Retail Promotions

How Mom and Pop Stores Can Use Group Texting for Success

As a mom and pop store, you constantly have to compete with the large chains that establish a footprint just down the road, as well as all the offers available online. It can be tough, but you provide things that these larger companies cannot, such as above-and-beyond personal service. It is essential to find additional ways to stand out from the competition that are not based solely on price so that customers choose you.

Group texting provides a way to engage with customers and market your business. It is a cost-effective marketing solution that is easy to implement, and it is highly versatile, making it easy to integrate with your existing marketing strategy.

Above-and-Beyond Customer Service

As a mom and pop store, your customer service is one of your most marketable components. You treat your customers like family, and your service far outdoes that of the competition. Take your customer service one step further with texting. It provides a great medium for transactional messages. Plus, it is a two-way communication tool through which customers can contact you about any customer service issues. Many customers prefer dealing with customer service through text. Providing that platform helps you stand out from the crowd and it adds to your above-and-beyond customer service.

Reminders

Another way to use text messaging for your mom and pop store is to send out reminders. This might be appointment reminders if you have a service-based business. It also might be reminders about any events that take place at your store, such as a customer appreciation party or a special sale. Texts are read within a few minutes of receipt, so they make a strong reminder. You can send a message the day before or the day of the event to ensure that people do not forget. This increases your attendance, which in turn boosts your sales.

Personalized Messages

Personalized messages have significant power and texting provides a way to send them. You can easily group your subscribers into categories according to preferences, shopping behavior, and demographics. Then, send targeted messages based on these parameters so that the messages your customers receive are personally relevant to them. You can even create a loyalty club through which you send specialized coupons, rewards, and other offers only to those in that group. Other examples of personalized messages might be birthday rewards or notifications of new merchandise.

Exclusive Coupons and Deals

Coupons and deals are strong motivators for shopping. Your texting subscribers are a great audience for your store. They are already interested enough in your company to receive texts from you. With the right coupon or offer, they will be ready to take the next step and visit you. This can be said for any medium through which you send offers, but texting makes for the ideal one.

Around 98 percent of texts are opened, often within the first minute. This means you can feel confident that your offers are actually seen. Plus, they are easy to redeem, since all customer need to do is show the text. Most people already have their phone on them, so they do not have to worry about forgetting to bring the coupon. That is why mobile coupons have a much higher redemption rate than others.

No matter how you choose to use your SMS marketing campaign, it is important to always provide messages of value to your customers. This ensures that they continue to want to receive your group texting messages, and that they continue to view your company in a positive light.

Ready to see how texting can help your store? Try ClubTexting for free.

 

 

3 Reasons to Use SMS Marketing This Holiday Season

How important are the final months of the year for your business? If you are like most, they make up a solid percentage of your overall sales. In 2015, the total revenue from holiday sales reached $626.1 billion, which was a 3 percent increase over the year before, according to the National Retail Federation. SMS marketing provides an avenue for marketing your business to help you increase holiday sales and take advantage of these peak shopping months, even if your company is not in the retail industry. Not entirely convinced? The following might help.

Stand Out

The winter holiday season is an important time for sales, so most companies put in extra marketing efforts advertising sales so that they will attract customers to their business over the competition. This means that the average customer is flooded with ads from a variety of sources, including emails, social media posts and ads, print ads, radio and TV spots, and mailers. This flood of information makes it really easy for anything you send out to simply get lost in the shuffle.

With SMS marketing, you can stand out from the crowd. Although it is an effective marketing channel, not many companies actually use it. There is also no spam filters on messages, although there are rules defining to whom you can send marketing messages. This means that your messages make it past the massive numbers of messages your customers received and are actually read.

Increase Engagement

Not only do the messages in your SMS marketing program stand out, but they also are actually seen. Text messages have an almost 100 percent open rate, compared to just between 20 and 30 percent for emails. More people see and read SMS messages. This increases the potential number of people who actually take action on your messages. In fact, text messages have a 36 percent click-through rate, compared to just 6 to 7 percent for email. Social media marketing also has a much lower hit rate than a texting campaign.

With an increased engagement, you have a better chance of converting customers. They receive your messages and read them, which already improves the chance they will act. With a strong, motivating message, your customers will take the final step and convert, giving you the sale over your competition.

