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SMS marketing is one of the most profitable and effective channels to capture customer attention. 84% of customers want to receive text messages from businesses – they read those messages immediately and take immediate action.
This form of marketing can be crucial for your business, but you need to follow the following SMS marketing best practices.
1. No cold calling via SMS
Rule #1 of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the clarifications made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the years states that contacts must consent to receive communications from your business. You must follow Rule #1—but doing so will also lead to better customer experiences and more profits for your business.
Let's say I'm a consumer and I get a text message from you out of the blue. This text message is my first experience with your company. I'm immediately annoyed that you texted me without permission, I'll report you as spam, and I'll probably never do business with you again. That's bad. But it's actually pretty easy to get people to sign up for texting, and it creates a better experience for customers.
To get contacts to sign up:
When using contact forms on your website or anywhere you collect contact information, be sure to keep two things in mind:
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Ask (or require) people to enter their mobile number
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Add “opt-in language” to your contact form, such as “By submitting this form, you give us permission to contact you using the information provided. You can unsubscribe at any time.”
You can also use other marketing measures to get contacts to opt-in. For example, you could promote a keyword like “SMS DEAL to receive exclusive weekly discounts!” You could also add SMS to your current business phone number and then ask people to “SMS or call us at [this number.]“If someone texts you first, you’re good to go.
Related: 5 Ways to Boost Sales and Marketing with Text Messaging
2. Use an SMS marketing platform
You can do a lot of great marketing without spending any money, but for both compliance and functionality reasons, you'll need to spend a few dollars on an SMS marketing platform so you can do things like:
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Inform each contact how to unsubscribe from SMS if they wish to do so.
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Text message from your existing business phone number
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Mass SMS to entire contact lists
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Manage and segment your contact lists for different offers or updates
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Handle opt-outs automatically
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Track messaging and engagement
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Give multiple team members access to view performance
Too many entrepreneurs – especially solopreneurs – try to hack it using their personal smartphone. Don't do that. It leads to ineffective marketing and also exposes you to regulatory issues that you can avoid with an SMS marketing platform.
3. Write messages you would like to receive
A proven marketing technique is to put yourself in the customer's shoes. This also applies to SMS marketing. If you have worked with or purchased from this company before, what type of messages would you like to receive? These could include:
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Current information about the company or opening hours
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Special offers on items you have already purchased or are considering purchasing
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Announcements and reminders about upcoming events
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Information on customer milestones, anniversaries and contract extensions
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Request for feedback and exchange of experiences
Think about what you want to receive and then start creating SMS campaigns accordingly.
Related: How text marketing can be your most powerful customer retention tool
4. Provide clear instructions for effective engagement
You don't have to be an experienced copywriter to send effective SMS ads. The best ads have all of these things in common:
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Build tension → NEW!
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Make an offer → Buy one, get one
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Enter a call to action → Follow this link to buy
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Create urgency → Offer ends at midnight!
You have a lot of leeway in how you phrase your content, even in text messages. However, you need to be clear about what you're offering, why customers should buy it, and how they'll get it. Otherwise, people will see your message but do nothing with it (and that would be a shame).
Pro tip: Adding an image to your SMS campaign can be powerful. Maybe it's a flyer for an event, a product image, or something else that's worth 1,000 words and adds value to your advertising. This way, you can keep your copy shorter and still pack a punch with your campaign.
5. Measure, improve, celebrate
Most businesses that start with SMS marketing see success almost immediately, but you won't be an expert right from the start. That's okay! There's a clear path to becoming one.
Put in the hardest effort when sending your first SMS marketing campaign. Monitor performance – how many people click your link or take the action and how quickly? Pay attention to your metrics to see what's working and what's not. Ask friends and colleagues for feedback. Make adjustments, send your next campaign and repeat. Soon you'll be a master of SMS marketing and your end result will give you reason to celebrate.
Related: How to use business text messaging to reduce customer acquisition costs
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
