Text message marketing is a communication medium with a worldwide reach. It uses SMS messaging to bring marketing, transactional and promotional messages to an engaged audience. Businesses using text message marketing enjoy the benefits of having a cost-effect strategy that is simple to use, all-encompassing, and has a higher open rate than any other marketing channel. Statistics show that 95% of text messages are opened and read within a few minutes of receiving them. These messages will not go to a spam folder, and receivers are bound to take action on it. It is not hard to see why businesses are exploring text message marketing as a robust component of their marketing strategy.
SMS messaging services are used for various purposes, including marketing and appointment confirmations. The content for SMS and MMS campaigns is significantly different from that which you would use for email campaigns or social media postings. Text message marketing is limited to 160 characters. Thus, you must be concise and clear in your message. The key to effective text message marketing campaigns is to keep the message short, sweet, and to the point.
Here are 9 tips on how to write the best text message marketing for campaigns.
1. Avoid overusing text abbreviations
2. Avoid Sounding Robotic
3. Remember to Put Who Sent the Message
4. Make it Actionable
5. Make People Curious
6. Make it Sound Urgent
7. Focus on Adding Value to the Discussion
8. Avoid Unusual Campaigns
9. Choose the proper timing to send
1. Avoid Overusing Text Abbreviations
Avoid using text abbreviations to make room for more content in your text message marketing. Abbreviations and text slang are interpreted differently by the general public. Your messages will be disregarded if your recipients can’t comprehend them. Overusing abbreviations is irritating and unprofessional.
In contrast, a message that is well-written and free of errors conveys to the reader what the brand is offering professionally. If you know how to use the right words, you can introduce your brand and address, announce a sale or invite readers to visit your website even with limited characters.
It is best to use proper grammar and punctuation when drafting your text message marketing campaigns. It will ensure that your target audience receives and interprets your messages correctly.
An example of good text message marketing with a minimal abbreviation is shown below.
“Hi {customer name}! Domino’s Pizza is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a special offer. Get a free order of garlic bread with the purchase of any large pizza. Use promo code LUCKY when you checkout.”
2. Avoid sounding robotic
Your text message marketing should sound like it’s coming from a human, not a machine. It’s essential to use language that is natural, friendly, and easy to understand. Steer clear of using marketing jargon, technical terms, or industry-specific language. Instead, focus on creating a message your target audience can relate to.
Over the last decade, direct marketing has evolved. Remember those spammy texts with “unbelievable” offers, in which you only had to respond with a 5-digit code? Now, conversational texting is all about being personable and providing value. Be frank and straightforward, and write like you’re conversing with a buddy you don’t know yet.
Here is an example of a natural and friendly text message: “Hey, it’s John from the {company name}. I saw you were interested in our product and just wanted to follow up. Please get in touch with me anytime if you have any questions or need help.”
3. Remember to put who sent the message
A text message marketing campaign is an excellent way to promote your brand and reach new customers. However, if you don’t include your brand name or some form of identification, your recipients won’t know who sent the message. Make sure to put your brand name or logo at the beginning of the text so that people will know it’s from you.
If you are cold texting someone (meaning this is the first text message you’ve sent them), start by acknowledging that, just as you would if you met a stranger in person. It can come across as insincere if the sender acts too familiar and fakes an intimacy that doesn’t yet exist.
Here is an example of how a first text message marketing should go, “Hello {contact name}, I recently spoke to a mutual colleague of ours, and they told me you might be in the market for business texting software.”
4. Make it Actionable
The purpose of sending a marketing text message is to get the recipient to perform some action. It’s essential to the message, pushing the user to continue in the buyer’s journey. Ensure your audience can respond to your content by including a clickable link or a response code in the body of your text message.
For example, the first CTA from the job site JobStreet routes the recipient to a pre-registration page for an upcoming career fair. The second CTA–which went out on the event day–links directly to the event’s page.
Here is an example of how to make your text message marketing more actionable. “Thank you for attending our webinar! To download the slides, please click here. We’ll also be sending a follow-up email with more information.”
5. Make people curious
You want your target audience to read your text message marketing and think, “That sounds interesting. I wonder what that’s all about.” It is beneficial for marketers to have curious readers. Utilizing a content calendar enables businesses to stay ahead of their competitors, better understand the needs of their target audience, and produce tangible results.
