TrueDialog’s Best Practices for SMS Text Message Marketing

SMS marketing, more commonly known as text message marketing, is a powerful strategy that has grown and evolved massively in recent years. It allows marketers to reach a wider audience and communicate using personalized messages.

TrueDialog is an SMS texting platform that offers mass and two-way texting for businesses to increase reach, engagement, and response rates. TrueDialog offers services to large enterprises and small businesses alike with its professional pre-built features that make it easy to send and receive text messages. Its specialized SMS platform for business messaging is equipped to increase customer engagement through personalized and targeted messaging.

Here is a brief overview of the best practices to follow for your SMS marketing campaign according to TrueDialog:

Be Transparent About the Program 

Customers should know what they’re agreeing to when they sign up to join your SMS text marketing list. Make sure that you list out what people can expect when they join your program. This can be included in the initial opt-in text where users decide to sign up, or in an automatic response message. The intention of the program should be clear to subscribers. Are you including promotions, reminders, rewards, discounts, or notifications about events? Including everything that the subscriber will gain from signing up can increase the number of people interested.

Get Permission to Send Text Messages 

The law requires that you get explicit consent from people to send them text messages. In addition, this creates trust with subscribers by having them opt in to give proper legal permission. Businesses that send text messages to customers must provide an easy way for recipients to opt out at any time, and keep a record of up-to-date subscribers to avoid sending to people who have opted out. You can learn more about text message regulations by watching TrueDialog’s webinar on TCPA compliance.

Include Warnings 

Be sure to include any disclaimers that may apply to your text message marketing program. SMS marketers are required to include certain information (“message and data rates may apply”) during initial opt-in texts. This alerts the subscriber that they may or may not have to pay additional text message fees while agreeing to opt in to receive texts depending on their cellular phone plan.

Consider the Number of Texts Being Sent

Subscribers do not want to receive an excess number of texts per month. Two to six texts per month is enough to keep subscribers engaged without annoying them. It is also vital that customers know how many texts they’re agreeing to receive. Be clear from the beginning to help customers understand what they’re signing up for.

Provide Value in Every Text

Every text message sent should provide great value. If people are taking time out of their day to read a text, it should be worth their time. Every text message you send should either educate, inform, or provide a benefit that the recipient can enjoy to keep them engaged and prevent opt outs.

Use Conversational Language

When texting with customers, avoid using shorthand abbreviations that may confuse them. While text language is usually widely understood, not everyone may understand the message being communicated. Texts should be tailored to a target audience but should also be clear and concise as there is a 160-character limit per text message.

Allow People to Easily Unsubscribe

Subscribers need to know that they can opt out at any time. Many SMS marketing programs will include this by default after sending the initial message. A secondary message may say, “Reply STOP to opt out.” People may sign up and realize that they aren’t interested, so make sure to make it easy for them to unsubscribe.

Text During Working Hours

You should send SMS marketing messages during normal business hours when it’s expected for subscribers to check their phones. This is a sign of courtesy; nobody wants to be woken up by a text late at night or early in the morning. As a business, it’s ideal to message subscribers at peak times so they’ll be prompted to act. For example, if a restaurant wanted to promote a drink special during happy hour, it’s more beneficial to send a text message around 1:00 p.m. to alert everyone to come in later in the evening.

Summary

When considering how to utilize SMS marketing to your advantage, it is important to remember best practices, such as texting during appropriate hours of the day, using everyday language, and getting written consent to send text messages. In addition, it is crucial to allow subscribers to easily opt out, include warnings, and be honest about what the person is signing up for. SMS marketing can be an amazing tool to keep customers interested and engaged, but marketers must remember the most important elements and best practices to be successful.

About TrueDialog

TrueDialog is an Austin-based SMS texting platform serving thousands of large and small businesses. Its unique “TrueDialog” feature includes team-to-one texting solutions, a multi-channel urgent alert system, landline texting, mass texting, a scheduling and coupon engine, and more. TrueDialog has direct carrier connections with an ISO 9001 cloud database with 99.9 percent uptime, all at a fraction of the price of its competitors.

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