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6 Helpful Tips for Communicating via Text Message With Your Customers
Did you just finish setting up your DialMyCalls account? Congratulations – you’re now using one of the most effective marketing tools for your small business!
Text message marketing is a powerful form of communication. In fact, around 98% of SMS messages are opened by customers – nearly quadruple the rate of email newsletters.
But you can’t expect to achieve marketing success without a basic understanding of SMS marketing strategies. That’s why DialMyCalls is here with a quick, simple guide to help you communicate more effectively with your customers using SMS. Read on, and learn with us!
1. Ask Customers to Opt-In to Your Messages
The first step to communicating with your customers is to start building a list of people who have “opted-in” to messages from your company.
If you already have a list of phone numbers, that’s a good place to start – send a message to that list of individuals asking them to opt-in to your SMS messages. Some may say no – but the vast majority will be interested in receiving messages from you, especially if you offer a discount or a special offer to those who sign up.
You should also try to get more customers to opt-in, in person. Create signage for your store or business that lets people know about your SMS marketing campaign, and mention it to them when they’re checking out.
2. Keep Your Messages Simple
One unique aspect of SMS marketing is that it’s very constrained. You only have 157 characters with which to make your point – and that means you need to keep things simple. Each message you send out should have one clear purpose.
Avoid flowery language, and use short, compact sentences to get your point across. Here’s an example of a good SMS message:
“Summer heat got you down? Grab a new float from Pool Supplies ‘R’ Us! Shop today and get a 10% discount! Bit.ly/DMCSMSMarketing”
The message is clear, as is the benefit of the promotion – making this a highly effective solution.
3. Offer a Clear Call-To-Action
A “Call-To-Action” (CTA) is any sentence that makes a customer want to do something. In our the example in section 2, this would be “Shop today and get a 10% discount”.
This kind of actionable language makes it clear what you want customers to do – and outlines the benefit of doing so immediately.
Find out If SMS Marketing Is Right for Your Business Now!
Without a CTA, your message will be confusing, and customers won’t know what they’re supposed to do in order to take advantage of your offer.
4. Use a Link Shortening Service
Space is precious in your SMS message, so you should use a link shortening service like bit.ly, or Google’s link shortener.
Using a link shortener has several benefits. First, your URL will be much shorter, giving you more space to write an effective ad.
Second, it will be easier to read. Again using our example in section 2, you would be able to write “dmc.me/12473” instead of a long, complex URL like “https://www.dialmycalls.com/features/sms-marketing-services“.
Finally, most link shortening services can track metrics like click-throughs and conversion rates, which help you understand how effective your SMS marketing strategy is.
5. NEVER Spam Customers
When customers give you their personal phone numbers, they’re placing their trust in you – and the last thing they’ll want is to be spammed with irrelevant promotional text messages.
If you send too many messages to customers, they’ll opt-out of your SMS marketing campaign – they don’t want to be bombarded by your marketing materials.
A study by Waterfall has shown that the optimal frequency of sending SMS messages is around 10-12 per month. Try not to exceed this number. Instead of spending your time sending dozens of SMS text messages, take time to carefully craft a powerful, effective marketing message.
6. Pay Attention to Timing
Most people open SMS messages immediately. That means that you should pay careful attention to when you send messages. For example, it’s usually a bad idea to send an SMS marketing message later at night – say, after 7 P.M. Even if a customer wants to buy your products, it’s probably too late for them to do so, and they’ll forget about your message the next day.
Try to send SMS messages in the late morning or mid-afternoon. Weekends are also usually a good time to send marketing messages. Experiment with timing, and see when your messages get the most click-throughs!
Follow These Tips to Market More Effectively to Your Customers!
SMS marketing is a powerful way to communicate with customers and increase sales – but unless you follow the standard best practices outlined above, you may not get the best results.
So take a look at the above tips, and incorporate them into your marketing strategy today. You’ll be shocked at the results – and you’ll enjoy more customer engagement and increased profits!
