In today’s world, there are so many ways in which brands can communicate with consumers. One of them is via text messages. But this medium is sometimes overlooked when it really shouldn’t be. An SMS subscriber list holds immense potential as it can easily keep customers informed and engaged, building rapport and trust. And as we all know, if you trust a brand, you’ll likely stick with them.
The benefit of using opt-in texts is that it is considered a cheaper marketing method. It’s also a medium that almost everyone has access to. Did you know that in 2022 it was recorded that 6.65 billion people own smartphones? Another significant stat shows that text messages had a 98% open rate. Text messages are clearly a massive opportunity for businesses as long as you have customers opting into your SMS marketing campaign.
What does “opt” mean in text message marketing?
When it comes to text messaging, the word “opt” can have a dual purpose. In the first scenario, a member chooses to receive texts from your company regularly. In the second, a member who has already “opted in” now wants to stop receiving texts from your company and therefore has “opted out.”
An “opt-in” is when a customer chooses to provide their mobile number to you to receive regular texts with information about your company. This helps businesses stay engaged with customers and helps clients stay updated with the latest offers, news, and advice.
An “opt-out” is essentially an unsubscribe from the opt-in texts. Clients must usually reply to a text saying ‘STOP” or “QUIT” to opt-out. Your text message marketing software will set this up for you, so you don’t have to do manual configuration or management.
So now that you know what opt-in text messages are, how can you truly use them effectively? In this guide, you’ll find our top ten tips for optimizing text opt-ins to gain maximum engagement.
10 Tips to Optimize Opt-In Text Messages for Maximum Engagement
Step #1: Keep it short and sweet
When searching for an opt-in text from your customers, you must tell them why you’re asking for their consent. People often want to know what there is to offer and what’s in it for them. You want to attract them by providing concise but appropriate information about your text message marketing services.
Remember, people want to stay engaged with brands that they love. You must show clients you’re actively engaged with them and have high-quality information and advice to share.
Having said that, you must also try not to “sell” to clients too early. When asking for consent, take more time to focus on showing what you want to share and less on selling your products or services. The sale will happen naturally once a customer is opted in and engages with you.
Opt-in texts are another step to helping nurture relationships and, ultimately, build customer trust and loyalty.
Step #2: Offer an incentive
Everyone loves a freebie. So, when you send a text opt-in, try to be short and to the point, and add an incentive at the end. This can be anything from a discount coupon to a promo code for free shipping.
Make sure that each opt-in text message has just one incentive in it. This way, when people quickly view a text from you while doing other activities in their day, they can be intrigued by it with little to no confusion.
It’s crucial to note that an opt-in SMS is quite a personal medium for clients. Their smartphones have everything in them – from banking to social media and more. So, your text has to shine. And an incentive is always a great way of doing that.
Step #3: Use a clear CTA
We’ve spoken a bit about incentives. And every opt-in text should have a clear CTA (call-to-action). This ensures that your members act on a specific prompt. A CTA can be anything from using a promo code to visiting a website. Regardless of your call-to-action, just make sure each text has only one CTA. You don’t want to confuse customers with a long-winded SMS with multiple calls to action.
When choosing which CTAs to use for each opt-in SMS, try aligning them with your overall marketing objectives. Ask yourself these three questions:
- What is the overall aim of the CTA?
- What KPI will this CTA contribute toward?
- How will this CTA affect my bottom line?
Once you understand this, you’ll be able to have a well-defined text message marketing strategy that will help your business and clients simultaneously.
Step #4: Choose the right time
The time at which you choose to send opt-in texts is also crucial. If you think about it, getting promotional information when you’re busy isn’t optimal. You may be commuting to work or busy during your day. No matter what – chances are that your opt-in SMS isn’t be looked at until later.
The danger is that members may accidentally delete your SMS without reading it. Or it may be marked as read and forgotten about a few hours later.
To combat this, you should look into sending text messages at appropriate times for your customer base. Try to avoid late-night texts or morning ones. Instead, look at late afternoon and evening texts. If you text late at night, your clients may unsubscribe out of irritation.
You should also pay attention to the frequency of your opt-in texts. Aim for one to two per week as a rule of thumb. Any more may be too much.
Step #5: Personalize the message
SMS marketing is known to be quite personal and casual when compared to email and general offline marketing. So, you, as a business owner, need to ensure that your text message marketing campaigns have personalization as a major theme within your strategy.
You want to make each text message campaign more relevant and tailored as time passes. Think of sending texts to customers on their birthday or for a celebration. You can also use opt-in texts strategically when trying to share updates on orders, company announcements, or notices of items in stock again that they’ve purchased before. These are all quick updates that are more likely to be received and acknowledged quicker via text message than an email.
