However, cold texting is illegal. You must have permission from contacts to reach out.

Don’t let this put you off using text messaging as a marketing and sales tool. SMS marketing’s one-to-one nature gives you the chance to build relationships with your customers as long as you have their permission. As with any outreach channel, you just need to know how best to approach it.

Here’s everything you need to know about cold texting and the right way to initiate text conversations with prospects.

What is cold texting?

Cold texting is the practice of sending SMS messages to people you have no relationship with. It falls under the same umbrella as cold phone calls and cold emails. This mainly applies to anyone using a mass texting service. If you reach out to someone individually, through a peer-to-peer (P2P text message, you probably aren’t breaking any laws. However, once you start cold texting groups of people through an application, you’re on thin ice.

If you purchase a contact list or find a prospect’s phone number online, then any subsequent text messages you send them are “cold texts.” To reach out to prospective customers, you need their consent. To avoid cold texting, you need to convince people to opt in and receive your messages.

Why is cold texting illegal?

Texting laws like the United States’ Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) forbid businesses from texting customers without permission. While you have the ability to cold text people, you can face huge fines if you get caught. If you have customers or contacts in the European Union (EU), cold texting may also violate the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Some of the specific reasons behind this illegality include:

You need the right type of consent for your message

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires businesses to gain consent from prospects to text them. CASL has the same requirement in Canada. This is different from cold emailing and cold calling, which don’t require the same explicit opt-in.

After I’ve mentioned consent so much, you’re probably wondering what it looks like. The type of consent you need for your texting depends on what kind of text you send. Let’s go over all three:

• Express written consent: When a customer gives written permission such as a signature, checked checkbox, or texting keyword, they give express written consent. US regulations require you to have express written consent before you send promotional texts like discounts or product announcements.
• Express consent: A customer can give express consent when they provide their phone number alongside a business transaction, such as scheduling an appointment. In this case, you can send informational messages closely related to the reason they gave you their number, such as an appointment reminder.
• Implied consent: You can assume implied consent to text back when a customer texts you first. But, your messages must directly relate to the topic the customer texted you about.

Customers must have a fair chance to opt in

United States texting regulations require businesses to offer the chance to opt-in to texts and explain what customers should expect. When you cold text, you don’t provide this opportunity. You can follow these rules by adding opt-in language where your customers sign up for texts and after they sign up.

There are quite a few details to include in these disclaimers, but you only have to write them once for each of your texting lists. Our guide to opt-in language will walk you through the process.

You should establish a way to opt-out from the start

Just as you need to give your customers a chance to opt in, you need to offer an easy way to opt out of your messages under U.S. law. This opt-out disclaimer should appear in both your signup language and text messages, so you can’t be completely compliant with this law if you cold text. Learn how to create an opt-out process when you check out these opt-out text message examples.

Can I legally text someone if I already have their phone number?

You might still be confused if you already have customers’ phone numbers through methods like importing contacts. These customers are okay with you having their number, but they haven’t explicitly given you permission to text.

In this scenario, I recommend starting your texting from scratch. Even if you already have someone’s phone number, only text it if you get the right type of permission for the message you want to send. Apps like SimpleTexting have a notes section for each contact where you can keep track of what kind of permission you have.

What can I do instead of cold texting?

There’s one clear alternative to cold texting: warm texting.

Seventy-nine percent of consumers signed up for business texts in 2024, so they are willing to hear from you – they just want to be able to opt in. Make use of this by making it easy for prospective customers to sign up for texts. Here’s how you can do this.

Encourage prospects to opt in with a keyword

A keyword is a relevant word that, when sent to the business’ number, subscribes customers to receiving future texts. You can create different keywords depending on the reasons your customers might text you.

For instance, let’s say you’re an accountant. You create a keyword like “TAXTEXTS” and when potential clients text it in, they’ll be added to your contact list. You can send them relevant information via text to help nurture them.

In SimpleTexting, click Keywords in the left-hand dashboard menu to create one of your own. Each of your keywords will come with a free compliance message to help you stay fully compliant with texting laws.

Throw a texting event

Give your customers an incentive to join your texting list with an event where they text your keyword to vote or join a contest. SimpleTexting has two features that make keywords fun:

• Text-to-vote poll: In a text-to-vote poll, participants text a keyword to vote on an option. This feature works well when you need customer feedback and more contacts on your list. You can also turn it into a competition like Postino WineCafé did with its Battle of the Bruschetta campaign.
• Text-to-win contest: You can also have customers text to enter a sweepstake with a text-to-win contest. When they text your keyword, they get entered into a drawing for a prize. This prize could be anything from a discount to a gift card.

If you plan on sending participants texts unrelated to the event, make sure to specify exactly what they’re signing up for wherever you advertise your keyword. And build in an easy opt-out process so customers who want to take part and then leave have the ability to do so.

Add a click-to-text button to your website

A click-to-text button automatically opens up your prospect’s native messaging app when clicked. When a website visitor taps on this button, the SMS app on their cell phone will launch with a pre-written message as well as a pre-filled phone number.

You can reply to their message, follow up the lead, and start the process of turning the prospect into a customer.

SimpleTexting’s click-to-text button generator gives you the tools to create one of these buttons for your website for free. You don’t even need to have a SimpleTexting account! Add your number, populate your message, and customize your button, and you’re good to go.

Publicize your phone number

It sounds obvious, but do prospective customers know how to get in touch with you? Have you made it easy for them to text you, or do they have to dig through the depths of your website to find a contact number?

Ensure your number is clear and available across your website, social media, and any other marketing materials you use. From flyers to email campaigns, don’t make finding your phone number an impossible task.

It can be as easy as adding a heads-up you have a textable number in your site footer or blog. For example, when the medical provider C.A.R.E.S. started accepting texts from customers, it announced the change on its blog.

Integrate with your current marketing tools

If you already have a method of collecting prospect information, the chances are your tool can be integrated with SimpleTexting.

One customer we did this for was Canadian Fertility Consulting (CFC). It relied on Salesforce to gather lead information but needed a smooth process to follow up with prospective clients based on their Salesforce information.

We built an integration that filters new contacts in Salesforce and puts them into different journeys within SimpleTexting, depending on the needs of the customer. CFC now has a smooth integration between both tools, which you can read about in their success story.

If you’re already using another application or software, take a look at your options on our integrations page. Once you’re ready to integrate, go to Integrations near the bottom of SimpleTexting’s dashboard menu to connect your preferred software. If you don’t see a direct integration to one of your tools, you can also use Zapier, Pabbly, or Integrately as a connector to your software.

Reach out to customers on other channels

If you have a newsletter or social media following, you already have a base of customers to share your texting list with. Advertise your keyword or phone number in your next email or post and invite customers to text.

For example, realtor Josh Avila encourages followers to text a keyword if they’re interested in a listing on an Instagram post:

Add an SMS opt-in to your onboarding process

Another way to get your customers’ permission to text them is to get that approval during onboarding. Chances are you already have a place to capture a customer’s name and contact info. Here, you can also add a field with the option to sign up for your texts and an opt-in disclaimer.

You can also use SMS as an alternate option to email or phone calls like Resy does. When you sign up for Resy, you can choose to use texts as your main communication instead of email.

What else should I do to keep my texting compliant?

Since texting has so much regulation, what else should you do to stay compliant as you text your customers? Here are a few practices to follow in your SMS marketing:

Register your business number

Before you text anything to your customers, register your number with the right national registry. In the U.S., carriers will filter out messages from unregistered numbers as spam, so you have everything to gain from this process. You can register one of three number types:

• Ten-digit long code: A ten-digit number that resembles the numbers customers use to text
• Toll-free number: A ten-digit number with a specific area code that is free for anyone to call
• Short code: A five- or six-digit number with higher throughput than other number types

Text the right things at the right times

Texting laws place some restrictions on what and when you can text. Prohibited content under texting regulations include drugs, hate speech, firearms, and gambling. And U.S. regulations require businesses to text between 8 a.m and 9 p.m.

Follow your state or province’s texting laws

Many states in the United States have their own texting laws that apply on top of federal laws. For instance, Florida, Oklahoma, and Virginia have slightly different texting hours than federal law.

With effective marketing, you don’t need to cold text

Yes, cold texting is illegal, but it’s also unnecessary. All you need is to make it easy for your prospects to get in touch.

Its direct nature makes text message marketing one of the most effective ways of turning your prospects into customers. You just need to make sure you have permission first. Sign up for your 14-day free trial and get a keyword for free, so you can start building your contact list right away.

The post Is cold texting illegal? Here’s what to do instead appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

Chances are – your marketing team is either very small or you are the marketing team.

So, how do you get your company out there when you’re trying to do it all with few resources? Our social media strategy for small businesses will make content creation second nature, giving you more time and brainpower to focus on other parts of your business.

This social media framework came about when we helped a small business owner on our Shoestring podcast. Keep reading to learn how it started and how you can use it to power your strategy.

Meet Oriana of Sao New York

Oriana owns Sao New York, a home goods business featuring products from artisans across the world. As she puts it, “Every item has a story, has a purpose. Sao is kind of like a reflection of me and my values as a person, and I wanted to share that with people.”

That’s a promising place to start. Oriana offers products that have stories behind them. Her business has a purpose. She wants to share these things with her audience. What she needs are time and ideas.

Since she takes care of all of Sao’s operations on top of another job, it’s hard for Oriana to find time to do social media marketing. She teamed up with branding experts to put together a professional website and marketing strategy, but she’s often too busy to turn their advice into ongoing social content. So, she contacted Shoestring to for some advice.

Alfredo Salkeld, the host of Shoestring, had an idea to make it easier for Oriana to come up with social media content ideas.

Hear Oriana’s full story on Shoestring

CHEW: A small business social media framework

After seeing content based on “building in public” on his Instagram feed, Alfredo came up with the CHEW framework. “Building in public” posts showcase how a business runs and grows. CHEW is an acronym that outlines four ways to share this type of content.

• Challenges: Every good story has conflict. How do you overcome everyday obstacles?
• Highlights: What victories and successes can you celebrate on social media?
• Education: Can you share expertise and advice with your social media followers?
• Worries and Wishes: What can you tell people about your hopes, plans, and feelings about the future?

Check our our infographic for more on using the CHEW social media framework…

Using the CHEW framework, Oriana and businesses like yours can:

• Make authentic content that fits naturally with the posts customers see on their feeds
• Help your customers feel like insiders with behind-the-scenes sneak peeks
• Improve your connection with customers by giving them real anecdotes to respond to

Best of all, CHEW helps social media post ideas come more naturally. When you follow this framework, you can create a content bank from your day-to-day operations. “Filming things as they happen is way easier than meticulously planning each video frame by frame,” Alfredo says.

What you’re looking for is what Alfredo calls “micro stories.” Good social media content is all about little stories that resonate with the people you want to reach. When you apply the CHEW framework, you’ve got a small business social media strategy that has amazing ideas built right in.

Let’s break down each letter in the framework and what it looks like in real posts from other small businesses.

C = Challenges

Every small business has everyday challenges to face, and you can turn them into opportunities by sharing them with your audience. You’ll build authenticity through vulnerability and show how you can handle whatever entrepreneurship throws at you.

For example, Tacos Don Perez, a Mexican restaurant with catering services, shared how their team manages larger orders – in this case, one involving 200 people. One of their staff narrated the process that goes into such a big catering job and showed how the team works as a family to achieve their goals.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tacos Don Perez © (@tacosdonperez)

The cat rescue organization Flatbush Cats showed how this letter of the framework can work for nonprofits. It often tells the stories of the cats it rescues and the challenges the volunteers and those cats face throughout the process. These posts make a case for why Flatbush Cats needs support from donors and raises awareness about cats that need help in Brooklyn.

