In 2017, 37 million people opted into receiving SMS messages from brands, with that number estimated to grow to 49 million in 2020. With the rise of text message marketing, it’s important that as a company you utilize this channel to the best of your abilities.
Text Message Marketing Mistakes
Below we’ll go over five of the worst text message marketing mistakes you could make and how best to avoid them.
Spell, Grammar, Punctuation Check
It’s such a simple and often overlooked task. You’d be surprised at the number of companies that forget to double or triple check the spelling and grammar of their text messages in their text message marketing campaigns.
If you get it wrong, it can erode a consumer’s trust in a brand and deem them unprofessional. Do your company a favor and make sure that the messages you send them are properly formatted with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar (unless you’re purposefully using “txt speak”).
Too Many Texts
This can be another off-putting mistake. Texting too much can be extremely overwhelming. Some people like to keep all of their notifications on their phone clear, and if you keep blowing up their phone they’re more likely to unsubscribe.
It’s important to set expectations from the get-go and let them know how often on average you’ll be getting in touch with them. Providing a phone number is one of the most intimate things someone can provide, and texting too much can put your company in the deleted messages column in a hurry.
Generic Content/No Personalization
If you are just sending generic messages to everyone on your SMS list you’re missing out on a big opportunity. Specificity is key when sending out messages. It’s important to have their first name in the message and your own brand name. Another idea would be to include any local events, seasonal or national holidays.
Try to give off the impression that you picked out a deal specifically catered to that customer. If you can collect data in the beginning about what they purchased, and text them an accompanying coupon for a service related to what they purchased, that’s even more powerful.
This customization can all be done at scale with the countless number of SMS marketing software available to you.
No Call To Action
There needs to be a reason you’re texting them, otherwise, there’s no point in sending the message in the first place. The key, as with the points above, is specificity. You want to tell them in the message what exactly it is you want them to do, and to make it as easy as possible for them to do it.
That might mean making a custom link(which can double as a link tracker) and getting them straight to the coupon that they can screenshot. If you can remove any extra steps to get your desired action, the more effective it will be.
Poor Timing
Similar to email, timing is everything. While it’s common practice for text messages to be sent between 8 and 12 pm or 5 and 9 pm for campaigns, this all depends on who you’re looking to target.
For example, a lot of people wake up around 5-6am to go to the gym. If your product or service is geared towards maybe supplements, massage therapy, or something similar, it might make sense to get them right as they start or end their workout. If your target audience is gym-goers, you might want to look at the habits that they have.
Text Message Marketing Can Be Powerful When Done Right
Hopefully, we’ve helped clear up some of the worst text message marketing mistakes. If you’re looking for more marketing tips, check out our marketing blog here.