6 Text Message Marketing Tips

Business has changed a lot in recent years, including the increasing popularity of digital commerce and electronic marketing. It’s important for a company to be tech savvy, both when it comes to selling its goods, and marketing them.

One of the most popular communication tools these days is text messaging. In fact, most people prefer to communicate via text, and when it comes to doing business, savvy text message marketing can really give you a leg up on the competition.

There are some important factors to keep in mind when it comes to text message marketing, and following these simple tips will help keep your text message marketing relevant and effective.

(1)  Keep texts short and sweet

The last thing you want to do when trying to earn new business, is turn off your customer by being too eager or persistent. An effective text message marketing campaign will succinctly get the point across, engage the customer, and instill a sense of urgency in their buying decision.

(2)  Less is more

Reach out to your customers often enough to keep your company relevant in their minds, but not often enough to become a nuisance. Once a week is a good benchmark, unless you’re promoting something time-sensitive like a holiday sale or an event with a finite window for participation. (Of course, it goes without saying to always follow the law when it comes to the frequency you sent text message marketing materials, and give your customers the option to opt-out if they no longer want to receive notices from you.)

(3)  Pay attention to timing

Avoid sending messages during a time when your customers are less likely to receive them. This includes the middle of the night, daily commute times, and mealtimes. If you’re a brick and mortar business with a local customer base, sending messages in the morning may result in an uptick in business around lunchtime, as people visit your location on their lunch breaks. If you’re trying to drive weekend traffic, sending promotional messages on Thursday and Friday afternoons will ensure that you are fresh in your customers’ minds by the weekend.

Messages promotion seasonal or holiday sales should be send in the week or two leading up to the event, so that your customers can plan ahead, with a reminder a day or two prior to the occasion.

(4)  Know your customer base

Know the customer base that you’re trying to reach with your text message marketing, and tailor your messages to fit that demographic. Is your target audience adults between 40 and 60 years old? You probably won’t gain any long-term customers by sending text messages rife with text acronyms or emojis, or language that a mature customer is unlikely to understand. Similarly, if you’re targeting a young audience, be mindful of the marketing tools that are most likely to resonate with that demographic.

(5)  Personalize your messages

Similarly, you can tailor your text message marketing to be more personalized for long-term customers than for new customers. This instills a sense of loyalty in your core customer base and makes them feel as though your company truly values their business. Some great examples of this personalization include:

·   Using a customer’s first name in the targeted text

·   Sending birthday coupons via text

·   Offering repeat customer discounts

·   Offer a text-based VIP program that gives your loyal customers access to promotions via text that they can’t get anywhere else

 (6)  Keep text message marketing consistent with your other marketing efforts

One last text message marketing tip to remember – make sure that your text message marketing aligns with your other marketing and social media campaigns to ensure a seamless marketing strategy that will really resonate with your customers.