Introduction
Many startup owners make the mistake of not adopting SMS marketing for their business. They think that it’s an outdated model of reaching out to prospects. But most of them realize it later that text message marketing is a simple and effective way to engage with customers.
Although social media marketing has a major impact on businesses, you shouldn’t avoid mobile marketing. As text messages have a 98% open rate, they can significantly convert prospects into customers. If you don’t know how to use it, here, you will find some of the best SMS marketing tips.
SMS Marketing Tips
Before we learn various SMS marketing tips, let us know about the basic rules. One of the main reasons many business owners don’t use mobile messaging is strict regulations. So, let’s start with the rules first.
- Express wrote consent before sending automated promotional text messages.
- Import the contact list in a compliant way.
- Meet the call-to-action requirements.
- Confirm with the opt-in message that includes identity, message frequency, data charge, and an opt-out option.
- Don’t send texts that include any sexual, hatred, alcoholic, firearms, and tobacco-related message.
There is no problem as long as you adhere to the rules and guidelines of TCPA. Now that you know about the basic rules, you can apply the following tips to your SMS marketing campaign.
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Keep Your Message Within 160 Characters
First of all, you need to keep one thing in mind that your promotional or marketing messages shouldn’t exceed 160 characters. When you send a message with more than 160 characters, your ad will be split from the middle. This might be a problem because the customer may get confused.
Some mobile networks refuse to carry long texts, and slicing the message can create a bad impression on your customers. So, it’s better to keep your message length below 160 characters.
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Timing Will Determine Your Business Success
Most of the text messages are opened within a few minutes. However, your target customers may ignore your messages if you send them at the wrong timing. The ideal time to send the marketing messages is when they are making a purchasing decision.
Therefore, hotels and restaurants send promotional messages to their customers three times a day before every meal. You need to figure out what is the right time to send text messages to your potential customers.
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Provide an URL or Mobile Number for Call-to-action
Call to action is the most important aspect of any marketing strategy, and SMS marketing is no exception. You cannot provide an anchor link or button here. All you can send is a few words in your message.
Therefore, always provide a relevant URL or a mobile number. Ensure that someone in your company will handle the calls and their queries when they try to reach you.
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Advertise Your Shortcode
You need to integrate your SMS shortcode with other channels. For example, you can use it in your web address, social media, email marketing, and physical marketing. If you have any of the above marketing forms, don’t forget to provide the shortcode on these platforms.
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Proofread
No matter which type of marketing campaign you run, you should always proofread it. However, you should be extra careful when you are running an SMS marketing campaign. As text messages are short, a customer can easily find your mistakes.
So, make sure that you check it twice before sending the messages to your customers. Once you check your messages, you can also ask a colleague to double-check your messages.
The Bottom Line
SMS marketing is a cost-effective and straightforward way to engage with new and old customers. With more than 98% open rate, it can give you significant results if you do it the right way. You need to experiment with different tactics to refine your marketing strategy. Don’t expect quick results; it may take some time. If you have any queries and suggestions, please mention them in the comment section.