Promotional SMS - Promotional Bulk SMS Service

Promotional SMS

With the vast majority of consumers regularly checking cell phone text messages, promotional text messages are an effective way to engage both prospects and existing customers. Whether you’re announcing a new product, promoting a sale, or making a limited-time offer, sending a text message is a great way to get the word out.

What are Promotional Text Messages?

Promotion SMS text messages are short, to-the-point promotional communications that are sent directly to a subscriber’s cell phone. They may be used to encourage purchases with a discount or coupon, invite potential customers to a brick-and-mortar store or website to engage in a special event, or announce a brand new service for loyalty members.

They are initiated by your business, and ideally, are concise, brief and contain a clear call-to-action.

Who Can Use Promotional Text Messaging?

Just about any business or organization can benefit from sending SMS text promotions. Every company needs to effectively share its product and service features with both existing and potential customers to generate revenue and grow.

The best time to text sales promotion information is when you have a time-sensitive promo or offer. For example, sending a promotional SMS message reminding loyalty members of a special one-day sale just for them is an excellent way to draw foot traffic into a physical store. Real estate organizations that are trying to buy and sell homes in a tight market need the immediacy of text promotion messaging to close deals before competitors. Learning how to send promotional text messages can be extremely profitable for these and many other organizations.

And with 90% of text messages being opened and read within the five minutes of receipt, promotional text messages can be extremely successful in helping a business stay top-of-mind.

Who Shouldn’t Use Promotional Text Messaging?

If your target audience happens to fall within the small percentage of people who do not use cell phones extensively, it may not make sense for you to send promotional SMS text messages. Use common sense when putting together your marketing or communications plan, and select the channels most likely to be used by your prospects and customers.

In addition, if you do not currently have an established subscriber list that has agreed to receive marketing messages from your business, you may not be ready to send bulk SMS promotional messages. Instead, step back and create a campaign to help you build your subscriber list through other existing channels first.

How Do You Send a Promotional SMS?

Learning how to send promotional text messages is really quite simple. Keep your promotional text message clear and concise. Identify your business, establish a sense of urgency in your message, and communicate a clear call-to-action. Practice how to write a promotional text by checking out some templates and running them past friends or colleagues to make sure they are clear.

By focusing on these three features of a promotional SMS text, you will be taking advantage of this channel’s strengths and engaging with your customers and prospects in a meaningful way.

Then, select a promotional SMS provider that can provide a secure, reliable and proven platform on which to send your bulk SMS promotional messages. It’s usually then a matter of setting up an account, uploading or creating your subscriber lists, and crafting your promotional text alerts.

What’s the Difference Between Promotional SMS and Transactional SMS?

The main differences between a promotional SMS and a transactional SMS have to do with who initiates the text interaction, why the engagement occurs, and when the SMS messages are sent.

SMS text promotions are initiated by a business reaching out to promote a product, service, or sale to prospects and customers. Transactional SMS messages, on the other hand, occur because a customer or client has initiated a purchase or interaction. For example, a transactional text message may inform a customer of a shipping date.

In addition, a promotional SMS provider is allowed to send promotional text messages between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. to only subscribers who have expressly opted-in to receive marketing messages from that particular company. Transactional SMS messages are designed to help customers move along their interaction with a company and do not require an additional opt-in step.

How Do You Implement a Successful SMS Promotion?

In order to use SMS for business promotion successfully, you’ll want to be sure to clearly identify your company, create an appealing call-to-action, generate a sense of urgency, communicate clearly and concisely, and time your text appropriately. Later in this article, we’ll share some marketing and promotional SMS templates to help you get started.

Make it Clear to the Audience Who You Are

An SMS promotional campaign is pretty much useless if your subscriber list doesn’t know who the message is coming from. Be sure to clearly identify your company in your SMS for business promotion, and use the opportunity to reinforce your branding through your logo, voice and message.

Create an Attractive CTA

Make sure your SMS promotional messages respect the time and attention of your subscriber list. You don’t want to develop a reputation for sending spam-like promotional SMS messages. Be sure to tie your call-to-action to great sales, fabulous discounts, or a long-awaited product to generate engagement and enthusiasm from your subscriber base.

Create a Sense of Urgency

There’s nothing quite like the fear of missing out on rewards that spurs prospects and customers to action. Send promotional SMS messages with a clear expiration point to encourage subscribers to act now, or at least soon. Phrases like “act fast” or “limited time offer” can create that critical sense of urgency.

Keep the Message Short and To the Point

Remember that you only have 160 characters for your promotional text message so you’ll be forced to be clear and concise. Learn how to write a promotional text message by taking a look at the examples later in this article. Practice getting right to the point in your messaging; that will help you keep your SMS texts brief and to the point.

Deliver Your Message at the Right Time

Have you heard the phrase “timing is everything?” Well, that holds true for running a successful SMS promotional campaign as well. First, remember that you’re limited in sending promotional SMS messages between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient’s time zone. However, beyond those loose restrictions, you’ll want to time your text message for your particular promotion. For example, if you’re reminding subscribers of a one-day sale, be sure to send your message through your promotional SMS service early enough in the day for customers to swing by before closing.

How do Promotional Text Messages Fit Into Your Overall Marketing Strategy?

With as many marketing channels available today, it’s easy to see why a coordinated marketing effort is the most effective strategy for any business. Although SMS text promotions can be extremely effective on their own, they are often more so when used thoughtfully in an overall campaign.

For example, if you communicate through an email newsletter and receive opt-in SMS permission, you can remind your subscribers that the newest edition is waiting in their email box. Or, if you obtain opt-in permission during an in-store visit, you can use promotional SMS messages to thank customers for a recent purchase and cross-sell a complimentary item with a special coupon.

Promotional SMS Examples

To help you get started, here are some marketing and promotional SMS templates you can use. Although these are industry-specific, remember that you can use a text promotion service regardless of what type of business or organization you run. Just get creative about your message, call-to-action, and audience.

Promotional SMS for Hotels

Hotels may benefit from using a promotional SMS service to share exclusive discounts with previous customers during slow times or to promote a new location. For example:

Hotel SMS Text Message Example #1

Hotel SMS Text Message Example #2

Hotel SMS Text Message Example #3

Promotional SMS for Restaurants

Restaurants can use text promotion messaging to bring in customers on a regular basis. Offer special discounts to those dining during off-peak hours or advertise the weekly special. For example:

Restaurant SMS Text Message Example #1

Restaurant SMS Text Message Example #2

Restaurant SMS Text Message Example #3

Promotional SMS for Real Estate

Send SMS promotional messages to prospective buyers when a new home appears on the market or invite them to an open house. For example:

Real Estate SMS Text Message Example #1

Real Estate SMS Text Message Example #2

Real Estate SMS Text Message Example #3

Promotional SMS for Schools

SMS text promotions can be effective ways for these institutions to share course offerings, communicate events, and raise donations for causes. For example:

School SMS Text Message Example #1

School SMS Text Message Example #2

School SMS Text Message Example #3

Sign up for a free DialMyCalls account today, and you’ll be on your way to growing your business with promotional text messaging. Start a trial subscription at no charge to see how our text promotion service can help you build a successful text sales promotion program for your business.