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A post shared by Flatbush Cats (@flatbushcats)

H = Highlights

You don’t always have to focus on the difficulties in your business, though – successes have a place in your content, too, as highlights. Showcase your wins and celebrate your accomplishments, whether you got new equipment for your kitchen or signed a contract with a big brand. This content type also serves as a great way to announce and promote new offerings.

Mala, an independent candle company, often shares its accomplishments with its Instagram audience. When the brand shared a candle release at a Hong Kong luxury retailer, it also mentioned a loss that came with the win after that idea succeeded in another post. Don’t be afraid to mix content that matches different letters in the framework – in fact, it can add more dimension to your story.

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A post shared by Mala | Coconut Soy Candles (@malathebrand)

The regional restaurant chain Rasa offered an on-the-scene look at its appearance at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art for Diwali. This Reel celebrated their accomplishment and spread the word so customers could stop by to try their food.

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A post shared by RASA (@rasa)

E = Education

Running a small business involves a lot of learning as you go. Why not create some educational posts so your audience can learn with you? This content could explain what you learned from your experience as a small business owner or pass that knowledge onto the audience.

For instance, the noodle brand Omsom shared what its team learned when their business got acquired. Most of its audience won’t need to use this information, but it shows the human side of the experience.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Omsom (@omsom)

And in business coach Jenni Gritters’ case, many of the things she learns as a business owner also help her potential clients. Many of her LinkedIn posts share how she learns and grows and what you can take away from it. She’s also open about the fact that she repurposes her content, meaning you can follow her lead and repurpose your own CHEW posts.

W = Worries and Wishes

The first three letters in CHEW cover the past and present, but this last one centers around the future. What business goals could you share with your audience, and what are your feelings surrounding them? This content type provides a great opening for customer feedback, such as when the taiyaki business Rice Culture brought up the idea of returning to farmer’s market booths. It was able to learn what locations its followers wanted them to visit and stay transparent with them. Thanks to that planning, the booths became a hit.

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A post shared by Rice Culture (@riceculturex)

Another idea that comes to my mind doesn’t necessarily pop up on my social media video feeds, but it could work well for it. Some of the indie video games I follow also take a “building in public” approach by sharing roadmaps for future updates. Take Snacko, a game still preparing for official release, as an example.

This roadmap shows the features planned for the upcoming versions of the game. But even if you don’t sell a video game, you can make a roadmap for your business. What products, services, or expansions do you hope to release in the future? Walk your followers through your roadmap and keep the details a mystery to spark their curiosity.

Why you need a social media strategy for small business

With so many other tasks on your to-do list, it can be hard to justify investing some of your time in social media, especially when it can feel like a pay-to-win situation. As Mailjet mentioned in its report, organic social media reach is down due to the rise of ads. But that doesn’t mean social media is dead – it just has a new purpose now.

While lower reach makes it more difficult to send social media users to your website, you can still benefit from the connections you can make with them. In our 2024 study on small business marketing, we found that 31% of consumers use social media to find new small businesses. So, the reach you can get matters and so does your ability to be found on social media. It’s not just about your posts, it’s about your presence.

Plus, social media still has a huge number of users for you to reach. According to our 2024 small business marketing study, 68% of consumers use social media every day. And it’s Generation Z’s favorite channel by far, making it especially important for businesses looking to bring in younger customers.

Instead of writing off social media, small businesses like yours can focus on what SparkToro calls zero-click content. This content offers value on its own without the reader needing to click, hence the name. The CHEW framework can help you make this type of content to connect with your customers and build trust with them.

SMS marketing and the PASTA framework

Although social media works well for brand awareness and discovery, you can get the best results out of your marketing by adding more channels to the mix. SMS marketing complements social media well by filling in its gaps. It offers a direct line of communication to your customers where you don’t have to worry about an algorithm.

I know that adding another channel gives you another to-do to check off, but just like with social media, we have a framework for you to use with texting: PASTA. PASTA saves you time by spelling out the types of text messages you can send as a business:

• Prize texts
• Accessibility texts
• Suggestion texts
• Teaching texts
• Amusement texts

Another way to save time with SMS marketing is to use a service like SimpleTexting. SimpleTexting has features like scheduled texts and an AI writing assistant to put your texting on autopilot. Give it a try today in our 14-day free trial.

The post The CHEW framework: A social media strategy for small business appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

Black Friday and Cyber Week have come and gone, but there’s still time to increase sales, engage your customer base, and deliver messages that improve their experience with your brand. SMS is the perfect channel to serve those purposes. We’ll tell you exactly why and give you some tips for text messages that lead to a happier holiday season for everyone.

Benefits of using SMS holiday promotions

There are plenty of reasons to use text messaging for holiday promotions and customer communications. Perhaps the most important is the fact that consumers everywhere want and expect to receive messages from business on their smartphones. Research from Sinch found that 45% of global consumers would prefer hearing from brands via a mobile messaging channel during the holidays (including SMS and MMS).

Adobe expects 53% of online holiday shopping will take place on mobile devices in 2024. If more than half of holiday purchases happen on mobile, doesn’t it make sense to communicate with customers where they’re most likely to buy?

While Sinch found around 60% of consumers want to hear from brands via email, SMS holiday marketing has advantages. Namely, people are more likely to open and engage with text messages than they are with email promotions inside their overcrowded inboxes. Texts get an average 98% open rate compared to 21% for email. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use email. However, it does suggest you’re missing out if you aren’t taking advantage of SMS marketing for the holiday season.

12 holiday SMS tips from SimpleTexting

So, how can you use SMS marketing to bolster your business over the holiday season? We’ve got 12 ideas for you, and there are absolutely no partridges in pear trees… We promise.

If you’re already a SimpleTexting customer, you’ll see images of how to make these ideas happen using our mass texting service as a small business. If you’re looking for a platform that connects you with customers through text messaging, our 14-day free trial is the perfect way to find out how affordable SMS marketing can benefit your business all year long.

1. Schedule mass text messages

Shoppers aren’t the only ones who are busy this time of year. The hustle and bustle of the holidays impacts small business owners and their marketing teams too. That’s why the ability to schedule SMS messages is a great way to set up communications for specific dates and times so texts arrive exactly when you need them to.

This useful tool enables you to concentrate on other pressing matters over the busy holiday period, while knowing your text messages are being sent out right on schedule. By using application to phone (A2P) software, you can schedule thousands of messages at once, all to go out within seconds.

2. Send cart abandonment text messages

Speaking of busyness and good timing – if you operate an online store, abandoned cart text messages will help you turn browsers into buyers. Did you know nearly 70% of customers abandon their cart before purchasing? As an e-commerce store, there’s nothing more infuriating than realizing just how close you’ve come to securing a sale.

Sometimes all it takes is an extra push. You can create cart abandonment text messages that will be sent out automatically to subscribers who fail to complete the checkout process. One nice thing about this type of holiday SMS marketing is you can easily measure abandoned cart recovery rate to learn just how effective your strategy was.

Craft abandoned car messages that remind them of what they’re missing out on, or include an exclusive discount to incentivize them to complete their purchase.

3. Create a post-purchase SMS campaign

The two primary sides to customer engagement are acquisition and retention. Once a new customer has signed up and made a purchase, you need to ensure they keep coming back for more. If you’re acquiring lots of new customers over the holiday season, a few text messages the new folks will improve the chances they become loyal customers rather than one-time buyers.

By creating a three or four post-purchase text message campaign, you can follow up on customer activity: ask them for a review, check-in with their order, and send them offers and discounts. Just make sure they’ve opted in to receive marketing messages from your company. Otherwise, keep it to transactional information and questions about their experience.

4. Send SMS marketing holiday promotions

PRESENT INSPO INCOMING! We’ve used our customer favorites to build wishlist inspiration this year! For moms, dads, brothers, best friends and more, we have you covered. There’s no need to revert to socks this Christmas! https://txt.st/wishlist

SMS marketing helps your business stand out from the crowd when it comes to holiday campaigns. By using text messages, you’re already cutting through the noise of thousands of promotional emails. However, to make an impression sometimes you need to be the squeaky wheel.

During the holidays, the one thing on everyone’s mind happens to be the upcoming holiday — and you can use this to your advantage as a marketer.

Use GIFs, send out wishlist inspiration, and use your contact list to inspire purchases rather than just pushing out discount codes. MMS marketing messages allow you to go beyond the basic texts that SMS allows. Of course, there are also plenty of holiday-themed emojis you can use to decorate your text message marketing. For more inspiration, check out how these 5 retailers launched Black Friday SMS strategies.

5. Use limited-time offers with text messaging

We had a late Thanksgiving in the United States this year. That means the holiday shopping window in 2024 is a little shorter than normal. And that means many consumers may be feeling the pressure to get what they need before it’s too late. You can use those feelings to your advantage with limited-time offers delivered via SMS.

Limited-time offers are an excellent strategy to activate those last-minute shoppers. Plus, SMS is an ideal way to prompt those people to take immediate action. They’re already on their phones and, thanks to your message, they’re also just a couple clicks away from checking another item off their holiday to-do list.

6. Incentivize new subscribers with exclusive discounts

In addition to attracting new customers, the holidays are also a good time to build your SMS list. One of the most effective ways to secure new SMS opt-ins is by creating an incentive.

Give people a reason to receive your updates by sharing a discount code upon signup. The holidays are an incredibly expensive time of year, and many customers will be on the lookout for deals and offers to ease the impact on their pockets.

7. Deliver holiday cheer with non-promotional texts

Building customer loyalty relies on the rapport you have with your customers. Showing your value outside of sales-driven content lets prospective customers know you also care about their interests and purchasing habits.

Whether it’s a fun quote to start the day or a link to a new blog on how to dress for the winter season, there are plenty of ways you can create engaging content that shows your customers you care beyond sales. Even a simple greeting with a “happy holidays SMS” communicates you care about customers.

8. Use keywords to make opt-in easy

We all want an easy life — and keywords were built to make subscribing to lists as easy as possible.

An SMS keyword is a short word or phrase which, when sent to your assigned phone number, will trigger an SMS marketing campaign to begin. For instance, if you are a florist looking to advertise and sell more wreaths this Christmas, your keyword could ‘XMASWREATHS’. 

When customers text this to your number, they automatically join a list of subscribers receiving text updates on Christmas Wreaths for the holiday season.  You can set up this marketing campaign in advance and choose the frequency and contents of the text messages.

9. Create a landing page for your social audience

SMS marketing and social media go hand in hand. Simply put, if you have a social audience that you’re not accessing with SMS marketing, you’re doing it wrong. While we always recommend advertising your keyword across all types of content, including social media, another easy way to get new signups is by building a landing page.

Create an easy signup form on a landing page for engaged social media users to receive SMS updates. Then, you can either add the link directly to your social media bio or you can add it to a page such as Linktree, a core landing page that contains several links to different sites.

Popular Ways to Get Opt-In With Mass Texting Services

Looking for simple, ongoing methods to get more text marketing contacts? Look no further than these three opt-in strategies. READ MORE

10. Create e-gift Cards For Those Who Missed Delivery Cut-Offs

Hooray! Jenny has just sent you a $30 gift card for Chick-fil-A! Her message: ‘Thank you for the best ThanksGiving, take a break from cooking with your favorite takeout on me!’ Claim your giftcard here: https://txt.st/gift

No matter how many texts, emails and banners you create alerting customers to delivery deadlines for the holiday season, people always manage to miss it. 

For those people, why not create an e-gift card for them to send to a friend or family. You can use text message marketing both for alerting customers to the option of gift cards, and as the primary method of delivering an e-gift card (should we say m-gift card?).

11. Ask for post-purchase reviews

Good or bad, asking for post-purchase reviews tells customers you care about their experience. Sometimes things don’t go to plan, but asking customers to fill out a review form or survey shows you’re working to do better and will more likely result in return customers.

