Maybe you want to set up a forum where people feel safe asking a question anonymously, or just need a way for your audience to reach you when they need to.

Regardless of your reasons, texting enables you to answer questions quickly and easily.

Today, we’ll show you how to help people send their questions over text一and explain why setting up a text number to ask questions makes so much sense.

How To Set Up a Text Number To Ask Questions & Send Answers

It’s simple to enable event attendees to ask questions via text But first, you’ll need to make sure you’re set up with an SMS service to give you the right tools.

We’ll show you a little more about what we mean below, but once you’re set up, it’s easy. First, what phone number should you use?

1. Choose a Phone Number Type

You have three options: a toll-free number, a local number, or a dedicated short code. All of these can send and receive messages, but they differ in a few key ways.

A local number is the most versatile type of number. Along with toll-free numbers, they’re approved for mass messaging and 2-way communication. Just remember to have your local number registered or your toll-free number verified.

If you’re willing to spend a little more, a dedicated short code can also be a great option, as these short five-or-six digit numbers are easy for people to remember. 

2. Create a Keyword or Short Code

Keywords are short words or phrases that, when texted to your phone number, allow a user to sign up to receive text messages from you. If you’re hosting an event with a Q&A, a keyword can be a huge asset at the start of a presentation.

Simply let attendees know to text in the keyword followed by a question (or list of questions). You’ll have their question stored to answer either during the presentation or after.

Keywords are also a great organization tool because they sort your contacts into lists. 

Say you create a keyword named for each speaker at your event. Your contacts will be sorted into lists based on the keyword they text in. 

This makes following up a snap.

3. Create Templates For Common Questions Over Text

With SimpleTexting, you can create templates for frequently asked questions instead of having to type your answers over and over again. Simply open up a new SMS message, select the template icon, then click Add Template.

Now, whenever you need to use your template, just click the icon, select the template, and your message is already written!

4. Answer Questions with Text from The Inbox

To answer incoming questions, you’ll want to be sure you know all the tools the inbox has to offer. Here are some features to know as you get started:

• Conversation Filters: Filter messages by when you received them or how long they’ve been in your inbox. Stay on top of your messages to make sure leads don’t get left behind.
• Notes: Annotate conversations with notes only visible to you and your team. Talk through customer questions behind the scenes and make sure your team members are in the loop.
• Scheduled Messages: Schedule a future date and time for your message to send.
• File Sharing: Upload photos, PDFs, or other media and send them as links to individual contacts. Program materials, product photos—you name it, you can send it.
• Mark Texting Conversations as Closed/Open: When you’re done with a conversation, mark it as closed to hide it from your Inbox. If a customer replies, it will show as “open” again.
• Snooze Conversations: Hide conversations for a set period of time. When the snooze period ends (or if someone replies), your conversation will appear at the top of your inbox.
• Emojis: Make your messages feel more conversational and friendly by adding emojis. Never sound like a robot again.

4. Start Answering Questions Via Text

Now that you’re set up, it’s time to start answering questions! Give your audience prompts or conversation starters, whatever you can do to encourage them to send messages. 

You can then reply one-on-one through the inbox or as a bulk text. Either way, your customers will feel like they’re getting the VIP treatment from start to finish.

Why You Should Have Customers Send Questions Over Text

Q&A’s can be tough, whether in-person or over Zoom. Who do you call on? How will you handle repeats of the same question?

Texting lets you skip all that hassle by putting important questions directly in your hand. People prefer to text rather than call or email because texts are a fast, easy to organize, and comfortable way to communicate. 

We can’t think of a better way to set the tone of your next event, presentation, or conference. Want to learn more about using text marketing? Read this guide on SMS marketing for events.

The post Answer Questions with Texts appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

The same principle applies to your texts. The most important step in the SMS marketing process is getting people to read your messages in the first place.

Just as the filmmaker might invite people to see their first screening, you can encourage others to join your SMS list with a text-to-subscribe service. Let me walk you through this technique.

What is text-to-subscribe?

Text-to-subscribe, sometimes called text-to-join or text-to-sign-up, is an easy way for your audience to opt in to your SMS messages or emails. They send a text to your number to automatically join your SMS or email list.

In a few simple steps, you’ll effectively increase your mass texting and email marketing lists and set yourself up for future success in communicating with those contacts.

Check out this example of what it looks like when someone joins a text-to-subscribe program:

How does text-to-join work?

Text-to-join programs are simple to set up and convenient for your audience to use.

Here’s what a typical text-to-subscribe campaign looks like:

1. You create your text-to-subscribe keyword.
2. You promote your keyword.
3. Your customer texts the keyword to your number.
4. They receive an auto-confirmation message that includes compliance information.
5. You send your first SMS campaign to your subscribers.

1. You create your text-to-subscribe keyword

A keyword is a word or phrase that customers text to your phone number to sign up for your SMS messages. It can consist of multiple words, but it’ll be written as one word (e.g., “join us” becomes “JOINUS”). Make it easy to spell and remember so your audience can easily message it to you.

For example, Holiday Stationstores uses the keyword HOLIDAY in its gas pump ads, making it a cinch to join its list:

2. You promote your text-to-join program

After creating the SMS keyword for your text-to-subscribe program, you’ll want to encourage customers to subscribe. 

Invite them via social media, email, and other marketing channels to text your keyword to your number, and watch your text-to-join mailing list grow before your eyes! This is also a great opportunity to use physical media, like Holiday’s gas pump ad above.

3. Your customer texts your keyword to your number

Now, the ball is in your customer’s court. They’ll send a message to your number that includes your keyword, which will trigger the signup. I wanted to see how Holiday Stationstores’ program works, so I sent “HOLIDAY” to the provided number.

4. They receive an auto-reply confirmation and compliance information

As part of your text-to-subscribe program, you’ll set up an automatic reply to confirm that someone has joined. In Holiday Stationstores’ case, they have an extra step for confirmation.

Here, you should also share information about what your customers should expect from your SMS program to comply with mass texting regulations. Mention who you are, what text content the recipient is signing up for, and opt-out instructions.

5. You send your first text marketing campaign

Once people sign up for your texts, you’re ready to send your first SMS marketing campaign: A single message or series of messages with a marketing goal behind them.

These campaigns can contain anything important or valuable to your contacts, so feel free to get creative! For instance, Holiday Stationstores’ main text campaign involves weekly deals.

Need inspiration? Bookmark these 16 SMS campaign ideas for later.

How to set up text-to-join

Now that you know how a text-to-join service works, how do you set one up in the first place? 

First, you’ll need an SMS marketing platform. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for SimpleTexting free for 14 days to test drive our text-to-subscribe service.

To set up a text-to-subscribe program:

1. Create your SMS keyword

Begin by creating your keyword using the text-to-join service of your choice. We’ll use SimpleTexting in this walkthrough.

Hover over the Keywords option in the left-hand menu of your SimpleTexting dashboard and click the + icon that appears. It’ll take you to the New Keyword page.

Let’s pretend that we’re creating a text-to-subscribe program for a pet grooming service called Fluff Stuff Grooming. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll make the keyword FLUFFSTUFF. So, we’ll enter FLUFFSTUFF into the Keyword name field, where you name your keyword.

