Text message marketing is becoming one of the most quickly adopted communication channels for small and large businesses alike. And why wouldn't it be? Text messages are opened, on average, 98% of the time, but emails are only opened 22% of the time. Marketing text messages are proving to be one of the highest engagement channels to talk to your customers and potential customers through.
If you and your business are just entering the business texting space for the first time, it is important to understand the rules around business texting etiquette to ensure a positive customer experience. Before hitting send on your first text, make sure that your message marketing campaign doesn't contain any of the following text message mishaps:
1. Not telling them who you are!
This might seem so obvious it is painful, but especially when making your first big introduction through text, make sure you don't forget to say who you are. A beautifully composed message or amazing sales offer can only help you so much if the recipient doesn't know who sent it. As a general rule of using your texting thumbs, similar to any great artist, you should always sign your work! That way your customers will have more context to what you are sending, especially with the character count limitations. Even if you have texted this customer before, it is an unfair assumption that all your customers will love you enough to save your name into their contact list. It is better to tell people what they already know by including your name rather than skipping it and causing confusion for the reader.
2. Avoid lengthy or unnecessary details in your messaging
Text messaging is a short form way of communicating and we want to keep it that way. If people don't like reading multi-text messages from their boyfriend or girlfriend, they might not enjoy it from your business either. Stick to the key points you want to get across. Any additional information from the main goal of the text should be accessible through a link or provided through a different channel of communication. That way interested parties can simply click to learn more, and those who aren't don't have to scan through an entire short story to find that out. This is beneficial for both your customer and you as a business.
3. Using obscure language for a business
You have already proven how hip you are by texting your customer to begin with, let’s not go overboard by filling your texts with obscure acronyms or overly familiar language. Although we are trying to be as concise in your messaging as possible, the overuse of acronyms can confuse or potentially offend readers who aren't familiar with what they stand for. It can also be negatively received if you just start texting someone for the first time as if you were best friends. If you are texting a customer for the first time, you should use that time to get to know them and let them get to know your business. A customer relationship, similar to any relationship, is built over time. Save the overly casual messages for when they are further through their customer journey, not a first interaction.
4. Don't be a phony
Text messaging is really no different from any other marketing channel, you have to stay consistent in your messaging and remain true to who you are as a brand. If they are already familiar with your brand persona from your website and social media, your text messages should feel like they are sent from the same person. Customers can tell when you are playing it up for an audience, or in their case, communication channel. Your text messages should be unique to your business and should communicate your brand values. Avoid using over generic content that consumers have seen time and time again. Your promotional messages should be fun and authentic. Using cookie cutter messaging might be easy, but it comes at the expense of your brand image.
5. Don't abuse your newly found power
Although text message engagement rates are high now, we don't know how long they will stay that way. Text messaging could turn into the new email marketing. Poor unsuspecting consumers receiving hundreds of unwanted messages and business texts a day. Deleting them without even opening them because they assume it is just another spam text. Remember that you aren't the only person, or even company that is likely messaging them so try to stand out by reminding them of how wonderful your business is without bombarding them.
By opening the door to text and SMS marketing, you are opening up the possibility of two-way communication with your customer base and better overall business communications. Make sure you start off those conversations the right way by composing articulate and interesting messages. One well written text can make as big of a impact as one poorly written one, it all comes down to whether you want that impact to be positive or negative.
Key Takeaways
1. Avoid being too personal in your first messages
2. Keep your messages brief
3. Use appropriate language
4. Be yourself
5. Limit what you send
Interested in starting your own automated text campaign, but don’t know where to start?
SPLICE can make getting started easy with a dedicated Client Success Team to support you through building, implementing and measuring the success of your program. Interested in learning more?Check out our Texting page →
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