If you’re one of the lucky e-commerce stores that had a smooth holiday period, even better! Positive reviews and feedback from customers will increase team morale and naturally make customers want to purchase from you again.

12. Create SMS-only holiday promotional offers

Finally, your trump card is that you can make your SMS subscribers feel special. Everyone loves a deal, and if you share exclusive, SMS-only offers with your subscribers (and let others know they’re missing out) you’ll have people signing up in no time.

Combine an SMS-only offer with a keyword, and you’ll have new subscribers ready and waiting to use your offer code in no time.

Use AI for help with holiday sms marketing

If the idea of crafting holiday text messages for your customers feels a little overwhelming, SimpleTexting has new features that will help you get the job done. Use our AI Assist tool to generate campaign copy that’s designed to work with SMS. Here’s exactly how it works…

Don't feel like the text messages you wrote are hitting the right note? You can also use AI features built into SimpleTexting to adjust your tone to be friendlier or more professional.

Cut through the noise this holiday season

The world is your oyster when it comes to SMS marketing. Without the competition of 400 other email marketing campaigns hitting your subscribers’ inbox, you can rely on text message to reach your customers this holiday. 

If you’re looking for a business text messaging service to reach your customers and increase revenue, SimpleTexting offers a no-risk two-week free trial. Sign up today with no credit card required and join thousands of businesses cutting through the noise this Fall.

The post Holiday SMS marketing ideas for your small business appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

Email confirmations have their place, especially for appointments that are scheduled far in advance. Even as someone who works for a business texting company, I’d never tell you to get rid of your email strategy.

But the fact that SMS has an average open rate of 98%, while email’s open rate is around 21%, suggests that you should send important appointment details by text if you want people to see it.

We’ve seen it work for our customers here at SimpleTexting, too. Some business owners’ appointment attendance rates increased by more than 30% after sending appointment confirmation and reminder texts.

If you’re ready to send your first appointment confirmation text, I have good news. We’ve done all of the legwork for you, providing confirmation text examples and guidance below on what you need to write the perfect booking confirmations.

What is an appointment confirmation text?

An appointment confirmation text is a message sent by SMS minutes, hours, or days before an appointment. Recipients can reply or follow a link to confirm or reschedule. They’re often used by doctors and dentists, veterinarians, salons, dentists, and any other business that offers appointments.

You might be thinking, “Why should I send texts and not emails?” 

While 90% of text messages are opened within the first three minutes of being received, over two-thirds of emails are never opened. (Phone calls show a much lower success rate than either email or SMS.)

9 tips for writing an appointment confirmation text

To help you get more clients to attend appointments, I’ve compiled confirmation text best practices and advice from our SMS experts.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Include all necessary information

Wondering what to say when confirming an appointment by text?

Appointment confirmation texts should include:

1. Your business or organization’s name
2. Appointment date and time
3. Physical address (if you have multiple locations or it’s their first visit) or how to access a virtual appointment

For appointment confirmation response texts, include a call-to-action so your recipient can easily let you know if they’re still planning on attending. If they’re not, you’ll have the chance to quickly fill their spot and avoid lost revenue.

2. Personalize your confirmation texts

Appointment confirmation texts are a prime example of an opportunity to connect with your customers on a personal level. Simply sending a robotic reminder isn’t enough. To truly stand out, consider these personalization tactics:

Tailor the tone: Consider your target audience and the nature of your business. Use a friendly, professional tone for most appointments, while healthcare providers might maintain a more formal approach. Hair salons could inject a touch of fun or excitement.

Highlight the benefits: Always lead with value. For a haircut, mention the stylist’s expertise. For a financial consultation, emphasize achieving financial goals. 

Be clear and offer calls to action: Being prepared pays off. Remind them of what to bring or how to prepare (e.g., “Wear comfortable clothes for your fitness consultation”) by dropping a link to additional information or directions.

Share specifics: For complex appointments, connect the dots with a breakdown of the scheduled procedure (e.g., “Root Canal with Dr. Smith”).

Communicate both ways: Create an interactive experience with sms. Consider allowing simple replies to confirm, reschedule, or ask questions (be sure to have a system in place to manage these replies).

SimpleTexting makes personalization easy:

Our platform streamlines personalization with user-friendly features:

• Dynamic content tags: Easily insert placeholders for names, dates, times, and appointment details, automatically populating each message.
• Segmentation tools: Segment your customer base by appointment types and tailor messages accordingly.
• Pre-built templates: Use pre-designed templates with personalization options to save time and ensure consistent branding.

3. Keep your messages short

A long-winded appointment confirmation text can cause recipients to overlook important details about their appointment. Include only necessary information to reduce confusion, and consider adding extra details—like instructions and items to bring—to a landing page on your site. 

4. Use inviting language

Appointment confirmation texts are a valuable touchpoint, but they don’t have to be dry reminders. By using inviting language, you can transform them into mini-interactions that build rapport and excitement for the upcoming appointment.

Where inviting language resonates:

• Service-oriented appointments: Businesses like hair salons, massage therapists or personal trainers can use inviting language to create a positive, customer-first impression before their client even arrives.
• First-time appointments: For new clients (dental checkups, loan consultation where it’s easy to be nervous), a welcoming tone can ease any anxieties and make them feel comfortable about their upcoming appointment.
• Appointments requiring preparation: If clients need to come prepared (paperwork filled out or fasting before lab work), use inviting language to encourage them and offer support like “we look forward to seeing you, please fill out this questionnaire [link] beforehand.”

Making your texts inviting:

• Warm greetings: Instead of a generic “This is a confirmation,” start with a friendly salutation like “Hi [Name],” or “We’re excited to see you again, [Name]!”
• Positive reinforcement: Highlight the benefits of the appointment. For a dentist, mention a brighter smile. For a fitness class, emphasize the chance to get energized.
• Action verbs and questions: Use action verbs like “prepare” or “get ready” to create a sense of anticipation. Consider asking a question to spark engagement (e.g., “Is there anything you’d like to discuss during your consultation?”).
• Express gratitude: A simple “Thank you for booking with us!” shows appreciation and reinforces their decision.

Words to avoid:

• Urgent or demanding language: Pivot away from words like “urgent” or “required” unless absolutely necessary. Focus on a positive and informative tone.
• Negatives: Skip words like “don’t forget” or “avoid being late.” Frame things positively (e.g., “We can’t wait to see you at [time]”).
• Jargon or technical terms: Use clear, concise language that everyone understands.

5. Be specific with your call to action

Make it clear how you want people to confirm their appointment. For example, instead of saying “Reply to this message to confirm your appointment,” say “Reply C to confirm your appointment, or call/text to cancel or reschedule.”

Having a standard way of confirming appointments will help you quickly spot which recipients have confirmed and which have questions.

6. Send confirmations at the right time

There’s no one-size-fits-all texting timeline for appointment confirmations, but researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that sending texts three days and one day before can help reduce no-shows.

You can start with this basic schedule:

1. After scheduling: Send a text right after the appointment is scheduled so recipients can refer back to the message and add the details in their calendar.
2. Three days before: Send the actual appointment confirmation that asks for a response less than 72 hours before the appointment. 
3. One day before: Send a reminder text the day before the appointment.

7. Automate your confirmation messages

Reduce the time you spend on sending confirmation texts by automating them. SimpleTexting integrates with thousands of tools, like Google Calendar and Calendly, so you don’t have to manually send each appointment confirmation text message.

See how to schedule appointment confirmation and reminder texts with Google Calendar and SimpleTexting.

SimpleTexting Is Appointment Confirmation Text Software

Take advantage of text messages’ 98% open rates and reduce appointment no-shows. Meaningful connections are just a text away with SimpleTexting.

Try Us Free

No credit card required

8. Give clients the option to call you

Include your phone number in your confirmation text for people who’d rather talk in real time than text when they have questions.

If you’re not able to take calls right away, let them know when to expect a call back from you.

9. Give clear opt-out instructions

Sometimes people change their minds about appointment text messages. Make it easy for them to unsubscribe from your messages by including opt-out instructions, like “Reply STOP to stop.”

Send opt-in/opt-out instructions and other SMS compliance information after texting a new contact for the first time.

If you use SimpleTexting, we’ll send new contacts a free, customizable compliance message with information on how to unsubscribe once you send your first message. 

Read our SMS compliance guide to learn more about how to follow texting industry regulations.

Appointment confirmation text templates to copy and paste

Not sure what to say to confirm an appointment? I’ll share some appointment confirmation text templates to choose from and add to your business texting platform.

Appointment confirmation text templates:

• Doctor and dentist office appointments
• Veterinary office appointments
• Beauty salon appointments
• Home service appointments
• Real estate property showings
• Automotive service appointments
• Business and sales meetings
• Virtual appointments
• Job interviews
• Cancellation policy disclosures
• Special instructions

Appointment confirmations texts for doctors and dentist offices

Veterinary office appointment confirmations

Beauty salon appointment confirmations

Home service appointment confirmations

Real estate property showing confirmations

Hi [BUYER NAME]! This is [YOUR NAME] with [COMPANY]. Does [DATE] at [TIME] still work for the showing at [PROPERTY ADDRESS]?

Automotive service appointment confirmations

Business and sales meeting confirmations

Virtual appointment confirmations

Job interview confirmations

No-Shows and Cancellation Policy disclosures

Hi [CLIENT/PATIENT NAME], your appointment at [BUSINESS NAME] is scheduled for [DATE] at [TIME]. Please note that canceling or rescheduling less than [NUMBER OF DAYS/HOURS] before your appointment will result in a [FEE AMOUNT] cancellation fee. Reply or call this number with questions. Thank you!

Special instructions

Hi [CLIENT/PATIENT NAME], your appointment at [BUSINESS NAME] is scheduled for [DATE] at [TIME]. Before your appointment, please [INSTRUCTIONS FOR FORMS, WHAT TO BRING, ETC.]. Reply or call this number with questions. Thank you!

How to send text appointment confirmations (the SimpleTexting Way)

SimpleTexting streamlines the process of sending text appointment confirmations, saving you time and ensuring clear communication with your customers. Our user-friendly interface allows you to:

1. Leverage integrations:

• Calendar sync: Connect SimpleTexting with your online calendar (e.g., Google Calendar, Outlook) via Zapier to automatically generate confirmation texts based on appointments booked. This ensures messages are sent at the right time with all the necessary details pre-populated.
• Online booking forms: Integrate SimpleTexting with your online booking forms. When a client confirms their appointment through the form, a confirmation text can be automatically triggered.

2. Building your text message:

• Start with a template: Choose from a library of pre-built templates designed for appointment confirmations. These templates already include essential elements like greetings, appointment details, and disclaimers.
• Personalize your message: SimpleTexting offers powerful personalization tools. Use dynamic content tags to automatically insert the recipient’s name, appointment date, time, location, and other relevant details. You can further customize the message with greetings, appointment-specific details, and calls to action.
• Add a touch of brand personality: Maintain a consistent brand voice by incorporating your brand’s language and style.

3. Setting up automated sending:

• Schedule delivery: Once you’ve crafted your message, determine the ideal timing for sending confirmation texts. You can choose to send them immediately upon booking, a few days before the appointment, or a combination of both.
• Test before sending: Before sending out a blast of texts, send a test message to your own phone number to ensure everything looks perfect.

4. Manage replies and engagement (Optional):

• Enable Two-Way Messaging: Consider enabling two-way texting to allow clients to reply to confirm their appointment, ask questions, or reschedule. SimpleTexting provides tools to manage these replies and integrate them with your calendar or CRM.

Building trust through compliance

Earning customer trust is crucial for successful business texting. Let’s explore legal considerations and sms compliance best practices to ensure your appointment confirmation texts comply with regulations and protect user privacy.

