Mass Text Messaging
Text messaging is a great way to send information or messages to people using the mobile phone. SMS or Short Message Service allows mobile users to send messages to others. This is a boon for marketers who can send messages promoting their products and services to existing and potential customers. Thanks to mobile phones, the days of sending mass mailers are gone. Instead of investing time and effort to print, pack and send letters, promotional messages can be easily sent through e-mail.
The beauty of text messaging is that you don’t have to send messages to one person at a time. You can use Mass Text Messaging to message many people together. There are many software tools available that would help you to do this easily and effectively. You can create a marketing campaign where you want to send a particular message to customers. Once you get a list of customers, you can message all of them at once using mass text messaging.
Here’s how you can send mass text messages in 7 simple steps:
1) Get a subscriber list
Create a list of customers who are willing to receive messages. When your customers visit your store or website, collect their phone numbers and take their consent to send promotional messages. This is an opt-in subscriber list where you are including existing customers into your mailing list. This would ensure you are on strong legal grounds as you have taken the customer’s permission before adding to the list.This list is the basis for your mass texting campaign. Make sure you keep updating the list. Many a time, customers change their phone number, so update the list, else you would be sending messages to a number that would probably not be used.
2) Decide on a subject
You can add a subject to the message you want to send. The subject should briefly tell subscribers what the message is about. A subject for text messages is a good way of telling the customer in brief what the message is all about. It is also a great way to attract attention. Think of the subject as a headline that you can use to get the customer’s attention and make the customer open the message and read it.For example, the subject ‘Free seminar on 12th’ tells the customer that the message is about a seminar that he can attend for free. It creates curiosity with the customer wanting to know what seminar is being offered for free. Similarly, ‘50% discount on phones’ is an attractive subject title that creates interest.
3) Allow exit option
Legally and ethically, you are bound to allow customers to opt out of receiving your messages. Sending messages to customers who don’t want them is spam. Sending spam can lead to action, so make sure you provide an exit option to your customers.Add a line ‘send STOP to
4) Create a message
While you have 140 character limit for sending SMS, when you use software solutions, you can type on without worrying about the limit, the software will automatically split up the messages for you into multiple messages. Ideally, you need to say whatever you want in one message. Follow the rule KISS – Keep it short and simple. The message must be crisp and clear without going into specifics.The idea is that the customer must do something like calling you or opening a web link to find out more information.
Look at this message: ‘
Similarly, ‘Get up to 50% discount on smartphones. Special offer for our customers available only for two days. Buy a great phone at the best price today.’ This message again provides information that would make the customer interested in using your services.
5) Use a call for action
No marketing message is complete without a call for action. This is a strong statement you can include that would motivate the customer to respond to your message.For example, if you are offering a free seminar, you can add – ‘Only 100 seats available. Register now by clicking on ’. This information is a call to action and the customer knows that there are only 100 seats, so he needs to register fast.
6) Personalize message
You can use a software tool to personalize the SMS by adding the customer name. This helps to create a personal touch. Instead of sending the same general message to everyone, sending a message specially addressed to a customer creates a personal touch. This increases the chance of the customer opening the message, reading it and acting on it.7) Measure effectiveness
You can add a tiny URL link in the message and invite the recipient to click on it to avail the offer or scheme. This will help you get data about how successful your campaign was. You can create a URL link whose statistics you can monitor to find out how many people clicked on it. Doing this helps you to know whether your campaign was successful or not. If not, then you can find out what went wrong and draw up new strategies.‘Visit https://tinyurl.com/y7hzz5zk to avail the offer’ - you can place this at the end of the message. When a user clicks, it should redirect to a landing page on your website so you can track the visits by users.
Following these 7 steps can help you use mass text messages effectively and benefit from it.
