5 SMS Marketing Tips Every Startup Owner Should Know
SMS marketing is fast becoming one of the best lead-generating tools on the market. It's easy, cheap, and has a very high conversion rate. SMS marketing is a fantastic opportunity that has proven to be highly beneficial for small businesses and startups because it is cost-effective and creates a one-to-one conversation with your customers.
If you don't have an SMS marketing platform in place yet, be sure to read this article to set one up today! I'm going to explain 5 tips that will improve your SMS marketing strategy and get you more customers by leveraging this growing trend.
The Basics of SMS Marketing
SMS marketing is not spam. It is a legitimate form of communication that can be used to engage consumers, drive sales and improve customer service. The key is knowing how to use the technology responsibly.
Talking about the basics of SMS marketing, we should start with permission. You need to make sure you have permission from customers before sending them text messages. If you don't get permission, it's considered spam and your business could face hefty fines or even legal action.
Secondly, your business must have an SMS number. in most cases, this will be a short code (5-6 digits), but some carriers offer virtual numbers that can be used for free.
And, finally, your content complies with all applicable laws and regulations. For example, certain industries like healthcare may have additional restrictions on what kinds of texts you can send.
To effectively implement your SMS marketing campaign, here are 5 tips to help you get started.
Keep Your Message Short and Sweet
When you send a text message that's longer than 160 characters, mobile networks usually split up the message into smaller chunks of 160 characters each. The message is stitched back together before it is delivered to the intended recipient. This can cause problems because not all networks break or merge messages in the same way.
If you don't properly organize your message, your recipient might not receive all of it. Even if the message does get delivered, it could be in the wrong order—and that could be confusing.
To avoid confusion on your prospects' side, try to limit yourself to 160 characters. You can convey a lot of information in just 160 characters. That's not a lot of space, but it's enough to let your customers know what you want them to know. Don't waste it with unnecessary words, and don't try to cram too much in.
Timing is a Crucial Element in SMS Marketing
Timing is everything, and the same goes for SMS marketing. If you're a startup owner, chances are you know your niche inside and out. However, there's more to running a business than just knowing why customers would buy your product or service; you need to know when they're most likely to do so.
If you are a new pizza place, do research and send your promo code when people are about to order a pizza. Don't miss holiday seasons and personal days of customers: their birthdays, weekends, and much more!
Be sure your messages hit the customer's smartphone at the right time, as it is crucial to your business.
Moreover, make sure not to send messages at strange hours of the night. Unless something is urgent or time-sensitive, don't send texts late at night or early in the morning when people are likely to be sleeping or distracted.
Don't send a text for every little thing and bombard your prospects with too many messages at once to avoid them opting out.
Provide a Web Address or a Mobile Phone as Your CTA
When you send an SMS with a web address or mobile phone number as the CTA, the recipient will be prompted to visit the site or call the number that you sent. This is especially effective if you can offer them something of value, such as a discount on their first order or special content for subscribing.
You shouldn't include any other information in this text; otherwise, it may confuse or distract your audience from visiting your site or from making contact with you by phone. Make sure that they know exactly what they should do next.
Promote Your Shortcode Through Other Marketing Channels
One way to grow your SMS marketing list organically is by promoting your shortcodes over other channels like email, fliers, or stickers inside your store. Investing in a shortcode is highly crucial and promoting your opt-in keywords is a pretty effective way to build a pool of customers who want to hear from you.
Another great way to leverage SMS is through text-to-win promotions and giveaways in which entrants text their name and contact information in response to an ad they see on TV or online (or even on billboards). Participants must respond within a certain amount of time after seeing the ad — often within 24 hours — otherwise, they're disqualified and another person gets selected.
Chipotle is an excellent example of this type of campaign - during the 2019 NBA Finals Chipotle announced its Freeting campaign on social platforms. Chipotle would tweet a unique code whenever an on-air announcer said the word 'free' (think free throw, free agent, breaking free) and consumers could text that code to Chipotle for a FREE burrito.
Final Words On Successful SMS Marketing
SMS is quickly becoming the preferred channel for marketing your business. The ease of targeting customers and then, following up with them on a timely basis, makes SMS the best way to engage potential customers, who when nurtured properly, can turn into one-time customers, loyal repeat customers, and even raving fans of your service. What's more, it's so easy to start that there really are no excuses not to at least experiment with SMS marketing down the road.
As mobile technology continues to advance, we will begin to see more and more people using their mobile phones as a way to connect with their favorite brands and businesses.
Moreover, SMS campaigns are simple to set up; all you need is an advertising budget and a messaging platform.
Yootelco is an advanced messaging platform that makes the communication between businesses and their prospects easy and personal.
If you are looking to start your SMS marketing - reach out to us today!
