Starting and owning a restaurant can be one of the most exhilarating, yet challenging, times of your life.
Competition, marketing, dealing with vendors, and more can all become a serious drag if you aren't prepared for what's coming next.
Thankfully, you can gain an edge over the competition by employing some SMS strategy.
What is SMS?
SMS stands for "short message service", another way of saying "text message".
Before texting was regular thing, SMS was used by carries such as Verizon Wireless to describe "short" messages sent by phone.
Today, the term "SMS" is rarely used, but the technology behind it can be invaluable when contacting customers or potential customers.
SMS in 2015 is virtually synonymous with texting, and a vast majority of the buying public own smartphones with texting or instant messaging capabilities.
Get People to Sign Up
One of the most important things to do when creating an SMS campaign is to consider what it offers the consumer by signing up.
When crafting your marketing plan, consider that people today receive all kinds of notifications on their phones, including emails, texts, phone calls, calendar reminders, and more.
As such, you need to have an important reason to send out a text message. If it doesn't benefit a potential or current customer, don't send it out.
Gain SMS Subscriptions
After crafting your SMS campaign, you'll need subscribers.
In order to get them, consider offering a free trial of a service, a discount on a product, or, in the worst case, a sample of a product or service when people sign up.
In the article, "We're Open: How to Use SMS Marketing to Give Your New Restaurant a Boost," the author states that offering VIP packages or service or products is also a good idea to get consumers interested.
You might also provide a "limited-time offer" so that you can attract consumers who may be on the fence about engaging or making a purchasing decision.
Legalities of SMS
Another important point to note is that SMS is quickly being governed like email.
This means that you cannot send out random SMS messages, and you also need to provide a "stop" or "unsubscribe" feature with each SMS message.
Failing to do so may lad your company in a legal battle over whether it is legally allowed to contact people.
Keep in mind that fins and fees deriving from guilty verdicts can range into the thousands of dollars or more, so be careful when sending out SMS messages.