Mobile SMS and text marketing is a very effective means of creating client engagement. With response rates of up to 30%, mobile text marketing is proving to be a vital piece within many company's overall marketing mix. One of the reasons why such high response rates can be achieved by using mobile channels, is the fact that in order to legally send a message via mass SMS distribution, one must first opt-in to a subscriber list. Essentially, the opt-in gives the marketer the right to leverage the end user's mobile device a medium of communication, while still giving the user the option at any time to elect to not to receive further communications. This being said, building a mobile Opt-in list is an essential part to any successful mobile strategy. Convincing consumers to provide the right to market to them has long been a challenge to marketers. By using a few effective strategies, a marketer can better rely on his or her message being considered, thus helping to bring the consumer one step closer to the defining moment of an actual purchase.
When dealing with SMS and text marketing, one must note that the effectiveness of leveraging your database comes at the price of building the database to begin with. Since consumers must opt-in to your mobile distribution, an effort must be made through other forms of promotion, to make them aware of your product, and lure them into signing up for your mobile list. Customers must be instructed to sign up for your list, and explicitly be told what they will be receiving when they do so. This directional marketing is referred to a call to action, and is essential to any Opt-in strategy.
When creating call to action material, a few basic questions should be answered, in order to ensure a high client response. Your call to action should always answer the what, why, when and how, around your product or service. Clients need to have these basic items answered, and feel there is a strong benefit before they allow you the right to market to them via text message. In addition, call to action materials should always include clear opt-in directions and should include somewhat of a sense of urgency. For example, a call to action that covers each of these parts could be as follows: "Text milkshake to 96362 (how), before 5:00pm today (when) for your chance to receive a life time supply (why) of your favorite ice cream flavors (what)". This call to action is clear and straight to the point, and the customer would leave this interaction knowing exactly what he or she signed up for.
Creating a concise yet detailed call to action will encourage customers to become active participants in your promotions, as well as help to build your mobile opt-in database. As mentioned, your opt-in materials should be distributed within the existing channels of your marketing campaign. There are many ways one can leverage their current marketing materials in order to capture mobile specific information. The most common of these methods is the mobile keyword, which is a short phrase, which links a text user to a mobile database. For example, if your company distributes a weekly newsletter, include a blurb about promotions that are only available for customers that send a message to your keyword. This message could also be spread via print ads, or even radio or television.
QR codes are another increasingly popular means of creating engagement, and are effective when combined with a call to action strategy. For example, a QR code can be attached to a lunch menu at a local diner, with instructions for patrons to "Scan here for our VIP lunch specials". The QR code can be programmed to send a message to your distribution list (mobile keyword), and clients would receive promotions at whatever time intervals you choose. Also, in the case of online and email marketing, a widget or simple sign-up box, can be created which directs customers to sign up for your specific promotions. This widget can be designed to capture many forms of information, in addition to the mobile phone number, and is a great tool for creating a more detailed customer profile.
When building your mobile Opt-in list, always remember to measure the value of your efforts. The biggest value metric would be the growth rate of the list itself. Next would be the churn rate, or the rate that customers opt-out of your list. In regards to opt-out, there is always going to be a natural loss of subscribers, due to various reason, many of which will be out of your control. As long as the growth rate exceeds the churn rate, then you opt-in efforts can be deemed valuable. Also, always measure the response rate of each mobile campaign sent to your list. If a decline in response rates is seen, in may be time to freshen up the promotions that are being sent to your clients.
The beauty of building a mobile opt-in list, in addition to the high response rates, is the ability
immediate return can also be seen. Building and growing your mobile opt-in list is a critical step to supplementing any additional marketing initiatives you currently employ. As customer become more demanding, more savvy, and require more "right now" interaction from businesses, utilizing a mobile opt-in list is the perfect way to engage clients and build more long term and interactive business relationships.
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