• Express consent: The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in the US mandates obtaining prior express consent before sending appointment text messages. Appointment confirmation and reminder texts are defined as informational messages, meaning a consumer may provide verbal or written consent to receive messages related to the product or service they’re purchasing.
  
• Clear opt-in methods: Provide users with clear and easy ways to opt in to receive appointment confirmation texts. This can be done through online forms, checkboxes during appointment booking, or keyword opt-in programs (e.g., texting “CONFIRM” to a specific number).
  

Transparency is key: Inform users about the frequency and nature of the texts they can expect. Will they receive only appointment confirmations, or might they also get occasional reminders or updates?

A powerful tool for personalization:

SimpleTexting empowers you to personalize appointment confirmation texts, fostering a positive user experience, starting with:

• Dynamic content: Include the recipient’s name, appointment date, time, and location in the message. This adds a personal touch and reduces confusion.
  
• Segmentation by appointment type: If you offer various appointment types (e.g., consultations, haircuts), personalize messages accordingly. Mention the specific service booked for better clarity.
  

SimpleTexting as your trusted partner:

By following these legal guidelines and personalization tips, you can leverage appointment confirmation texts effectively. SimpleTexting’s platform simplifies compliance with built-in opt-in features and easy personalization tools.

Start sending appointment confirmation texts today

While it’s unlikely that you’ll prevent every single cancellation or last-minute request to reschedule, using a channel with 98% open rates to confirm appointments will drastically improve your attendance rates. 

That’s what happened for our customer Lighthouse Dental, a dental practice in British Columbia, saw a major reduction in missed appointments after they started texting.

If you’re looking for a platform to send these appointment confirmation SMS messages, sign up for a 14-day free trial of SimpleTexting. 

This article was written on June 30, 2020, by Drew Wilkinson and was updated on August 1, 2023, by Dani Henion. Nathan Ellering contributed to this piece.

The post How to write the perfect appointment confirmation text appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

You could certainly be texting customers too much, and new consumer research from Sinch suggests overdoing it is a major dealbreaker for plenty of people. 

Like Goldilocks traipsing through the three bears’ home, complaining about porridge and chairs, the people who sign up for your texts expect you to get SMS marketing frequency just right. Here are some insights and advice on how to make that happen. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Is texting customers too often bad for business?
• SMS frequency Consumers vs business practices
• Five tips for optimizing your SMS marketing frequency
• The importance of relevant SMS marketing
• Strengthen your strategy with help from Sinch

Is texting customers too often bad for business? 

Our friends at Sinch surveyed hundreds of U.S consumers to find out how they prefer to connect and communicate with brands. You can see the full results in the report The art and heart of meaningful customer connections. 

When asked what could ruin their impression of a brand during initial interactions, consumers responded loud and clear. More than 50% said getting either too many messages or irrelevant communications prompts them to opt out. 

26% of respondents said receiving messages too frequently was the biggest dealbreaker while 25% felt that way about irrelevant messages. However, you’ll also notice that 9% of consumers consider it a problem if a business doesn’t communicate with them often enough. 

So, there must be a sweet spot, right? Is there a way to send the perfect amount of text marketing campaigns to people without aggravating anyone or leaving them in the dark? 

As you may have already guessed, perfecting your SMS frequency can be a bit complex. That’s partly because we all have our own preferences for what’s just right. But it also depends on your industry, target audience, customer buying cycle, and much more. 

SMS frequency: Consumers vs business practices 

Some of the most interesting findings in Sinch’s report involve comparisons of what businesses are doing to what consumers say they want. When asked about preferences for receiving promotional messages, consumer opinions were varied, and they don’t always align with sending frequencies. 

More than a third of U.S consumers say they want to hear about promotions whenever they come up. That’s a good percentage of people who are likely to be interested and engaged in your campaigns. However, nearly half of businesses (48%) are sending promotional campaigns as often as they want. This indicates there are customers getting more messages than they bargained for. They’ll be the ones texting “STOP” to put an end to those excessive or unwanted promotional messages. 

Around 25% of respondents said they want to be contacted about promotions no more than daily and 26% said no more than weekly. That’s more than half when combined. This might suggest that sending promotional SMS campaigns once or twice a week is that Goldilocks-style sweet spot for SMS frequency. 

But be careful about making too many assumptions. A biweekly SMS cadence might be appropriate for some businesses or specific campaigns – but not others. For example, bi-weekly promotional texts from someone’s favorite grocery store could be helpful because they shop there so often. On the other hand, if someone receives weekly texts from a travel brand, and they only take one vacation a year, it could get annoying. 

Likewise, receiving a couple of texts per week from you may be the right frequency for certain customers while others prefer less frequent communication. This is why you need to start getting more strategic with SMS communication.  

5 tips for optimizing your SMS marketing frequency 

Our own Dani Henion hosted a webinar on optimizing your SMS sending frequency. She offered some solid advice for understanding how to deliver what your customers really want. Check out the recording of Getting your SMS frequency just right to see for yourself. 

These are our top tips for avoiding issues with SMS frequency: 

1. Set clear expectations from the start 

2. Segment recipients based on preferences 

3. Watch for signs of text message fatigue 

4. Let SMS subscribers hit snooze 

5. Personalize promotions to increase relevancy 

1. Set clear expectations from the start 

Identifying the right SMS frequency should start when customers opt in to receive your texts. If you’re delivering daily deals or weekly tips, make that obvious from the get-go. Landing pages and signup forms can clearly state how often you’ll be texting customers. You can even use the frequency as a benefit: 

“Don’t miss our daily deals! Get savings delivered straight to your phone.” 

Welcome text messages present another opportunity to set clear expectations for SMS frequency. The first message new subscribers receive after opting in can remind them of what they can look forward to receiving as well as how to opt out if they change their minds. 

The graphic below illustrates how a brand could use a social promotion or digital ad to plainly state the frequency of “weekly store updates and deals.” When a new subscriber uses the keyword to opt in, an automated welcome message could reiterate the weekly cadence. 

2. Segment recipients based on their preferences 

You can also let people choose the promotional text message frequency that’s right for them. If you provide options for how often you’ll send SMS campaigns at signup, you can easily segment those subscribers into groups with different sending cadences. 

But what if you already have a big list of subscribers and you’re unsure what they prefer? Try using SMS keywords paired with an autoresponder. For example, send your list a message asking them to reply with “DAILY”, “WEEKLY”, or “MONTHLY” to indicate how often they want to hear from you. 

Here’s how you’d set it up in SimpleTexting: 

STEP ONE: Create separate keywords for each frequency option (like daily, weekly, and monthly). Add each to a new list so you can select it when you’re creating new SMS campaigns. 

STEP TWO: Set up an autoresponder asking how often the contact wants to receive your messages, and list each option based on the keywords you created.  

Note: this only works for new contacts, since autoresponders are triggered by opt-ins. If you want to ask current subscribers about their frequency preferences, send a regular SMS campaign 

Now, when you are ready to send campaigns based on frequency, you can select contact lists that correspond to the keywords you created. 

Of course, your segmentation strategy can extend way beyond your customers’ appetites for receiving texts. Get our advice for segmenting different types of customers with thoughts on what you should text each group. 

3. Watch for signs of text messaging fatigue 

Keep a close eye on SMS marketing metrics to understand whether you’re hitting the right frequency or not. Dani told webinar attendees there are some important KPIs to measure which serve as warning signs that customers are getting tired of your texts. 

Unsubscribe rates 

The biggest telltale sign you’re texting customers too often is the percentage of people who opt-out. While it’s perfectly natural for some customers to choose to unsubscribe, keep your eye out for changes in typical unsubscribe rates. 

Let’s say it’s normal for less than 1% of your list to opt out during a campaign. Then you increase your SMS frequency, and the unsubscribe rate suddenly spikes to more than 10%. That’s a problem, and you should consider adjusting your sending cadence. 

Open rates 

SMS campaigns have notably high open rates compared to channels like email. But if you see this metric starting to slide, it could be a sign you’re sending too many texts. Perhaps your customers aren’t opening these messages because they already got the point and just aren’t interested. If that’s the case, adjusting your SMS frequency will reduce waste. 

You should also monitor click rates and conversions for SMS promotions. If you’re sending follow-up messages as part of a major campaign, it’s reasonable to expect a decline in engagement. However, if the drop is dramatic, consider adjusting the cadence. 

Negative responses 

Here’s a sign of text message fatigue you can’t ignore: Recipients straight up tell you they’re sick of all the texts from your businesses. 

Two-way communication is one of the biggest advantages of SMS. Of course, it also means you’ll get negative responses from time-to-time, including complaints about how often you’re texting. 

Let’s say you only get a few of these kinds of complaints. It’s easy to brush those subscribers off as “Negative Nancies” who just don’t get it. The truth is, they may be doing you a favor. 

Some often-cited research from Lee Resources suggests that for every customer who complains about a problem, 26 others feel the same way yet remain silent. If your SMS frequency is annoying customers, most will just unsubscribe instead of reaching out to complain. So, it may be wise to heed the warnings of the Negative Nancies on your list. 

4. Let SMS subscribers hit snooze 

Putting more power into the hands of your customers is an excellent way to show you have their interests top of mind. One way to do that is to provide them with the ability to pause promotional SMS messages for a set time. 

Use an SMS keyword such as “SNOOZE” or “PAUSE” to temporarily exclude recipients from those communications. When someone replies to your text with the keyword, they’ll be added to a new contact list. Then, when you create a new text campaign, you can exclude this list from your recipients. 

This lets customers take a break until they’re ready to start engaging with your texts again. It’s a nice compromise from completely opting out when someone just doesn’t want to hear from you for a little while. 

5. Personalize text promotions to increase relevancy 

The Customer Connections report from Sinch shows that the text message inbox is one of the best places to deliver personalized promotions. When you combine consumer preferences for receiving personalized recommendations via SMS and MMS, only email is more preferred. Combining all mobile messaging channels leads to a tie with email. 

A total of 29% of consumers said they’d prefer receiving personalized recommendations via SMS or MMS messages while 39% would pick their email inbox. 

Here’s another important consideration. Preferences for mobile messaging are likely to grow as younger consumers come of age. SimpleTexting’sOur research on text marketing trends found 85% of Gen-Z consumers have opted in to receive texts from businesses. This generation of consumers consists of people in their teens and twenties. Their purchasing power will grow in the coming years. Our research into the state of small business marketing also found Gen-Z is the generation most likely to prefer text communication and least likely to want emails from brands. 

Delivering personalized experiences through text marketing is ideal no matter the age of your customers. That’s because it’s already a very personal and conversational communication channel. Check out our guide on when and how to send personalized text messages. 

The importance of relevant SMS marketing 

It’s no coincidence that Sinch’s findings reveal the impact of not only message frequency but also the importance of relevant communications. These two factors are directly connected. When you’re consistently texting customers relevant messages, they’re less likely to have problems with how often they hear from you. 

Segmentation and personalization are two effective ways to deliver relevant SMS marketing, but you can also diversify your approach with a tasty variety of text message campaigns. In our webinar, Dani Henion suggests using the PASTA framework, which includes five types of text campaigns that deliver value to customers: 

1. P — Prize texts: Promo codes, special offers, and early access 

2. A — Accessibility texts: Reminders, instructions, and essential information 

3. S — Suggestion texts: Lifestyle content, motivational quotes, and creative ideas 

4. T — Teaching texts: How-to guides, quick tips, and expert Q&As 

5. A — Amusement texts: Entertaining content and conversation starters 

Check out our PASTA menu for some example text messages: 

When every message you send pushes a promo code or a weekly deal, your SMS marketing may start getting stale. Spicing up your strategy with the PASTA framework helps you stay relevant. 

Strengthen your strategy with help from Sinch 

Could your customer communication strategy use an upgrade or are you already nailing it? Our friends at Sinch are offering a free, personalized evaluation to help you find out if there are other ways for you to connect with your customers. 

