We’ve written before about the many advantages of SMS marketing, citing its cost-effectiveness and ability to reach millions on the device that has become indispensible for almost all Americans. We’ve also mentioned before the growing trend of shoppers and travelers to turn to their mobile phones for information and web content relevant to their immediate location. One of the major advantages that SMS marketing has over many other traditional marketing forms is that users come to you. Once you generate interest in your mobile campaign, the users who respond to your call-to-action opt themselves into your marketing list and give permission to receive future updates and promotions. But before any of this can be successful, you must first determine how to attract new opt-ins.
The answer is at once obvious and obscure: you must create a dynamic campaign. You must have an appealing, easy-to-understand call-to-action that interests people and you must respond promptly with clear, relevant information that will keep clients satisfied. Of course, you cannot overwhelm people either, lest they find your campaign a constant intrusion and quickly opt out.
So, how can you create a dynamic SMS campaign? First, be clear about your goal. Is it to drive up in-store traffic? Attract new customers? Increase brand awareness? Having a clearly defined objective will help you define your target audience and the media they most often frequent. Second, be creative. One thing you might consider is trying out different keywords and then advertising your call-to-action(s) in different media. TextBoard can help you manage multiple keywords at once, tracking the effectiveness of each as well as determining for you which medium (print, TV, radio, web, etc.) generated the greatest response rate. Gathering data about the effectiveness of each keyword, its associated call-to-action¸ and its advertising medium will help you tweak and streamline your campaign as you go, thus making it as efficient and cost-effective as possible.
Using SMS to launch a contest can also be a creative means to attract a large number of initial respondents. Offer people the chance to win something unique, highly desirable, and relevant to your business; all of the mobile users that enter the contest now join your client list and can be marketed to again. Contests and sweepstakes have proven to offer high rates of success in drawing in large numbers of new users. Of course, sending out mobile coupons is a great way to keep people interested too, and they can be used in both push and pull campaigns.
Thinking creatively about your media can further broaden your reach. Billboards, print ads, and in-store signs are time-tested media, as are broadcast venues, but have you also considered movie theaters during the pre-show time? Most moviegoers spend this time in boredom playing with their phones and texting anyway. Now that cinemas often use the pre-show time for advertising, consider an ad that invites people to text a keyword to receive something to be redeemed after the show.
The more creative you can be in crafting your messages, choosing your media, and tailoring your prizes or rewards to your audience, the more successful your SMS campaign is likely to be. Remember too that being creative does not mean being complicated. Keeping your calls-to-action and subsequent text messages simple and clear will necessitate less customer support while ensuring smooth campaigns and low opt-out rates.