Then, we’ll decide what list a person will join when they text that keyword. In this example, we’ll create a new list by choosing Add to new list and entering Fluff Stuff Grooming into the New list name field. But, you can also add to an existing list if you want to create separate text-to-join campaigns for the same list.

2. Write an auto-confirmation message

In SimpleTexting, you create your auto-confirmation message at the same time as your keyword, so you don’t have to move windows for this next step. Go down to the Auto-confirmation message and Free compliance message fields to continue the process.

In the Auto-confirmation message field, you can write up to 160 characters of text and include emoji, shortened links, and media. Use as much of this space as you can to share compliance-related information like the content of your upcoming texts and opt-out instructions.

Under Free compliance message, you’ll see the free compliance message that comes with your auto-confirmation text. We already set it up for you, so you just have to determine how many messages you’ll send per month. This message will cover opt-out instructions and a data rate disclaimer, so you’ll only need to mention your identity and what kinds of texts to expect in your auto-confirmation message for full compliance.

Recommended reading: Welcome text messages tips for new customers

If you’d like, you can set up a series of autoresponders to create an onboarding drip SMS campaign. Go to Autoresponders in your left-hand menu and click the + to make a new one. You’ll have similar options to the New Keyword menu plus the time you want to send it relative to when the recipient joined your list.

One best practice to follow when you set up your text-to-subscribe welcome experience is to share a contact card. Your recipient will get a text they can click on to automatically add you to their contacts so they know it’s you messaging them.

Set up a contact card in SimpleTexting by clicking the Settings option in the left-hand menu of your dashboard, then Numbers underneath. Click on Edit to the right of the number involved in your text-to-subscribe program, then select Edit in the upper-right corner of the Number settings box. Scroll down to the Contact card section to fill out your name, email, number, and other contact info.

3. Share your keyword with your audience.

Promote your keyword anywhere your customers will see it so they can easily sign up for your texts.

This article on ten places to advertise your keyword should give you some ideas, but for starters, consider placing your keyword on:

• Your website
• Your social media
• Your storefront
• Any paperwork you hand out to your customers
• Your business cards
• Direct mail
• Physical ads like billboards

Here’s what a flyer with the FLUFFSTUFF keyword could look like.

Note the compliance disclaimer at the bottom of the flyer. Any place you share your keyword should include the following details:

• The keyword and number to text it to
• A statement that the recipient agrees to receive text messages when they text the keyword
• The types of content you will include in your texts
• How often the recipient will receive texts
• A disclaimer that message and data rates apply
• Your terms and conditions and privacy policy (or links to them, as you can see in the flyer)

4. Analyze your success

After you run your new text list sign-up program for a little while, check your text-to-join service’s analytics to see how effective your marketing efforts are. SimpleTexting links analytics directly to keywords, so it’s a snap to see the connection between your keyword and results.

Click Analytics in SimpleTexting’s left-hand menu to find your SMS messages’ stats. You’ll see tabs for analytics on messaging and subscribers at the top.

Go to the Detailed breakdown section of your preferred tab and click Keywords to analyze performance by keywords.

5. Send marketing campaigns to your new subscribers

Now that you have a list full of subscribers, start sending texts to your new and improved text list. They should fit the description you gave in your compliance messages, but otherwise, your creativity’s the limit.

Send a new campaign in SimpleTexting by hovering over Campaigns in the left-hand menu, then clicking the + that appears. After you name your campaign in the Campaign name field and choose whether you want to send an SMS or MMS message, write the content of your message in the Text message field. Choose the list linked to your keyword and schedule the time you want to send it.

Recommended reading: 11 SMS marketing use cases

Collect email addresses with text-to-subscribe

Now that you know how text-to-join works, let’s look at how you would gather your contacts’ email addresses as well. You have two options in SimpleTexting: The data collection app and email integrations.

How to collect emails with data collection in SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting’s data collection app adds another message to your auto-confirmation sequence that asks the subscriber for information. Set your requested info as an email address, and SimpleTexting will store it in the contact’s information. Read our Help Center guide to get the full rundown. 

Tip: You can get more than just phone numbers or email addresses from new contacts who sign up using your text-to-join program. You can also collect customer details like first names, last names, zip codes, or even specific product preferences through the data collection app.

How to collect emails through SimpleTexting’s email integrations

SimpleTexting’s Zapier integration allows you to add new text message contacts to your favorite email marketing platform, like Constant Contact and Drip. We also have a native Mailchimp SMS integration. 

Here’s how a text-to-join email integration works:

1. Your customer texts your keyword to your number.
2. They receive a confirmation message requesting their email address.
3. Zapier or Mailchimp automatically adds their address to your email marketing platform

What to prepare before implementing text-to-subscribe

Before you start your text-to-join program, check these tasks off of your list:

• Brainstorm what you’ll send: Create an idea bank in advance for more consistent texting in the future. Filter our success stories by the Text to Join use case for inspiration.
• Create a schedule or calendar: Build a calendar for your texts so you can schedule them in advance.
• Choose your text-to-signup platform: Get a texting platform that fits your business needs. Here are some good choices for small businesses.
• Set up your business texting number: You have a variety of number formats to choose from, including short codes, A2P DLC, text-to-landline, and toll-free.
• Understand the essentials of business texting compliance: Brush up on our guide to text message compliance to ensure you’re following the law.

3 text-to-join examples from real business owners

Need some inspiration for your text-to-join program? Here are three real-world examples of successful text-to-join campaigns:

1. Artist Couture

The team at Artist Couture noticed that though they received a substantial amount of website traffic, most didn’t follow them on social or subscribe to their email list They needed a convenient way to keep in touch with potential customers.After setting up a text-to-subscribe keyword, the team added a mobile sign-up widget to collect sign-ups.

A day after a contact subscribes, they receive an automated message with a 10% off coupon. The result? Artist Couture’s SMS subscriber list grew by 670% and generated $4,000 in sales.

2. Mendocino Farms

Mendocino Farms searched for an easy way to announce the launch of online ordering across its 27 restaurant locations. 

Their biggest question, though, was how to let all of their customers know when online ordering was available at their favorite location.

The team created text-to-join keywords for each location and invited customers to subscribe. Then, new subscribers received an automated message asking for their email address. The whole set-up process only took the Mendocino Farms team a day to complete.

3. Blu Moon Design

After moving her children’s clothing business from eBay to a dedicated website, Kristi Brady of Blu Moon Design wanted her marketing to stand out from other online stores.

Kristi knew that her primary customer base — busy moms — almost always have their phones close by, so she turned to SMS marketing. 

To build her list, she created the keyword “blumoon” and invited people to text it to her number to learn about upcoming sales and promotions. She offers new subscribers a 10% off coupon to boost sales, and she’s seen a 15% redemption rate.

7 real examples of text-to-subscribe programs

Since you can share a keyword, a number, and compliance information over any medium you can think of, SMS marketers can get creative with their promotions. Here are seven real-life examples of text-to-subscribe program promotions to inspire yours.

