Creating an SMS Marketing Strategy around TextMarks: It’s a Discipline
The informal nature of text messaging makes it tempting to approach SMS marketing with a cavalier attitude. Bulk text messaging as needed with the occasional coupon code or sale alert seems like a simple enough approach. But with just a little bit of strategic thinking you can turn your group SMS campaign from a mere afterthought to a reliable cornerstone of your business.
The first part of your SMS marketing strategy should be reliable, consistent scheduling. Pick a day of the week and hour of the day to send your messages and in about a month you should have your opt-in SMS group conditioned to expect to hear from you on that day and time. Eventually, provided the content is compelling enough, your text alerts will become events, something for you customers to look forward to.
But remember: never send your group a text message merely for the sake of sending one. If meeting scheduled deadlines means creating new events, sales, products, and promotions, so be it. Just imagine your customers sitting at home or in the office thinking, “I wonder what [your business] has in store for me this week?” That is the kind of top-of-mind placement every business wants, and regular disciplined scheduling could earn you just that.
Next, consider your target audience. Way back when you started your business you probably put in a lot of work into defining your targets. You should repeat the process for your SMS campaign. SMS users tend to skew between 18-35 years old. They aren’t necessarily technical geniuses but their smart phones obviously have a place in their everyday lives. They’re more likely to lead more active lives and be connected to more than one mobile campaign. So craft your messages to that demographic. That means more urgent calls to action, less formal language, and acknowledgements of their busy lifestyles. Even if the rest of your marketing doesn’t take on that tone, a language specifically crafted to texting fans prove much more effective.
Whatever your strategy, three words are the key to long-term success: stick to it.
Don’t let convenience lull you into laziness. SMS marketing is easy to execute, but effective marketing of any kind takes thought and effort. Starting a group text messaging campaign might have put you ahead of the curve with regards to your competition. But as more and more businesses see the power of group SMS, turning your campaign into a finely-tuned, optimized marketing machine will be the thing that keeps you in front of the pack.
There’s no time like the present to start learning new habits so develop your strategy today and stick to it.
