Frequently Asked Questions About Text Message Marketing

Are you considering text message marketing for your business? If so, you probably have some questions about it. To help you research the topic, here are ten frequently asked questions about text message marketing, also known as SMS or short message service marketing, to get you started:

1. How can businesses use text message marketing?
Sales, events, discounts, reminders, software upgrades, important announcements and referral requests can all be promoted by businesses via text message marketing. Some companies also use text messages to collect votes or promote sweepstakes, like Clif Bar did with its Luna Bar Sweepstakes below.

Example of Text Message Marketing

2. Why is text message marketing effective?
Response time and reach are part of what makes text message marketing effective. Consider that, according to the Pew Research Center, 90% of cell phone owners say they “frequently” carry their cell phone on them. Now factor in that Textedly reports that 98% of all text messages are read within five minutes. There’s not likely a faster, more guaranteed read than text message marketing.

3. Can text message marketing be automated?
Absolutely. Businesses can schedule the day and time that their text message marketing campaign is launched.

4. What can businesses include in a text message?
Text messaging marketing allows for 160 characters. This can include letters, numbers, symbols, spaces and punctuation. For businesses wanting to send links to specific landing pages, URLs can be shortened significantly to avoid using up all the character allotment.

5. Can text messages be customized?
Yes. Businesses can determine which customers get texts and what is in each text. Messages can be personalized to include the customer’s name, order status and even a specific landing page on a website.

6. Can text message marketing be integrated with other forms of marketing?
Text message marketing can be used in conjunction with any other channel of marketing. For example, a shorter text message might direct a customer to check their email or “like” a company’s Facebook page to receive a discount.

7. How do you get customers to opt in to receive text messages?
Businesses can send a text message with an opt-in keyword, asking the customer to text back the same keyword to a short code. Similar to a website, a short code is a unique location that your messages are sent to. Incentives, such as discounts, are sometimes offered as an extra enticement, as this restaurant did with its customers.

Text Message Marketing Example

Existing marketing channels, such as social media, broadcast media, direct mail and print advertising, can be used to promote opt-ins by displaying the keyword and short code.

8. Can businesses get reports about their text message marketing campaign?
Yes. Reports can track a variety of things, including campaign effectiveness, delivery status and click-throughs on personalized links.

9. Does text message marketing require businesses to hire marketing firms?
Unlike other more complicated marketing methods, advanced software design makes text message marketing simple enough that almost anyone can do it.

10. Is text message marketing expensive?
Packages come in a variety of plans, starting at just $5 for 500 emails. How many marketing channels can provide such fast, expansive reach for such low cost?

To learn more about using text message marketing, visit Juvlon’s website.

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