1. Holiday Stationstores window cleaning station ad

Your storefront covers wherever you do business. For Holiday Stationstores, that makes its gas pumping area fair game. It posts this ad for its truck fleet fuel card above its window cleaning station:

2. Holiday Stationstores bathroom mirror notice

Your indoor spaces work well for advertising your text-to-join keyword, too. Holiday Stationstores posts this text-to-subscribe notice in its bathrooms to give human trafficking survivors discretion when they ask for help:

3. Fargodome display

As you learned in the previous example, not all text-to-subscribe programs need to be promotional. Fargodome has a text-to-join function for people who need to report an incident at its stadium, which it promotes in its hallways:

4. Bob Bentz’s book presentations

Bob Bentz, the CEO of the mobile-first marketing agency Purplegator, regularly performs public speaking to promote his books on mobile marketing. When he talks about his newest book, he asks the audience to text “Relevance” to the number he provides for a chance to win his book.

“This not only gets the audience engaged in my presentation, but it also gives me a database that I can market to later. Moreover, it promotes the book signing that I will be doing after the presentation,” Bob says.

5. Smartify’s social media promotions

At the smart tech company Smartify, the marketing team promotes their text-to-join keyword everywhere their customers interact with the brand. On top of packaging and receipts, Smartify also promotes its keyword on social media. Here’s a carousel image sharing its text-to-subscribe list for customers interested in a home visit:

6. Blume’s Instagram post

Sharing your keyword on social media presents a conundrum: How will you split the information you need to share between your image and caption? Blume strikes a good balance in this Instagram post promoting its giveaway. This skincare brand gets a gold star for highlighting the most important info in its image and listing all of the necessary compliance details in its caption:

7. DC Batman’s tweet

A touch of meta humor never hurts. DC’s Batman parodies the text-to-join signup process in this Tweet promoting the keyword for the DC Community:

Start your text-to-join program in minutes

Not ready to commit to a text-to-join service just yet? We get it. That’s why we offer a risk-free trial of SimpleTexting.

It’s completely free for 14 days — no credit card or contract needed, so you can try out a text-to-join campaign for yourself.

The post How to set up a text-to-join service to collect more contacts appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

If this leaves you in the position of having to build your text list from scratch, don’t panic. You’re not alone. We’ve seen thousands of businesses go from zero subscribers to a profitable, engaged text message mailing list. 

In this article, we’ve compiled the most popular tactics to collect phone numbers for SMS marketing. 

28 text list building tactics:

1. Create a text-to-join keyword
2. Use a click-to-text message link
3. Leverage QR codes
4. Use a click-to-subscribe popup
5. Try an SMS signup form
6. Add a phone number field to existing web forms
7. Update paper forms or sign-in sheets
8. Add opt-in during ecommerce checkout
9. Add a sign at your checkout counter
10. Add a text-to-subscribe keyword to receipts or invoices
11. Host a text-to-win giveaway
12. Conduct a text-to-vote poll
13. Offer text-based customer service
14. Start a “text for help” hotline
15. Promote your keyword on social media
16. Turn your email list into a text list
17. Update your email signature
18. Add texting to your business cards
19. Add a call to action to your voicemail
20. Include text opt-in print advertisements
21. Drop off fliers at partner or sponsor locations
22. Add keywords to your product packaging
23. Send a postcard with a text call to action
24. Leverage employee uniforms
25. Advertise your phone number on company vehicles
26. Offer an educational series through text
27. Start a birthday text club
28. Leverage your next event as a list-building engine

First, decide on an incentive to offer your text list

People are protective over their phone numbers. You need to offer something of value in order for someone to opt-in to your text list. This could be:

• Exclusive discounts
• Early access to sales 
• First dibs on new products
• Educational tips
• Behind-the-scenes content 
• Contest entries
• Free samples

The first step to collecting phone numbers for SMS marketing is to decide on an incentive. If you’re feeling stuck, keep it simple and offer a discount.

Next, try these tried-and-true tactics to collect phone numbers for SMS marketing:

1. Create a text-to-join keyword

In SMS marketing, a keyword is a word or phrase that people can text to your number to opt-in to your text message mailing list. It’s the foundation for many of the ideas below. So, make this your first move.

How to set up a text-to-join service to collect more contacts

2. Use a click-to-text message link

You can create a link that when clicked opens a person’s native message inbox with a pre-filled text message. These click-to-text message links are great for embedding in emails, blog posts, pop-ups, and other digital content you share with your audience. Note: These work when someone taps them on their mobile device.

3. Leverage QR codes for easy opt-in

QR codes can do more than direct users to a URL. Use a free QR code generator to create a QR code that opens the user’s native texting app when scanned. You can have it auto-populate the message field with your text-to-join keyword.

Add this QR code to your website, in-store signage, product packaging, and anywhere else your customers may see it.

QR code to text message: How to help your audience opt-in to receive SMS messages

4. Add a click-to-subscribe popup to your website

We built a free tool that lets you design a custom button that sits in the corner of your website. When a user clicks it, it launches a pop-up with more info about your text message marketing list. With one more click, the texting app on their phone will open with your text-to-join keyword pre-filled in.

5. Put an SMS signup form on your website

You can help any web visitor to become an SMS subscriber with a simple form that invites them to share their phone number. We make it easy to input a custom form onto your website, just copy and paste this code we pre-made for you!

Once your sign-up form is up it’ll work for you 24/7 capturing new leads at every chance.

6. Add a phone number field to your existing web forms

Already have a contact form on your site? Add a phone number field, along with a checkbox for contacts to opt-in. Be sure to include compliant SMS opt-in language. Remember, that checkbox is crucial for staying above board with texting regulations.

7. Update any paper forms or sign-in sheets

If you’re still using traditional paper forms, add a space for customers to provide their phone numbers to join your text list. If there is already a phone number field, add a checkbox for them to opt-in to receive SMS marketing messages.

8. Add opt-in during the e-commerce checkout process

You may be already collecting phone numbers for shipping notifications but remember that those are transactional messages. If someone agrees to transactional messages, that doesn’t grant you permission to add them to an SMS marketing list.

(Read more about the difference between promotional and transactional texts.) Add a checkbox with TCPA-approved language for users to opt into your text marketing list. You can then use Zapier to sync your contacts with SimpleTexting.

9. Add a table tent or sign at your checkout counter

In-store foot traffic presents a great opportunity to grow your text marketing list, too. A simple idea is to include a table tent on your checkout counter. A basic flier with your number, keyword, and description of your text marketing service should catch customers’ eyes as they make their purchases.

Be sure each table tent has a clear CTA so people can take action and subscribe on the spot.

10. Add your text-to-join keyword on invoices or receipts

Empty space at the bottom of receipts or invoices is valuable real estate. Add a call-to-action like, “Save 10% on your next purchase by joining our text message list.”

11. Host a text-to-win giveaway

Advertise a giveaway where customers must text a keyword to your phone number to enter. Promote the contest on social media, in-store signage, or through your email list. Here’s a video on how to set up an SMS sweepstakes in SimpleTexting.

12. Conduct a text-to-vote poll

With text-to-vote, contacts will automatically be prompted with multiple questions after texting in your keyword. This is an easy way to engage your customers and gather their opinions while building your text message marketing list.

See how Postino grew its text list with a clever text-to-vote poll.

13. Offer text-based customer service options

Utilize tools like click-to-text buttons, allowing customers to text you directly with questions. Text-based customer service provides a threaded conversation record and eliminates the need for customers to be on hold.

