Communicating using text messaging is growing very quickly in the SME market because it allows information be sent very quickly to a specific group of people. It has the advantage of being very personal, so messages can be carefully targeted. They are also read by a much higher proportion of the target audience because people tend to read virtually every text they get (unlike direct mail, ads or emails) no matter where they might be at the time.

According to Ofcom, 97.5% of text messages are opened within 5 seconds of being received. 

To make text message marketing work effectively, it’s obviously very important to keep the message short. You should also note that people respond negatively to unwanted texts. So you must make sure you have their permission to send them texts and work with a professional company such as Textlocal to ensure all SMS marketing complies with privacy and data protection rules.

You must also offer them the facility to opt-out of your text marketing. This is most easily done by letting them text the free keyword followed by the word STOP to a shared inbound number notified by the SMS text marketing specialist company, or simply the word STOP to a Dedicated Inbound Number. When using a keyword on the shared short code you can simply instruct people to text the word STOP after the keyword at no additional cost.

It’s also worth noting that people are suspicious of responding to SMS messages due to fraudulent messages. So under the E-commerce Regulations, it is essential to make it clear who the message is from and commercial communications must be clearly recognisable as such.

To make text message marketing really effective, the ideal first step is to create a promotional subscription programme such as a Text Message Privilege Club offering savings or benefits unavailable to general customers. To encourage subscribers to opt-in, you could add an SMS shortcode call to action e.g. ‘Text OFFER to 60777’ to various media such as restaurant receipt, shopping bags to visual displays and website promotions. Customers should be encouraged to text a keyword to an SMS short code.Whatever tactics are used to promote the SMS text message programme, an incentive (such as 5% off that day’s bill) is strongly recommended.

Having built an opt-in audience in this way, you then need to create promotional campaigns to meet specific business objectives. Selling overstock or end-of-line items can be very effective using text message marketing. So can boosting customer numbers at quiet periods.

Text message campaigns can be to your entire subscriber base, but they are more likely to most effective if you select relevant subgroups within it. To do so, it will be necessary to use other information gathered about the subscribers when they signed up.

Creating the SMS message itself can be an enjoyable process, but it’s important not to forget the legal requirement to identify the business. In order to track results and measure success, it is also wise to include a promotional code.

SMS text message marketing can be highly effective to quickly respond to events. Snowfall, for example, could be a very good time to promote snow tyres, snow chains, gloves or ski-jackets.

But with specialist providers such as Textlocal, you can also specify the day and time of day you want messages to be sent.  For answers to frequently asked questions about all aspects of SMS text message marketing, click here. 

You can see for yourself how well it works with a free trial from Textlocal. Set it up online and you’ll be up and running in just two minutes.