Whenever we talk about “building your Text Message Marketing list,” one of the suggestions that always comes up is to offer exclusive deals and promotions to subscribers.
This is a great way to grow and retain subscribers because you are guaranteeing a valuable experience in exchange for their phone numbers. For customers that already patronize your business or are maybe even email subscribers and/or social media followers, you should be offering them something new that they can’t get anywhere else. Exclusive deals and promotions are also great for enticing new customers who have considered making a purchase but haven’t done so yet.
Once you’ve built up your list, however, you have to figure out how to keep your promise of offering exclusive content via text. Text message marketing campaigns can take time and a ton of brainstorming, but don’t worry- we’re here to help! Read on for some promotional text ideas that will delight both new and existing customers alike!
5 Text Message Marketing Ideas to Keep Customers Coming Back for More
- Run
a contest
Contests are great because they can work for businesses that sell physical products, as well as service-based businesses. You can use a contest as your initial incentive to help build your text message marketing list, as well as a way to offer value to existing subscribers.
Most business texting services offer keywords as part of your subscription package, which you can advertise to customers who want to gain entry to your contest. Then, all you have to do is decide what the contest winner will get as a prize, and post contest instructions wherever you want!
For instance, let’s say you run a digital marketing agency. Even though you don’t have a physical product to give away as a prize, you probably do have a team of professionals whose services you can offer.
Your contest could look something like this:
“Text keyword ‘SOCIAL’ to 555-55 by 9/1 to be entered to win a FREE consult on your business’ social media pages!”
You can post those instructions on your website, social media pages, at the end of your next email newsletter, etc. Don’t forget to also send it via text to your current subscribers, and watch the entries flood in!
Not only will contests help you to build your list and generate new leads, but it will also ensure that you are providing additional value to existing subscribers.
- Weekly
tips
You are the expert in your field, and people want to benefit from your depth of knowledge! This is also another great promotion for both product and service-based businesses.
For example, if you own a restaurant or catering service, you could send out weekly cooking tips or recipes. People love kitchen or cooking “hacks,” as well, so share your favorites with your audience.
Make sure, however, that you are catering to your target audience with your tips. If you own a bakery, you probably don’t want to send out pasta recipes, for instance. Even if the recipes are delicious, your target audience doesn’t come to you for generalized cooking information. They want to know about your baking expertise!
Pro tip: you can also use your weekly tips to promote new and existing products or service offerings.
In order to grow and retain subscribers with your text message marketing campaigns, you need to cater to your audience, and sharing your industry expertise is a smart way to do just that!
- Special
coupons and/or deals
One of the best ways to use your text message marketing campaigns to increase sales is by simply sending subscribers coupons. You’ll be delivering on your promise to provide exclusive deals, and they’ll be more likely to make a purchase.
Additionally, include a clear sense of urgency to these deals. Coupon redemption should be time-sensitive; otherwise, you run the risk of customers simply forgetting to make a purchase.
A study conducted by CodeBroker found that subscription-based coupons, such as the ones used in text message marketing campaigns, were redeemed at a rate of 3%-10%. Some promotions even saw rates as high as 13%.
Even though those numbers might not sound like much to write home about, you have to consider that even if you only have a small list of 100 text subscribers, that’s 3-13 more coupon-driven sales that you might not have made otherwise. As your list grows, those numbers will climb to produce huge results.
Pro tip: make sure that your customers can easily tell their friends about your text message marketing. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful tools available today. Once your subscribers’ friends hear about the great deals you offer via text, they will want to jump on the bandwagon! Make sure that your opt-in instructions are accessible and easily shareable.
- Event
invites
Event marketing is a tremendous tool for building brand awareness and generating leads. It also gives you valuable face-time with your target audience to make a personal connection with them.
Whether you’re hosting a product launch, pop-up or renting a booth at a trade show, you should notify your text message marketing subscribers! Tell them about the event, what you’re offering and where they can locate more information.
Pro tip: gather contact information at your event to keep people in-the-know with your business and build your subscriber list.
- Use
personalization to cross-sell
This tactic is used often for email subscribers and online shoppers. Businesses capture customer information, behavior and purchase history to suggest something else that they might be interested in buying.
You can do the same with your text message marketing! This tactic will make the buyer experience easier, as well as promote brand loyalty. If you can always offer something of interest directly to your customers, why would they go anywhere else?
— Coming up with new campaigns for your text message marketing subscribers can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Use these tips to increase engagement and drive conversions in your next campaign, and your customers will be sure to keep coming back for more!
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