14. Create a “text for help” hotline

Every business has an expert in something. If you’re a cosmetics company, you likely know a lot about skincare. If you’re a BBQ sauce company, you likely know a lot about grilling. Advertise a “text for help” hotline where customers can text in a keyword to be connected with an expert. SimpleTexting offers two-way texting so you can easily have 1-on-1 conversations with customers.

15. Promote your keyword on social media

Create a post, story, or short video announcing updates and discounts for members. Add THE necessary disclaimers to comply with TCPA. Your biggest fans want to hear from you. They don’t want to miss your posts or have your emails get sent to spam. They’ll be excited to be part of your SMS mailing list and be confident they’re informed about your latest offers.

16. Turn your email list into a text list

Your existing email list is low-hanging fruit. Send your subscribers an email introducing your text message marketing list, complete with incentives like discounts or early access to deals.

Include a call-to-action prompting them to either text a keyword to your number or sign up through a form on your website.

17. Update your email signature

Add a text opt-in link to your email signature. If your company sends many emails or provides customer support via email, include a line in the signature promoting your text club and linking to an opt-in form.

18. Add texting to your business cards

In addition to listing your phone number and email address on your business card, include a QR code recipients can scan or a keyword they can text in to subscribe to your SMS messages.

This will expand your reach from customers who are interested in calling or emailing you to those who’d rather text.

Don’t hand your business card to another potential lead without making sure your keyword is displayed there, too. You can even create a keyword and custom autoresponder for each employee!

19. Add a call to action to your voicemail

Include a message in your business’s voicemail, inviting callers to join your text list for faster updates or exclusive information.

20. Include text opt-in in print advertisements

If you use print media like newspapers or magazines, include your text-to-join information in these ads, targeting a broader audience including those not typically online.

21. Drop off fliers or cards at partner or sponsor locations

This is a tactic we’ve seen our own customers at Maker’s Collective, an artist and community event organizer, deploy with a lot of success. They include their email opt-in information on postcards they leave at local partner shops.

“Since our event is focused on local artists, it’s really effective to have postcards in local coffee shops and anywhere that will take a stack of postcards. That kind of grassroots method works well for our event.”

Lib Ramos

Maker’s Collective

22. Add inserts to your product packaging

If you sell physical products, consider including a sticker or small paper slip encouraging customers to join your text message marketing list. One common use case is to use a text-to-join keyword connected to an autoresponder that requests a product review.

23. Send a postcard with a text call to action

Direct mail may be an old-school tactic, but it’s highly effective when combined with SMS marketing. When I ran a small beekeeping company, I sent out postcards encouraging people to text us for a property assessment. It cost $590, but yielded a 21x return.

24. Leverage employee uniforms

If you run a brick-and-mortar business, take advantage of the real estate on the back of your employee’s uniforms. Print custom t-shirts with your shortcode and keyword.

25. Advertise your phone number on company vehicles

Display your phone number on company vehicles and invite people to text you. When parked outside homes or business locations, your fleet essentially becomes free advertising. As I mentioned in tip 7, don’t forget there is a difference between transactional and promotional messages. If you want to add customers to a text marketing list, you will need to include the relevant disclaimers.

Learn how Bin Blasters uses vehicle wraps to build their text mailing list.

26. Offer an educational series through text

This approach doesn’t require offering discounts but instead capitalizes on your expertise. For instance, if you run a lawn care business, send timely reminders about essential lawn maintenance tasks, like when to schedule lawn aeration.

Similarly, a pest control company could provide seasonal alerts for critical treatments, such as termite prevention. The beauty of this strategy lies in its simplicity and value. It costs you nothing but offers significant value to your subscribers.

27. Start a birthday text club

Advertise it and have customers sign up with your text-to-subscribe keyword. Use SimpleTexting’s birthday text app to automate the process of sending a discount to your SMS subscribers when their birthdays roll around.

28. Leverage your next event as a list-building engine

Maker’s Collective hosts Indie Craft Parade among other events. At a recent event, the organization hung a poster with a message, “Text MAP to…” to receive a digital map of the event texted right to their phone number.

They also asked attendees to sign up to receive text messages at check-in.

Listen to how Maker’s Collective did it in the first episode of the Shoestring podcast, brought to you by SimpleTexting. It’s on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Don’t forget about compliance

SMS marketing is regulated by the TCPA. Regardless of how you choose to get mobile numbers for marketing, you will need to follow promotional requirements. Your calls to action must be accompanied by a disclaimer such as:

You agree to receive automated promotional messages. This agreement isn’t a condition of any purchase. Terms and Privacy policy can be found at (link). You may receive up to 4 msgs/mo. Reply STOP to end or HELP for help.

This disclaimer must include the following:

• Business Name
• Program Name
• STOP Instructions
• HELP Instructions
• Frequency
• T&C/Privacy Policy Link
• Message and Data Rates May Apply

Ultimately, following these guidelines will help you build trust with your customers, lower your unsubscribe rate, and set you up for success with your text list-building efforts!

Disclaimer: Please note that this advice is for informational purposes only and is neither intended as nor should be substituted for consultation with appropriate legal counsel and/or your organization’s regulatory compliance team.

FAQs

The post How to build your text list: 28 ideas and examples we love appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

We often see businesses make these two mistakes:

• Not showing off their keyword. (If customers never see it, they won’t text it in.)
• Forgetting the legal stuff. (Yep, there’s some important compliance language you need.)

“If you build it, they will come,” doesn’t apply to SMS marketing. You need to advertise your text list. And you need to do it in compliance with TCPA regulations, which means including important disclaimers alongside your calls to action. 

To help you do this, we put together these easy-to-edit Canva templates designed for SMS marketing.

Disclaimer: Please note that this advice is for informational purposes only and is neither intended as nor should be substituted for consultation with appropriate legal counsel and/or your organization’s regulatory compliance team.

How to use these templates

All you need is a free Canva account. Once you’ve opened an account, click on a template below, and follow these steps to make these templates your own:

• Adjust the look: Match the templates to your brand by tweaking the colors and photos. Use Unsplash.com for free stock photos.
• Add on your logo: Plan to print the template? Make sure you use a high-res version of your logo.
• Pop in your keyword: Need help creating one? Follow our guide to setting up a keyword. It takes 30 seconds.
• Update your phone number: Swap out the template number with yours. It’s in the top-left corner of your SimpleTexting dashboard.
• Swap the incentive: Decide your offering to subscribers in exchange for their opt-in. Not sure? Start with a discount.
• Add your privacy policy link: Add the terms of your SMS program to your website and add the link to the template.

We put together 5 unique template sets, each including:

1. A square post for social media
2. A social story
3. A cover photo for Facebook
4. A printable poster
5. A sticker

1. The modern playful template

Social square template

Social story template

Facebook Cover template

Poster template

Sticker template

2. The vibrant template

Social square template

Social story template

Facebook Cover template

Poster template

Sticker template

3. The dark template

Social square template

Social story template

Facebook Cover template

Poster template

Sticker template

4. The calm template

Social square template

Social story template

Facebook Cover template

Poster template

Sticker template

5. The classic template

Social square template

Social story template

Facebook Cover template

Poster template

Sticker template

Now that you’ve got the tools, it’s time to grow your text list. Remember, consistency is key. Advertise your keyword regularly and be sure to stay up-to-date on SMS compliance.

