So your business has decided to invest in an SMS marketing strategy — and now you want to get the most out of it. After all, the whole point of texting your customers is to get them to engage with your messages and take action so that you can see a return on your investment.
But what types of texts should you be sending?
There are a lot of purposes for and ways to use SMS (short message service) marketing, but a tried-and-true approach is to create campaigns. These are strategic, often one-off text messages that help you do the following:
- Create a sense of urgency in the moment — such as during a one-day-only sale
- Announce upcoming promotions, seasonal sales or events, or new product launches
- Nurture customer relationships and deepen loyalty
Because texting is such a quick and flexible way to communicate with customers, you can create campaigns as you go and even send them out on the same day. Unlike with traditional marketing strategies, you don’t need a lot of time or resources to ensure a good response to your efforts.
Here are some ideas you can use for SMS marketing campaigns.
1. Send targeted promotions
Generic messages might net you results some of the time, but targeted messages have a far greater chance of resonating with your customers.
You can segment your SMS subscribers into groups that typically buy the same product or service or give the same type of feedback in surveys or customer reviews, for example. Then craft a text that speaks specifically to those different groups — such as announcing a flash sale on the products or services they like, promoting a new product or service that’s similar, or notifying them about a new feature that addresses a problem they’ve pointed out.
Pro tip: Use the customer’s name, mention their recent purchase or appointment, and the exact product or service they bought for more precise personalization.
When you show that you’re paying attention to your customers and understand their individual behaviors and needs, you can increase engagement, sales, and loyalty.
2. Offer subscribers-only perks
When your customers subscribe to SMS, it’s nice to give them something in return, which has the added benefit of enticing other customers to sign up who haven’t already.
You can come up with and send exclusive offers that are only available to your subscribers — such as invitations to private sales, special discount codes, extra loyalty points, or access to insider knowledge or business updates that no one else can get. Or, if you throw a party or host an event, text them offering free or discounted entry or the ability to get tickets before anyone else.
Pro tip: You don’t have to spend or give away a lot on these perks; even small offers can have a big effect.
Creating a sense of exclusivity is a great way to reward your SMS subscribers and make them feel special and prioritized — and turn them into champions of your business.
Guide: Get Started with SMS Marketing
3. Invite customers to give feedback
Texting is an efficient method for asking customers for feedback since you can reach them in real time when a purchase, service, or interaction is still fresh in their mind.
You can take the opportunity to find out what they like or don’t like about your products or services, what suggestions they have for improvements, and whether they would recommend your business to others. Send a text with a link to a survey or place to leave an online review, such as a Google review or a review on your website — making it super easy to click and provide feedback without hassle.
Pro tip: To increase response rates, you can also use SMS to follow up with customers from whom you’ve requested a review.
Directly asking your customers what they think gives them a real voice in your business that can improve the quality of your products and services, attracting more customers as a result.
4. Acknowledge customer milestones
One of the biggest benefits of texting your customers is that it fosters an emotional connection with them — and there’s no better way to do that than by acknowledging customer milestones.
You can keep a calendar of customer birthdays as well as anniversaries of their SMS sign-up date, first purchase, or first service. Before a big date approaches or on the actual date, send the customer a text with warm wishes and gratitude — and, if feasible, a small token of appreciation like a discount.
Pro tip: Make your milestone text interactive by including a video, image, or link to your website that they can click to engage further and possibly even make a purchase.
These personal touch points go a long way toward creating customers for life. And when you increase customer loyalty and retention, you increase your revenue too.
Up the effectiveness of your SMS strategy with GatherUp
SMS marketing is all about reaching your customers where they are in quick, friendly, action-oriented ways that get their attention and make them want to engage with your business. When leveraged the right way, SMS marketing can deliver results, including attracting and retaining more customers and earning more sales.
GatherUp’s SMS capabilities are integrated into our comprehensive reputation management platform, letting you implement a successful texting strategy backed up by valuable data and insights. GatherUp gives you the tools to:
- Run, manage, and measure the performance of your text campaigns
- Segment your customers for personalized, targeted communications
- Test and schedule text messages at optimal times for better engagement
- Use customer feedback to create even more effective campaigns
To learn more about how your business can use GatherUp to get the most out of your SMS marketing strategy, schedule a demo.
