The focus and attention are now on text message marketing. Text message marketing stands out as one of the most efficient means of getting to your audience. You can use texts to advertise your business and provide your clients with a more convenient and enjoyable experience when they meet you in person. Here’s how to target your audiences with text messaging.
Text Marketing Considerations
Think about these 6 best practices before you press send and get your text message marketing off on the right foot:
Just like email, text messaging requires permission
Before you text anyone you must have permission (an opt-in). The most popular way in which people opt-in to receive text messages from your company is by submitting a keyword to your unique shortcode, a five or six digit number that can send text messages and receive them.)
Segment your audiences
Like email marketing, you can segment your audiences into new customers, loyal customers or older customers and send them targeted messages that appeal to them.
Text messages are limited to 160 characters
You can put together multiple texts, but don’t do so. The advantage of a 160-character limit is that it allows you to be concise and saves time for your customers. If your marketing emails are already short, your marketing texts must be snappy and engaging. Send them an offer that they cannot refuse or real information that matters to them.
A clear call-to-action is the best way to promote your business
Include a call for action in any text message and deliver it for a clear and immediate goal. Customers have no incentive to go through the task without a CTA. For instance, a text message can be, “Text Burger To 313131 To Receive 20% Off Your Next Order!”
Find the right frequency.
Text message marketing can be successful. Yet, take care to not let constant text messaging become too much for customers to read and pay attention. As a rule, you don’t want your customers to write more than 1-2 times a week.
Your message will always be read in less than 5 minutes.
Send your messages at a time when people pay attention to texts. This may be evident, but that does not mean they are scheduled to arrive at midnight. A good time is around noon around lunchtime.
5 ways to reach your audiences
Now that you know how to set up a marketing program for text messages, make sure that you send the right targeted messages. Let’s go through five ways to impact customers by texts and have them stay on your list.
Send text-exclusive coupons and deals
Coupons and offers codes are an easy decision for text messages: customers can redeem them easily and even easier to keep in their messaging app until the time comes to use them. For companies, an exclusive text-only discount for customers can be a perfect way to entice them to sign up for your texts (you can’t legally submit unsolicited messages).
Show sneak peeks into upcoming products, services, and sales
With exclusive words in mind, you can use your texts to provide your loyal customers with a first look into upcoming products, services, events, and big sales. Get the news delivered by text from the ground up and not post it on social media.
Attract past customers with updates of new products and services
Want to attract customers who made past purchases or visited your website a while back? Let your customers know when new products are available – referring to their past purchases – to allow them to keep your business in their minds through busy buying seasons.
Remind them of their appointments or reservations with texts
If you use reservations or appointments, assist your customers by sending a personalized reminder text. They are less likely to skip their date, and you will find yourself helpful than unnecessary.
Send out alerts or notifications about orders
Customers can also find out if their purchases arrive, particularly during the holiday period by sending regular updates on the shipping status, from the moment of purchase to the package’s arrival at the customer’s door.
Text messages incorporate everything from modern communication to content marketing. The messages should be brief and clear to customers, and they take customers where they are needed without any fuss. When you use this power sensibly, you will see customer engagement soar.