The post 20 free Canva templates to advertise your text marketing list appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

When Netflix dropped the third season of the series Kobra Kai at the start of 2021 (an original sequel to the popular 1984 film The Karate Kid), viewers watched 2.107 billion minutes of it in less than a week.

This made it the most-watched program to date across the four streaming services. It’s clear that our affinity for the practice extends beyond the small screen.

Between 2020 and 2021, 6.2 million Americans practiced martial arts. 

From mixed martial arts to karate, taekwondo, judo, and jiu-jitsu—there’s still plenty of opportunities to grow your practice. 

There’s only one obstacle. 

Thanks to the impacts of COVID on the fitness industry, it’s predicted that about 25% of gyms in the U.S. will be closing this year.

So, how can your schools, studios, and dojos capitalize on martial arts’s Hollywood moment in the sun while also setting yourself up for sustainable growth? 

We combined our industry expertise helping gyms text enable their marketing with advice from fitness marketing experts around the country to help you develop the perfect martial arts marketing strategy. 

What makes a good martial arts marketing plan?

One of the best things about martial arts studios is how broad your audience is. It’s one of the few fitness options that appeal to all ages. 

Additionally, it’s popular across genders, with an average class breakdown of 52% male and 48% female.

That being said, it’s essential to know which of these audiences you’d like to target to determine the best way to reach them. 

Jeff Parke, Owner of Top Fitness Magazine, refers to this as determining your niche. For example, if you’re located in an urban area loaded with working professionals, consider offering a lunch-break express class that condenses a 60-minute class into a 30-minute lesson ideal for the busy businessperson. 

Define your goals, budget, and where your audience spends their time

Knowing your ideal martial arts students is just the beginning of developing a good marketing plan. 

Before deciding if one of the strategies below is suitable for your gym, you’ll need to ask yourself these three questions:

1. What is my objective? Are you looking to increase attendance, expand your offerings, or scout interest in new locations? 
2. What’s my budget? Can you invest in new tools and software, or are you more interested in repackaging user-generated content?
3. Where is my audience spending their time? While most marketing tactics are digital, it helps to know what social media channels your target audience prefers, do they like email or SMS marketing, are there other places in the community that would make good partners?

Based on your answers to these questions, you’ll be able to determine which of the five martial arts and karate marketing ideas we list below are suitable for your school. 

1. Start a referral program for your martial arts studio

Categories: Budget-friendly, community-oriented, new members.

Incentivizing referrals is a great way to reward existing members and new members. 

Better yet, customers acquired through referral programs have a 37% higher retention rate, and 81% of consumers are more likely to engage with brands that have reward programs!

However, the key to a good fitness referral program is delaying the reward until the new members are retained long enough to create a return on investment.

Holly Connolly, CEO of Connolly Media & Marketing, has helped set up a few of these in the past. She suggests an offer like a reduced membership rate or a discount on merchandise/equipment. The caveat being that the deal only lasts as long as the parties remain members.

Ensuring the referral “bonus” is beneficial to both parties is also a great way to increase buy-in. Like this example from Crunch Fitness that awards you a month of free membership and the person you referred a waived enrollment fee!

2. Advertising for your school based on martial arts tournaments 

Categories: Flexible spending, highly targeted, new members.

If your center already has a following on social media or a well-designed website, you should shift your focus to paid promotions to get the word out. 

The two most popular social media platforms for advertising are Facebook and Instagram, so we reached out to Drew Vaughn, CMO of Deviant Marketing, for some tips on optimizing fitness social media ads. 

His strategy focuses on location-based advertising with a twist. 

Martial Arts Tournaments are extremely popular across the country, which equals tons of potential leads gathered together at tournament locations. 

Let’s say that a Dallas Martial Arts studio wants to capitalize on the next martial arts tournament at the Dallas Convention Center, whose address is 650 S Griffin St, Dallas, TX 75202. 

Using Facebook/Instagram, most people know that you can enter the convention center’s address and market to anyone within 1 mile of the convention center. But who wants to market to 120,000 people, most of whom are not in the convention center? 

To the bottom right of the map is a button called drop pin. You can drop four pins just outside of the blue circle (North, South, East, and West), and now you’re not marketing to everyone within a mile of the Convention center. Now you’re marketing only to the martial artists (and their parents) attending the convention, which looks like this:

Just like that, you’ve narrowed your audience down to the folks you wanted to reach while also reducing your overall spend on advertising by slimming the scope. 

3. Text marketing to get more martial arts students

Categories: Scalable, member retention, new members. 

If you’re looking to reach new members, there’s no better way than a text message. Not only does SMS have a 98% open rate, but it also averages around a 45% response rate!

Text message marketing is an invaluable tool that puts your gym’s offers and information directly into your customer’s hands. And it provides you with a channel that connects you with current and prospective members as well as drop-outs and at-risk members.

An easy way to capture leads on your website and convert them into new members is through a mobile sign-up widget. Interested visitors will click on your pop-up (thanks to an enticing offer or call to action), and their texting app will automatically open to a pre-filled message with your text-to-join keyword. A keyword is just a short word or phrase that, when texted to your number, automatically signs students up to receive marketing messages down the line.

Once sent, you can follow up instantly with a welcome message, links to more information, and an offer for a free introductory class! 

4. Co-marketing is a great option for school owners

Categories: Community, cost-effective, partnerships.

While referrals from current members are a great way to grow your gym, your margins may be too slim to offer consistent discounts. Instead, you can consider partnering with local businesses.

Suppose other fitness programs, health food locations, or community centers in the area would benefit from your advertising for them. In that case, you could attempt to create a co-marketing partnership with them.

It could be as simple as them advertising your martial arts club and, in turn, you recommending their facilities. Or, as involved as hosting pop-ups and instructor swaps at your respective locations.

For example, you could team up with schools in the area to offer a monthly martial arts gym class as a way to help your studio get exposure. Or start selling health juices from a local smoothie place in exchange for free advertisements at their location.

5. Launch a “progress” or “transformation” campaign

Categories: Social, low-cost, user-generated content.

In the fitness industry, people are mainly motivated by results. Your martial arts studio can capitalize on that by offering something like a 12-week program ending in a reward for the members who make significant progress or an impressive transformation.

This helps you promote the values of both your business and martial arts. It also allows customers to be goal-focused and therefore likely to sign up to your club even once the program ends.

While the program is running, you can use it as an opportunity to gather tons of excellent user-generated content like progress photos and videos to use down the line in advertisements. 

Doug Liantonio, former fitness trainer and current marketing specialist at Gravy, saw tremendous success with what he calls the “Post Boy” marketing approach to fitness advertising. 

The goal is to get as much “before and after” content as possible and capitalize on positive testimonials of people who achieved results. 

When repurposing the content, be sure to highlight how gradual your process is and how quickly fitness wins are attainable. Beginner classes will be your biggest seller, so make sure your copy highlights the fun and encouragement your programs provide!

Final thoughts on marketing strategies for martial arts schools

The last year has been undeniably rough on the fitness industry. And while your budget, membership, and staffing situation may have changed, there’s a silver lining.

Nearly 1 in 5 Americans are still members of at least one fitness club, and the demand for healthy activities is only projected to rise.

With the adoption of at least one of the marketing strategies listed above, your center is due to capture your fair share of the growing demand.

