Contrary to some opinions, text messages can be an effective marketing technique. Since most businesses use email or social media to reach out to their potential clients, SMS will put you in direct focus. While people can overlook emails in their crowded inbox, they can’t avoid the text message.
What makes some business owners and marketers hesitant about using text messages for sales is their personal nature. In order not to disrupt someone’s privacy or seem too aggressive, you need to know how to craft the message. The following tips will reflect on the most important aspects of writing effective text messages for sales.
Ask for Permission
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) clearly states that you are obliged to ask permission before sending a business text message. Make sure that you do so. Otherwise, you’ll be breaking the law.
Aside from that, asking for permission will show the recipient that you are considerate and respectful. You’ll also ensure that your text messages don’t get marked as SMS spam.
Introduce Yourself
Before engaging in any kind of conversation or offering, you should clearly state who you are. Let the recipient know with whom they are speaking to and what are your reasons for texting them. This will make them feel more comfortable and more willing to continue the correspondence.
Even if you have contacted a certain recipient before, state your name and the name of the company. Simple “Hello, it is John Doe from XY again” will do the trick. Don’t assume that they have saved your information in their contact list. A safe choice is to always present yourself in the initial message.
Identify with the Recipients by Speaking Their Language
Define who your target audience is, what their interests are, and the typical language style they use. Exploit that information for crafting impactful text messages. When recipients feel that you relate to them they will be more open towards growing an interest in your product or service.
For example, don’t use technical terms and jargon if your target audience comes from a different educational background and work in different industries. Consider their demographics and look into their previous correspondence with your company to specify how you should approach them. Speaking their language and being empathetic can help you build strong and lasting relationships and boost your sales.
Keep It Concise
Text messages aren’t the right option for long, elaborative content. Some devices have a limit of 160 characters for a text message. Everything longer than that will break into two or more messages. Use that as your length guideline. Craft concise messages by including only the most important information.
The first message can be the deal breaker so is especially important that you are brief. When the recipient has no knowledge of your company (presumably), they won’t dedicate their time to reading lengthy messages. If you’re having trouble with defining your intentions in a concise message, get the help of professional writers. Contact expert writers that work for services such as Trust My Paper or collaborate with an essay writer to perfect your initial message.
Stay Away from Mass Messages
Mass messages are generic and impersonal. Prospects will recognize that and feel less important. If you want your potential customers to feel valued you should avoid mass messages.
“Most generic messages end up deleted in seconds. It is because they create a perception that the business doesn’t care for individuals. Prospects want to feel appreciated and special and mass messages can’t help you achieve that,” shared Sharon Sully, a professional writer and technical writer for Supreme Dissertations. Being specific, providing them with a clear call to action, and addressing their individual needs is the tactic you should go with.
Personalize Messages
The best approach you can adopt is one-to-one. That kind of personalization will put you on top. Just think about it like this. Which text message would you be more interested in, the one that speaks generally to every customer or the one that addresses you by name? It’s the second one, isn’t it?
Show your prospects that they matter and your chances for making a sale will double. If you send text messages to loyal customers you can adapt the text to their previous purchases and preferences. In that way, they’ll receive information that they truly care about.
Be Careful about Timing
Timing is everything. Disturbing recipients in late hours or early in the morning can put you on their blacklist. Be considerate when deciding when you’ll send the message. The afternoon might be the safest hour. Additionally, don’t forget to pay attention to the time zones. If you are sending online SMS to international clients you don’t want to contact them at inconvenient hours.
The last time-related tip is to reply promptly. Waiting too long to respond to prospects can seem inconsiderate and they’ll probably lose interest. The best way to close the sale is to be responsive while you have their attention.
Don’t Send the Messages Too Often
No one enjoys receiving countless text messages. Especially from a business. That’s why you need to be careful about how often you approach the prospects. Overdoing it with frequent messages might “force” the prospects to block you.
Resort to sending a text message when you have a viable sales proposition. Texting potential customers once a month with the most relevant information is more than enough. You can also ask them in the beginning how often they would love to receive text messages. This will help you adapt the frequency to the individual’s preferences.
With the above-mentioned tips, you’ll be able to write text messages that prospects would actually like. The only way to increase sales with text messages is to be mindful of the content and careful about your approach to recipients. Keep that in mind and you’ll create a winning writing formula for sales text messages.