SEO Saturday: Four Ways To Use Text Message Marketing

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

Did you know the majority of people will keep the same phone number their entire life?

Text message marketing has increased in popularity in recent years, primarily because the vast majority of people have a cellphone and keep it within reach at any time during the day.! It’s also effortless to send SMS online using FireText, and the learning curve for setup and execution is relatively small. 

A whopping 90% of people read their text messages within the first five minutes of being received.

SMS marketing is also permission-based. As a result, you’re only communicating with a highly targeted group of people who care about your business and what it has to say! It’s also the fastest way to put coupons and special offers into the hands of your customers. 

Want some creative inspiration for using text message marketing in your business? Here are four ways to consider using it this fall. 

Four Ways To Use Text Message Marketing

Announce sales

Sending customers advance notice of upcoming sales or special events is a great way to use text message marketing. However, once you’ve gotten their permission to use this tool, the onus is on you to use it wisely and only send valuable content. 

It’s much easier to unsubscribe to text messages (a simple STOP reply usually) than to unsubscribe from emails. This ease means the minute your message lands, the customer must immediately understand the value of the content and feel it’s relevant to them. 

Update or extend hours

There’s nothing worse than a customer who is ready to make a purchase showing up at your door to find you’ve closed early or changed your existing hours. It’s easy to send a text message update that includes your new hours or a link to your website where you have posted your new schedule. 

Customers will appreciate the notice, and you’ll be able to hit a larger audience when you incorporate texts, along with email, website, and social media updates. 

Give a behind the scenes look at new products

Make your customers feel appreciated and valued by sending them a sneak peek behind the scenes of a new product or service launch. Creating customer loyalty begins with establishing trust, assuring your customers you have their interests at heart.

When you send a text that gives them an exclusive look behind the curtain and builds excitement about a new product or service, you’re setting the stage for a sale. 

Send text message only coupons

Sending promo codes or coupons via text is an excellent strategy to collect phone numbers but should not be overused or exploited. For example, if a potential customer signs up with their phone to receive free shipping and uses that perk, it’s best to hold off on new text-only promotions for at least a few weeks. 

This method of exchange (data for deals) is effective but can also lead to unwanted unsubscribes from customers who were only interested in a one-time buying situation. Reserving text messages for loyalty programs may result in better engagement and happy customers. 
Like you would target your blog content to your readers, using targeted SMS messaging should be a regular part of your digital marketing strategy.