The post The seven-minute guide to martial arts marketing appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

A trajectory of growth is typically great news for any industry. But as fitness center owners know, this means a lot more competition. 

As the new gym on the block, your grand opening is more than just a first impression. It’s the chance for you to lay the groundwork for future retention efforts that will ultimately build your bottom line.  

Your gym’s grand opening strategy needs to connect you with potential clients who come in from the initial buzz and come back because of your killer follow-up. 

How to Craft the Perfect Gym Opening Invitation

Leading up to your grand opening event, there are four main focus areas you should consider. 

Define Your Invitation

The odds are pretty high that your gym will be facing some competition in your area. With that in mind, you may want to add some incentive to your grand opening invitation that could convince someone to give you their business instead. 

Before you define your offer, you may want to jot down some points about your audience that defines their motivations. In turn, that could give you a better idea of what will drive folks through the door.

Build Your List

If you’re starting from scratch with your invites, you’ll likely turn to social media to create a buzz around the event. After all, social media has incredible reach, especially when it comes to connecting with new customers. 

More than half of brand discovery happens on social media, and it’s most commonly used for grand openings during pre-event engagement.

As wonderful as a Facebook event invitation is for generating buzz, it’s not the most effective at converting into actual attendance. In fact, social media only has about a 1.8% conversion rate. 

Texting, on the other hand, sees average conversion rates as high as 45%! 

Utilizing SMS to build your invite list out is a simple, hands-off way to gather contact information on a rolling basis. Here’s an idea of how it can work.

1. Create a text-to-join keyword, also known as a short word or phrase that, when texted in to your number, signs someone up to receive marketing messages. 
2. Put a web sign-up form on your website to collect contact information from visitors. 
3. Run ads on social media using your keyword to collect phone numbers and email addresses.

Write Your Invitations

The odds are you’ll need to take an omnichannel approach to invitations. While emails are great for a broad reach, text messages are much harder to ignore (hence their 98% open rate). 

Text message invites can also be personalized, which matters when 79% of consumers say they are only likely to engage with an offer if it has been personalized.

A personalized text invitation to join your gym has a much greater chance of resonating with attendees when they feel valued and remembered! Not to mention, a text addressing the recipient by their name is much harder to ignore since it loses some of the generic text blast feel. 

In addition to your who, what, where, when, and why, your invitations should include a few other things:

• Prompts to encourage folks to respond to your invitation and share any questions they may have about your gym, pricing, etc. 
• Prominently feature your event’s benefit (giveaway, founders day pricing, etc.).
• Include calls to action to visit your website, social media profiles, etc. 

Here’s an example of how you might pack all of that into one short text message:

Follow Up

After your event, you’ll want to take advantage of your new contacts and share some post-event follow-up marketing. 

If your gym uses apps like MindBody, ClubRunner, or YouCanBook.Me to manage members, you can connect your SMS platform directly with tools like Zapier and Pabbly.

This makes way for tons of post-event automation opportunities like:

• Add a new client from MindBody to a SimpleTexting contact list
• Send a text message when a class is booked
• Send a reminder message before an upcoming class
• Text a member with upcoming billing reminders 
• Message a client who hasn’t been into the studio for a while 

If you aren’t already considering SMS as part of your gym’s marketing strategy, there’s no better time to give it a test run than with your opening invitations. 

Your first 50 messages are on us, and we’ve got plenty of resources to get you started. In the words of the great Michael Jordan, “some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”

The post The Secret to Writing the Perfect Gym Opening Invitations appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

However, with around 18,000 car dealerships across the country, you face stiff competition when it comes to sales. 

Not to mention the fact that consumer behavior is rapidly changing thanks to updates in technology and manufacturing, rising concerns about sustainability, and the popularity of online car-buying options like Carvana. 

That means you’re going to need some reliable ways to motivate customers to come into your dealership and buy from you. 

Luckily, my team has spent hours analyzing marketing strategies for car dealerships that actually work, and I’m going to share them here.

Keep reading for some of the most effective marketing strategies that drive sales, foot traffic, and media attention. 

6 ways to attract customers to car dealerships

How do the best car dealerships attract customers and keep them coming back?

The good news is that the best attraction marketing strategies don’t necessarily have to be expensive, time-consuming, or over-the-top. 

Too often, dealerships simply mimic the marketing strategies of their competitors — they run commercials, print ads, and radio spots that become part of the generic marketing noise consumers hear every day. 

To sidestep the chatter, focus your dealership’s marketing efforts on building up the weak points in the traditional dealership experience — which, according to a study by Cox Auto, relate to customers’ initial research stage. 

With that concept in mind, here are six marketing ideas that will help you catch customers’ attention in that pivotal research process and motivate them to visit your dealership. 

1. Set up rideshare marketing campaigns

The best way to help someone decide to buy a new car is to put them in the front (or back) seat of your latest and greatest model.

Did you know that rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft give upwards of 7.4 billion rides per year in personal vehicles of all kinds? With every driver operating their own vehicle, there’s a huge opportunity to offer a few complimentary leases to Uber drivers in your area to reach potential car buyers.

Sue, some rideshare customers don’t own cars and don’t plan on buying one in the near future. But car owners use rideshare apps for a variety of reasons, including rides to and from the airport, safe rides for nights out, and more.

Set up your vehicles with a branded license plate cover and plenty of business cards, and complete the package with a special discount for riders who visit your dealership.

Photo Credit: Automotive News

2. Generate reviews for your dealership

According to BrightLocal, consumers read an average of 10 reviews before they feel they can trust a local business. Reviews matter.

However, one of the biggest mistakes you can make when asking customers to leave you a review is to make your request too general. 

To bring more customers to your dealership, you’ll need reviews that highlight why the in-person shopping/service experience at your dealership is unmissable. 

A great way to do this is to encourage customers to leave a review while they’re present in your showroom and the experience is fresh in their minds. 

Set up an iPad in the middle of your showroom or service-area waiting room. Keep your Google review page pinned on the device and encourage customers to leave a review about their experience at the dealership while they’re still shopping around.

Encourage them to write specifically about the things that made their trip to the showroom worthwhile. 

Then, just to sweeten the deal and incentivize customers, offer something like a free refreshment after they post their review. 

3. Add a “text us” button to your website

Texting is getting more and more popular among car dealerships, and it’s an easy thing to add to your lead follow-up strategy. When you consider the stats on SMS, you can see why it’s so attractive. 

• The average open rate of emails in the automotive industry is less than 18%. Text messages, on the other hand, get opened nearly 99% of the time.
• Speed-to-lead statistics consistently show that the faster you can respond to prospective customers, the more likely you are to win their business. A click-to-text button helps you connect with leads instantly. 

When you add a “text us” button to your online listings, you give customers the power to connect with your dealership quickly and easily.

You can even set up an autoresponder with some key resources that give the customer a reply within seconds while giving a real salesperson enough time to respond personally.

With a lot of text marketing platforms, you can even set up each salesperson at your dealership with their own text-enabled number, which makes conversations like the one below possible.

Beyond click-to-text buttons, SMS makes a phenomenal sales tool thanks to its mass texting and one-on-one messaging abilities.

Check out this guide to text marketing for car dealerships to learn more about how to put SMS to work at your location. 

