Text marketing is one of the most essential tools a business has to reaching their customers. It is something your business probably already uses or should begin using soon, as customers have grown accustomed to using more technology with businesses. But what exactly should you be including in your texts to customers? Here are five things you should include when texting your customers.
1. A link to more information
An SMS message is limited to 160 characters, so while you can technically go longer than that and send multiple messages, customers prefer texting to be quick communication with just enough information without going overboard. Instead of going on and on about your promotion, just put in the most important part and then a short link to your website with more information. That way, you don’t waste their time if they aren’t interested, but they can get more information if they want it.
2. Use emojis
Emojis have become an everyday part of communication, especially when it comes to texting. It is so important that Apple has actually added a touch bar for emoji’s into their Macbook Pros, according to the Verge. The reason why they are so popular in text conversations is that tone can’t be relayed through words alone, typically, but adding emoticons can signify if you are being sarcastic, intentionally rude, are joking, etc. It gives a depth to text marketing that we haven’t had before. Emojis have become especially popular in the last few years, and there are now more emojis than you thought possible.
3. Make it relevant
If you are going to make someone go through all the effort of opening up their phone to check a text message from you, it had better be worth their while. Most of the time, people are annoyed to get texts from businesses simply wishing them a happy holiday. They want to know if there are any new specials they should know about, and customers are almost always expecting promotions when they get texts.
4. Use appropriate language
While this may change depending on your demographic and what you are selling, it is a good rule of thumb to avoid using words and phrases that may be considered offensive. Again, it is better to be short and to the point with text messages and then give a link to more information on a web page.
5. Text-back information
If your customers aren’t already aware of their ability to ask you questions through texting, send them a text to let them know. And in the future, anytime a new customer signs up for text marketing, make sure they understand they can ask you questions too. This will give you an edge over the competition and makes it clear to your users that you are tech-friendly. While some customers may not care, many will appreciate being able to contact you through text instead of having to call next time they need information about when you are closing for the night or what your current specials are.