With smartphone users reading well over 90 percent of their text messages within three minutes of receipt, SMS, standing for Short Message Service, has become the preferred way for businesses to reach consumers. SMS is faster and more targeted than pay-per-click advertising, bulk email promotions, and annoying automated calls, whether for sales promotion, providing consultations, or handling customer service issues, whether for sales promotion, providing consultations, or handling customer service issues. Still, many businesses struggle to craft a practical text to communicate their point in a limited message format. So, to help your business connect with your target market, here are a few best practices for creating compelling text broadcast messages:
1) Make it Succinct
As SMS services have a limit on the size of a message, it is crucial that you keep your message short and to the point. The messaging must incorporate your campaign’s or service’s important points while maintaining a light and casual conversational tone. Messages should be kept to roughly 200 characters and an absolute maximum of 300, or you will lose at least half of your target audience if they become frustrated having to wade through a big block of text. Keep the message brief, add a call to action, and provide the link or links needed to reply.
2) Add Graphics
Many text message broadcasting services allow you to add graphics to your message. Known as MMS, Multi-Media Service messaging allows you to include high-res images in your letter that will often be more effective at gaining the consumers’ attention and getting them to respond. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, adding an image or GIF file will make your message more personal and engaging. You can incorporate the image into the news or a picture, as with a meme. Just make sure you match the picture to both the intent of your message and your target demographic.
3) Personalize the Message
In today’s impersonalized world of non-customer service, people want to feel you are interacting with them. So, at all costs, do not make your message sound or look like a mass marketing message. Instead, try to write a message that reads as if you wrote it to an individual. Remember that response is driven by how well you connect with your audience; this is more a function of reaching the consumer on a personal level than bombarding them with continual messages they have no interest in reading. Also, remember that text messaging marketing must be opted into by law, and if you do not engage the consumer, they will quickly opt out of receiving your messages.
4) Identify Your Brand
Be sure you identify your company and brand in every message, as establishing trust dramatically increases the likelihood that the consumer will read your message. Conversely, failure to adequately identify your brand will lead to a very high probability the recipient will view your message as spam and delete it without even bothering to read it. This may even result in your number being blocked from all further communications. A good tip is to set up a template with your brand logo; all you need to do is add the message and hit send.
5) Stay Professional
While brevity, and even a little fun, will make your message more appealing to consumers, be sure to keep your message as professional as possible. Avoid all non-standard abbreviations and cutesy emojis. Capitalize only proper nouns, and ensure the spelling and grammar are perfect. Be friendly and personal, but be careful not to cross the line by being too casual and familiar. Being professional helps to establish trust with consumers further and increases the likelihood of the recipient reading your message and producing a favorable response.
Conclusion
Text message marketing is perhaps the most effective way promptly and promptly prompt; if it is not done correctly can do as much harm as good. If it is not done, correcting these practices and providing the consumer with high-value offers will help ensure your time and marketing efforts are not wasted.
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