Retailers Benefit from Text Marketing Efforts

Connecting with consumers is easier than ever for retailers while using text marketing. Let’s back it up a little - everyone knows how to send a text message. In fact, people love to read them! You can catch people sending and receiving text messages while they are standing in lines, sitting at the bus stop, heck – even sitting at a red light in traffic, although that’s not recommended! It seems as though people can’t get enough of the text message. Businesses are starting to take notice of the trend – even though it’s really not a trend – the technology has been around long enough for everybody to find it simple and familiar. Many businesses are wondering why they haven’t started to use SMS marketing in their efforts sooner.

Retail stores are a perfect fit for the marketing technique. Standard advertising is costly, and ineffective. People are numb to banners, posters, and flyers these days. Print is out - text is in. Paying attention to what people respond to on a daily basis is the key – and savvy business owners are doing just that. By accessing shoppers via text message, retailers are able to reach their customers immediately and much more effectively. Sending mobile coupons is one of the easiest ways for a retailer to get started using text message marketing, everybody loves to receive them and redeem them. Plus, this gives the retailer control – for example, encourage people to come in for a “one-day only” sale to maximize a slow time – or clear out last season’s merchandise by alerting your shoppers about a blowout weekend.

Text message marketing can be taken a few steps further – and this is where the retailer can get creative. Send a link in your text message to your shoppers that links them up to a mobile website. Allow them to take a peek at some incoming merchandise, or a sneak peak at an upcoming sale. Perhaps even allow them to place items on hold or make purchases. Provide loyal shoppers with VIP discounts, and reward them for sending in a friend or two. Remember, text message marketing is a fast and easy way to reach the elusive “word of mouth” reputation that every retailer seeks.

Allow your shoppers to have a little control too – give them the opportunity to choose their database preferences. Don’t send out a message about a sale on dresses to a gentleman who buys jeans at your store, or don’t send out a message about baby items on clearance to a teenager looking to hit the shoe department. Make your messages relevant and to the point. You’ll find yourself with a quickly growing list of loyal shoppers and enjoy staying under your marketing budget with an affordable retail text marketing plan.

Three Best Practice Rules to Follow for Text Marketing

Text marketing seems to be popping up everywhere these days, however sometimes people don’t always have a positive association with the popular marketing technique. This has something to do with a little problem we are all familiar with called spam. Spam is a silly word for unsolicited communications – and nobody likes to find these sorts of messages in their email inbox! They are annoying, and potentially dangerous should the message include a link that installs a corruptive computer virus.

What makes text message marketing so unique is that there really isn’t spam involved with it. At least not at this point of time, as long as businesses out there continue to follow good practices when it comes to composing and timing their messages. No company wants to create a bad reputation and that is exactly what will happen should they spam their customers. Surprisingly enough, text marketing has remained spam free despite not incorporating any filters – the reason for this is because industries have discovered how powerful and effective the marketing method is, when utilized properly.

How does your business ensure they don’t accidently spam anyone using SMS marketing? Well, there are a few basic rules to follow. First of all – your customers MUST opt-in first. If you don’t have their permission, you may not send them messages. This is truly the key to SMS marketing. It isn’t difficult to gain your customer or client’s opt-in – encourage them to text-in and then make sure they are aware that they are choosing to receive further marketing messages from your business. Many times, if you sweeten the deal by providing an instant deal, discount or promotion as a reward for opting in, your customers will be excited to receive messages in the future.

Next, be sure you allow your clients or customers the choice to opt-out with every message you send. Think this may seem counteractive? It isn’t! You are actually giving your customers control, which they will appreciate. In turn, they will appreciate your business, along with the respect they receive from you. Truth is, if you don’t do this, you are putting yourself at a major risk for prosecution in the event a client feels overwhelmed by your message marketing.

The third and most important best practice regarding text marketing for a business is to make sure you time your messages correctly. Don’t send them too frequently, but don’t send them sporadically either. You want to be consistent – so that your customer base can come to expect and even predict when they might receive your next message. Once a week is a good guideline, whether it is a coupon, sale notification, or even just a fun tip – you can be sure your message will be welcomed.

