A Beginner's Guide to Marketing Text Messages

Marketing text messages are a powerful way to connect with customers and drive business results. According to research, 90% of people read their text messages within three minutes of receiving them.

To get started with marketing text messages, you need to have a clear understanding of the types of messages that work best. Personalized messages that speak directly to the customer's interests and needs are more likely to be effective.

A good starting point is to identify your target audience and create a message that resonates with them. For example, if you're a retailer, you might send a message that offers a discount or promotion to customers who have shown interest in your products.

Your message should be short and to the point, as most people don't have the time or attention span to read lengthy texts. A good rule of thumb is to keep your message under 160 characters.

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To set up SMS marketing campaigns, you've got dozens of tools at your disposal. You can use your Clover POS system with the Promos app to send SMS for marketing, or opt for more advanced tools like Customer Engagement Plus.

The Clover App Market offers a wide range of SMS marketing tools, including SMS Marketing by BuyFi and SMS Marketing Pay as you go. These apps can integrate with your Clover service to create customer segments and schedule messages.

To create text messages, plan out what you want to text about and have assets ready to go ahead of time. This will help you stay organized and ensure your messages are effective.

You can use premade promotions and marketing text templates to get started. These templates can save you time and help you craft compelling messages.

Before starting your first text message campaign, keep in mind that SMS marketing campaigns have an engagement rate that's three to seven times higher than with emails. This means you can expect a higher response rate and better conversion rates.

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Here are six things to consider before launching your first texting campaign:

SMS marketing campaigns should complement your existing marketing channels, especially email. It's not a replacement, but rather a way to reach customers in a more intimate and timely manner.

To avoid feeling invasive, limit the number of texts you send to once per week or less. Pay attention to timing, as customers will be annoyed if you send them a text message in the middle of the night.

SMS marketing can start to feel invasive if you send texts too frequently, so prioritize quality over quantity. This means sending relevant and useful messages that add value to your customers' lives.

Develop a communication strategy for every phase of the customer journey, from awareness to advocacy. Use SMS to invite customers to opt in, send promo codes and limited-time offers, and offer value-added services and loyalty program incentives.

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Here are some key strategies to keep in mind:

To maximize your SMS marketing strategy, consider sending drip campaigns via text, creating exclusive text-only deals and offers, and using keywords for SMS opt-ins. Prioritize responsiveness, focus on education before the "sell", and be functional with reminders and confirmations.

To be successful with SMS marketing, get permission from customers to send them texts, include necessary disclaimers, and establish consistency with your sending frequency. Consider the timing of your texts, think exclusivity, and be responsive. Use concise language, personalize your content, and offer an easy way to opt out.

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Personalization is key to making your marketing text messages stand out. With the intimacy of SMS marketing, you can build a deeper relationship with your customers by personalizing each message with their name, a note about their recent purchase, or other unique customer information.

Personalization can also help you create a sense of relevance, which is crucial for grabbing customers' attention. By categorizing your contacts into groups based on their interests, you can send SMS campaigns that are tailored to each group's specific needs.

Here are some ways to personalize your content:

Remember, the shorter the text message, the better. Relevancy is key, and personalization can help you achieve that.

Personalizing your content is a game-changer for any business. It's a way to show customers that you care about them and their interests, and it can lead to increased engagement and loyalty.

To personalize your content, you can use first-party data, such as a customer's name, interests, birthday, on-site or in-app behavior, gender, age, purchase history, and more. This information can be used to send customized messages that are tailored to each customer's unique needs and preferences.

For example, you can send a message that says, "[Business name]: Don't miss the BIGGEST sale of the year, {{firstname}}!" This type of personalization can increase the effectiveness of your messages and make customers feel more connected to your brand.

Here are some ways to personalize your content using first-party data:

By using this type of data, you can create messages that are relevant and engaging for each customer, and that show them that you're paying attention to their individual needs. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and retention, and ultimately drive more sales and revenue for your business.

Creating a referral program can be a game-changer for your business, especially when combined with great customer experiences.