There’s an ideal marketing mix for every industry, small business, and customer base. Take the test today and find out how you could improve your approach to customer communication. 

The post Understanding SMS frequency: Are you texting customers too much?  appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

There’s a little more to it than that.

While these numbers may look odd next to your 10-digit phone number, they’re actually quite powerful–and popular. Every day, these shortened phone numbers enable Amazon to send verification codes to confirm new accounts, FedEx to share delivery notifications, and SouthWest to promote its flash sales.

So, what’s special about a 6-digit phone number, and how can you put this type of number to use in your business?

What is a 6-digit phone number?

A six-digit phone number is referred to as a short code (there are also some instances of 5-digit short codes). These short code numbers were created by the major wireless carriers in 2003 to allow marketers to easily communicate things like promotional offers or important alerts to consumers.

If you want to know more about these numbers, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll cover the following FAQs in this article:

• How do 6-digit phone numbers work?
• How is a 10-digit phone number different from a 6-digit number?
• How do you get a 6-digit phone number?

How do 6-digit phone numbers work?

6-digit phone numbers are used by companies of all sizes to send marketing blasts, conduct two-factor authentication, and send out notifications and alerts. 

Six-digit phone numbers are leased from the Common Short Code Administration, and once this happens, organizations can send and receive SMS and MMS messages. It’s not a free-for-all, though, and there are several rules businesses must follow to be TCPA compliant.

The most important thing to remember here is that customers must give you explicit permission to send them text messages. We put strong emphasis on making sure you can avoid looking spammy to your customers.

Getting subscribers with a 6-digit phone number

One of the most common ways for customers to provide this permission is by texting in a keyword. For example, a burger chain might use the keyword “BURGER.” A customer would send a text to the 6-digit number with the keyword “BURGER” to subscribe. The chain can then send this customer text messages. 

Keywords are arguably the most popular opt-in method to ensure customers are providing their explicit permission. If you want to learn more about keywords and compliance, we recommend checking out the following resources:

• The complete guide to SMS compliance
• Setting up a keyword
• 10 places to advertise your keyword

What is the difference between a 10-digit phone number and a 6-digit number?

The biggest difference between a 10-digit phone number and a 6-digit number is that 10-digit numbers can also make calls and send faxes (if anyone still sends faxes). So, with a 10-digit phone number, your customers can both text and call you. 

10-digit phone numbers also allow you to send out mass text messages if they are text-enabled. If you’d like to learn more, we’ve written about how to pick the right number for SMS marketing and a guide to short codes vs. long codes.

“If you’re considering SimpleTexting, I highly recommend it. As a marketer, and someone who consults with multiple different types of businesses, the support that you get is wonderful. And I find the design of the platform allows you to move and experiment very quickly.”

How do you get a 6-digit phone number?

You’ll lease your 6-digit phone number. This can run your business anywhere from $1000-$1500 a month. 

If you have the budget and want to learn more about setting up a dedicated short code, then we recommend you check out our dedicated short code texting services. 

The first step involves deciding between a dedicated vanity short code (a code that spells a word, as in Kmart’s SMS short code 56278 that spells out “Kmart”) or a random short code. 

Vanity short codes can make your 6-digit number even more memorable and, therefore, more trusted by your customers. However, this comes with extra costs, and random 6-digit numbers are more affordable.

Setting up your short code

The process of getting either a vanity short code or a random short code goes like this:

1. Choose whether you’ll lease a random or vanity code based on your desired budget and goals.
2. Work with us to complete a service approval form and provide details on what type of messages you’ll send, how you’ll use your 6-digit phone number, and your organization in general.
3. We’ll get connected with an aggregator and get your help in submitting a joint form. This form will include information on how you’ll stay in compliance. You’ll then get either approval or feedback so we can re-submit.
4. Once you’re approved, you can get started using your number for campaigns.

We get that leasing a 6-digit number can be an intimidating process. Never fear. With over a decade of experience with short code texting, we can guide you through the entire process to make it as smooth as possible. 

Get started by visiting our contact page or clicking on the blue chat button at the bottom of your screen to get started.

The post What to know about 6-digit phone numbers appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

What are abbreviations for texting?

Text abbreviations are shortened versions of a word or phrase used to save time. They’re also helpful when you have to stay within a limited character count.

In the past, deciphering text-speak abbreviations was for cool moms and dads who wanted to fit in with their teens.

Today, businesses of every size are starting to recognize the value of incorporating text abbreviations into their campaigns to attract, engage, and foster relationships with their customers.

Learning text abbreviations is a must for any marketer who wants to keep up with the speed and brevity of today’s bite-sized communication style.

The challenge is to adapt to text-ese (an evolving language by itself) and be able to use abbreviations while maintaining proper texting etiquette and providing value at the same time.

If you’re still baffled every time you read IIRC, BRB, and IDK, this cheat sheet of SMS abbreviations and internet acronyms commonly used is for you.

Why your business needs text abbreviations

Sure, text abbreviations might make your brand look and sound a little cooler, but that’s not the real reason you’ll want to use them. Text abbreviations reduce the character count of SMS messages, and that can save your business money.

You see, when you’re sending SMS, you are limited to just 160 characters per message. If your text exceeds 160 characters, it gets split into multiple messages. Of course, if you send more text messages than necessary, you may incur unnecessary costs as well. Text abbreviations help you get your message across without using up valuable characters.

Note: MMS messages provide a much higher character count of 1,600, but they also cost a bit more than sending SMS messages.
You can totally overuse text abbreviations and make a mess of your messaging. However, if you add them strategically and make sure they’re clear to your recipients, they are a helpful tool in your SMS marketing playbook.

The most popular SMS abbreviations

1. Asap – As soon as possible: Can you send me that report asap?
2. Atm – At the moment: I can’t talk, I’m at work atm
3. BRB – Be right back: Sorry, just grabbing a coffee – BRB!
4. Brt – Be right there: Found the place, brt!
5. BTW – By the way: I’m on the way, BTW should I bring anything?
6. FTW – For the win: Did you see the game last night? Bills FTW!
7. FWIW – For what it’s worth: FWIW, I think it’s going to rain anyway.
8. Fyi – For your information: Fyi, the meeting is at 2 pm today
9. Hbu – How about you: I’m doing great, hbu?
10. HMU – Hit me up: If you need anything just HMU!
11. IDK – I don’t know: The traffic’s delayed me, IDK what time I’ll get there!
12. Ig – I guess: I mean if you’re going too ig I will
13. IIRC – If I remember correctly: IIRC, he still works there.
14. IMHO/IMO – In my humble opinion/in my opinion: IMHO, coffee is way better than tea.
15. Istg – I swear to god: If this traffic doesn’t let up I’m gonna be late, istg
16. Iykyk – If you know, you know: That deli down the street is the best lunch place around. Iykyk
17. LMK – Let me know: LMK if you need anything from the grocery store.
18. LOL – Laugh out loud: That’s so funny, LOL!
19. Ngl – Not gonna lie: Ngl, I’m ready for Friday
20. NVM – Nevermind: NVM about grabbing the chips, I found some at home!
21. OG – Original gangsters (used for old friends): You’ll love her, she’s one of my OGs!
22. OMG – Oh my God/goodness: OMG I can’t believe that happened!
23. OMW – On my way: I’ve just left, OMW now!
24. Ong – On god (I swear): I’m way too sick to work today, ong
25. OOTD – Outfit of the day: What’s your OOTD? I don’t know which shoes to wear!
26. Rq – real quick: Can you check the deadline for me rq?
27. Sm – So much: You’re a lifesaver, thank you sm
28. SMH/SMDH – Shaking my head/shaking my darn head: I can’t believe you just said that, SMH.
29. TBD – To be determined: The time and place is TBD!
30. TTYL – Talk to you later: I’ve got to run, TTYL.
31. Wya – Where you at: Just got here, wya?
32. Yw – You’re welcome: Thanks for the help, yw

Romantic text abbreviations

Texting abbreviations can be casual, but you’ll also need quick and easy ways to tell that special someone you’re thinking about them.

1. BF – Boyfriend
2. GF – Girlfriend
3. ILY – I Love You
4. MCM – Man Crush Monday
5. WCW – Woman Crush Wednesday

Other common text abbreviations and acronyms

This list of SMS abbreviations and Internet acronyms is far from complete. Like culture, text-ese evolves over time. As a result, new acronyms and SMS abbreviations are introduced and used every day.

 These are a few of our favorite text abbreviations that you can be confident most people will know. Give one a try today!

Common texting slang

Like text abbreviations, texting slang can be confusing if you’ve never encountered them before. Take a look at the most common slang examples below.

1. Gucci – Good, cool. Ex. “I got us tickets to the concert.” “Gucci.”
2. It gives/it’s not giving – It’s good (or “It reminds me of…”)/It’s not good. Ex. “Yeah, I saw the weather for tomorrow, it’s not giving.”
3. Lowkey – Moderately; kind of. Ex. “This new song is lowkey my favorite.
4. Mid – Mediocre. Ex. “I don’t know, that movie was kind of mid.”
5. No cap – No lie; I’m not lying. Ex. “Did you get tickets to the concert for real?” “No cap.”
6. Sending me – Used to describe something that excites or humors you. Ex. “This new song is sending me!”
7. Slay – Good (or an acknowledgment like “okay”). Ex. “Did you see Lady Gaga’s Oscar look? Such a slay.”
8. Sus – Suspicious or suspect. Ex. “I got us tickets to the concert that’s sold out.” “That’s sus.”
9. Vibe – A general feeling, a mood (usually a good one). Ex. “We had a great time, it was a total vibe.”

Social media text abbreviations

1. AMA – Ask me anything
2. BR – BeReal
3. DM – Direct Message
4. ELI5 – Explain like I’m 5
5. FB – Facebook
6. FBF – Flashback Friday
7. FF – Follow Friday (Twitter)
8. FYP – For You Page
9. GRWM – Get ready with me
10. HMU – Hit me up
11. HT  – Hat Tip (Twitter)
12. IG – Instagram (Append this to “Insta”)
13. IM – Instant Message
14. Insta – A shortened name for Instagram
15. LI – Short for “LinkedIn”
16. MFW – My feeling when
17. MT – Modified Tweet
18. OOTD – Outfit of the day
19. OP – Original Post
20. PM – Personal Message or Private Message
21. QOTD – Quote of the day
22. RT – Retweet
23. SC – Snapchat
24. SM – Social Media
25. SMP – Social media platform
26. TBT – Throwback Thursday
27. TIL – Today I learned
28. TT – TikTok
29. Twits – Short for “Twitter”
30. UGC – User-Generated Content
31. WA – WhatsApp
32. X – previously named Twitter
33. YT  – YouTube

Business text abbreviations

Texting is also common among coworkers and customers. These abbreviations will help you navigate the world of professional texting.

1. AFK – Away From Keyboard
2. B2C – Business To Consumer
3. B2C – Business to Consumer
   We serve all kinds of B2C companies, from ecommerce to tech support.
4. DSC – Dedicated Short Code
   A unique 5- to 6-digit number that your business can use to send SMS or MMS messages (this article provides more information on all our number types.
5. EOD – End Of Day
6. EOD – End of Day
   Good morning! Our year-end sale is only until EOD. See you at our store!
7. EOM – End Of Month
8. EOW – End Of Week
9. F2F – Face To Face
10. FTFY – Fixed That For You
    Thank you for calling customer support! We’ve addressed your concern as of 9 PM today. FTFY!
11. FW – Forward
12. ICYMI – In Case You Missed It
    ICYMI, The Expanse Season 3 is now on our archives. Upgrade your account today to get access!
13. MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service
    MMS messaging allows you to add media like audio, video, and GIFs to your texts.
14. NRN – No Reply Necessary
15. OOO – Out Of Office
16. P2P – Peer To Peer
17. SaaS – Software As A Service
18. SMS – Short Message Service
    SMS is a message type you can use to send and receive texts over a cell network.
19. TL;DR – Too Long; Didn’t Read
    Good day! You will be receiving an in-depth explanation on how to file your claim with us in your email today. For a TL;DR version, call us at 555-123-4567 between 9 am- 5 pm Mon-Fri.
20. TYVM– Thank You Very Much
    TYVM for your purchase! See you at our next sale in the fall.
21. WFH – Work From Home
22. WIP – Work in Progress – If you’re having trouble exporting files, contact customer support at email@email.com. Bug fixes are a WIP by the dev team.
23. YTD – Year To Date

Business texting compliance approved abbreviations

As with any industry, the world of business texting and text marketing is rich with jargon and abbreviations. And when you’re up against a tight character limit, the temptation to shorten your words is real.

