Text Marketing Basics: How to Create GREAT SMS Marketing Campaigns

Originally published in June 2019, but still USEFUL!

Did you know in 2017 more than 15 million texts were sent every minute of every day!  That number is only going to get bigger…

This tells me one thing… texting is incredibly popular!

So, if you’re a business owner or doing digital marketing, it means you need to use texting to reach your target audience, no matter your industry.

But before you blast off your first marketing message over text, you want to get it right… so here’s 7 quick tips to help you set up a great SMS marketing campaign.

Let’s jump in…

1. Know Your SMS Marketing Goals

First, when setting up an SMS marketing campaign, it’s important to decide on your goals.

Are you trying to increase sales? Create website visits? Encourage people to watch your Facebook live event? Get people to sign up for a product demo? 

Regardless of your goal, it’s important to focus on ONLY ONE GOAL for each campaign.  

Don’t confuse your customers and prospects.  

Keep your focus.  It will make your efforts easy, and improve your results.

Also be sure to set SMART goals. This will keep your goals focused and attainable. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

When you do this, you’ll have a much higher chance of actually meeting your goals.

2. Get Permission To Send SMS Messages

This is one of the biggest SMS marketing basics.

When it comes to sending out marketing text messages, you MUST have people’s permission.

If you don’t, you’re breaking the law! 

It’s that simple.

Always, get people to opt-in. The easiest way to do this is to have people text a simple keyword to your texting number. Make sure to tell them what they’re signing up for and how frequently you’ll be texting.

It’s just good business to do it the right way!

If you have a physical location, consider displaying your Opt-in invitation in a high traffic location.  With brick and mortar location, have signs or posters with this information. 

If you already have an email list, invite them to join your texting list too… for special offers.

Put your offer on your social media channels.

For example we added it to our Twitter profile. If you want to follow Betwext.com on Twitter you can find us at @Betwext.

You can also get people to signup on your checkout page as someone is purchasing your product. This can be done through a special offer… just make sure it’s clear what people are signing up for.

3. Remember, Less IS More

Now that you have people’s permission to text them, it’s time to think about your SMS Marketing strategy. It can be tempting to send out multiple messages every single day! 

You now have a direct line of communication with interested prospects.

But this is a mistake! You don’t want to overload people’s inboxes with texts.

Remember that less is more when it comes to SMS Marketing. Texts are meant to be short and to the point.

Every business is different.  I know one business who texts people information every day for 2 weeks.  Others only text once a week!

Figure out what’s best for you… but remember… “Less is MORE!”

Not sure where to start… I’ve found most businesses have success with sending 4 – 7 messages a month. That way, your texts aren’t annoying… yet people remember who you are!

When you send your first message, I recommend reminding people who you are and that they signed up for… and tell them how frequently you’ll be texting them so they know what to expect.

Clear expectations from the beginning equal happier customers.

4. Timing your SMS Message is Important

With great SMS Marketing campaigns, timing is important. 

Remember, your goal is to increase engagement. You want people clicking your links, watching your videos, asking questions, reading articles, visiting your store.

All of that engagement will lead to better sales.

So of course you want to target people at just the right time.

Think about your target market and their daily schedule. When will they most likely be on their phones? When will they check their phone and see your message… and take action?

For example you don’t send “Breakfast Deals” at 6 pm at night… and you don’t tell people about special deals 10 minutes before your store closes!

The best time, is usually during normal business hours of 9 am to 4 pm. During this time, people check their phones often and will be able to see your message.

Of course, if you’re running a nightclub… you might not start texting people until 8 pm!

Remember, your business might be different!

5. Make your Texts Urgent

You’ll be using text messages to educate and inform your prospects and customers.  Sometimes, you’ll use these SMS messages to sell things.

When you start selling, you need to give people a reason to act on your offer, you have to make it feel urgent.

The easiest way… set a deadline or a limit in your message. 

This can be done by saying things like “ends today” or “only 100 available.” 

You can even send out a follow-up message letting people know how many are left!

Whatever you decide, always be sure to include a link to your landing page or website in your message. Oh, and don’t forget to remind people who you are!  You don’t want customers confusing you with a competitor! 

Your goal is to create urgency so people take immediate action. This will greatly improve your conversion rates.

6. Keep Things Fun

As you start SMS Marketing, remember texting is personal and informal. Don’t make your messages too stiff or corporate-sounding. 

They should be FUN!

One great way to accomplish this is to make your content entertaining and interactive. This is the place to feature quizzes, games, and polls.

You can use MMS messages to send images or GIFs that you might not normally use throughout the rest of your marketing. 

When it comes to texting, you want to capture people’s attention by making it feel personal and laid back.

7. Analyze, Analyze, Analyze Your Text Messages

No matter what digital marketing campaign you’re running, one of the biggest things you need to do is to analyze your results. 

When it comes to digital marketing, we have the data, but far too many companies don’t review it, understand it, or take advantage of it!

Look at your engagement rates. Analyze your click-through rates. 

Remember to segment your audience to get the right message in front of the right people… at the right time.

Doing these 7 things will ensure you create great SMS Marketing campaigns that make you money.

But, don’t stop here… Now that you’ve read through these 7 great SMS Marketing campaign tips, take action!  Implement these ideas in your business! 

If you liked these tips on great SMS Marketing, you should download our free book about text marketing for small businesses…