Pull in the Best Crowds Using Text Message Marketing in Your Restaurant

When it comes to text message marketing for restaurants, there are a few tips and tricks to consider. Of course, a restaurant owner sees empty seats and their first thought is to send out a marketing message, get them filled right away! This is a good idea, however it needs to be streamlined a little. Let’s be honest, a Wednesday will never be a Friday – regardless of any last minute text message marketing efforts. The best way to approach implementing mobile marketing campaign is to work with the flow of business. First of all, do what people least expect, and offer deals for the weekend! You want your restaurant to be jam-packed. You may find that those who weren’t able to get a table will return during the week. Here are a few tips to get the most bang for your marketing buck using a text message marketing campaign:

First of all, run your promotion for a week straight. Not just a day or two. You don’t want to eliminate certain potential customers who may love to take advantage of your deal, but aren’t able to work it out in their schedule on a particular day. This way, you’ll get business from way more people in your marketing database than you would have otherwise, makes sense, right? Next, consider the people who respond to your marketing techniques loyal customers. Treat them with respect, and you’ll be sure to see them come in to dine with you again and again. How do you do this? Give them something. Reward them with a dessert on the house, or an unexpected taste of the new soup you just put on the menu. People will remember that you went the extra mile.

Think carefully about which items you place on special. You don’t want your restaurant to come off cheap, for example – don’t run deals on nachos or sliders if your restaurant is known for steak. Run a steak special! It’s important to highlight your best items. Not only are you showing off what you do best, your customers will have the most pleasant dining experience possible, hence guaranteeing a return visit.Consider this the promotion that keeps on giving, because you are building your brand after all!

Make your marketing campaign visible. Don’t just assume everybody is in the loop. Maximize those people who love instant gratification, and will text in for an immediate deal to hop on to your future marketing list. It doesn’t have to be done in a cheesy way, keep it classy with inserts for check presenters, or even an old school chalkboard note near the front door. The best thing to do over all of these tips is to pay attention to how people respond.

Text Message Marketing Strategies for Retail

Using text message marketing in the retail world is a fairly new concept – which is funny, because text messaging as a feature itself is considered to be a standard feature for almost all mobile phones out there. In fact, text messages are included in pretty much every single cell phone plan! This means it’s a no-brainer to get involved with SMS marketing as a retailer. It’s inexpensive, expansive, and everybody knows what it is and how it works. Most people use text messaging as a major form of communication – whether it is between friends, family members, or even co-workers. Over 90% of the US population owns a mobile phone that has text messaging capabilities.

Retail text message marketing is highly appealing to consumers. Everyone carries their mobile phone with them nearly all the time, and everybody loves a deal, right? The old way of saving a few bucks would be to search for, clip, and collect coupons – and then have to remember them when you visit the store. Only to dig them crumpled out of the bottom of your purse or pocket to redeem them, yet in a timely manner – which is nearly impossible to determine due to the tiny print on the bottom of the coupon, right? Those days are behind us thanks to the use of text message marketing. Now, a shopper can receive mobile coupons, sent straight to their text message inbox – therefore they don’t have to worry about losing them, or even searching for them in the first place.

Now on the other side of the coin is the retailer, and the benefits are mighty clear for them as well. By keeping your shoppers in the loop with your deals, sales and events – you are keeping them connected to your store. By communicating with people via their preferred form of communication means you will build a stronger bond with them, and this is how loyal customers are created. Plus, take control over your business numbers. Slow times ahead? Send out a few spontaneous offers. New merchandise shipment coming in? Let everybody know to expect the next season’s outfits to arrive this weekend - which means one big sale!

As a retailer, there are endless ways to get creative with text message marketing. In addition to advertising sales and sending out coupons, you can provide your customers with a few tips, just for fun. For example, if you own a hardware store – offer a how-to fix it tip. If your store sells ladies clothing – offer a how-to tie a scarf tip. People will feel touched that you are reaching out to them simply to look out for their best interest. Use text marketing to conduct a shopper survey, find out which items are getting the best reviews.