Business Texting Guide

1. Don’t talk about text club
2. Don’t talk about text club
3. Don’t listen to the first two rules because you should be letting all of your customers know about your text club.

Texting is hot. It lets you connect with your customers more effectively than any other marketing channel. 

You might be used to texting your friends, but business texting doesn’t always play by the same rules. Ride the wave with us through this Texting guide for businesses.

1.Always ask for opt in

If you’re using any digital direct marketing, you should always get permission before you send and messages, email or texting.

When it comes to texting your customers, not following the rules could have serious consequences. TCPA (telephone consumer protection act) are a set of regulations that protects customers from unsolicited texts or calls. If your business is found in violation of these rules, then you can be fined upward $500 per unsolicited text.

To avoid this, best practices are to

1: Have TCPA compliant copy underneath your marketing forms

2: Send instructions on how to opt-out of your text list in your first text to customers

3: Pick a text message automation software that helps you abide by TCPA

For a more in-depth look at TCPA compliance check this blog out->     

2.Don’t text like you email

Whatever you learned about structuring email copy, throw it out the window. While email is a great way to reach out to customers, it is not as personal or intimate as a text message.

When texting your customers, you should match the tone you would have with them if they were right there in front of you. Conversational tones come off as more genuine and lead to an increase in engagement. 

3.Get personal

This leads me to the bread and butter of any text message software. You need to get personal with your customers if you want to get there attention and love your texts.

Sending generic notifications isn’t enough today. Crafting personalized messages to your customers is a must. 

Use their first name when you reach out to them. If they enjoy a particular product, then acknowledge it. By leveraging what you know about your customers, you can create text messages that truly sparks their attention.

Don’t want to handwrite every message yourself? There’s software for that ;)

4.Send the right message

It’s crucial that you text your customers the right message at the right time. In-line with personalization, you need to not only personalize your text messages with your customer’s name, but also make sure that what you’re about to tell them is relevant to who they are or what they want.

Think about it like this. You wouldn’t take your mom to see Lil Wayne if she didn’t like rap.

5.Always grow your text list

If you’re new to texting your customers, then you most likely don’t have a large list of customers to text.

Here are a few quick ways to grow your text list

•  Upload your POS, CRM, or data into your text message marketing software (if your costumes have opted into receive marketing texts)
  

• Add your number to your social media accounts and ask customers to text in
  

• Send an email to your customers asking if they’d like to join your text list

There are countless ways that you can strategize growing your list that you can read in our optimizing your text list growth.