Here are two examples of personalized texts you could use via text message marketing software:
Step #6: Test and optimize
No matter which text message marketing strategy you choose to use, you need to be able to test its performance. Here’s the mantra: “Don’t set it and forget about it!”
You need to be able to test various styles of text message marketing campaigns and establish which ones work best for you and your members who opt into your texts.
Here’s the beauty of it all – as you get to know your customers and their interests, you can start to segment them into like-for-like groups. Segments are created based on your customers’ interests and buying behaviors. So, some texts will be appropriate for some segments and not for others.
At some point, you will have multiple styles of texts going to clients of varied segments. It’s important to try different incentives for the same customer segments and analyze which incentives did the best.
Here’s an example:
Text campaign 1:
Coupon campaign – “Get 15% off your first order using code WELCOME10.”
Text campaign 2:
Competition campaign – “Enter and stand a chance to win our Summer giveaway.”
These campaigns can be sent to the same customer segment. Analyze both. This way, you will know which incentives to choose in the future.
SMS marketing is all about engagement – so go with what works best for your clients.
Step #7: Add opportunities at checkout
Often business owners and marketers don’t use the checkout page to its full potential. But this is an excellent time to gain text opt-ins from customers because they’re excited about their purchase.
They’re more likely to opt-in for an elevated and positive state of mind. So, businesses can take this as an opportunity and gain their trust via text opt-ins.
If you have an online store, you can include a simple checkbox on the checkout page, asking them if they want to opt into your text list. Use index cards at the checkout counter if you interact with your clients in person. You can also have a QR code that they are able to scan to opt-in.
Step #8: Offer a text opt-in reward
Giving customers the opportunity to opt into your texts is exciting for your business. It provides another communication channel for your brand, allowing you to engage and retain members. But the excitement doesn’t have to be on just your end. You can also make opt-in texts interesting for them by offering rewards. This helps show that you value them and are all about building relationships with them.
If your company wants to establish clear goals from SMS and email marketing campaigns, offering rewards can help you reach those goals. Premium customer engagement software can help you set up SMS marketing campaigns and measure results anytime. This lets you see if you’re on track, behind, or ahead of your marketing goals.
Rewards or benefits such as freebies, discounts, or exclusive offers can all be used to help entice people to opt into your text messages.
Here’s an example of how Knix collects opt-ins via their website using rewards:
Source: Knix
Step #9: Send an email
This sounds a bit strange. But if you think about it, you already have a customer base who are subscribed to your emails. The idea is to use the email list to promote your SMS list. These customers have already consented to receiving your emails, so they may be more prone to signing up for your texts too.
All you have to do is show them why they should sign up for both. Show them the unique side of your text campaigns and share any exclusivity about it. For example, if you do a monthly giveaway via text only – this is the place to share that. People want to be a part of the exclusive club, and email promotion is an excellent way of doing so.
Step #10: Promote your opt-in texts universally
Text opt-ins seem like a minor marketing effort, but they can be so impactful to your business. To this end, you should ensure that you’re promoting your text message marketing campaigns everywhere that you possibly can.
This includes places such as your:
- Website
- Email subscribers
- Social media channels
- YouTube videos
- Live chat
- Store receipts
- Online order receipts
- In-store signage
- Print media
- Loyalty rewards cards
Why should you promote text opt-ins in so many places? Well, because it’s a quick and simple ask. And if a member wants to opt out, they can at any time. The customer is in control at all times. All you have to do is engage them and impress them.
One of the most vital parts of opt-in texts is that your messages should be short, sweet, and unique. You want to make this easy and casual for the client. Only push a little information into one message, and always ensure each text has a specific purpose.
Most importantly, you should always be honest with clients. Make sure you let them know the following:
- How often you will be texting.
- That data and message rates may apply.
- Link to terms and conditions as well as a privacy policy.
- Steps explaining how to opt out.
Want to bolster your knowledge of text message marketing? If so, download our comprehensive guide to what text message marketing is and how it can be of use to your business here:
Alternatively, schedule a demo with our team for more information on text message marketing software and how it can help boost your customer engagement today.
Opt-In Text Messages: FAQs
1. Why is optimizing opt-in texts important?
This helps you focus on which areas work well and help you improve areas that could be more engaging for your audience. Optimization enables you to increase conversion rates and enhances the overall customer journey.
2. How can I make my opt-in text more persuasive?
Opt-in SMS is a short and straightforward medium. Try to avoid complexity, personalize your messages, and include a clear call-to-action for maximum results.
3. What are some best practices for opt-in texts?
Keep it concise, and let members know what to expect when they opt-in. You should also include terms and conditions, privacy policies, and opt-out instructions. Avoid slang in messages and ensure every message has a CTA.
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