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Engaging an audience through SMS can be a rather tricky proposition. How do you send promotional material directly to someone’s phone without ticking them off and potentially losing their business? You don’t need to be especially crafty about it; you just have to take a moment and respect the fact that you are interrupting the customer’s day with your message.
Here’s how to craft an SMS marketing message that won’t make them opt out:
Stay on Topic
The absolute worst thing you can do is get off topic. You’re already occupying their phones with a promo message—don’t wear out your welcome. Be clear about who you are and why you’re messaging them. You don’t want to spend twenty words introducing yourself because they’ve already stopped reading; declarative statements are the order of the day.
Bulk messages can be tricky, so a good SMS marketing tool is definitely a valuable asset. Head over to a specialist in the SMS marketing field such as SMSGlobal site for more information about how this could help you.
Use Their Name
Even when sending a bulk marketing SMS, make sure you set it up to use each customer’s name in the text so it feels less cold. Using their names is a personal touch and, even if they know it’s a bulk message, they’ll still notice that you took the time to address it to them. It shows that you’re willing to make an effort, and they may feel compelled to reciprocate by hearing you out.
Keep It Casual
Avoid using stuffy advertising language if you can. The words buy, sale, and cost shouldn’t appear anywhere in the message body. Striking a casual, friendly tone makes the message feel more personal, and it means recipients may mistake it for a direct message instead of a bulk one. This is the ideal scenario because it means the customer feels like you deemed them, specifically, important enough to tell about your offer.
Be Brief
Further to the earlier point about staying on topic, it is also important to be concise. Don’t use flowery language or over-explain your pitch. Try to keep the entire message to no longer than three lines if you possibly can. Here’s an example: “Hey Brian, it’s [Business Name]! We’ve got a whole bunch of new big brand TVs in! Drop by and check them out – we’re open until 4pm today.” Clear, concise, casual. All the information is conveyed efficiently and Brian can get on with his day, which may now feature a quick stop to check out some TVs.
Have a Call to Action
This is still a marketing SMS, however, so remember that your goal is still to get the customer to buy something. Without being pushy, you should be urging them to do something: come in and see you, click on the link, or use a discount code or coupon. Engaging the customer and getting them to participate almost always leads to a sale.
There are so many dos and don’ts to remember when constructing a marketing message. For small businesses in particular, personality is key. Adding a more personal touch will help customers remember you, and they will appreciate your culture of appreciation.
How do you construct your SMS marketing messages? Leave a comment below and share your tips.
