Texts are humble, and powerful in the world of business and everywhere else. They can help you easily connect with the customer in a familiar, personal, and unobtrusive way. Hence why you need to do it right.

Despite being in existence for decades, businesses still get it wrong – and now that the rules have changed and customers have the power to opt-out of block texts, it’s become incredibly difficult for businesses to reach out conveniently.

A slight mistake could prove to be quite costly, so after getting your bulk SMS list, it is important to make it worth their while. Here is how:

1. Be Specific about the Target

While reaching out to your customers through text, be specific about what you are promoting and ensure that what you are promoting is of interest to them. Use your SMS to get more intimate and urgent, especially since many people discard what they perceive as a scam.

• Timing is Very Important

Although most people have their phones with them most of the time, it is still wise to be mindful of when to text them. The last thing you need is to infuriate them by sending texts at the wrong time – such as during dinner, or too early in the morning when they are just waking up and grumpy.

Consider the local time zones to avoid waking them up, and remember that the best time is generally mid to late afternoon on weekdays.

• Be Professional

Don’t shorten texts to cram a message into one SMS – such as ‘txt’ or ‘ur’. Use proper grammar and real words. Also, avoid the use of slang, unless it resonates with your brand. This may alienate your customers and lead to a high number of opt-outs. It is also important to use abbreviations such as ICYMI (in case you miss it).

• Keep it Simple, Be Familiar, and Personal

You have a total of 160 characters to get your message across, so, don’t use jargon. To help you make it simple, introduce yourself, clarify your intent, and include a call to action. Of course, this is dependent on the type of business you are running. The format is not universal, but it should guide you.

While at it, also ensure that the message includes the name of your business, so they won’t think your message is spam. Also, include details of the customers, the time and day, and month, if it is an appointment.

• Use Attention-Grabbing Language

Ever read the headline of an advertisement? Yes, use such captivating and attention-grabbing words. You want your customer to take action as soon as they receive and open your message. Eye-catching terms such as OFFER or BUY 2 GET 1 FREE will inspire such action.

• Check, test, modify, repeat

Before hitting send, check again and again to avoid embarrassing typos in your text messages. Also, be sure to track response rates to help understand if your SMS marketing efforts are working or not. This way, you can make adjustments accordingly.

Takeaway

If you’d like to find out more about how to write better messages that connect with the right customer, Celcom Africa can help. Check out their bulk SMS solutions to get started or contact them for clarifications.

In addictions, here is a complete guide of bulk SMS marketing that you can use to get started independently.