Rules for SMS Marketing – Some Common Mistakes to Avoid

SMS text messaging is quite an efficient marketing tool when it comes to launching your campaigns. However, if you don’t pay proper attention in setting up everything professionally right before pressing the send, your list of prospects and potential customers will receive an error-filled text message that can damage your credibility and make the clients think of you as less professional, thus losing that faith in you.

If you’re already using SMS marketing services or interested in deploying your first text marketing campaign, you should be aware of these common and avoidable SMS text messaging mistakes before your next campaign gets out of hand and there’s no way taking it back.

Texting Too Much or Not Enough

Messaging frequency is something that every business should master if they want to be successful. You cannot afford to send multiple text messages every day without delivering any value. Similarly, you cannot completely rely on occasional texts which do not help in building a meaningful dialogue between you and your contacts.

You need to figure out the right frequency and for that you can build an SMS marketing calendar, highlighting certain days in the week you would like to send marketing texts. A weekly SMS blast is a simple and quick way to keep the audience informed and your business top of mind. While you’re trying to find a messaging frequency, be sure you only send meaningful texts even if you have to disturb your schedule. While some customers may think you’re sending frequent messages, it’s critical to help them stop receiving texts through an opt-out code.

Sending Your Audience the Unsolicited Text Messages

Think about your audience, first and foremost, when setting up a text marketing strategy. Your customers may not care about the newest product updates or the company news you have and if you don’t anticipate what they want and send them a wrong type of message, it can hurt your brand loyalty and customer engagement. Instead of sending out a mass notification, you need to segment your audience based on their locations and interests, for example, to deliver them the personalized messages which are directly useful to them. When you add personalization in sending SMS for business, your customers will get the feel of one-on-one communication with you and will truly appreciate your effort. Stop treating your current as well as potential customers like a mass audience and send them the right message with meaning and personalization.

Delivering Non-Exclusive Promotions and Deals

When the consumers opt into your list by providing you with their numbers, they want you to use their information respectfully and send them the exclusive information, promotional offers, and deals, providing them the added value and making them feel special. For instance, if you’re a restaurant owner, your subscribers should expect to receive offers and promotions that are not usually accessible to the general public. Likewise, if you are an event venue owner, you can give the people on your messaging list the opportunity to access the tickets early before they are opened up to the common public.

Missing Out On a Clear Call-to-Action

A clear call-to-action invites interaction, pushing your clients to complete a task such as responding to a specific survey, entering a contest, participating in a seasonal sale, and more. If you fail to incorporate a call-to-action or have one that is not clear and easy to miss, your SMS text marketing campaign would be affected quite badly.

Many businesses also use multiple calls-to-action in their texts which is also not good for your company. It’s advised to include a single call for a response. For that purpose, you can use specific keywords that drive customer action and motivate them to participate in your offers or sales.