Bulk text message solutions – or bulk SMS – are becoming increasingly popular for commercial purpose. But before you start looking at bulk SMS as a marketing tool, here are some of the things you should consider before sending your first message.
This year, companies such as Kohls, Nordstrom, and Macys are switching to bulk SMS marketing solutions in order to engage customers more personally.
The Good
It makes sense. Text messages reach people quickly and effectively. For instance, the billions feature phone users might not have access to a computer all the time. But if they receive a communications right before they purchase lunch, they might just cash it in and use it.
Here are some examples of companies that are using bulk SMS in a safe, effective way:
- Kohls is sending discounts to opt-in customers for other stores
- Starbucks is sending trivia questions to promote frappucino happy hour
- Abercrombie is using SMS for sweepstakes to win clothing and discounts
The Bad
Receiving text message marketing from a company could feel like a personal invasion if all your sending is pure marketing material. You will need to write and schedule your text message from the perspective of a nice company trying to help the customer instead of a pesky company that wants more money.
Remember that even though some people that want to receive SMS marketing promotions, there is also a population that doesn’t want to receive SMS coupons. You could potentially hurt your reputation with some customers if you send them a message they didn’t want to receive or too many messages in one month.
- In December 2012, a Buffalo Bills fan sued his favorite team for sending too many SMS messages.
The Ugly
There’s more work to maintain SMS marketing than email marketing. Here are some of the things to keep in mind. Update your lists weekly: You need to include an opt-out in every message, keep copies of opt-in forms, identify the sender, and clean your lists from opt-outs and dead phone numbers. Additionally, you will need to stay current with your SPAM laws to ensure you won’t get fined for sending unsolicited text messages.
- Papa Johns is facing a $250 million lawsuit for not following SPAM regulation
- Jiffy Lube did not ask for opt-in communications from it’s customers and was fined $47 million dollars from the TCPA
SMS marketing has proven to be a successful form of communicating with customers. Just be sure you are ready to follow the correct laws and organize your messages with a team before you begin.
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