Have you recently caught on to the power text message marketing has to offer, but don't know where to start? Here are some keys to crafting great messages for your campaign:
Know what they want
Understanding your customers will go a long way towards crafting the perfect message for them. A lot of that may come from simply getting a better understanding of your business, in general. Who is your ideal customer? Why are they attracted to your product or service? Data from market research is also helpful in these situations. Once all that is gathered, you will have a better idea of what your readers hope to get out of your text message marketing campaign, so you can cater your messaging to that.
"Always use proper grammar and spell words correctly."
Avoid text speak
With SMS marketing, business have only 160 or fewer characters to work with, so, sometimes, it may be tempting to use text messaging abbreviations or spellings. Unfortunately, this may end up doing more harm than good. You may alienate, confuse or come off as unprofessional to some customers, leading them to opt out. Always use proper grammar and spell words correctly.
Keep messaging focused
One common mistake among those just starting out with text message marketing is to try to do too much in each message. Each individual message should have one goal. Whether it's to tell customers about a new product or service or to offer a promotion, the messaging needs to be focused on one thing. This will keep your messages direct and help increase engagement.
Get their attention
Text messages are read quickly, so you need to make sure it will grab the reader's attention immediately. You can do this with things like humor, personalization or a really good offer. You can also try writing an important word in all capital letters to quickly draw their eyes.
Sign your messages
Due to the character limit, many marketers try to fit as much in each message as possible. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, there's one critical thing they often forget: identification. When someone receives a message, all he or she sees is a number, usually a short code. If customers can't identify the sender, they're more likely to just delete the message. Saving space for a signature help make sure that doesn't happen.
Make opt outs easy
Because SMS marketing is an opt-in service, there needs to be a clear and simple way to opt out. Not having a clear opt out procedure may actually prevent customers from subscribing in the first place. Also, while it's not necessary to include opt out instructions on every message, they should always be on the first and then sent periodically thereafter.
For companies looking to implement a comprehensive SMS marketing strategy, a robust SMS gateway will provide you with the tools you need.
