Are you making use of text marketing in your business?
With 98 percent open rates, text messages are a surefire way to get your message in front of your intended audience, even when they're out and about.
As with any other kind of marketing, to get the best out of text messaging you need to plan carefully.
So just what do you need to know before you launch your text message marketing campaign?
Know Your Goal
Before sending out your first text message, get clear on what your goal is for the campaign.
Is it to promote a particular offer? Get more sign-ups for an organization? Keep customers in touch with local promotions?
The clearer your goal before you start, the better placed you are to make sure you meet it.
Know Your Audience
Think about your audience.
Who are they? What do they want from your business?
The more information you can get about your audience, the more you can design your text marketing campaign to grab their attention.
Consider segmenting your audience into specific groups.
That way you can make sure your texts speak directly to the recipient, which is key to getting your audience engaged with your campaign.
Know the Regulations
As the article "4 Things You Should Know Before You Launch Your First Text Message Marketing Campaign" points out, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has specific guidelines you need to comply with.
These include only sending messages to people who have given you written permission (such as through email sign up or texting a number), clear information on how many messages they can expect from you, and how to opt out.
Know Your Budget
As with any marketing campaign, it's important to know your budget before you start.
Text messaging is a cost effective way to market compared to printed media, so you should be able to get plenty of messages for your marketing dollars.
Compare different bulk texting providers to find the best deal for you. Many providers allow you to buy credits that you can use as and when you need them.
Know How to Craft Messages
Text messages are short, and it's up to you to make sure they're sweet.
With so little space, now is the time to cut any preamble and get straight to the heart of each message.
Each text should have one subject - don't try to talk about two promotions in one text, for example.
Keep your language concise and don't forget to include a call to action so your customers understand what they should do after reading the message.
Know How to Measure Results
Any marketing campaign is only as good as the benefits it brings your business.
Before you set out, decide what your goal is, and how you will measure whether that has been achieved.
You can also use text messaging to send out customer feedback surveys, giving you an insight on what worked and what didn't from your customers' perspectives.
Text message marketing is a powerful practical tool that can raise awareness and increase sales.
To make text message marketing work for you, make sure you have all the information you need in place before you hit send.