Text Message marketing is becoming a valuable tool to communicate with clients for many businesses. It’s a more personal way of connecting with customers and you’re almost guaranteed to get your text read. If you’re considering adding texting to one of the forms of communication you have with clients, you should consider an automated texting software that allows employees to text from their keyboard while documenting the texts sent. It’s important not to allow employees to get in the habit of sending off texts from their personal cell phones, no matter how familiar and casual a relationship with a client may seem. For one thing, the company must be in compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which mandate that you have the client’s written consent to receiving texts from your agency. You cannot assume that because a client sends you a text that you can text back, even if it seems counter intuitive.

How to Start Text Message Marketing

One way you can get your customers to sign up for your text marketing list is to have customers text a certain keyword to your chosen number. This should be a short and easy to remember word that you announce to clients with proper consent language. 

You’ll need to find a text message marketing service (see here for options) and you’ll provide the service with your password to make sure it’s still available. You’ll also need to give an approximation of how many subscribers you think you will have to decide on the right package from that service provider. 

You may want to start telling your clients about the text message service even before your campaigns start. After your account is set up, create an auto reply in which you can remind clients what they signed up for. Thank your clients for joining and let them know how many texts they will be getting. Give the option to unsubscribe, always. Publicize your text messaging option on your social media channels and make sure to share your keyword. You may even offer incentives for signing up. 

Mobile Marketing Is Really a Thing

One of the most important things you can do if you decide to text is to document every text from all your employees to all clients. Your service provider should offer an option to make this easy to track. This documentation should be centralized so that there are no overlaps with multiple agents or producers contacting the same client multiple times via text. The texts should also come from one number. When asking clients for consent to send texts, make sure to specify what type of text you’re referring to. 

Mass texting campaigns are becoming more popular and it is the preferred method of communication for millennials. There are many SMS marketing platforms. One of these text marketing companies may have exactly what you’re looking for at a price that fits. You may want something very streamlined with a basic mobile messaging CRM or you may want to take your marketing campaigns a step further. Some software allows clients to text you from a Google Ad. It is important for you to review the options available to you. Some dashboards will be more simplified than others so getting a walkthrough from a few companies is a good idea. You want the software to be sophisticated but it should also be user friendly.

Pros of mobile marketing

• It’s the most direct and personal way to get in touch with clients
• It costs pennies per text if you buy in bulk.
• Texts are more widely read than emails.

Is SMS Marketing Effective?

Not only is SMS marketing effective, it’s much less expensive than print, radio and television ads, which remain the most expensive forms of advertising. It’s also interactive, and has a 98% conversion rate with mobile users touching their phones 2,617 times per day . Millennials, especially, are most responsive to this form of communication.

Tips on Writing Text Messages

• Make sure your message gets straight to the point. You only have 160 characters, so cut the fluff and use text shorthand when you can.
• Make sure your message is relevant and important. Don’t get in the habit of sending texts just to send a text.
• Remember that usually only family and friends text one another so make sure you’re not being a pest and have crucial information to share.
• You can schedule texts so send them at an appropriate time, not in the middle of the night!
• Provide texts that create incentives to contact your agency and only send notes to the right clients (notices about bundle and multi-policy discounts, payments due, etcs). You can program the scheduler to go through and alert any of your clients.
• Try not to text more than one or two texts a month.
• Make sure to give the option to unsubscribe with each text message you send.