Before there were smartphones, QR codes, and mobile apps, all mobile marketers had to work with was text messages. Text message marketing was the first mobile marketing tool. But that doesn’t make it outdated. Year after year text message marketing (or SMS marketing) has proven itself as one of the most cost effective marketing strategies in existence. While SMS marketing has been around for a while, that doesn’t mean companies need to keep using it in the same ways. Businesses that hope to make the most of their mobile marketing campaigns should consider some new creative ways to use a tried and true marketing strategy.
Your customers subscribe to your text messages because they expect special treatment. Inform customers about upcoming special events such as a new location opening up. If the people on your texting list are getting information exclusive to them, chances are you’ll get even more people signing up to receive your texts.
Say your business is coming out with a new product. There’s no better way to generate excitement about it than by offering to give away a few. Have your customers text in a key word to sign up for the giveaway. As a bonus you add more customers to your texting database.
Your customers opted in for your texts because they believed there was something to gain from it. Make their wish come true by keeping them informed of any sales or promotions. By keeping them in the loop, they continue to perceive value by remaining a part of your texting list. So if you want to retain your customers, have plenty of promotions and keep them informed.
Nobody likes to sort through dozens of coupons with a pair of scissors anymore. Text message coupons are easy to send and redeem whether in the store or online. Studies show that mobile coupons are ten times as likely to be redeemed as coupons sent by mail.
If your type of business requires that appointments be set with customers, you can send those customers appointment reminders via text. Because 95% of text messages are opened, and most of those are read within minutes, there’s no better way to contact customers about time sensitive information.
Customer feedback is critical for every business. If you don’t know what your customers want, how can you give it to them? The easiest way to gather feedback from your customers after a visit to your store is to send a link to a short survey via text. These surveys are especially effective if you offer an incentive to customers for completing them.
Saying thank you is such a simple way to help customers feel appreciated that often it’s overlooked. Show good manners and send your frequent customers a thank you text after they visit your store, make a purchase, or subscribe to receive your texts.
Keep customers excited about your business by informing them about upcoming new products. You can include a photo of the product and a link to more product info on your company’s website.
Another great way to generate excitement about your business is to get your customers talking about it on social media. Send customers a text with a link to your business’s Facebook page or Twitter account and offer an incentive for “liking” you on Facebook or “following” you on Twitter.
Finally, consider automated text response which makes your job much simpler. As an example, if one of your customers wants to know your business’s locations or store hours, they simply send a text that contains a keyword such as “hours” or “locations” and they receive a reply with the information they need.
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