Consumers today manage their entire lives on their mobile phones and it’s always within reach at any given time. With smartphones in sight almost 24/7, text messages are almost guaranteed to be seen immediately. It’s no surprise that countless companies are embracing mass text messaging as a core outreach tool both for marketing communications and business notifications.
Unlike email marketing, SMS marketing isn’t plagued with a reputation for spam. Every cellular phone (regardless if it’s a smartphone or not) can handle SMS, meaning that the global reach of mass text messaging is remarkably high. Texting hundreds – or even thousands – of prospects and customers has great appeal because it’s quick and easy, and it achieves real results.
There are a few best practices to keep in mind when sending mass text messages. If you’re thinking about implementing a mass text messaging strategy for your company, take note of these all-important tips from leading SMS solutions provider TrueDialog.
1. Encourage Opt-Ins
When it comes to mass text messaging, consent is important – for both you and the contacts in your mailing list. Sending unsolicited text messages can have serious legal consequences. However, when everyone on your messaging list has explicitly signed up, you know that you’re only contacting people who want you to reach out to them. Don’t fall into the trap of using an existing customer list when creating your mailing program. Instead, TrueDialog helps you focus on building a list of people who want to receive updates.
You can encourage opt-ins by letting your prospects and customers know that they can sign up for your SMS updates by filling in a simple form or texting a keyword to a short code. It can be helpful to offer something of value to encourage opt-ins; perhaps those who sign up will be entered into a giveaway, receive a discount code, or be invited to a VIP event.
2. Send Valuable Messages
Though offering a valuable incentive is a great way to encourage opt-ins, the value that you provide shouldn’t end there. All of your messages should be significant; otherwise, you can expect many of your recipients to unsubscribe, leaving you with a dwindling mailing list.
Creating streams of valuable content can be challenging, not just for mass text messaging strategies but also for blogs, email newsletters, and other marketing campaigns. Take your time, and draw up a calendar of offers and updates that will engage your audience before launching into your mass text messaging program. You can add to your calendar as new and timely ideas come up over time. With a little research, you’ll be able to plan out various SMS messaging campaigns to form stronger customer relationships.
3. Make Your Mass Text Messaging Program Clear
People are unlikely to sign up for anything unless they know exactly what they will receive. Let your subscribers know what kind of content they’re signing up for. They’ll want to know how often you’ll be getting in touch and the types of content you’ll be sending. Include these details in your opt-in call to action and all of your advertisements so that your subscribers know exactly what to expect.
It’s also important to send an automated confirmation message to each new subscriber. TrueDialog’s enterprise SMS text messaging software allows you to customize confirmation messages so that you can address each person as an individual. In the confirmation message, reiterate the type of value that your new subscriber will receive from your messages and how frequently you’ll be sharing updates.
4. Avoid Spamming
Letting your subscribers know how often you’ll be texting is a key part of your SMS strategy, and you must stick to your chosen frequency when possible. While it’s not a problem to get in touch less than anticipated, sending more texts than planned could come across as spammy. If in doubt, ask your subscribers how often they would like to hear from you.
5. Make Opt-Outs Easy
People are less likely to opt into your mass text messaging program if they feel like they’ll be tied down forever, without any control over the messages that they’ll receive. Letting people know how they can opt-out puts them in control and helps you build trusting relationships. The CTIA requires you to include opt-out instructions in your sign-up call to actions and confirmation messages. TrueDialog’s messaging service makes it easy for subscribers to opt-out by replying to text messages with STOP or CANCEL. Doing so will automatically stop the system from sending messages to people who have unsubscribed.
You might also decide to include opt-out instructions at the end of some text messages. Though you might not want to do this every time, it can be a good idea to include opt-out details at regular intervals. While you don’t usually want recipients to unsubscribe, opt-out options help shape your messaging list into a database of prospects and customers that are truly engaged, improving your click-through rates and return on investment.
TrueDialog’s Mass Text Messaging Services
TrueDialog’s mass text messaging solutions can enable your brand to operate an optimized SMS program while staying compliant with text messaging regulations. Their five-star rated mass text messaging service is ideal for businesses of all sizes, offering direct carrier connections, 99.9 percent uptime, and an ISO 9001 cloud database that provides high reliability as well as security.
For more information about TrueDialog’s mass texting solutions, visit www.truedialog.com