In an effort to help you avoid confusion or misdirection with any of your SMS compliance messaging, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (CTIA) developed a list of approved abbreviations you can use in your text marketing that will help you save space without sacrificing clarity.

Approved CTIA abbreviations include:

• Msg instead of Message
• / instead of Per
• Txt instead of Text
• mo, ea. mo. or /mth instead of Per Month
• Msg&Data Rates May Apply instead of Message and Data Rates May Apply

Marketing abbreviation

1. AOV – Average Order Value
2. BOGO – Buy One Get One
3. CLV – Customer Lifetime Value
4. CMS – Content Management System
5. CPA – Cost Per Acquisition
6. CPV – Cost Per View
7. CR  – Conversion Rate
8. CRM – Customer Relationship Management
9. CRO – Conversion Rate Optimization
10. ICP – Ideal Customer Profile
11. LTV – Lifetime Value
12. PPC – Pay Per Click
13. SCN – Short Code Number
14. SEM – Search Engine Marketing
15. SEO – Search Engine Optimization
16. SERP – Search Engine Results Page
17. SMB – Small/medium business
18. SOV – Share Of Voice
19. TOS – Terms of service
20. WOM – Word Of Mouth

Romantic/Relationship text abbreviations

1. BAE – Before Anyone Else
2. BFF – Best Friend Forever
3. DTR – Define the relationship
4. FWB – Friends With Benefits
5. ILYSM – I Love You So Much
6. LOML  – Love Of My Life
7. LTR – Long-term relationship
8. LYLAS – Love You Like A Sister
9. OTP – One true pairing
10. PDA – Public display of affection
11. SO – Significant Other
12. XOXO – Hugs and kisses

Examples of text abbreviations in SMS marketing

Now that you’ve reviewed our comprehensive list of abbreviations for text messages, let’s look at a few examples. Here are some ways you might use text abbreviations in real life to manage your SMS character count and communicate a clear message.

Promotional campaign reminder

Let’s say you want to notify customers they’ve got one last chance to take advantage of your store’s buy-one–get-one-free promotion. Your text could read something like this:

How to incorporate texting abbreviations in a business context

Now that you’re an expert in business text abbreviations, your next step is to familiarize yourself with the do’s and don’ts of using them.

Our lists are a great way to keep on top of the must-know text speak for your professional and personal life.

1. Don’t cram too many texting abbreviations in one text.
   What would it feel like if you receive a text from your insurance company saying: Sup! ICYMI, CYE for instrux on policy renewal. SSIA. Sounds rude, right?
   
2. Be creative, but not unprofessional. When appropriate, add images and GIFs using MMS marketing.
   Your words and acronyms don’t have to do all of the talking. It’s easy to attach images and graphics to your messages as well. Use these to make your messages more engaging.
   
3. Text like an adult. Don’t use shorthand like “2” for “to” or “U” for “you.”
   Texting like this does save precious characters—but it also looks unprofessional. Compare these two texts:
   
   “Go2 Meg’s 2day asap 4 a gr8 deal! 20% off ne slice wen u sho dis text.”
   
   “Visit Meg’s ASAP for a great deal! 20% off any slice when you show this text.”
   
   Which text looks like it’s from a respectable business?
   
4. Only use text abbreviations your audience will understand.
   Knowing your audience helps you decide which abbreviations are appropriate and which ones aren’t.
   
   For instance, you wouldn’t want to text “Hello, this is Joe, tech support for X Cable. Responding to your query, FTFY!” to a 70-year old needing help with his cable. In this instance it would be better to write out, “Be seeing you.”
5. Proofread before you hit send! A simple typo with an abbreviation can completely change the meaning of your text.  A quick double-check can save you from embarrassing misunderstandings.
   
   By integrating these additional facts into your existing content, you’ll provide a richer resource for readers interested in text abbreviations, enhancing their understanding and practical application of these terms in both personal and professional contexts.

Text abbreviation mistakes to avoid

There are hundreds of word abbreviations out there, so any fear of using slang abbreviations for texting is warranted. The best thing to do is play it safe. Nobody’s going to be on your case if you type out the full phrase.

However, if you do want to start incorporating more abbreviation in your text messages these are two key things to avoid:

Avoid using dated text slang or abbreviations when texting

In a communication method that’s only a decade old, it’s hard to imagine text abbreviations going out of date.

But meanings change, just as they do in our everyday language. Keep an eye out for text message abbreviations that others around you are using. This is not only to gauge appropriateness, but also to keep on top of what phrases are still commonly used.

Avoid overusing text abbreviations to communicate

Sure, most young people can understand text abbreviations just fine. But nobody wants to read a full message written in them. Avoid:

When in doubt simply take your time to type out the full word. It’s the fail-safe way of making sure your text messaging is read in the correct context.

Recognizing your audience

Just like addressing different people in day to day life, SMS requires you to adapt your speech based on who you’re talking to. Some of the popular SMS abbreviations you use on your friends might not be appropriate for your boss or a client.

Event announcements

Let’s say you’re hosting an in-person event and you want to let your contacts know about it by sending out a text blast. A few text abbreviations can help you craft a concise SMS message:

Welcome text messages

When you first get new SMS subscribers to opt in to your text messages, a quick note to confirm, say thanks, and welcome them is important. Using text abbreviations not only helps limit character count, it also comes across as friendly and conversational.

Let’s say someone uses an SMS keyword to subscribe to daily tips you send via text. Your welcome message could read like this:

Besides being friendly this example also uses abbreviations to help ensure you follow rules for SMS compliance.

Schedule changes

Text messages are a good way for local businesses to let loyal customers know if there are changes in hours of operations or disruptions to the normal schedule. Text abbreviations help you communicate with people quickly and concisely:

Requesting customer feedback

Finally, here’s how you could take advantage of text abbreviations when using SMS to collect customer feedback:

The post Common text abbreviations and how to use them appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

With dozens of networking meetings, educational seminars, and other conference events, Brianna said keeping everyone in the loop can feel hectic. 

“Try wrangling 400 stray cats,” Brianna said. “It’s hard, but once you have a solid communication system, everybody is on the same page.” 

For past conferences, the FBA’s biggest challenge was getting people to open and respond to emails. So this year, Brianna started texting attendees as well. 

“Everyone always has their phone on them,” she said. “Young or old, they have their phone on them. And if it dings, they’re going to check it.” 

Now, Brianna said she can’t imagine running a conference without texting.  

Want results like these? Let’s dive into Brianna's five tips for using texting at your next event. 

1. Promote your text-enabled number everywhere. 

Although attendees provided their numbers at sign up, Brianna invited people to text the FBA’s number throughout the conference. She did this for two reasons: 

1. Texting isn’t a standard communication channel at every business event, so some attendees may not know that the FBA’s number is text-enabled.  

2. Some people purchased tickets with their work numbers but only kept their personal phones on them during the conference. 

“People were pulling me aside, saying, ‘This is amazing. We haven't been to another event where somebody's texted us and let us know a session starts in 10 minutes, what room to go to, and what we're going to go over.” 

Brianna LaCaruba

Event planner, Franchise Brokers Association

Here are four places to promote your text-enabled number: 

• Pre-event emails 
• Signs and table tents 
• Printed materials, like breakout session info sheets and agendas 
• PowerPoint slides 

  Bookmark this for later: 20 free Canva templates to advertise your text marketing list 

You can even remind people that they’ll get answers from a real person in your welcome message. 

Just be sure to get your contacts’ express written consent that they want to receive texts about the event, and follow all SMS compliance regulations for building your text list. 

2. Draft text messages ahead of the event. 

During the event, you’ll be pulled in a thousand directions. Your future self will thank you for writing out the texts you need to send ahead of time.  

“[Before] the event, we drafted all of our messages. So, we had a system starting from day one when they arrive to when they leave on Wednesday.” 

Brianna LaCaruba

Event planner, Franchise Brokers Association

Brianna drafted text reminders in a spreadsheet for breakout sessions, cocktail hours, meals, and more. Then she simply uploaded those messages into SimpleTexting and scheduled them in advance. 

Pro tip: If your event has a hashtag, add it to your texts to boost interactions on social media. 

3. Add multiple teammates to your texting platform. 

Naturally, as the event planner, Brianna had her hands full during the four-day conference. If she could change one thing about her texting strategy, she’d add another staff member or two to respond to incoming texts. 

Be realistic about how much time you’ll have to answer attendee questions, on top of managing the event. You can also save text templates for responses to frequently asked questions.  

Bookmark this for later: How to onboard team members to your SMS platform 

4. Send a post-event survey reminder. 

Brianna knows that while attendees are traveling back home, they're more likely to use their phones than any other device. 

After this year’s conference, she sent a follow-up text thanking everyone for attending and letting them know that they’d receive a feedback survey via email.  

Even though the text itself didn’t contain a link to the survey, response rates increased by an impressive 20%.  

5. Ask attendees to send photos of the event. 

The FBA hires a professional photographer every year for the conference, but the photographer can only be in so many people at once. 

So this year, Brianna sent a text asking people to send in their photos from the event. 

“It was great getting it from their point of view, seeing who they got to meet, and everything like that,” Brianna said. “I downloaded over a thousand pictures.”  

In previous years, Brianna received fewer photos when she requested them via email. Not everyone has their work email on their personal phones, so they’d have to send the photos to their laptop before emailing them. 

With texting, attendees could simply attach the photos to their message. 

FBA: Feeling rested post FBCE? Please send us your photos! Thanks in advance  

Bonus lesson: Test your event texting platform in house 

Brianna’s biggest tip for finding the right SMS platform is to trial it with your colleagues. 

“I can't stress this enough for anybody who's going to try an app,” she advised. “You have to test it out in house before.” 

Before landing on SimpleTexting’s event texting service, Brianna did her research.  

“I did trial and error with a couple of other texting companies, and what drew me back to SimpleTexting was the simplicity of it all.” 

“As an event planner, you have 12 million other things that you're managing. You don't want an app that you're relying on to be one of those issues or one of those other complications. So Simple Texting was just the perfect answer for us. It's easy to use and comes with a great support team.” 

Brianna LaCaruba

Event planner, Franchise Brokers Association

Sign up for SimpleTexting’s free 14-day trial to test drive the features and apps mentioned in this guide. 

The post 5 event texting lessons from the Franchise Brokers Association’s 400+ attendee conference appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

• “We want to increase the number of attendees at our events,”
• “We want to be able to collect attendee information so we can reach them some other time,”
• “We want to ensure attendees enjoy their time and are looking forward to the next event.”

With so many different marketing channels, how can businesses — especially small businesses — satisfy these wants and ensure their event’s success? 

Event text messaging is one of the most underrated but effective channels. 

This guide will show how Makers Collective used SMS or text messaging to grow an engaged list of customers to whom they can promote future events. 

You’ll also learn why using text marketing is a no-brainer, how to overcome the challenge of building your list, and ideas you can use to keep your audience engaged in between events.

Let’s dig in.

What is Makers Collective?

