While it is important to utilize the time-honored marketing principles of other marketing channels, there are a few best practice tactics that will help.
In today’s fast-paced environment growing a retail business requires a comprehensive approach to connecting with past, current, and future customers via strategic marketing channels.
An SMS, or text message service, campaign is one of the fastest growing ways to connect with awaiting consumers. While it is important to utilize the time-honored marketing principles of other marketing channels, there are a few best practice tactics that will help to accelerate the success of your campaign by building trust.
Top 10 Text Message Service Campaign Best Practices
1. Begin all text messages with a value proposition
Before you even consider hitting the send button on your text messages, you should ask yourself, “What value am I providing to my customers that warrants sending a text or SMS message?” Nothing is worse than sending a value-less text message that either annoys your consumer or prompts them to immediately swipe left to delete.
By leading with a value proposition you can encourage your consumers to save your messages, share them with friends, and purchase your retail products.
2. Craft your messages carefully
Unlike email campaigns, where the viewer will take 3 – 4 seconds to review the subject line, a text message is read in 1 second or less. This means that you need to create messages that are both attention grabbing and serve a clear purpose. With this in mind, your first SMS message might lead with “Text X to get Y. Opt-in to receive future, exclusive promotions.” In the latter example the viewer’s attention is grabbed by the promotion, they understand the purpose of the initial text, and they can proactively decide if they want to receive additional messages in the future.
3. Take a multi-pronged, cross-media approach
When customers change carriers, even if they retain the same phone numbers, they will have to opt-in again to your text message service. To save time and money, make sure that you link a customer’s email and phone number together.
This simple tactic will allow you to send them an email reminder to opt-in, if they have changed carriers and your text message bounces back.
4. Make it easy for customers to engage with your company and brand
One of the truest best practice marketing principles is to make it easy for the customer to respond to messages. Design your text messages to reflect this time-honored principle.
Direct your customers to the correct landing page on your website, optimize your landing pages for mobile viewing, make the path to redemption clear, and making a coupon code easy to remember are just a few of the ways that you can make it easier for your customer to engage with your brand.
5. Don’t forget to run A/B tests
Take the time needed to test your different text message service approaches. Gather data and create tables that include the number of messages that are sent and delivered. You then need to determine the percentage of messages that led to individuals opting-out, as well as the number of website visits and coupon or offer redemptions.
By tracking this information you can adapt your tactics to better cater to your customers needs and communication preferences.
6. Be brief and focused in your messages
Text messages should be succinct. With a limited number of pixels on the screen, and an even more limited viewer attention span, there is no room for mobile marketing fluff.
7. Avoid using slang and abbreviations
Save the slang-filled text messages for your friends and family. An SMS campaign should never use slang, look like spam, or be filled with confusing abbreviations or acronyms.
8. Clearly identify your brand
How many times have you ever received a text message and wondered, “who is this?” Whether it is through a catch phrase, slogan, or well-known closing, avoid confusion and clearly identify your brand in your text message.
9. You like feeling special, and your consumers do too!
As alluded to in the beginning of this top-ten list, your text messages should provide value, and part of this value is making your customers feel special.
Don’t make your messages only offerings that your consumers could learn about via your website or brick and mortar location. Instead, let customers feel special by creating customized promotions or exclusive SMS only offers.
10. Be consistent in your messages and don’t forget to ask permission
Customers are trusting you when they give you their mobile phone numbers. Don’t break that trust by automatically enrolling them in your text message services. Instead, send them an opt-in before you begin sending marketing messages.
Once your customers have enrolled, establish a consistent texting schedule. Through consistency your customers will begin to subconsciously look forward to your messages and are more likely to become regular buyers.
Whether you follow one, two, or all ten of the above best practices you will be well on your way to implementing a successful text messaging campaign.
And don’t forget that with the help of a trusted automated communications platform, you will be able to streamline success by automatically sending the right messages to the right customers at the right time.
Distributed by Trumpia
Media Contact
Company Name: Trumpia
Contact Person: Sophorn Chhay
Email: sophorn@mytrum.com
Phone: 888-707-3030
Address:2544 W. Woodland Drive
City: Anaheim
State: California
Country: United States
Website: http://trumpia.com