As mobile messaging becomes more popular, businesses must adopt proper strategies to make the most of it. Here are some best practices that will help them improve their SMS efforts and maximise their mass texting potential.
What is SMS?
SMS, also known as short message service, is a widely used communication tool that enables organisations and businesses to reach out to their customers. It’s a simple yet effective way to connect with people, quickly becoming a go-to method for many businesses.
1. Gain Consent
Before initiating a mass text messaging campaign, you must ensure the intended recipients have consented. This is done through permission-based marketing and is essential to any successful campaign. In addition, one must follow CTIA guidelines and local laws to protect consumers from receiving unwanted messages.
You can reach out to your potential customers through various channels, such as social media, email, and online forms. In addition, you can offer special deals and promotions by asking your recipients to text a particular keyword to a specific number.
2. Pay Attention to the Frequency of Messages
One factor that businesses should consider when it comes to sending out text messages is the frequency of the messages. Overloading recipients’ inboxes with numerous messages can lead to an increase in opt-out rates and annoyance. Ideally, you should send around two to four messages per month.
You should clearly state the number of messages you plan to send each month in an auto-confirmation message and when advertising your campaign. However, it’s important to be careful not to exceed this number. However, setting a limit may be necessary to prevent you from sending too many messages.
3. Only Send Relevant Messages
Your messages should be engaging and creative and contain valuable information or an unbeatable deal. It’s important to avoid using text messaging for the sake of it, as excessive usage can lead to a declining contact list and an increase in opt-outs.
To ensure that your messages are relevant to your target audience, try to create content that elicits the same level of attention from recipients as those sent by friends. For example, research has revealed that people who purchase products through text messaging are more diverse than those who do so through other mediums.
4. Keep Messages Informal
Text messaging shorthand is not required in any way, but it can increase professionalism and credibility if used properly. Although you may have to use a character count limit, make sure that you write your messages so that people can read and understand your message.
5. Don’t Send Messages Too Late or Early
To avoid aggravating your customers, try to avoid sending texts at night. Doing so can be both unproductive and impolite, and it can quickly lead to a loss of clients. To maximize your chances of success, choose the best times to send messages, as SMS text messaging can inspire immediate action, while it can be less effective at night. Also, keep in mind that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) prohibits the soliciting of business calls from 9 PM to 8 AM in the local time zone.
6. Use Relevant Keywords
Another important factor that you should consider regarding SMS text messaging is the relevance of the keywords you use. Your clients can use these terms or phrases to opt-in for messages, exclusive offers, or other information. Having these words and phrases associated with your brand can help avoid confusion. Always avoid using terms that aren’t related to the business.
7. Focus on Locality
A text messaging platform with national coverage and various capabilities, such as long and short codes, is ideal for mass texting. Short codes are commonly used for message delivery, while long codes allow peer-to-peer communication. For campaigns that are focused on a specific area, you can use long codes with the phone number of the target region to increase engagement rates and personal touch.
Final Thoughts
Due to the increasing number of people using mobile devices for shopping and pleasure, businesses are turning to SMS text messaging to connect with their customers.
