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SMS marketing is one of the most profitable and effective channels for attracting customer attention. Eighty-four percent of consumers want texts from firms — they read these messages immediately and take motion immediately.
This form of selling can change the fate of your enterprise, but you could follow the following SMS marketing rules.
1. No cold texting
Rule #1 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has explained over the years: Contacts must opt in to receive communications from your organization. You must follow Rule No. 1—but doing so also creates a higher customer experience and results in more profits for your organization.
Let’s say I’m a consumer and I get a text message from you out of the blue. This is my first experience with your organization. I’m immediately pissed that you just sent me a text message without my permission, I’m going to report you for spam, and I’m probably never going to do business with you again. That’s bad. But getting people to enroll for text messages is actually pretty easy and creates a higher customer experience.
How to get your contacts to consent:
In contact forms on your website or anywhere else you collect contact information, remember to do two things:
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Ask (or demand) people to provide you their mobile number
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Add “opt-in language” to your contact form, e.g. “By submitting this form, you are giving us permission to contact you using the information you provided. You can opt out at any time.”
You may use other marketing to encourage your contacts to enroll. For example, you may promote a keyword like “Text DEAL for exclusive weekly discounts!” You could also add text messaging to your current phone line and then start encouraging people to “Text or call us at [this number.]”If someone texts you first, you are good to go.
2. Use an SMS Marketing Platform
You can do a lot of great marketing without spending money, but to make sure compatibility and functionality, you have to to spend a few dollars on SMS Marketing Platform so you’ll be able to do things like:
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Let each contact know find out how to unsubscribe from text messages if they need to
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Send a text message from your current work phone number
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Bulk text messaging to entire contact lists
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Manage and segment your contact lists for different offers or updates
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Automatic cancellation management
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Track message delivery and engagement
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Grant multiple team members access to view performance
Too many entrepreneurs—especially solopreneurs—will attempt to bypass this by using their personal smartphone. Don’t do this. It will result in ineffective marketing, and it can also expose you to regulatory issues that an SMS marketing platform would prevent.
3. Create messages you must receive
One of the best marketing practices is to place yourself in the customer’s shoes. This also applies (*5*)SMS Marketing. If you have previously worked with or purchased from this company, what messages would you prefer to receive? These could include:
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Updates on business or store opening hours
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Promotions and discounts on products you have previously purchased or were considering about purchasing
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Announcements and reminders about upcoming events
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Customer milestone, anniversary and renewal notifications
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Asking for opinions and sharing your experiences
Think about what you must receive, then start creating text messaging campaigns that work for you.
4. Provide clear instructions to make sure effective engagement
You don’t have to be an expert copywriter to send effective SMS promotions. All the best ads have the following in common:
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Build excitement → NEW!
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Make an offer → Buy one, get one
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Provide a call to motion → Click this link to purchase
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Create a sense of urgency → Offer ends at midnight!
There are many possibilities in what you’ll be able to say, even in text messages, but you could be clear about what you are offering, why they should purchase it, and how they will get it. Otherwise, people will see your message but do nothing with it (and that will be a shame).
Pro tip: Adding an image to your SMS campaign could be powerful. It may very well be an event flyer, a product image, or something else that is price a thousand words and reinforces your promotion. This way, you’ll be able to keep your texts shorter and still make an impact with your campaign.
5. Measure, Improve, Celebrate
Most businesses that start using SMS marketing see near-instant returns, but you won’t be an expert instantly. That’s okay! There’s a clear path to becoming an expert.
Put all of your effort into sending your first SMS marketing campaign. Monitor its performance—how many people click on your link or take motion, and how quickly? Pay attention to your metrics to see what’s working and what’s not. Ask your pals and colleagues for feedback. Make changes, send one other campaign, and repeat the process. You’ll soon be a master of SMS marketing, and your bottom line will likely be price celebrating.