If your nightclub, bar, community organization, or church group uses mass text messages for marketing or informational purposes, you have a terrific opportunity to get your message across effectively. Nine out of ten text messages are opened within three minutes of delivery, and you can't get that level of response from email or direct marketing. 

Then again, people can block texts, and if you annoy them with your mass text messages, they'll do so. Before you send a mass text message, make sure you're doing it right. Here are 5 tips for writing an effective mass text message.

1. Make It Personal and Identify Yourself

Text messages, including mass text messages, are perceived as more intimate than email, so avoid language that might come across as spammy. Identify your organization and include a clear call to action: "Club Sidecar is offering two for one appetizers with the following code from 9 p.m. to midnight Friday. Be sure to save this message." Not everyone will have your number stored, and if you don't identify yourself, they may not know who the message is from.

2. Time It Right

In general, the best time to send your mass text message is during regular business hours. People expect to get texts during the day and they tend to open them promptly. Exceptions would be when you have a spur-of-the-moment promotion and want to get word out right away. Even so, you should avoid sending text messages late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. Sending out a mass text message at 3 a.m. is more likely to get your number blocked.

3. Use Actual Words, and Proofread Before Sending

Don't write in "text speak." While the occasional "lol" is probably forgivable, spell out "you," "your," and other words that tend to get abbreviated. Remember: you're a legitimate business or organization, not a 12-year-old with a brand new phone. Also, proofread your message before you send it out. Make sure coupon codes are accurate, and that general grammar and spelling are correct.

4. Make the Most of Your 160 Characters

When you only have 160 characters to your point across, you have to be clear and concise. Remember that not everyone can access URLs on their phones, so if you include one make it easy to remember. This may mean setting up a specific domain for your mass text message campaign, but it's worth it. It only takes recipients seconds to read a text message, so get straight to the point.

5. Keep an Eye on Analytics for Future Mass Text Messages

Analytics on a mass text message campaign can help you compose a better message next time. Did that catchy URL get a good response? What percentage of text recipients redeemed the coupon code you sent out? What was the response rate of the simple poll you sent out by mass text message? The numbers tell a story, and you should use them to educate yourself on how better to compose your next mass text message.

The mass text message can be a tremendously effective marketing tool. It's quick, unobtrusive, and reaches people on a device they have by their side 24/7. Take the time to write your messages carefully, with a clear call to action, and you'll get better response rates and ultimately better results.