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Text Marketing (SMS) Done Right

two people using smartphones

SMS, or Short Messaging Service, is a marketing strategy that relies on two crucial truths: Seemingly everyone has a cell phone, and we are constantly looking at them.

Think about it.

Wherever you are, you are incredibly likely to be near a phone and, statistics bear out, incredibly likely to respond to that familiar little “ding” that lets you know when a friend (or in this case, a brand) would like your attention.

Look at these numbers:

  • 90% of people open texts within the first 3 minutes of receiving it.
  • Theoretically, from text deployment to sale can happen in 30 seconds.
  • Average open rate for SMS is 98% (vs. 20% for email)

For speed and efficiency, SMS reaches customers right where they are in ways that few other marketing methods can match.

That’s the why of SMS. Here are a few tips we’ve compiled to help you learn how to put this powerful tool to use the right way.

4 Tips to Get It Right

1. Consent

The number one rule of SMS marketing is ensuring you have the proper consent of your SMS list. (SMS marketing is regulated under TCPA and CAN-SPAM, meaning brands must have prior express consent to deploy texts to mobile devices). Brands must be able to prove they obtained consent, so it’s important to invest in building your list through genuine acquisition efforts, and opt-in/opt-out practices should be clear. If you’re interested in building a quality SMS list, let's talk about effective acquisition campaigns.

2. Content

Content is king and it’s important to make sure that your marketing content works as hard for you as it can. A simple rule to keep in mind: clarity + conciseness makes for the best content. Keep your character limit to 160 characters or fewer to account for all device types. Ensure your call to action is clear and to the point – don’t leave a customer second-guessing about what they should do. Also, consider multimedia messaging (MMS) to add visual interest to your marketing. Need an SMS content calendar? Reach out and let’s talk about what’s right for your restaurant.

3. Context

Context is key, as your customers could be anywhere, at any time. Making sure you are sending in the appropriate time zones is only one aspect of context. Messages should also be appropriate to the intended audience. Therefore, capturing crucial data like DOB or location will help to ensure your messages are hitting your customers in the right place and time. Ad Cucìna will partner with you in creating data capture strategies to better tailor your messaging.

4. Cadence

Don’t overwhelm your customers with messages that are too frequent. While SMS marketing has a great success rate in terms of opens and responses, it’s also the leader of marketing tactics that drive the largest number of opt-outs. Balance is key. Test and learn your way into finding the frequency that’s right for your customer. Ad Cucìna will develop a Test & Learn plan with you that will ease your way into SMS marketing success.

If you’re ready to introduce SMS as a marketing channel for your restaurant, you’re in luck. Ad Cucìna marketing experts are eager to help you craft an SMS program that really works for you. Let’s talk.