4. Implement a referral program

You can place ads and send emails as much as you want, but a good word from your actual customers can do wonders when it comes to bringing in new ones.

The data says that 92% of consumers trust recommendations or referrals from people they know.

Leverage that power by setting up a strong referral program for your dealership to incentivize your customers to spread the word about your services.

You can incentivize referrals in several ways.

• Give out an old-fashioned cash referral bonus when a new customer buys from you.
• Offer a free car repair or service evaluation (under a set price).
• Send them a gift card for a local business.

This doesn’t just have to extend to customers, by the way. Consider offering the same benefits to employees who bring in referrals.

5. Build up local partnerships

On the subject of social capital for your dealership, cultivate relationships with other businesses in your area (just steer clear of direct competitors). 

The most natural choice for these partnerships would be complementary businesses, like parts and service centers, rideshare apps, stereo installation plants, etc. That said, you can also team up with brands outside your direct industry. 

Relationships like these help reinforce the idea that you’re invested in providing a holistic experience for your customers, not just making a sale and moving on. 

They also give you more exposure if you choose to trade promotions with your partners, like featuring their ads on your site and vice versa.

6. Show, don’t tell with video content

Let’s face it: Half of the car-buying process is browsing. You’ve almost certainly seen customers come in, spend an hour inspecting several vehicles, and then leave without buying.

Making informative, attractive video content does a few important things for your dealership’s marketing. 

• It gives buyers a glimpse of the vehicles in your inventory, so they’ll be inspired to visit your dealership in person.
• It helps more consumers see your product in a cost-effective manner (and a CarGuru study found that 71% of car buyers used social media to assist their search in some way).
• It goes a lot further to demonstrate value in a meaningful way than a mundane “GREAT cars at UNBEATABLE prices” text ad.

Here’s a great example from the Chevy Dude channel on YouTube: 

These days, creating valuable video content doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.

In fact, a simple smartphone video showing off the features of your new model or giving people a crash course on how to compare vehicles before buying is a much better use of your time and resources than a glossy ad.

It’s a new day in dealership marketing

Just because dealerships are facing a competitive market doesn’t mean yours can’t stand out and thrive. 

All you have to do is follow the steps I’ve outlined here and keep your customers and your own unique value top-of-mind in your marketing. Do that and watch your sales soar.

The post 6 fresh ideas to entice more customers to your car showroom appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

Building out your contact list with customers who have given you permission to send them messages is the single most important aspect of mass texting. And thanks to the wide variety of ways you can build your SMS text marketing lists, it doesn’t have to be difficult. 

In fact, most of the time getting customers to opt in is a set-it-and-forget-it process. 

If you’re just getting started with text marketing, or perhaps looking to grow your list beyond importing existing contacts, you’re in the right place. 

This is your one-stop shop for all things opt-in—from definitions and regulations to instructions on getting started. 

What Are Opt-in Mass Texting Services?

An opt-in mass texting service helps you capture your customers’ phone numbers and permission to text them so that you can follow up with SMS messages later on. Opt-in mass texting services can be used for everything from sales promotions to emergency alerts. 

If you already have a list of phone numbers, you may be wondering, “Why do I need ‘opt-in’ at all? Can’t I just text my customers?” 

Well, according to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), customers must give businesses “express written consent” before a business sends them automated promotional text messages. Learn more in our guide to SMS compliance.

Three Ways for Customers to Opt in to Your Text Marketing List​

There are three main approaches you can take with opt-in text marketing. These methods can be used on their own or combined to give you a wider pool of potential contacts. 

1. Keywords

An SMS keyword is a word or phrase that your customers can text in to your phone number. When they do, they’re signing up to receive future SMS marketing campaigns. For example, if a restaurant asks you to text BURGER to 35344, BURGER is the keyword.

Keywords are the skeleton key of the opt-in text marketing world. They can be used with short codes, toll-free numbers, and local numbers. 

They’re used in a variety of ways to help marketers grow their lists. For example:

• Keywords can be used to host a text-to-win sweepstakes that collects phone numbers for a chance to win a prize.
• You can use a keyword to set up a text-to-vote poll that similarly collects phone numbers in exchange for messaging in your vote on a prompt. 
• Keywords are often used heavily on marketing material including brochures, signage, business cards, etc. as a way to capture attention from passing customers. 

Keywords even play a role in a few of the other core opt-in methods below! Please note that part of your responsibility when using keywords is to advertise them properly with required TCPA disclosures. 

2. Web Forms

Web forms are a great way to turn your site visitors into contacts. Using our Web Sign-Up Forms, you can let website visitors subscribe to your text marketing campaigns by entering their information and simply clicking ‘Subscribe Now’. Below is an example of a web sign-up form. As with all things opt-in, you’ll need to make sure your consent request is clear and conspicuous.

3. Mobile Sign-Up Widget

A mobile sign-up widget lives on your website with the intent to collect new contacts, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, these buttons only appear to mobile visitors to your website. And second, the prefilled text is a singular keyword. 

That second difference is crucial as it simplifies the concept of a keyword even further so customers don’t have to remember the word or the number. The instant opportunity to sign-up with a single click helps prevent leads from slipping away. But just like advertising keywords, you’ll just need to make sure your advertisement for the sign-up is TCPA compliant.

If you keep these details in mind you’re guaranteed to start growing your contact list in no time.

The post Popular Ways to Get Opt-In With Mass Texting Services appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

Not only do young adults respond to information faster via text (the average open rate for text messages is 98% with an average response time of 90 seconds) but it’s also impacted their behaviors.

Numerous studies on the impact of texting on student behavior have pointed to the efficacy of the tool for teachers, administration, and admissions staff.

Even our own case study with the University of North Carolina’s orientation program demonstrated how text messaging can replicate a real-time conversation between staff and students.

If your college admissions board is on the fence on implementing a school text messaging system into your communications strategy, we’ve got some compelling templates and examples to help demonstrate the value you can receive from the addition.

Texting in Higher Education

As admissions staff members eager to get in touch with current and prospective students, did you know that:

• 86% of students reported that texts prompt them to complete a task they haven’t done yet (Castleman and Page)
• 30.8% of prospective students who signed up to receive text updates applied, versus 10.9% of all prospective students (St. Mary’s University)
• 42% of accepted students who signed up to receive text updates paid a deposit, versus 26% of all accepted students (St. Mary’s University).
• Georgia State University reduced summer melt by 21.4% and increased enrollment by 3.9% by utilizing text messaging (eCampus News).
• 84% of students reported they found text reminders useful in helping them get everything done for college (Castleman and Page)
• 77% of students say they’d like to receive relevant information from colleges via text (Cappex)

Source: The Atlantic

The data has spoken, and its support for texting in higher education is overwhelming. And so, to continue to speak to its usefulness, here are 15 starter templates covering the most fundamental scenarios where texting can aid the admissions office.

Sample SMS for College Admission

1. Resource introduction
   Introduce yourself as a recruiter or counselor to prospective students opening-up a space for future dialogue

2. Encourage applications
   As application season opens up send out reminders for students to get their applications in early.
   
   
   [Name], applications are officially open for the [school year] at [college]. Looking forward to reviewing your application. As a reminder, they’re due on [date]. Good luck! txt.st/TZIADW
   
   
3. Send application tips
   As a way to encourage applicants without sounding like a broken record, send a reminder along with helpful application tips that make it easier or clearer for students who are applying.
   