Makers Collective is a non-profit organization that provides resources for creative entrepreneurs and artists. These resources empower makers like leather workers, painters, and ceramicists to show and sell their work. 

Makers Collective also hosts a yearly event known as Indie Craft Parade. This two-day event, typically held in September, connects creative entrepreneurs, artists, and makers with their local communities. 

Indie Craft Parade has two primary audiences. These are (1) art lovers and community members and (2) artists or vendors at the event. 

The artists are usually curated from a list of applications. For the 2023 edition of the Indie Craft Parade, 118 artists were chosen from around 400 applications.

Attendees and vendors combined, Makers Collective expects over 9,000 people to attend the event — making it a big deal within the creative community.

Although the Indie Craft Parade sounds exciting, marketing the event came with unique challenges.

What marketing problems did they face?

Here are some marketing challenges that have held the event team back while promoting the Indie Craft Parade.

Inability to collect customer data

Lib Ramos, creative director at Makers Collective, says one of the challenges they have is “collecting data from festival attendees.” 

This is a consistent issue because, for the 13 years that they’ve been hosting the event, the venue has always handled ticket sales — making attendees buy tickets at the door. 

Because Makers Collective has been unable to sell directly to attendees, they don’t have the means to collect data like email addresses and phone numbers.

Without such data, keeping in touch with the people who attend the event would be near impossible, a nightmare for any marketer.

However, thanks to a special deal with the venue, Makers Collective can sell tickets online on the event’s opening night. Because of this arrangement, they can collect contact information from the attendees, albeit only a fraction, which isn’t still enough.

You could be in a similar situation where collecting information from your event attendees is challenging. 

How do you intend to overcome this roadblock? Continue reading to learn from some of the ideas that helped Makers Collective.

Let’s now examine the second challenge they faced.

Finding easy-to-measure marketing channels

Insights from your marketing data inform the decisions you make about your campaign.

Do you need to change the headline? Replace a picture? Target a new demographic? Or make more room in your budget to back your current campaign?

You’ll only be able to answer these questions accurately if you track the right metrics and use the correct channels to reach your audience.

The Makers Collective team has tried different marketing channels.

“From the first festival in 2010, we’ve been doing billboard ads, radio ads, and posters,” says Lib. These traditional marketing channels surely have their place in the event promotion space. 

However, it takes a lot of work to tell which channels are working and what specifically about the ads was working. Over time, shifting towards digital marketing channels like social media is necessary. 

In Makers Collective’s case, they picked up Facebook and Instagram ads.

These ads worked for a while, but their effectiveness dropped off the map. 

Coupled with the initial challenge of selling tickets at the door, it was hard to measure how effective the ads were. 

There was no way to tell the direct link between their audience seeing a social media ad and choosing to buy a ticket for the event. 

Faced with these two significant challenges, there was a need to find answers to questions like how do we promote this year’s festival? How do we reach new people? How do we make sure our long-standing customers come back?

The answer? Jackie Soladay, Paris Mountain Marketing’s President, recommended SMS marketing.

What is SMS marketing?

Short Message Service marketing, or SMS marketing, involves using text messages to communicate with customers and promote your goods and services.

Another term used to describe SMS marketing is text marketing.

The basics of getting started with SMS marketing are choosing your business number, building your SMS contact or subscriber list, and sending messages to your subscribers. 

You’ll need permission before you can start sending marketing text messages; otherwise, it’ll be reported as spam, and you could face heavy fines.

Why use SMS marketing?

Of all the marketing channels, why did Jackie recommend SMS marketing? 

Here is why.

High open rates

“One of the reasons why I like SMS marketing is because the open rate is just exceptional.” Jackie says. She continues, “ Its 90%-99% open rate and a 2% unsubscribe rate are numbers that email platforms can’t even dream about.”

90%-99% open rates? Did Jackie just pull those numbers out of thin air? Not at all. 

The results from research carried out by different organizations support this claim. Sender’s research shows that SMS messages, on average, have a 98% open rate. Research and consulting firm Gartner also reports open rates as high as 98% for text marketing.

At SimpleTexting, we carried out a study of our own. The result of our study gives a glimpse into why SMS marketing has such high open rates.

Based on over 1400 survey responses, we found that 78% of people use their phones to exchange text messages. That’s a higher percentage than those who use their phones to check social media (66%) or send and receive emails (50.4%). 

The survey also shows that 13.8% of people check their text messages over 20 times daily. 

Surely, SMS messages are rarely going to get ignored or unnoticed.

Here are other reasons why SMS marketing is an excellent option for promoting your event and reaching new people.

SMS is a great acquisition & retention tool

Many marketers today consider retaining existing customers as crucial as acquiring new ones. For this reason, they’re constantly looking for marketing channels that allow them to achieve both goals quickly.

SMS works well for this because:

• People read their texts almost immediately
• You can send event reminders to your subscriber list
• You already have your customers’ permission to reach them 
• Texts feel more intimate (1-on-1) than social media (1-to-many)
• You can send in-event messages and post-event follow-ups to your attendees.
• Your messages can be personalized based on the specific response you receive from event attendees.

And so much more.

Text marketing is easy to measure

Tracking and evaluating your marketing campaigns is the best way to know whether your strategy works. 

With SMS marketing, there are many metrics you can track to determine your campaign’s success. 

Metrics like contact growth rate and contact unsubscribe rate help you measure the size of your list. Other metrics like clickthrough rates, average response time, and conversion rates help you determine your list’s engagement levels. 

What is more, you can track all the metrics of your SMS campaign in one place with the help of a text message marketing platform like SimpleTexting.

SimpleTexting’s dedicated analytics tab shows a complete analysis of your text messaging campaign over a specific timeframe.

Now that Jackie and Lib have identified they need to start using SMS to improve attendance at their events, another question pops up.

Since they’re starting from scratch, how would they collect phone numbers and get people to sign up for their messages?

Let’s find out.

How to collect phone numbers before an event

You don’t have to wait till the start of your event before building your SMS list. Here are some ideas on collecting phone numbers in the period leading up to an event.

Use your website

Almost every business has a website today — whether they’re using it to educate their audience, promote and sell goods and services, or for other reasons.

Your website offers valuable real estate for web forms you can use to collect phone numbers. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, as you can use forms similar to the ones used for collecting emails.

Speaking of emails.

Ask in your emails

You can leverage your engaged email list to build your SMS list. Add a call to action (CTA) at the end of your emails, asking people to join your SMS list.

Since these are already on your email list, they might be more willing to join your new list — especially if you promise (and deliver on your promise) to make it worthwhile.

You could also create an email campaign encouraging people to join your SMS list.  

Use social media

As you spread the word about your event on social media, asking your followers to join your SMS list is not out of place. 

You could run ads and giveaways that would widen your post’s reach and increase the number of people who join your list.

Distribute postcards

While postcards and flyers are traditional promotion channels, they can still be useful in collecting phone numbers for your list. 

This is especially the case if your event has a local significance. 

The Makers Collective, for instance, dropped off their postcards at local coffee shops. These postcards had a text-to-subscribe QR code that offered insider perks that people could enjoy if they signed up for text messages.

How to collect phone numbers during an event

Remember that SMS marketing is a permission-based type of marketing. As such, buying a list of random phone numbers is illegal. 

Although you can’t buy a list, many other ways exist to collect your audience’s phone numbers and build a list.

Here are some methods we shared with Makers Collective team.

Offer an incentive

Incentives motivate people to take specific actions. In this case, you give them something in exchange for their phone numbers and other contact information.

For companies selling physical products, these incentives could be free deliveries and samples in exchange for phone numbers. Although these kinds of incentives might not work for an event, it’s crucial that whatever incentive you choose is something valuable that would excite your audience.

So, what can be valuable to event attendees? Here are some ideas:

Event maps

With thousands of attendees and hundreds of vendors, people might need help navigating the venue and finding new vendors to shop from. To help these attendees, create an event map.

How do attendees access this map? By texting an SMS keyword to your business number. The keyword should be easy to remember to stay top of your audience’s minds.  

For example, the keyword for offering your audience a map could be as simple as “MAP.” When they text this keyword to your number, they’ll receive a link to the venue map and get added to your list.

Custom art

One of the favorite things people love to do at an event is to create memories by taking pictures and videos. 

At an event like the Indie Craft Parade, where a ton of art is on display, offering attendees a tangible or physical piece of art in exchange for their phone numbers makes sense.

These stamps add a personal touch, and attendees can text in to have their copy. 

Photo booth downloads

Similar to custom prints, in the sense that they’re physical, event photo booths give you another chance to collect people’s phone numbers during an event.

How?

Say you have a photo booth at your event venue. Ask attendees to text an SMS keyword to get the digital version of the pictures from the booth. 

That way, if two or more people are in the booth together, they can quickly get their copies of the pictures.

Welcome table/booth

Welcome tables are commonplace at events. And they can be beneficial in a situation like Makers Collective — where they couldn’t collect attendee information before the event.

One way to use this welcome display is to make it serve as a hub for information about the event. This is where attendees first come to when they arrive at the venue and turn to when they have questions. 

Because of the traffic potential at the welcome booth or display, you could use it to promote a giveaway. The caveat to enter the giveaway? You guessed it — they’ll need to provide their phone numbers so you can add them to your list. In line with compliance rules, though, these individuals need to know what they subscribe to receive.

Ask attendees to send in pictures from the event

This idea lets you engage with your event attendees while collecting their phone numbers. In addition, you also get a ton of user-generated content that you can use for other campaigns.

Lib was worried about how much administrative work it would take to manage all the photos received from attendees.

However, SimpleTexting’s SMS platform has a simple solution for that, as you can manage all the pictures you receive from your attendees in one place. That way, you could send personalized responses to each individual.

Brianna LaCarubam, an event planner at the Franchise Brokers Association (FBA), told us that she also uses SMS to collect event photos.

“We have a professional photographer that we use,” Brianna said, “but that photographer can’t capture the 20 people over here and then the 300 other people over there at the same time.”

Brianna said she downloaded over 1,000 photos that attendees sent in at FBA’s most recent annual conference. That’s more photos than she’s seen in previous years, when she asked attendees to send in pictures via email. She attributes the increase in photos to how easy it is to attach photos to a text message.

Create an exclusive text club

When executed properly, exclusivity draws more people to a product or service. It works even better when you genuinely have something to offer your audience that they cannot find anywhere else. 

The Makers Collective has just that — with their fingers on the pulse of the art community. Creating a text club branded as “The Indie Artists Insider’s Club” could be a way to create exclusive value for their community.

By joining this text club, subscribers would be able to receive subscriber-only content, early bird access, and VIP meet-and-greets between artists and the community.

Set up displays

You can place banners or posters around your event venue at different locations that encourage attendees to sign up for text promotions. 

These displays should be eye-catching, have clear instructions, for example, “Text READY to 12345,” and let attendees know what they’re signing up for.

Now that you’ve found ways to collect phone numbers, what should you send to them?

How to engage subscribers between events (what to send)

It’s not enough simply to collect your audience’s phone numbers. Finding ways to engage them throughout the year is crucial — whether there’s an event or not.

Here are some ideas of what you could send.

Event reminders

People have a million and one things they want to do, so it’s pretty easy for them to forget about your event. It’s your responsibility to remind them. 

Since emails and social media are mostly cluttered, sending a text message efficiently cuts through the noise and gets directly into your audience’s inbox.

Your event reminder message should include details about the event, like the venue and time. You should also include extra bits like how to make a reservation.

We recommend sending these reminder text messages on the days leading up to the event.

Event updates

Despite your best efforts, some things might go differently than planned. Maybe some vendors flaked, parking arrangements changed, or because of inclement weather. 

For example, there was inclement weather on the weekend of the 2022 Indie Craft Parade. Had they already set up text marketing, they easily could have texted attendees to let them know the event was still open and that the weather didn’t affect them much.

