9 Clever Ways To Use Text Messaging In Your Business

Stephanie Burns

​64% of consumers believe that businesses should use SMS messages to interact with customers more often than they currently do.

Mobile marketing is a red hot topic and text messaging is a very effective way to communicate with your tribe. Adding text messaging is easy and there are a lot of fun ways to use it.

The top five reasons why consumers opt in to a brand’s text messages are:

- coupons or deals (77%)

- personal alerts (50%)

- being in the loop (48%)

- more meaningful content (33%)

- no need to visit a physical location/website/app for information (31%)

Here are 9 ways to add text messaging to your business:

1. Slides From Your Presentation. 
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Giving a presentation or holding a seminar is an excellent way to grow your audience and find potential new customers. Have them text a keyword to your number so you can email the slides. This can be an automated process if your email marketing software integrates text messaging. Set it up ahead of time so that it's all ready to go at the end of your presentation - instant gratification is a good thing for your attendees!

2. Sign Up For Your Communications

Opting in to your communications has never been easier. Getting their mobile number makes it easy for your customers to engage with you. Text messages have a 98% open rate, while email has only a 20% open rate. With open rates so high - you might want to only text!

74% of respondents report an improved overall impression of businesses that interact with them via text messaging.

3. Appointment Reminders

If you have a service based business, using text messaging to confirm and remind people of appointments is key. Not only is it convenient for your customers, but it also keeps cancellation rates low. 70% of respondents agree that using SMS text messaging is a good way for an organization to get their attention.

4. Follow Up To Your Website Opt-In

When someone opts-in to your website lead magnet, capture their mobile number so you can make a thoughtful follow up. It's a great way to get communication going, as well. Ask how they are doing, did they enjoy the opt-in, do they have questions, etc. As many as 45% of people reply to branded text messages they receive.

It takes the average person 90 minutes to respond to email, but only 90 seconds to respond to a text message.

5. Coupon Distribution

Text messaging is great for coupon distribution and flash sales. 90% of people open and read a text within 3 minutes of receiving it. Meaning, texting about a flash sale or a coupon can create a sense of urgency for your product or service.

Over 80% of people use text messaging for business, and 15% said that more than half their messages are for business purposes.

6. Launching Products

Piggy-backing on couponing and flash sales, using text messaging during a product launch can further your efforts. Sales prospects who are sent text messages convert at a rate 40% higher.

Sales prospects who are sent text messages convert at a rate 40% higher than those who are not sent any text messages.

7. Limited Time Promotions

Use text messaging to let your customers or audience know of a limited time promotion. You can text a URL to a landing page that gives the details.

89% of marketers employing SMS marketing find it more effective than corporate websites (64%) and display/banner ads (59%)

8. Customer Service

68% of consumers would like to use mobile messaging to contact a company with billing questions or concerns. Implementing a way for customers to text with your customer service team would be great news for over half of your customers.

9. Integrated Marketing

Finally, try adding text messaging in to your overall marketing plan. Like any medium, no one channel is a silver bullet. Using text messaging with your email marketing, event marketing, seminars, sales, etc., makes a big difference. Add text messaging to your marketing arsenal and see the impact it can have