Text message marketing has been an effective marketing stream for over 10 years, but it’s been only in recent years that it has exploded into one of the more popular ways to stoke consumer engagement. It’s popular because it’s easy, quick, and it helps the consumer feel more connected with your company. It’s also the preferred method of communication for about 85% of all cell phone users.
Bring on the Encouragement
Encouraging people to participate in a text marketing program isn’t difficult at all, but it does require that offers are relevant and valuable. It’s also recommended that you give customers a bit of an incentive to join your list. Text marketing is permission based, meaning you’re only targeting those who’ve opted in to receive your messages. Although this may seem like a disadvantage, it’s actually the opposite. You’ll actually find your marketing efforts to be much more successful if you can target only the most interested and engaged audience.
The statistics on text marketing speak for themselves. Recent surveys indicate that the most engaged consumers prefer to be contacted via text messaging versus other marketing methods. Furthermore, a mobile coupon has a 10 times higher redemption rate than email or newspaper coupons, with most messages sent being opened and read within minutes.
Here are a few other text marketing stats that might wet your whistle.
- 90% of all people subscribed to a text loyalty program say they are pleased with what it brings to them
- 22% of mobile coupons are shared with at least one friend.
- SMS marketing has a 90% open rate
All of these statistics can go down the drain, however, if the text marketing program is being used incorrectly, and sadly many companies are not using leverage in their programs and hurting their performance. Rather than add your name to this list, take a look at the following tips and put them to good use.
Valuable Incentives are a Must
If you can make a customer happy, you can count on them staying loyal to your brand. Creating happiness isn’t difficult at all, and by simply providing them with nice incentives (both during the sign-up process and throughout the duration of your loyalty program) you can be sure that they will never turn their back on your brand. Any company can provide awesome incentives that their customers will love, whether it is a coupon, a BOGO deal or even a freebie.
Give Them What they Want
What do your customers want? If you can answer this question, congratulate yourself because you’re a step ahead of many people in the game. As your text marketing list grows, products change and adaptations are made. You need to ensure that you’re still aware of your customers’ needs and wants. One way this can be done is through surveys. Send them out to consumers on the text marketing list, asking for their thoughts about a recent visit/order, what they want more of, what they don’t like, etc. Customers love to give their input and it can help you improve where it is needed.
What’s on Sale?
If your business participates in sales, notifying customers via text about sale you’re having is a great way to get more people through the door. Be sure that your text messages highlight the best deals that you have going on. People want to know what the deals are and where to get them. Make sure your text campaigns get right to the point so they can act quickly.
Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Creating excitement with your customers is far easier when you’re having fun, so be sure that you throw plenty of it into the mix. You can implement MMS (picture messaging) into the scheme of things and give customers something fun to interact with; all while reminding them of your brand or product.
You can easily turn your text marketing efforts into a cross-channeling success by placing signs next to cash registers advertising for customers to text a special keyword to your short code to take advantage of your text program. From games and photos to quizzes and contests, there’s lots of ways to bring attention to your brand through cross channeling efforts and thoroughly increase customer engagement.
Using Text Message Marketing to Your Advantage
Using text message marketing for great leverage opportunities is, as it is plain to see, something that you can do in numerous ways. At the end of the day, solid value text marketing is desirable, it’s effective, and it can provide a whole new avenue of marketing.
Most importantly, don’t forget to include the call-to-action within the text message. This is the part of the message that tells the consumer just what you want them to do next. Always make your text messages time sensitive and urgent, and carefully select your wording. You’re limited on the number of words but still have plenty of power in the 160 characters available to you. Make them count and you can count on text marketing to be the cost effective, desired way to market to your crowd of people.
About the Author: Matt Baglia is the CEO of SlickText.com a leader in the text message marketing industry. They provide businesses and organizations all over the United States with an easy and affordable platform for sending targeted, opt-in text messages.