   
   Hi [Name]! How’s your application coming along? As a little tip, we prefer essay submissions to be between  500-1000 words! Good luck!
   
   
4. Share fun facts to help your school stand out
   Application season can lead to a lot of schools starting to blend together in the student’s eyes. Inject a little humanity into the application season by sharing some neat facts or updates on your school that might help you edge out the competition.
   
   
   Smell that buttery, cheesy goodness? If you were here you would! Grilled cheese Thursday here at [college] are a legendary campus tradition. We hope someday soon you’ll see for yourself.
   
   
5. Deadline reminders
   Help students avoid missing out on applications or submissions by automating reminders before big deadlines.
   
   
   Hi [Name]. Just a reminder your application is due this Friday [date]. We will not be able to accept any applications for the fall semester sent after that date, so be submit your app ASAP.
   
   
6. Acceptance congratulations
   Keep the excitement alive when a student is accepted by sending them a personalized congratulations message.
   
   
   Congratulations again [Name] on your acceptance to [college]! We hope to see you in the [school colors] this fall
   
   
7. Sharing financial aid information
   Figuring out financial aid is a huge stressor for prospective students, and it can often impact their decision on what school to attend. Help them navigate the waters by sharing information with them along the way.
   
   
   [Name] need help submitting your financial aid paperwork? Set up a zoom call with someone from the office and we can help walk you through it! txt.st/TZIADW
   
   
8. Scholarship notifications
   Receiving a scholarship can be just as exciting as being accepted into a school for some students. Be sure to congratulate them as well!
   
   
   [Name] congratulations on earning the [scholership name]. Your smarts, work ethic, and dedication are all things to be proud of!
   
   
9. Deposit information
   Share deadlines and direct students to where they need to submit their deposits to reserve their spot in their class.
   
   
   Hello future [school mascot]! Just a reminder that deposits are due on [date] and can be submitted from your student portal. Just login here to access your dashboard: txt.st/TZIADW
   
   
   
10. Orientation/admitted students day invite
    Admitted student days are a great way to showcase your school and solidify a prospective student’s choice to attend your school.
    
    
    [Name] You’re invited to join us on campus for our admitted student day! Learn more about what we’re offering and all the things you can preview about campus: txt.st/TZIADW
    
    
11. Registration reminders
    Help new students stay on top of their schedules with reminders to register for classes and resources for who to reach out to for scheduling issues.
    
    
    First-year class orientation opens up tomorrow [date]. Remember to log in to your student portal to find out what time you’re slated to begin registering as well as important access tips!
    
    
12. Schedule campus tours
    Campus tours are another classic tool for prospective students to experience campus for themselves. Be sure to actively push for each student to attend one whenever possible.
    
    
    [Name] have you scheduled your campus tour yet? It’s a great way to see our classrooms, try our food, and experience dorm life! Visit [website] and schedule one today!
    
    
13. Share AP credit and SAT score information
    Most incoming applicants will need to get this information to your admissions board. Get ahead of the questions by proactively communicating steps they need to take.
    
    
    [Name] if you’re applying to [college] this fall you’ll need to submit your SAT/ACT scores by [date]. Learn how to do that here: txt.st/TZIADW
    
    
14. Offer shadow a student days
    Some schools give prospective students the opportunity to shadow current students studying in their field of interest. If so, advertise that to your applicants!
    
    
    [Name] did you know that you can shadow a student currently enrolled in your desired major? To learn more about the day as a [mascot] program, see here! txt.st/TZIADW
    
    
15. Share links to campus resources
    As the office of admissions, you’re often the resource most first years are familiar with. But you don’t handle everything first-year related. You can however share guides on who students need to contact for assistance with housing, academic advisement, financial aid, etc.
    
    
    As you begin your first year here at [college] you may have some questions. Check out this handy PDF on who to contact for any questions you have for our different departments!

Beginning college is an extremely stressful time. The transition to independence can be so jarring that many students sink before they swim.

By providing an attentive, involved, and responsive admissions experience you can both attract new students to your school as well as prevent a high first-year transfer rate.

The post Texting Templates For College Admissions appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.

As people receive more messages from businesses, they’ll likely become more selective about who they hand their phone number over to.

All of this means you need to offer something of value to convince them it’s worth signing up in the first place. Using contests to build your SMS list is one way to achieve this goal.

Why Use Competitions to Build Your SMS List

As humans, we’re competitive and motivated by the idea of receiving something for free. That even applies when the monetary value of the prize is relatively small.

There’s a 2012 study that found “a coupon recipient who got a $10 voucher experienced a 38% rise in oxytocin levels and were 11% happier than those who did not receive a coupon.”

Put simply, receiving something for free makes us happy—a psychological element that plays a significant role in why text message sweepstakes can build your subscriber list.

How Do You Run an SMS Competiton?

The way you start your SMS competition or contest plays an integral role in the impact it will have. Here are the things you’ll want to establish.

Determine Your Target Audience

There are very few–if any–contests where it makes sense for your audience to be “the whole world.” 

An ill-defined target audience will do more harm than good. The reason is simple: you’ll build a list of contacts who aren’t interested in your product. This will be obvious from two things:

• Unengaged contacts
• High unsubscribe rates

To avoid that, determine who your target audience is beforehand and tailor your SMS competition to appeal to them.

Choose the Prize

We recommend choosing a targeted prize that’s both less expensive and more appealing to the kind of people you want to attract. There’s no need to break the bank either. 

Doing so will attract more of the type of people you want on your list.

How to Run SMS Competitions

We have a detailed guide that walks through how to set up SMS sweepstakes. This two-minute video does an excellent job of showing you how easy it is to do it with SimpleTexting.

You create a keyword that people text to your toll-free number (just don’t forget to have your toll-free number verified) or short code to both enter the sweepstakes and provide consent for future texts. 

They then automatically receive a sweepstakes promo text message that confirms their entry and lets them know when the winner will be announced.

Here are a couple of other neat features. You can:

• Check an age requirement box to set a minimum age for entrants
• Randomly select the winner
• Automatically notify the winners by text 
• Send the entrants follow-up texts

Promoting Your Text Giveaway

You’ve decided the prize and created a keyword so that your audience can enter to win. The next step is to promote your contest. Here are a couple of ideas to help you get started.

Notify Your Email Subscribers

Your email subscribers are some of the most engaged and easy to reach potential entrants around. Send out an email campaign to notify your current subscribers of the contest and ask them to text your keyword to your phone number.

Place the Keyword on Your Website

Your website is an inexpensive way to promote your text message sweepstakes to people who are already interested in your company. You can use our mobile sign-up widget or scrolling header bar to grab visitors’ attention and drive entries.

Promote Your Keyword on Social Media

Be sure to share information about your contest on your social media accounts to encourage entrants and convert those fans and followers into SMS contacts.

The Wrap on SMS Competitions

Not only is it easy to set up, but by aligning your target audience and the prize, you can create an appealing contest that builds your SMS list. 

The best part is that there’s no need to offer up big prizes that’ll cost your business more than it’s worth.

The post How To Run an SMS Competition appeared first on SMS Marketing & Text Marketing Services – Try It For Free.