15% of customers are responsible for 65% of sales, so focusing on retaining and rewarding loyal customers is key.

A referral program can be as simple as texting a referral link to friends and family.

Use tools like Referral Rock and Referral Candy to create a referral link that customers can share with others.

Share this link with customers through text or on your website, along with a message like "Share this referral link with your friends [link], and receive a 10% discount off your next purchase when they sign up!"

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People are more likely to open a text message as soon as it's sent because most are glued to their phones.

You can capitalize on this by sending limited time offers, such as VIP early access promos or limited-time-only sales.

These kinds of messages create a sense of urgency that can drive engagement and encourage people to take action quickly.

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Creating a sense of urgency can be a powerful way to boost engagement. Most people are glued to their phones, making it likely that a recipient will open a text message as soon as it's sent.

This dynamic creates the perfect opportunity to send limited time offers and time-sensitive updates. Think VIP early access promos, limited-time-only sales, or holiday specific offers.

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No-shows are a major problem for service-based businesses, but a simple solution is to send appointment confirmation texts. These reminders not only help eliminate no-shows but also show customers you care about their time.

Customers will appreciate the reminder and may even be able to reschedule if they can't make it. You can include a link to reschedule in the text message, so the business isn't lost.

Pre-made text message templates can be used to make appointment scheduling more efficient for customers. Use SMS marketing to boost retention and revenue.

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Building a subscriber list is crucial for effective SMS marketing. You can build a list of opt-ins through keywords, which customers text to your business phone number to receive specific information.

To create a keyword, choose a term relevant to your business and showcase it in public places like your website, social media, and digital ads. For example, you can announce: "Text DEALS to [business number] for updates on our upcoming sales and discounts!"

When customers text in a keyword, they'll receive an autoreply with information about what kinds of messages they can expect, why they'll be valuable, and how often they'll receive them.

Here are some key things to include in your autoreply:

This will help set clear expectations and keep your subscribers engaged.

You can also use the Clover App Market to integrate with your Clover service, restaurant, or retail POS system to create customer segments, schedule and send messages, and engage customers via SMS promos.

When selecting a campaign service, it's essential to identify the technology that will enable you to create and deploy texting campaigns.

You'll want to understand all the features available, whether those features make sense for what you want to achieve, and the total cost associated with a subscription.

DailyStory offers SMS text messaging features, as well as email marketing and more, and you can explore it with their free edition.

The Clover App Market offers a range of SMS marketing tools, including SMS Marketing by BuyFi, SMS Marketing Pay as you go, and MS Loyalty + Gift Card + SMS Messages + Emails by MonkeySwipes.

To create customer segments, schedule and send messages, and engage customers via SMS promos, consider integrating these apps with your Clover service, restaurant, or retail POS system.

Here are some options to consider:

Each of these apps can help you tie everything together with Clover's sales reporting function, providing analytics on how well your SMS promos are working.

Building a subscriber list is the foundation of a successful SMS marketing campaign. You can start by choosing a keyword that's relevant to your business and showcasing it in public places like your website, social media, and digital ads.

To encourage people to opt-in, you can offer them something of value in return, such as trust (e.g., receipts, delivery updates) or promotions and discounts. This can be done through QR codes, "text this number" displays, or social media messaging.

A good opt-in message should inform subscribers what kinds of messages they can expect to receive, why these messages will bring them value, and how often they can expect to receive them. For example, you could say, "Thanks for opting in for [business] updates! Once a week we'll send our latest deals, plus early access to our newest products before they even hit the shelves."

You can also use different keywords for different target customers, which is great if your customer base has different categories of products and services they're interested in. Just remember to continually build and grow your list to expand your reach and grow sales.

Here are some ways to gain subscribers:

By following these tips, you can build a strong subscriber list and set the stage for a successful SMS marketing campaign.

Tracking your campaigns is crucial to understanding what's working and what's not. You can track the number of sent SMS messages as well as the click rate within your chosen texting campaign service.

The metrics tied to texting campaigns aren't as robust as email marketing due to technological limitations, but you can still track key metrics. These include deliverability rate, interaction rate, conversion rate, unsubscribe rate, list growth rate, customer acquisition costs, and return on investment.

