Text message marketing (popularly known as SMS marketing) can be rather lucrative when used with the right audience. However, there are some definite dos and don’ts that you should know about before you get started. Some of them will feel familiar, but they are worth repeating.
Do Remember a CTA
You know it must be there in all your marketing messages, but for some reason, it’s a common problem to miss it in mobile ads. Marketers forget to include a CTA, or they include one that is so weak that it’s not followed. If you want to get any conversions from your ads, you must craft a strong call to action that speaks to your audience.
Do Grab Their Attention Right Away
You must hook your audience in right away if you want them to click on your advertisement or follow your CTA. It could be anything that grabs their attention – from the image used, to the color, to the CTA. Use your imagination to hook them in.
Do Keep It Short and Simple
Mobile ads are best kept short and simple, with one message only. Trying to have multiple messages and CTAs on a mobile ad will just confuse people. Remember, you don’t have to tell them everything about you here. You only need to get them to convert to your list where you can share more with them.
Do Remember Branding
A huge mistake often made when it comes to mobile ads is that business owners forget to let the viewer know who they are. The easiest way to get it right is to ensure that the right branding is used, so that they know exactly who is delivering the advertisement without even clicking through.
Do Check Your Timing
Every audience has the best time to receive ads. Your audience has theirs. You can look at the stats to find out what is likely for your audience based on the platform you’re using, test that out, and then tweak it to improve the timing of your delivery.
Don’t Forget the Long Term
Many people expect immediate results from mobile ads, but the truth is that it takes time. It takes tweaking. It takes study. When you embark on any type of advertising and marketing, it’s important to remember that you need to be in it for the long game rather than for instant results, because it’s unlikely to happen overnight.
Don’t Include Too Much Info
You don’t want to over-inform anyone with a small advertisement. It will get too confusing. As mentioned earlier, focus on one message at a time for each ad, directed to a different segment of your audience based on the stage they are in the buying journey.
Don’t Use Text Speak
Avoid using shortened words and jargon in your messages. Instead, put all messages exactly as you would normally talk, instead of trying to save space by making up awkward words that may not make sense to the audience if they can’t decipher it. Just talk normally.
Don’t Send Too Many Messages
Don’t overburden your audience with too many messages. When you craft the messages carefully and deliver them at the right time in the right place, you don’t need to send more messages.
Don’t Be Tricky
Using misleading language to trick your audience into clicking your advertisements may initially get clicks, but more than likely you won’t get that many conversions. Plus, you can’t keep tricking people forever. They do catch on eventually.
Getting your text message marketing campaigns off the ground and performing well requires some upfront knowledge and research. You’ll need to remember to grab their attention and let them know who you are, while also keeping it short and simple without forgetting your call to action. All the while, you’ll also need to put your audience first and make them feel like VIPs, even when looking at an advertisement.