For example, look at how this text message is worded to pique the receiver’s curiosity. “Hi {customer name}! Did you know that you can get 10% off your next purchase using promo code SELENA when you shop at our website? Click the link to learn more!”
6. Make it sound urgent
If you want people to respond to your text message marketing, you need to make it sound urgent. Time-sensitive offers are a great way to do this. Text messaging and a sense of urgency are inextricably linked. Most text messages are read and responded to within the first three minutes. As a result, SMS communications are ideal for advertising short sales and deal deadlines.
One way to instill urgency is by setting a time constraint. Saying that the product is only available for a limited time is a good example. There must be a tangible factor driving the urgency.
For example, “For a limited time only, get 20% off your purchase when you use promo code BEYONCE20 at checkout.”
7. Focus on adding value to the discussion
When sending a text message marketing campaign, always focus on adding value to the discussion. It can be helpful tips, educational content, or simply providing an update on what’s new with your company.
The key is ensuring your message is relevant to your audience and provides them with something of value. Otherwise, you risk being spammy or sales-y, which will only turn people off.
Here’s an example of how you can add value to your text message marketing discussion. “Hey {contact name}, we noticed you’re using {old software}. Have you heard about our new product that offers {new features}? It might be a better fit for you.”
8. Avoid unusual campaigns
While trying something new and out-of-the-box with your text message marketing can be tempting, avoiding anything too unusual is essential. Stick to what you know works and what your audience expects from you. Otherwise, you risk coming across as unprofessional or even spammy.
A good rule of thumb is to send messages you would be comfortable receiving yourself. If you wouldn’t want to receive it, chances are your audience won’t either.
Many people, particularly non-English speakers, are unfamiliar with emojis and other symbols. When used in conjunction with the GSM7 code, readers might misinterpret them. For example, using emojis or special characters may result in misinterpretation.
9. Choose the proper time to send
The timing of your text message marketing campaigns is just as important as the content itself. When planning your campaigns, it will help if you consider time zones, holidays, and work schedules.
The best time to send text message marketing is typical during the week and regular business hours. However, it depends on your specific audience and what works best for them. The most important thing is to test at different times and see what gets the best results for your campaigns.
Sending a text message marketing campaign at the wrong time can be just as bad as not sending one. You don’t want to annoy your most loyal consumers at inopportune moments.
It’s a good idea to split your SMS list by time zone. However, you must obey telecommunication privacy laws as well. For example, Australia’s Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) states that you can only send SMS marketing messages between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
What is Text Message Marketing?
Text message marketing delivers business news, sales, deals, and other essential information to consumers via SMS text messages on their phones. It’s a more intimate kind of digital marketing that aids in developing brand awareness. Customers must consent to your communications before you can begin sending them messages.
Text message marketing allows you to send bulk messages to groups of customers or audience segments or make it even more personal by sending unique messages to each one. Businesses communicate directly with consumers without being distracted by other marketing noise, such as social media advertising, email marketing campaigns, etc.
SMS marketing is an excellent way for agencies to retain customers or attract prospects. With SMS marketing, you can send messages that help improve brand awareness, generate sales, and boost engagement.
However, it’s easy for marketing agencies to make common mistakes with text message campaigns since they are so familiar. A lack of SMS marketing knowledge or an unwillingness to adhere to best practices is usually the root of the problem. Read more about What is SMS Marketing to know more about its advantages for businesses.
How does Text Message Marketing work?
Text message marketing works by sending SMS text messages to customers or prospects who have opted-in to receive your communications. Customers must first give their permission before you can start sending them messages.
Running a text message marketing campaign may require using SMS marketing software like JookSMS. It is a web-based SMS marketing platform that lets you send marketing messages en masse at an affordable rate.
Text message marketing is an ideal strategy for various sectors. For the retail industry, sending sale announcements and discount codes bring in more foot traffic and revenues. For restaurants, text message marketing can notify customers of new menu items, deals, and special events. Financial institutions often use text message marketing to send fraud alerts.
What are the other types of Text Message Marketing?
The other types of text message marketing are promotional messages, alerts and notifications, text-to-win campaigns, and SMS coupons. It is essential to be clear about what is being asked in your text marketing messages to avoid confusion among these SMS marketing types.
Promotional messages offering deals and discounts are one of the most widely used marketing strategies. Sales messages to clients about special discounts on items and services. In most situations, because these discounts are time-sensitive, they create a strong sense of urgency.
