Building an SMS marketing list is easier than you think.
Getting consumers to provide you with their phone numbers may seem like an inordinately tricky task constituting advanced marketing tactics and masterful persuasion, but rest assured, there exists a simplicity and parallel between growing your email list and growing your SMS list—no new strategies needed.
Yet, it’s important to keep in mind that even though marketing with SMS might sound like a goldmine—especially considering that 95% of SMS messages are opened and responded to within three minutes of receiving them (according to SMS Comparison USA), and 25% of consumers report having made a purchase directly from an SMS in the last year, according to Marigold’s 2023 Consumer Trends Index—there’s a bigger picture to consider.
While marketing with SMS can offer a high ROI—like all marketing channels, it takes work and persistence from a marketer willing to stay one step ahead of the game. Keep reading to get the top five tips every marketer needs to know to build their SMS list with interested and responsive customers.
Tip 1. Stay Compliant with Government Legislation
As a marketer launching a new SMS strategy, it’s important to understand from the outset that SMS is, unlike some other advertising avenues, an opt-in channel that customers choose to participate in, which requires explicit consent from customers—in order to market to them.
However, obtaining consent from your audience helps lead the way to building an interested and responsive list. When you’re preparing to grow your SMS marketing audience, following legislative guidelines and keeping compliant will ensure that your marketing tactics are fair, honest, and legal. Industry guidelines may vary depending on what state you’re sending to, but there are some principles that we recommend following, regardless of where your audience is.
You can set yourself up for success by:
- explicitly asking for permission via sign-up or subscription form before sending any text messages;
- making your text sign-up and opt-in forms’ CTAs clear to your customers, so on data capture, you expressly state what content you’ll be sending and how frequently you’ll be sending messages;
- and including your company name in every message to identify it as a marketing communication.
But above all, always make sure to refer to the relevant legislation in the country you’re sending to—learn about compliance in the U.S. here: Sending to the U.S.
Tip 2. Leverage Your Existing Email Base
When adding SMS messaging to your marketing mix, it’s important to remember that you’re not starting from scratch.
If you already market to a list of email subscribers, you have an addressable base to start with, and you can use Emma’s forms to capture that opt-in data. Starting with an audience that already has an interest in your brand gives you an opportunity to increase engagement. However, it’s imperative to remember that just because customers have subscribed to receive your emails, that doesn’t mean they’ve automatically subscribed to receive your SMS messages.
SMS messaging is its own channel, which means that you must get separate permission to send SMS marketing to customers. When you reach out to your customers via email and invite them to opt-in for SMS, you should offer a worthwhile value exchange, like the examples in tip four, to excite them about receiving communications from you from a different channel.
Tip 3. Capture Opt-ins From the Outset
When it comes to collecting mobile numbers from customers, it’s best to capture opt-ins from the outset, which means adding mobile number capture and opt-ins to your sign-up forms.
So, whether you’re capturing new customer opt-ins at purchase, or enticing customers to sign-up to your weekly specials, make the process as seamless as possible with Emma’s opt-in forms, which can be used in campaigns as well as on your website.
Tip 4. Offer an Attractive Value Exchange
While working to convince customers to opt-in to SMS messaging with your brand, there are a few industry statistics that you can keep in mind to help persuade them.
According to this year’s Consumer Trends Index, almost two-thirds of consumers want discounts from a loyalty program, nearly a third of consumers want exclusive or early access to products from a loyalty program, and 19% of consumers want sweepstakes and contests. Offering a value exchange in return for their mobile number is a great way to start—discounts, early and exclusive access to new products and services, and VIP experiences are all opportunities that consumers are actively seeking in their purchasing behavior.
The benefits you offer will depend on your brand, sales model, and objectives, but it should offer perks your customers can’t get any other way; access to presales, birthday rewards, and free shipping are great options. You could even create an ongoing text message deals program.
Some examples of worthwhile value exchanges
could include offering a discount code for your customers’ mobile number, but you must offer a continuing value exchange to discourage them from immediately unsubscribing.
You could also offer something free in exchange for joining your SMS list, including free delivery, a free dessert, a free month’s subscription – the options are endless. But, while customers want discounts, exclusivity is also important and you could offer early or exclusive access to valuable content like white papers or guides to demonstrate tangible value.
Tip 5. Avoid Unsubscribers By Being Transparent in Your CTA Opt-in
When you launch your SMS marketing opt-in, avoid customer annoyance by being transparent about how often you’ll send messages and about what kind of offers and information you’ll be sending.
The ultimate goal is to clearly communicate what your customers are signing up for when they give you their phone number, and when you set those expectations, it’s critical to stick with them.
In our digital age, consumers are especially savvy about their privacy, and they expect plain and clear language about how you’ll use their number—along with a clear guarantee that you won’t be selling their data. Including information about how subscribers can unsubscribe from your list is also a best practice that will make customers more comfortable providing their info to you.
While it can be difficult to share all that information in every situation, you can set up a page people can visit to learn the details of your texting program, or another option is to send the link to customers’ phones as part of the opt-in message, so they’ll know all the terms before joining.
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Great marketing isn’t just about conversion, but true connection. Learn why 40,000 businesses around the world trust Marigold to be the firm foundation they need to help relationships take root.
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