When you think of marketing, you probably think of ads, billboards, radio, and maybe a few other things. What did you not think of? Texting. It’s not exactly an innovative way to market your business. However, with the right plan in place, you can use SMS marketing as an inexpensive way to advertise your business and drive new customers to your location. Here are some ideas on how you can deploy SMS texts for your business:
1. Send Appointment Reminders
If you’re in the healthcare or dental field, you know how important it is to keep your appointment schedule up to date with your patients. But sometimes people are forgetful, or life gets busy, and they might miss an appointment and cause extra work for you and your staff.
Instead of constantly calling and texting patients to remind them of appointments, why not send a quick text message with a link to their appointment schedule? Depending on your preference, SMS reminders can be days or even minutes before the appointment.
2. Send Product Recommendations
If you sell products, you’re probably always looking for ways to increase sales. Instead of just talking about the available products, try sending out text messages when you notice someone has purchased something. If someone buys a vacuum cleaner from you, you can send a text message with links to other products that would work well for their home, pet hair, or allergies.
3. Send Event Notifications
Have you planned a special event? A fundraising walk or a festival, for example? Why not send a text message letting people know when it is and how they can participate? You can send out a general invitation to everyone in your contact list or a targeted message to people who have purchased something from you or interacted with your brand online. It is a great way to get people excited about your event, especially since they can reply “yes” and opt-in to receive future event notifications from you.
4. Automated Text Messages
If you have a particular service or product, you might be able to automate the text messages you send. For example, if you’re a plumber and someone submits a request for service online, you might be able to have a program in place that sends out a text message to the customer with a link to book the appointment. Ensure to source your automated text message service from the best and maintain smooth engagement with your clients
5. Send Ads and Coupons
If you’re trying to increase foot traffic to your store or drive more sales, you might consider sending out text ads or coupons to customers on your contact list. You can send coupons to certain customers at certain times based on geolocation or other factors. It is a great way to drive more business to your location and increase sales. Customers who receive these ads and coupons may be more likely to visit your location and purchase, especially if you offer a discount.
6. Authentication Codes
Authentication codes are a great way to ensure that customers know that they have an actual, authentic product and that it’s yours. If you sell any high-ticket items, you can send authentication codes to customers to verify that they are purchasing an item that is legitimate and not a counterfeit item. Customers can then send the authentication code to you to let you know they received it.
7. Send Lead Generation Messages
Another way you can use text messages is lead generation. Lead generation messages are for people who have opted into your SMS messages and have provided you with their phone numbers. These messages are a great way to generate leads for your business, offer discounts, or ask for customer reviews.
8. Send Re-Engagement Messages
Re-engagement messages are for people who have opted in to receive your notifications but haven’t opened or clicked on any of your messages in a certain amount of time. These messages are a great way to re-engage subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked on your messages. For example, if you run a fitness brand, you might want to re-engage subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked on any of your messages in the past three months.
Bottom Line
SMS marketing is an inexpensive way for businesses to connect with potential customers. With creativity and the right tools, you can design a message that resonates with your audience, deliver that message at the right time, and increase customer engagement.
