Consumers today are more responsive to mobile communications over any other simply because they carry their phones with them wherever they go. They are sending and receiving SMS messages all day long. As a marketer, you have many marketing opportunities that were never available before.
7 Strategies to Engage Customers with Text Message Marketing
Here are some actionable tips do mobile marketing the right way to get the best results:
1. Use Customer Receipts to advertise your SMS.
Receipts printed out at a cash register are a simple, inexpensive, yet highly effective way to promote your SMS marketing campaign. Ace Hardware, for instance, has a receipt that boxes the word coupon at the bottom of the receipt. The text reads: “Text downtown to 55155 for great money savings offers! Trust us – It’s worth it!”
2. Collect customer email addresses from text message marketing.
Chuck E. Cheese say that they get five percent of their signups using this method. This is actual trendy with brand name restaurants. Dennys, for example, has a simple process to capitalize on this idea. Customers who are interested in signing up for Denny’s Diner Perks Loyalty have simply to text the name “Dennys” with their email address to 73757, the SMS short code. Once they do, they get an instant friendly confirmation.
3. Target customers who appreciate what you offer.
A good example is Hooked on Phonics, their target customers are children between 7 to 10 years of age who are struggling to learn how to read. The learning company has developed Reading Pro, an app that can be used on a mobile phone. If you were a parent whose child was behind the reading curve, wouldn’t you be pleased to receive a brief SMS message that invited you to download this type of a APP? This is an example of a positive disruption.
4. Implement a retail SMS marketing plan.
An outstanding example is Staples. At the checkout, each card reader has a placard with a call-to-action. The bright orange card says: “Text JOIN to 555444 to get $5 off your next $25 purchase. Plus get other exclusive offers sent to your phone.”
5. Promote actionable local advertising.
Adding an SMS short code with a keyword when advertising in your local newspaper or on your community radio. Offer an incentive like a discount or an exclusive special offer. In effective, customers are responding to an advertisement through SMS rather than picking up the telephone or visiting a website. Merchants can respond faster and track responses better.
6. Improve customer service through SMS when customers visit your store.
This is another idea that’s easy enough to do. It will also improve customer service for in-store shoppers. Customers can text a keyword that is displayed in a store aisle to find products, get more details on products, get discounts on products, or get product recommendations.
7. Enroll customers in a sweepstakes.
Using text message marketing to enter customers into a sweepstakes. It only takes a few seconds for customers to enroll in nationwide promotions on their mobile phones. This convenience and the hope of winning a big prize is enough to optimize the number of entrants.
Summary
Although text message marketing and SMS marketing may be new ways to reach more customers, the psychology of selling remains the same. It’s easy enough to make customer’s feel they are getting better and quicker service by using one or more of these seven suggestions. Don’t forget to implement SMS marketing best practices.