Think of the last time you received a text message and didn’t open it. Can’t remember? Well that’s because people don’t ignore texts

Now think of the last time you placed an ad in the trash unopened, or deleted an email without reading it. Probably today. Though mail and email can be effective tools for marketers, they pale in comparison to the effectiveness of SMS marketing. Just consider, the open rate of text messages is 98%. SMS is especially effective when the information you need to communicate is time sensitive. People view texts with more urgency than emails so not only will your text be seen, but it will be seen within minutes.

If this is your first time considering an SMS campaign, here are some tips to help get you started

Considerations

Many business owners that jump into SMS marketing do so simply because it’s what everyone else is doing. But you can’t just wing it when it comes to SMS as there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind to be successful:

• Have your customers opted in? Getting permission before you text isn’t just recommended. It’s required by law. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) you need to get consent before sending texts to consumers.You cannot purchase data and input it into your database.
• What do you want to get out of text message marketing? Are your goals realistic? If you don’t have clear and reasonable objectives, you can’t expect to have success.
• How will you measure success? Your goals are worthless if you have no way to measure your progress towards meeting them. For instance, if you want to use SMS to send promotions, you need to have a system in place to track this.
• What messages will you send and when will you send them? With SMS, you’re paying for every text you send. You want to make those texts count. You need to think carefully about every word. Pro tip: consider segmenting off consumers who have specific interests such as Kids Eat Free Night, Latin Night frequents, etc. to provide up to date information to them. Sometimes all your customers need is a reminder or incentive to go to their favorite spots.

After you’ve launched your campaign

Your work doesn’t end once your campaign has been launched. You need to pay close attention to metrics to see how you’re doing in relation to your goals. If you’re falling short, you need to fine tune your SMS campaign to constantly improve. Over time you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, there are many different uses of SMS. Try finding creative ways to use SMS that benefit your customers such as sending receipts, shipping notifications, and order confirmations.

Customers are used to businesses that use SMS simply to promote their products or services. You can stand out by using SMS to make their lives easier. They’ll appreciate it and they’ll remain your loyal customers.