing traffic toward your business rather than away from it. Sending out a special offer to bring people in the door might make a dull day better.
Secure loose ends.
Remember, no one likes to be hassled. Sign up to your own SMS campaign to assess what it is like to be on the receiving end and make necessary amendments. Make sure you don’t bombard customers with messages and scare them away. Be time conscious about when you hit that ‘‘send’’ button and always include an option to opt-out.
Good luck!