When such a change of plans happens, text is one of the fastest ways to get new information across to your audience.

Post-event surveys

After the event, you can send text messages asking attendees what they thought about the event. 

What did they like? What would they want to see more of? And how they think you can improve. 

While you already use emails for these surveys, you could switch to SMS to get quicker responses and encourage your audience to use the channel more.

Welcome texts

A welcome text is the first message a subscriber receives after joining your SMS list.

This message or series of messages helps to shape the impression you want your audience to have of your business. They also set expectations so subscribers know what’s in store for them.

Attendee engagement texts

These messages give your subscribers a reason to be invested in your events. You could ask for their opinion on who they’d love to see at upcoming events. 

In Makers Collective’s case, they could ask their subscribers to vote on the vendors to set up shop at the next Indie Craft Parade. Doing so ensures that the vendors who show up are the ones most of your audience is interested in.

Choose the right SMS marketing platform to grow your event list

It’s clear just how valuable SMS marketing can be for your event. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a greenhorn with no numbers on your list. The Makers Collective’s example shows that you can quickly build your list.

We’ve shared what worked for them and general best practices that’d set you well on your way to creating an engaged list.

To properly manage the numbers you collect and ensure you have all the resources needed to grow, you’d need an SMS marketing tool or platform — one like SimpleTexting.

SimpleTexting is an excellent choice for the following reasons:

1. Every pricing plan comes with our full suite of features like two-way texting and mass texting.
2. Our app integrates with thousands of other software in your tech stack.
3. There’s no limit to the number of keywords and contacts you can have.
4. The built-in AI message generator saves you time, effort, and resources.
5. It’s the only platform to offer free compliance messages.
6. Our customer support team is here every day of the week.

We’re a complete SMS marketing platform that can help you, whether you’re starting from scratch or have an existing list.

Book a demo today to see how SimpleTexting can meet your business’s specific needs.

The post Inside the event text messaging strategy that grew Makers Collective’s contact list from 0 to 472 appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

You’ll need to follow a few requirements (like your compliance message and introducing your brand), but then, it’s all about setting the right tone and giving your subscribers a reason to keep reading your texts and buying from you.

How you do this will depend on your specific business, but to help you out, we’ll cover some helpful examples across different use cases. 

What are welcome text messages?

Welcome text messages are the first texts you send to new subscribers after they join your list. These welcome text messages should include:

• The name of your brand
• A description of what your contacts can expect to receive in your texts
• Instructions for how to opt out of future texts

You can also add in:

• A thank-you for subscribing to your list
• A special discount or coupon code
• An encouragement to text back with any questions or concerns
• The link to your site
• A CTA to book an appointment 

Why do welcome texts matter?

At its core, a welcome text message is just your first message to a new contact (or contacts). What’s the big deal? 

Besides being that first point of contact, welcome texts serve a few important functions:

• They keep that opt-in momentum going. What I mean by that is, your new subscriber joined your list because you caught their eye. Don’t let that interest fade by failing to follow up. Reach out immediately to keep them invested.
• A good welcome text helps you introduce your brand in the most advantageous way possible. 
• Starting conversations is hard, so a welcome text takes the pressure off your contacts to kick off interactions with your organization.

How to write effective welcome texts

We’ll cover the top seven tips to help you write the perfect welcome text message for new customers.

1. Remind people what they signed up for

When a customer joins your text list, send a welcome message that reminds them what they signed up for. You’ll also need to let them know what they will receive from you, when, and how often.

SimpleTexting simplifies compliance so you can spend more time focusing on making new contacts feel welcome. How do we do this?

We send a free best practice compliance message as a separate text. It automatically sends any time new customers sign up to receive your texts.

This standalone compliance text does the following:

• Includes the frequency of messages
• Adds the option to ask for assistance
• Offers the ability to opt-out
• Lets them know that–in rare cases–message and data rates may apply

This is the customizable compliance message field under the message box in SimpleTexting.

Coffee on the Bean: Thanks for being part of our VIP club! You’ll get 4 carefully curated promotions a month focusing on unique beans. Enjoy!

2. Be prompt

SimpleTexting users often ask the question, “When should I send new contacts their welcome text?” 

The answer is simple: right away.

If someone signs up to receive your text messages and doesn’t hear from you for a while, they might not remember why they originally signed up and then unsubscribe or ignore it when you do get around to texting them.

We’re happy to have you as part of our exclusive SMS community! You’ll get event sneak previews, wellness tips, and discounts straight to your inbox

3. Don’t forget your manners

Unless you were raised by a pack of wolves, you know that it’s good manners to say “Thank you.”

Your welcome text message for new customers is a great opportunity to let your customers know that you see them as individuals (not numbers) and you’re grateful for their business.

Simply put, welcome texts should thank the customer for signing up and make them feel comfortable.

Thanks for joining the Camelbak club! Get ready for discounts, hydration tips, pack hacks, and gear previews.

4. Offer a discount code

Offering a discount code in the welcome text is a triple threat.

• It makes a great first impression. 
• It shows that your text marketing program is (and will continue to be) valuable. 
• It also increases the chances that they’ll purchase your product or service. It’s a win-win-win.

As a thank you for joining the Gerber family, use code MAMA23 for 20% off your order! https://text.tl/mJPLPM

This really works, by the way. Welstand Boutique offers a coupon code in their welcome text message and they’ve seen a 50% mobile coupon redemption rate as a result.

5. Think outside the alphabet

Consider adding images to your welcome message for customers by sending MMS messages. We found that texts with a photo led to a 52% higher click-through rate than SMS alone. 

If you want people to engage with your texts, it’s best to show and not tell (or at least do both).

Welcome to Swell Supplements VIP Club texts! You’ll get access to products and unique promos—be sure to share our VIP program with your squad.

6. Ensure it’s on brand

Texting is an intimate way to connect with your customers–it’s how people communicate with their family and friends, after all.

Don’t be afraid to let your brand’s personality shine through in your welcome message. The fear of fitting into a character count can often make brands sound dull.

Of course, if your brand is professional and not known for its witty wordplay, then it’s best to stay true to that.

The last thing you want to do is make one type of first impression on your customers and throw them for a loop when you change it later.

We you. Not just because you signed up for our texts, but because you love our products and that means you care about the planet.

7. Send a series of welcome texts

Not only are contacts most engaged when they first sign up for your text messages, but the experience they have in the first few weeks will also set the tone for the rest of their time on your list.

That’s a lot of pressure to place on one text. As with any relationship, it can take time to understand each other, build trust, and set expectations. 

So, why not send a series of well-crafted welcome messages instead of just one?

Our drip campaigns feature allows you to send out several text messages at intervals that you set, from one hour to several weeks, or even months. 

It’s also a good idea to send links to a blog post, ask contacts to follow you on social media, or try out different calls to action.

Drip campaigns are particularly powerful when combined with our segment and data collection features. Here’s an article on creating text message drip campaigns using segments and autoresponders.

10 welcome text message examples and templates

With those tips in mind, let’s look at how some real-life businesses set up their welcome text messages.

1. SkinTe: Welcome subscribers with a message from the CEO

Similar to SuperGoop!, SkinTe welcomes its subscribers to its text list with a message from its founder. It’s a nice way to take advantage of a channel that’s already highly personal.

2. Original Grain: Use triggers to learn more about subscribers

As we mentioned in the BROOKS example, learning more about your subscribers is never a bad idea. Original Grain takes the same approach by finding out whether new subscribers are interested in the men’s or women’s collections.

3. Lovepop: Reinforce the benefits of subscribing

Lovepop uses its initial welcome message as an opportunity to welcome new subscribers and remind them what they get from signing up for the brand’s texts.

4. Brooklyn Biltong: Cut to the chase with a deal

Brooklyn Biltong used a Cyber Monday offer of 21% off to build its text marketing list. So it makes sense that it kept its welcome message short and to the point.

5. Funboy: Keep it on brand

After someone subscribes to its texts, Funboy sends a welcome message and a discount promo code for their first purchase. What’s notable about their approach is that it aligns with its brand through the use of emojis and playful copy.

6. Spoonflower: Offer personalized help

Fabric brand Spoonflower goes a couple of steps past simply welcoming new subscribers and sending a coupon.

They make sure to introduce a real human whose job it is to help you find what you’re looking for. 

7. FedEx: Stick to the basics

Obviously, we love a creative welcome text. However, sometimes keeping your message straightforward and minimal is the right approach.

A little context here: The day I signed up for texts from FedEx, I was running frantically all over West Seattle trying to finish my errands. This message told me exactly how to get the notifications I needed and didn’t waste any time.

Sometimes, less is better.

8. Torrid: Send a contact card

We always advocate sending a virtual business card with your welcome text, the way Torrid does here.

This contact card does a couple of very important things: It helps contacts recognize and trust future texts from you, and it may even help keep your texts out of spam filters.

9. PrettyLitter: Pathos-targeting language

By now, you get the idea that how you express yourself in your welcome text really matters.

PrettyLitter sets an excellent example of that principle in their welcome text, and they do it by tugging your heartstrings.

They immediately throw out the “best cat parent you can be” phrase which, if you’re a cat mom like me, immediately warms my heart and motivates me to buy whatever it is that’ll make me the world’s best cat owner.

10. Snapple: Give value, have fun

Welcome text messages certainly serve a purpose, but they don’t have to be boring.

Snapple keeps an upbeat tone here, but they also give you something fun in return for your opt-in (in this case, that’s fun facts).

How to send a welcome text

You’ve got the welcome text tips, now it’s time to put them into practice. While the process may look a little different between different SMS platforms, here are a few options for sending your welcome text with SimpleTexting.

Auto-confirmation messages

If you’re using a keyword or web form to help subscribers opt into your messages, you’ll find an option to customize your auto-confirmation message (the message that sends automatically once someone joins your list).

This auto-confirmation can essentially be your welcome text, and you would then include all the elements we’ve talked about here. 

Autoresponders

Autoresponders (also known as the drip campaigns we discussed earlier) are another type of automatic message you can use to send your welcome text. Where auto-confirmation messages are sent immediately when someone opts into your list, you have to set an autoresponder to send a certain amount of time after they do so. 

To set up an autoresponder, you simply:

1. Choose Autoresponders on the left-hand menu of your SimpleTexting account screen and hit New autoresponder.
2. Decide which list you’ll connect your autoresponder to. 
3. Write out your message. 

1. Set the delay that your message will send on.
2. Set up any advanced scheduling parameters you’d like and save your autoresponder.

You can also make your autoresponders work in conjunction with your auto-confirmation message. You could:

• Thank subscribers and introduce your brand in your auto-confirmation message and tease the content you’ll send in your autoresponder. You can then introduce the kinds of messages you plan to send and what contacts can expect.
• Use the auto-confirmation message as your welcome text and include questions in your autoresponder to gather relevant details like contact locations, product preferences, or other information.
• Send your welcome text in your auto-confirmation message and include information your contacts might need in your autoresponder (like store hours, onboarding steps, or ways to contact your team).

Inbox

If you’re looking to send a welcome text message to just one contact at a time, your best option is to use the SimpleTexting inbox. 

1. Head to Inbox on the left-hand menu.
2. Start a new conversation or open an existing one. 

1. Type out your message in the message box and send it immediately or select the clock icon to schedule it in advance. 

Pro tip: You can add your standard welcome message as a template so it’s ready to go with just a couple of clicks each time.

Campaigns

Campaigns are a good way to get your welcome message to lots of contacts at once. They’re also very simple to set up, send, or schedule.

1. Choose Campaigns from the left-hand menu and click New.
2. Name your campaign and write out your message. 

1. Decide which list will receive your campaign.
2. Send it immediately or fill out the scheduling fields.

The post 10 welcome text message examples [plus 7 tips to write your own] appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.