Text Message Marketing Message!
A local text message marketing strategy can be a highly effective client attraction tool for your small business.
Just about any business can use local text messaging to increase sales because it’s low cost, and the response rates can be quite high. Recent studies reveal that text messages are opened up to 95% of the time, compared to email which averages 20%.
Here’s How To Set Up A Text Message Advertising Campaign!
- Choose A Keyword – Most text messaging companies will let you search for your very own vanity keyword to use in your promotional efforts. The prices vary from $15.95 to $49.95 ore more, plus .02 – .04 per message (you can get this down if you buy more ‘credits’).
I’ll use EZTexting.com as an example to show you how a vanity keyword is used in text promotions for small business:
Lets say you choose the keyword TOAST. Your potential clients would type TOAST to 313131 to get on your text message list and your first text promotion. Simple as that. Once they type this into their mobile phone they are on your text message advertising list!
- Effective promotional material – You can use a graphic designer to create print material. It’s not difficult to create something eye catching. But you want to be sure your message is clear.
- Website Promotion – Use an image of a cell phone with the texting code like the image there on the right. You can also use a ‘Web Widget’ to get people to type in their phone numbers and sign up that way. Like this:
Text Message List Building Tool!
See a sample of a cell phone image in this mobile phone marketing article.
- Simple Messages – Text messages should be short and sweet. Before you send a mass text to your list, send yourself a test message first and look at it on your phone to be sure it’s what you want.
- Send Exclusive Text Message Offers – Text messages are sent instantly to your customers mobile phones so it’s perfect for days that are slow.
- Opting Out – It’s important to make it simple and easy for your customers to opt out of your text message marketing list. This is done by providing a message at the bottom, which is usually put into each message by the text messaging company you are using (see sample cell phone and text message marketing message above).
Build Your Text Message Marketing List:
Here are a few local text promotion techniques that will help you build your text message list.
In-store text message promotions – At the point of sale have a sign that says:
Join Our Exclusive Text Message Coupon List
and Get 10% Of Your Order!
Text 555-555-5555
To:
ATT411(288411)
One per customer. Ask at counter for details
Promotional Giveaway – Choose a month to run a contest. Give away several special gifts at random to those that join your list.
Ask customers if they want to join your list - Ask them for their cell phone number and you can send them an optin text message or they can do it right then and there. Tell them the advantages of getting on your special text message list.
Once you start building your list, you can use this list to get more clients in the door.
8 Text Messaging Marketing Ideas!
- A taco stand downtown sees a dramatic downturn every time it rains. But to fill up their seats and sell tacos on those days they send out a special text message coupon that is good for that day only!
- A Hair salon is notoriously slow on Wednesdays so the owner sends out a special text message to her list that provides free coloring or hair treatment plus 20% off for booking an appointment during the slow time.
- A tanning salon gives out half off upgrades to their higher level tanning beds, or buy 1 get 1 spray tans when it’s slow.
- A bakery has free espresso for any customers who try their new pastries or sandwiches.
- A tire store provides free oil changes for buying a new set of tires or a car battery.
- A dentist gives away a free teeth whitening. 1st treatment.
- A mixed martial artist provides kick boxing lessons from 12-2 on a slow day to their Jujitsu students.
- A Smoothie stand gives away free hot soup during the winter.
The small business text marketing ideas are limitless, but the rewards can be substantial. The key is to send the text messages sparingly. You don’t want to send one every single week unless you know your list of customers is hot for your deals.
If you need help setting up and managing your text promotions let us know by contacting us here.