People have become dependent upon mobile phones in today's society, and not just for communicating with friends and family. According to a study by Apigee, a startling 85 percent of users would rather go without drinking water than have to delete any of the apps on their smartphones.
Marketers have taken note, developing smart ways to capitalize on people's close relationship with their phone, including using text message marketing to reach customers. This type of marketing may be growing exponentially, but many business owners still have questions about it. This introduction to SMS marketing covers the fundamental information you need to know if you want to use it to connect with your target audience.
How Does Text Messaging Work?
Mass texting works very similarly to email campaigns. You simply have to determine what you wish to say and then create the template for it. Then, you use your mobile marketing partner's platform to input the message and distribute it to your contact list.
Take advantage of the prevalence of mobile phones with a text campaign.
How Do You Create Messages?
Creating messages is easy. You can say anything or send anything you want, as long as you stay within the 160 character limit. Most mobile marketing companies have a special website, platform, or app in which you write and edit your messages. You can choose to send a message right away or schedule several messages at a time. You can also create a template to make it easy for sending similar messages, such as appointment reminders.
Sending out appointment reminders has never been easier than with a text template.
When you create your message, you also want to ensure you include your signature to reduce any confusion by the recipient. You should never include abbreviations or text speak, as this could be confusing and appear unprofessional.
What is a Keyword?
The term keyword is used a lot in digital marketing, but its meaning in mass texting is slightly different. A keyword is a special word that prompts action. The most common use of keywords in text message marketing is for opting in to a campaign. Your potential customers text a word to a short code and number, which adds them to your contact list and sends them an automatic response. You can also set up keywords to send other automatic replies, including opting out of the service.
Why Does Your Mobile Subscriber List Play an Important Role?
Your mobile subscriber list plays an invaluable role to your campaign. The FCC has important regulations on using mass texting for advertisement purposes. One of the most significant regulations is that you must have written permission to send a customer a text message. Without your contact list, you cannot send messages to anyone, even if they have opted into other campaigns for your company.
Although you want your message to go to everyone, users must sign up.
Can You Select Just a Group of Subscribers to Text?
Most mass texting services allow you to create groups out of your subscriber list. This lets you create messages to send to a select number of clients rather than the entire list. You can use this capability for many different purposes, including sending messages to current customers, texting customers who have been inactive for awhile to bring them back to your place of business, and communicating with new subscribers who've just signed up to receive texts from you.
How Quickly Do Customers Receive a Text?
The speed at which the customers receive a text depends on several factors, including network coverage and your mobile marketing company. When the message is ready to send, first your text marketing platform has to connect with the compatible wireless network. Most texts are sent within a matter of seconds.
Does it Matter Which Carrier a Subscriber Uses?
The wireless carrier a subscriber uses could impact their ability to receive a text message. Most mass texting platforms work with major carriers; however, if a subscriber's network is not covered, then they will not be able to opt-in to your campaign. Therefore, it is best to use a platform recognized by as many different networks as possible. Additionally, the fees that your customer may incur, such as data fees and text rates, differ depending on the carrier and their individual plan.
Don't forget to check the compatible networks when signing up for mass text messaging.
SMS campaigns are easy to set up and start. You simply need to have a strategy, a mobile partner, and a mobile subscription list. If you would like to learn more about using keywords in your text marketing campaigns, read this informative Club Texting blog post.