Do you have your smartphone on or near you? We thought so. Who doesn’t these days? We’re guessing it’s close by to check Facebook, LinkedIn, and any texts you receive, right?
In today’s business world, texting is just as important – if not more – than calling. Texting is a quick, easy way to communicate with your family, friends, and co-workers. I can also be a fun, expressive and creative way to share information (emojis, gifs, attachments, oh my!). According to ONTRAPORT’s Camille Smith, “90% of text messages are read within three minutes of receipt, and 98% of short message service (SMS) messages, in general, are read compared to 24% of emails.” That’s quite a difference!
With that type of response/read rate, wouldn’t texting be a great marketing tool? We think so. At Spearhead Sales and Marketing, we’re always on the lookout for innovative marketing solutions, whether automated or traditional that will help our clients win. That’s why we couldn’t agree more with Camille’s “Do’s and Don’ts of SMS Marketing”.
Here are 5 top-line points about SMS marketing:
Brevity: “Keep your outbound messages short and succinct, and make your purpose/motive clear.”
Whether it’s your actual message (no more than 160 characters), your sales page link (use goo.gl or bit.ly to shorten the link), or using web lingo like LMAO or OMG (refrain from using shorthand unless it fits your brand or it’s in common usage), keep your text messages short.
Personalize: “Your subscribers should never have to second guess who’s texting them.”
Make sure the message includes a clear notification of who is sending it. Also, if you can use the recipient’s name, you can enhance their experience.
Call to Action: “Your call to action should be to-the-point and simple.”
Get right to the message when using text messages. If it’s a coupon, provide the code, make it easy and clear to use. Don’t add unnecessary steps.
Opt-Out: “Make it obvious to your SMS recipients that they have the option to opt out of your SMS campaign at any time.”
As with emails and other forms of marketing, giving your recipients a clear opportunity to discontinue receiving your messages will be appreciated by marketing-inundated consumers.
Disclaimer: “…it’s a smart marketing practice to tack on a disclaimer at the end … reminding recipients that standard rates may apply.”
Even though you may think it’s an obvious thing that rates may apply, do you want to get caught flat-footed if a recipient attempts to bring an action against you? Don’t worry, the disclaimer won’t hurt the message content.
Texting is a well-used form of communication (along with other marketing tools that we can employ for you) that can be leveraged to share your sales messages to a whole range of recipients. Just remember some of these quick points and you’ll be on your way to LOLing all the way to the bank!
Contact us today to experience how Spearhead Sales and Marketing brings maximum, sustainable impact to businesses that are dedicated to optimized sales and growth. We focus on tailored programs in both the traditional and digital spaces that maximize relationship building, lead generation, innovative marketing technology tools, sales partnerships, digital services, and strategic planning and development to build your customer base and close sales. Spearhead will be your agency of record for record-breaking performance!