SMS marketing can be an incredible asset, but you already know that! If you have decided to implement SMS into your business’ overall marketing strategy, that’s probably because you have already seen the mind-blowing statistics.
- About 98% of text messages are opened by the recipient, compared to just 20% of emails.
- About 75% of people actually prefer to receive SMS marketing communications from businesses, as opposed to seeing ads while they are scrolling social media or browsing the internet.
- 65% of marketers say that SMS marketing is “very effective” for them.
For SMS marketing to prove effective for your business, however, you need to build your subscriber list! What good are carefully thought out marketing campaigns and copy if your customers never get a chance to see them?
This article will outline some ideas to help you build your subscriber list and begin to reap the benefits of SMS marketing!
5 Ways to Grow Your SMS Marketing List
- Post opt-in instructions everywhere.
Whether your business is utilizing a short code for your text messages and/or a keyword, you need to make sure that customers are aware of your business’ texting capabilities in the first place! That goes for potential and current customers. While an SMS marketing strategy is certainly a great way to generate leads, it is equally useful for building brand loyalty.
If you have a brick-and-mortar location, post signs all around about your SMS marketing campaign, including instructions for how interested people can opt-in. Make an announcement on your business’ website and send it out in newsletters to your email list, if you have one. Plan content for your social media channels. Make sure that you are posting about it regularly, especially in the beginning.
Get the word out! People want to text your business, so make sure they know how to become a part of your SMS marketing list!
- Offer an incentive.
One of the most popular ways to build a text message marketing list is by giving people a clear and valuable incentive to opt-in. Tell customers why they need to subscribe and then reward them afterwards.
Freebies and coupons are popular forms of incentives. For instance, if your business is a salon, offer customers a 20% off coupon to use at their next visit if they opt-in to text communications from your business. It is important to very clearly explain what customers are signing up for. Not only are they signing up for a coupon, but they are agreeing to receive text communications. If that is not explicit, customers will begin to lose trust in your business.
- Offer exclusive deals and promotions.
One of the most important keys to any marketing campaign is to offer value to your business’ customers, and SMS marketing is no different. Think about it: if people can get the same deals through other channels, why would they opt-in to receive text messages as well?
When promoting your new text program, advertise the fact that customers can receive exclusive offers via text that they would not otherwise have access to. And then live up to that promise!
- Encourage participating customers to share.
64% of marketers believe that word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing, so use that to your advantage. Find clear and easy ways for participating customers to tell their friends about all the amazing benefits they’ve received as a member of your SMS marketing list.
For instance, let’s say Mary is talking to her friend Grace about the amazing date night she had with her husband at your restaurant. Mary was so excited about the “Free Dessert” promotion she received via text that she told Grace about that, too. Grace tells Mary that she also loves your restaurant and inquired about how to join the SMS marketing list to begin receiving coupons.
Do you think Mary will remember your business’ keyword to relay to Grace? Probably not. Is your SMS marketing campaign clearly shown on your website and/or social media? It should be. That was STEP 1! Are you using texts to improve customer service? You should be because then Mary could simply text you to ask how her friend can opt-in. Does your business have a referral program? Mary is spreading the word about your SMS marketing, and she deserves to be rewarded!
Word of mouth is an incredibly powerful tool. People are certainly more likely to patronize businesses that receive shining reviews from the people that they trust. Make sure that your participating customers have a simple way to recommend and recruit friends and family to opt-in to your text message marketing.
- Paid Advertising.
Paid advertising is always a good option for promoting your business, especially through local channels if you run a small business. It can also be an effective way to get the word out about your SMS marketing list, without putting too much additional stress on your budget.
If you are already running radio or TV ads, be sure to include a short call-to-action at the very end that encourages people to sign up for your business’ text communications. Do the same for any ads that you may be running online and on social media. Use a keyword that is easy to remember; you may even want to consider making a different keyword for each channel so that your team can see which ads are performing well and which ones aren’t in terms of building your list.
As with anything, consider your target audience. Who will be most likely to sign-up for your SMS marketing? Make sure you are placing ads with text message opt-in information where your target audience will be most likely to come across it.
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An SMS marketing campaign can provide great benefits to your business, but any successful business owner knows that they should always be striving to serve their customers better, as well. Always keep your customers in mind when running your SMS marketing campaigns; the same goes for enticing them to sign up in the first place.
As long as you are conveying the added value of your texting list to potential subscribers and then delivering on your promise with each message, you will continue to watch the SMS marketing list grow right alongside your business. Ready to get started with SMS marketing? Go with a brand you can trust! Sign up for our free trial today and if you need assistance with setting it up, we can help!
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