Text messages are a good way of targeting your products and services at potential customers – with an open rate of 90 per cent plus which is more than three times the amount of an email. However, they will not be effective if the recipient doesn’t want to read or react to the subject matter. Follow these steps to make sure your texts are read and the links clicked on…

Don’t be a stranger

Customers don’t like getting a message from an unknown number – it puts them on the back foot from the very start. Companies such as Global Messaging can ensure your messages are branded so your name will show up as the sender and you’ll be much less likely to be dismissed.

Personal touch

Don’t stop at identifying yourself – show you know whom your customer is and use their name in the message. This will help to grab their attention and show that the product or service you are offering is of use to them.

Short and snappy

Don’t waste words – you’ll need to grab the recipient’s attention and keep it – especially since many people will see a preview on their screen before even opening your message. You’ll need to make sure this preview warrants reading further. Get to the point, be clear, use eye-catching turns of phrase and be grammatically accurate too – mistakes would be embarrassing and completely undermine what you’re trying to achieve. Also don’t use overblown language that implies you are offering something that you’re not.

Know your audience

Your messages must be targeted at the right people. Once you know who your customers are and what they want you’ll be able to effectively tailor texts and strike a tone in your texts that they will appreciate. You wouldn’t want a cheeky comment or joke to be taken the wrong way – be confident you’re doing the right thing before you ‘push it’.

Worth clicking

Give customers something for their troubles – preferably an exclusive offer that they wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere. That will ensure they stay loyal and look out for your next message too. A link to a voucher code or coupon can be highly effective.

Make it clear

If you are sending out an offer, coupon or promoting a new product or service make it clear what you want from the customer – tell them where to click, how to buy or what to do next. A confused customer won’t stay around to work out what it is you want.

Watch the clock

If you’ve got a strong message and a good offer targeted to the right person you could ruin it all by getting your timing wrong. No-one wants to be woken in the early hours by a marketing message – and they certainly won’t be reading or reacting to your text. Think about your product. Is it food related? You might have most impact at lunch or tea times when people’s minds are on their meals. Other messages might be most effective to reach people on their way to or from work or maybe at the weekends. Put a lot of thought into who will receive your message and when they’re most likely to respond.

Clear exit

You must include the option to ‘opt out’ of your messages. Of course you should be confident that customers will be wowed by what you have to offer but the option to leave must be on the table and you shouldn’t make it too hard either. Getting this wrong could harm your reputation. 

 

By Tami Briesies, Digital PR Executive at Zazzle Media.

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