SMS coupons, or messages delivered using the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), are similar to marketing and discount notifications. They often include a discount on products or services that the business provides.
Alerts and notifications are widely used in the medical sector. They are designed to remind patients of appointments, test results, and other critical information.
Text-to-win campaigns are used to generate leads and sales. The goal is to get customers to text a keyword to a shortcode, which enters them into a contest. The prize can be anything from product discounts to free services.
What industry uses text message marketing?
Many industries use text message marketing to reach their target audiences, including the medical, automotive, and retail sectors. Text marketing is an effective way to advertise and promote your products or services.
The medical industry is one of the world’s most significant sectors for text message marketing. It allows for a quick and easy way to get important information about diseases and treatments to those who need it most. Additionally, businesses in the medical industry can use SMS marketing to promote their services and deals to potential clients. These assist customers in making informed choices about potential purchases and allow businesses to obtain feedback from clients and use that information to make real-time improvements to their services.
Automotive companies use text message marketing to reach out to potential customers about services and products. It notifies people that there’s an open day at the facility where they can get more information about their cars. In addition, it keeps them updated on when their vehicle needs service or checkup and when they need to replace tires. Another idea is sending messages about new models released in the industry: that way, people can get excited and decide what they want to buy.
And for the retail industry, text message marketing is an excellent way to send out sale announcements and discount codes. Businesses help customers decide what they should purchase, gather feedback about their products or services, and use that information to improve their offerings.
What are the Best Apps for Text Message Marketing?
There are a few great apps available that can help you with your text message marketing. Some of these apps are JookSMS, TextMagic and Trumpia.
JookSMS is a web-based application that allows you to send and receive text messages from your computer. It offers a free plan that includes up to 500 contacts and unlimited texts. Jooksms is a leading bulk text messaging provider providing its clients with secure, fast, and inexpensive services. The system employs the internet and GSM networks to distribute your communications, allowing them to be received from almost any location. JookSMS benefits companies by enabling them to connect with consumers regardless of location. In addition, JookSMS has a user-friendly interface that makes SMS marketing easy and convenient. This platform also offers features such as automated follow-up messages, auto replies, and detailed reports to assist businesses in successfully running campaigns.
TextMagic is an app that allows you to send bulk text messages from your computer or phone. It offers a free plan that includes up to 2,500 contacts and 10,000 texts per month. TextMagic is an excellent tool for businesses because it provides a wide range of features, such as auto-responders, custom fields, and detailed reports. TextMagic has a user-friendly interface that makes SMS marketing easy and convenient. In addition to features like automated follow-up messages and auto-replies, this platform provides businesses with detailed reports to ensure the success of their campaigns.
Trumpia is an all-inclusive SMS marketing software that offers a free plan for up to 500 contacts. Trumpia allows you to send bulk text messages, create coupons and discounts, track results with detailed reports, and more. Trumpia’s mass texting app is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Additionally, this platform provides businesses with various features to successfully run their text message marketing campaigns.
Are there Apps for making automated Text Message Marketing?
Yes. Businesses can use apps to automate their text message marketing campaign. These marketing automation tools can help companies to save time and money by automating repetitive tasks, such as sending out mass texts, follow-up messages, and auto-replies.
In choosing a marketing automation app, consider how you will run your text message marketing campaign. Ideally, your app should have other features aside from sending bulk messages. Other vital features are audience segmentation, appointment reminders, CRM integration, mobile phone app, and web-based applications.
Is Text Message Marketing effective for advertising?
Yes. Text message marketing has the highest open rate among marketing channels, making it an effective tool for businesses. Additionally, text message marketing is a great way to reach out to customers and potential customers. Companies can increase their sales and ROI with the right offer and call-to-action.
The advantages of SMS marketing don’t just include open rates; they also have a high response rate. Higher response rates almost always result in increased sales for your customers.
Response rates are a valuable tool for determining the success of your SMS marketing messages. Messages with poor response rates can quickly be improved or rescanned to achieve better results. Customer experience analytics will assist your company in tracking response rates and finding out what you’re doing well.
Text marketing is incredibly fast; as soon as you hit send, the person receives your message. You can use this to your advantage by sending time-sensitive messages like ones for event promotions or flash sales.
Text message marketing revolutionizes your marketing strategy if used correctly. It’s worth investing in the proper approach and avoiding common blunders.