While text message marketing is far from the most expensive marketing channel, it isn’t free to text your customers. You are paying a few cents per text. If you’re texting hundreds or even thousands of people. Each text message you send can represent a significant investment. If you want to see a profitable return on that investment, you’ll want to make sure that each text you send is as perfect as possible.

Texting is a very casual form of communication. It’s the reason so many prefer it. But when texts are being used as a marketing tool, every text needs to be very carefully crafted. Even when it sounds casual to the recipient, a lot of thought and planning should have gone into the writing of that text. Here are six elements that every good marketing text will have.

A valuable offer

The vast majority of the texts you send will be some kind of mobile offer or coupon. You want to make your offers good enough to be an incentive but not so good it will drive you into bankruptcy. You might offer a freebie when customers spend a certain amount or buy a specific product. You might offer a percentage off. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s valuable to your audience.

Conciseness

In addition to making some kind of offer, make sure you’re starting with that offer. Mobile users are notoriously impatient. They don’t want to read a whole paragraph. Get right to the point of your text. Say what you need to say using as few words as possible.

A call to action

Never assume that your audience will know what you want them to do as a result of your text. Every text you send should include an abundantly clear call-to-action. There should be no doubt in your audience’s minds what you want them to do. You might say “click this link to receive your coupon” or “show this text to your waiter to get 15% off your bill.” Just make sure your call to action is unmistakable.

A sense of urgency

If you don’t somehow imply urgency, your audience may never get around to redeeming your offer. The easiest way to create a sense of urgency is to set an expiration date or to limit the offer to a certain window of time.

Exclusivity

A deal will seem more special if it’s exclusive. In other words, if anyone and everyone can get the same deal in a variety of ways, recipients of your texts won’t perceive as much value in your offers. If on the other hand, your text recipients are part of an elite club that get special offers exclusive to them, they will be more likely to remain opted in and more likely to redeem your offers.

A brand name

Finally, don’t forget to mention your brand name somewhere within the text. Even if your text does everything else, a lack of a brand name can make it all for naught. Your customers may not be able to figure out from the content of the text itself who is texting them so don’t forget to mention who you are.

Source: smallbiztrends.com/2014/11/create-marketing-text-messages.html