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Be mindful of these items on your SMS Marketing To-Do List.
State Your Name.
You are likely not the only business your subscribers receive text messages from. Although as an Age Texting customer, your texting number is unique to you, it is still imperative to include your company name at the beginning of the text message. Let them know who you are.
Be consistent with how you “talk” to your customers.
When you address your followers on Facebook and Instagram in posts and videos, are you personable or strictly business? For example— let's say you own a boutique and when you hop on a live video, you start with "Hello, Loves. This is Kristi with Avalyse Boutique." Go ahead and use that tone in your text message. "Avalyse Boutique: Hello! Kristi here! You're going to love our new denim. Today ONLY—Buy 1 pair, get 1 50% off! Use code DENIMBOGO" Or, perhaps you own a business that provides marketing guidance for realtors. Your message might read: "Hi! Mark here with Business A. Be sure to join us for a virtual breakfast meeting featuring Don R. with Insurance A. To register, click here> (registration link)" Your customers will become familiar with your text messages and feel that you are personally texting them. Also, personalize messaging to include first names whenever possible. If you have that information, insert the custom field "FIRST_NAME" into your campaign message.
Be timely with your message.
SMS is the most immediate form of communication and marketing. Make sure what you’re texting them about is available and relevant to the time of day and circumstances, in general. For example, don't promote a special on a product that is not yet available to purchase. Avoid promoting a dinner special in the evening. Ensure that your customers can take instant action on that offer when they receive your text message.
Include a call-to-action.
ALWAYS include a link or a phone number so subscribers can take immediate action to visit a website or call you back. Even if your message is a simple greeting to wish them a Happy Valentines Day— include a link to your website or a fun blog post.
Simplify your message.
Keep your text messages concise and specific to what you want to say. No one wants to read a novel in a text message. If what you need to say exceeds 304 characters, send as an MMS and take advantage of the capability to send a photo or GIF.
With the AGE Texting platform, you have up to 5,000 characters to work with in the MMS mode. However, if you can reword it to minimize your character count, your customers are more likely to read the entire message. Also, be sure to utilize the built-in URL shortening tool to track clicks. You can attach a PNG, JPEG, MP4, MP3, or GIF file. Maximum campaign payload size is 1 MB. We recommend your files do not exceed 900 KB. Compress files using online file compressor/ optimizing tool.
What Not to Do in a Text Message
Do not use ALL CAPS in a text message. It is the text version of shouting, and mobile users find it annoying.
Minimize emojis. One or two is fine. They add some fun to your messages. However, too many can come across as unprofessional and "spammy". If you want to use emojis, send your campaign as an MMS which will allow more characters.
Don't overuse exclamation points and question marks. This can also come across as unprofessional.
Watch for typos. This is one reason it is important to send yourself a preview text before sending or scheduling your message to all your subscribers.
Keep a personable tone and don't abbreviate too much. If you find you need to use a lot of ampersands or abbreviated words, consider sending a MMS or try rewording your message.
If you have questions as you review the SMS marketing to-list, contact us. We are always here to assist you!