Modern business marketing techniques rely heavily on technology. A case in point is the use of SMS messages and email. For a number of years, marketers have preferred email marketing for a variety of reasons, ranging from affordability and flexibility. In recent years, however, statistics show a significant rise in the use of text messages as a marketing channel.
SMS Marketing vs. Email Marketing
These two marketing methods share a lot of benefits in common. However, SMS has some slight advantage in that:
- Immediate Response: Text marketing is more time efficient; the time and effort it takes to write and send an SMS message, and have your recipient read it, is significantly less than what it would take to draft and send out an email. SMS enables quicker responses to news, offers and market changes.
- Better response from customers: Text messaging does not cause much of a distraction; it takes only seconds to read a message. As such, customers are more likely to read and respond to business texts as opposed to emails.
Send Mode have provided some top tips on how to write effective text messages.
1. Have your target in mind
In marketing, identifying your niche market is the best way to achieve the desired results since you are able to use a language that your target understands and offer solutions that would interest them. With a target market in mind, you will be able to write text messages that are more appealing, and get a better response.
2. Make your text messages simple and clear
Text marketing gives you just 160 characters to pass your message. Therefore, you should make it count. Ensure that your business text messages are in a language that your target customers are able to understand at the first glance; the messages must be clear and simple.
3. Continuous testing
Just like with all other business marketing communication channels, you need to test and revise your message before sending out to customers. Once you are done drafting your SMS texts, it is important to first send test messages to your own mobile phone. Doing this enables you to see firsthand what your target customers will receive on their phones. Other than that, you will still need to revise and test your messages constantly to see if you can get different responses from customers. Changing a small aspect of your text messages can have a big impact on your customers.
4. Avoid Txt Speak
“ ywud a cstmrbthrredng such a mrketngmsg?” Many people casually use text speak when texting friends and family. However, you should remember that your messages are not personal. In the same way you wouldn’t dare use such language in your business letters or website, avoid using it in your text marketing texts.
5. Get to the point
With only 160 characters at your disposal, you don’t have the luxury to give stories. Don’t waste any time; try to get your customers’ attention right away. Use catch phrases such as OFFER, BREAKING NEWS… etc at the start of your messages. These phrases entice users to open the text messages since they appear on phones with text preview.
6. Get your timing right
It is fact that most people carry their mobile phones with them for the better part of the day so timing shouldn’t be an issue, right? Not at all. Just because someone has his/her mobile phone with them doesn’t mean that they want to be disturbed. For instance, sending business texts in the dead of night isn’t such a good idea. The ideal times to send text marketing messages is mid to late afternoon.