To track your campaigns effectively, use tools like Clover's Promos app or the Clover App Market, which offers various SMS marketing tools. These tools can help you create customer segments, schedule and send messages, and engage customers via SMS promos.

Here are some key metrics to track in your SMS marketing campaigns:

Limiting your follow-up texts to once a week can help keep the new product or service top-of-mind without overwhelming your customer.

Developing a strategy for the entire customer journey is crucial for effective marketing text messages. This involves creating a communication plan for every phase of the customer lifecycle.

At the Awareness stage, invite customers to opt in to receive SMS offers. Consideration stage is where you send customers promo codes, limited-time offers, or abandoned cart messages.

Conversion stage is all about sending customers product delivery updates. The Loyalty stage is where you offer customers value-added services, support, and loyalty program incentives.

Advocacy stage is where you ask for customer referrals and product reviews. This is where you can use SMS text message marketing to boost your customer retention rate.

Increasing your customer retention rate by just 5 percent can increase your profit by 25 percent to 95 percent. Customer retention refers to the rate at which customers stay with a business for a given period of time.

To improve customer retention, you can use SMS text message marketing in several ways. Here are five strategies to consider:

It's also essential to remember that SMS marketing should complement your existing marketing channels, especially email. Don't treat your SMS like your email program, as SMS is intrusive and should be used sparingly. Limit the number of texts you send to once per week or less, and pay attention to timing to avoid annoying customers.

Registration with phone carriers is required for sending SMS marketing traffic, which is a process called 10DLC.

To comply with A2P 10DLC requirements, businesses that use or plan to use SMS marketing need to register their ten-digit long codes with the phone carriers.

The details around 10DLC are constantly changing, so it's essential to stay informed and up-to-date to avoid any issues.

To avoid carrier violations, it's crucial to understand why they happen. A carrier violation occurs when carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and others block your message from being delivered to the destination phone number.

This can happen for various reasons, including if the mobile number is undeliverable, not MMS capable, or outside your approved sending geography. You also risk a carrier violation if your message contains spam or illegal words.

To avoid these issues, make sure you've obtained permission from customers to send them SMS messages. This can be done by adding a contact phone number field and permissions checkbox in your contact or sign-up forms.

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You can also use a "text to join" strategy to build your SMS list, where consumers text a keyword to a specific number that you give them. Additionally, you can ask customers to join a loyalty program, which can give you permission to send them promotional messages.

Here are some common reasons why text messages may not be delivered:

If you're having trouble with SMS marketing compliance, don't worry, we've got you covered. Our support team is here to help you navigate the complex world of 10DLC registration and A2P 10DLC requirements.

We recommend registering your 10DLC with the phone carriers to avoid any issues with your SMS marketing traffic. This registration process is required for sending SMS marketing traffic, and it's a crucial step in ensuring compliance.

If you're looking for a low-cost option for your SMS marketing, consider using 10DLC. This option is not only cost-effective but also offers local phone number recognition, voice-enabled capabilities, and higher messaging volume.

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Our support team is available to help you with any questions or concerns you may have about SMS marketing compliance. We can guide you through the process of registering your 10DLC and setting up your SMS marketing campaigns.

Here are some ways to opt-in your customers for SMS marketing:

Remember to keep your SMS marketing campaigns simple and focused, especially when sharing updates about new products and services. Limit your texts to once a week, and use images, flyers, or infographics to share a lot of information.

Having a clear and comprehensive terms of service is crucial for SMS marketing. This includes covering the minimum requirements for text message marketing, like DailyStory's example.

SMS marketing requires businesses to be transparent with their customers about how their personal data will be used. This includes informing them about the types of messages they'll receive and how often.

Businesses must also obtain explicit consent from their customers before sending them marketing texts. This can be done through an opt-in process, such as a checkbox on a website or a clear message asking for permission.

SMS marketing can be a powerful way to share offers and deals with customers, but it's essential to follow the rules to avoid any issues.

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