Reach Customers Anywhere

Cell phones have become an extension of a person. According to one survey, a high number of people would rather give up a number of things, such as sex, a car, a bed, a vacation or a cup of coffee, than their phone. Most people carry their phones with them everywhere they go. Therefore, with SMS marketing, you have the chance to reach customers anywhere. They will read your message even if they are not connected to the internet. Perhaps they are already out and about doing some holiday shopping when they receive your message. They can take action right away, increasing the chance that they will actually do it.

There are many other reasons to take advantage of SMS marketing this holiday season. Once you have started your campaign, you will not want to stop even after the rush of holiday sales are over. The same benefits that accrue to exceed your goals for the final months of the year will continue to help you to grow your business and reach all your goals.

Ready to get started and improve your business this holiday season? Try ClubTexting for FREE.

Why Your Small Business Needs to Adopt SMS Marketing

As a small business, you have to monitor your budget closely to ensure every penny comes with a strong return on investment. SMS marketing provides many benefits that are well worth the investment for any small business. It is a cost-effective solution that has high response rates. As an added benefit, it increases customer engagement, which, in turn, leads to more loyal customers. The following are just a few of the reasons why many small businesses are turning to this highly lucrative marketing channel.

Intimate

One of the best reasons to adopt SMS marketing is that it is a more direct and intimate channel. Almost everyone owns an SMS-enabled phone. Of smartphone users, almost 100 percent use text messages. It is not just Millennials. Baby Boomers and older generations also consistently text. Additionally, texting is not as saturated by promotional messages as email or social media. This means that your text will arrive right next to texts that are mostly from friends and family members, making it possible for customers to unconsciously place you in the same category.

Fast Response

SMS marketing is the perfect medium when you need a fast response. Most people carry their phones with them everywhere and check it over a hundred times in a day. This means that they will see your message quickly and respond just as fast. In fact, the average response rate for texts is just 90 seconds, while the average response rate for email is 90 minutes. Which kind of response would you rather have?

Targeting More Engaged Customers

Text message marketing is an opt-in channel. This means that in order to send messages to your customers, they must sign up for the program. Although this leaves out a fair number of people, it does mean that you are working with more engaged customers at the baseline. Because they have signed up for your SMS marketing campaign, they already have a relationship with your company and wish to know more. This makes it easier to convert them into customers.

High Engagement

If you are looking for a marketing channel with a high engagement rate, then SMS marketing is the right channel for you. It has eight times the engagement rate, along with high click through rates and redemption rates. Customers not only read the texts; they also take action. This leads to a much higher return on your investment.

Stand Out From the Competition

As a small business, it is difficult at times to distinguish yourself from your competition, especially the larger corporations. Many large companies have yet to adopt text marketing because they have so many other advertising channels, which means your business stands out when you text.

When you have a small marketing budget, it is harder to develop marketing collateral that really stands out when you are trying to compete against brands with a significantly higher budget than you.

SMS marketing levels the playing field. It is a text-based marketing forum, which means you do not have to worry about developing expensive graphics. It is also short-form content since you only need 160 characters per text. This makes it much less expensive to run a strong texting campaign, especially when you also add in the cost of texting, which is often just pennies per text.

SMS marketing provides a cost-effective solution for small businesses to engage with customers and build their business. If you have not considered adding it to your marketing strategy, then it is time to do so and see how it can provide the boost you've been looking for.

Ready to see how texting will provide a boost to your business? Try ClubTexting for free and experience these benefits for yourself.

Attract More Customers and Sellers to Your Consignment Shop Business with SMS Marketing

As a consignment shop, you not only need to find shoppers, but you also need to find sellers. This ensures you have sufficient stock for your customers. The consignment business has seen strong growth, which means there is more competition from both brick and mortar stores and online services. Therefore, you need to promote your business that attracts not just buyers but also sellers. SMS marketing provides an impressive, versatile marketing tool perfect for attracting more business to your consignment store.

Promote Your Business

SMS marketing is a versatile marketing channel that offers you a way to promote your business. Once you have a subscriber list, it is simple to send them texts about your business to encourage repeat business. Your subscribers already have an interest in your business, so they are a willing audience for your promotion.

It is not just to current customers to whom you can promote your texting program. It makes for one of the best calls to action to use on any of your advertising or marketing collateral. Add a keyword and instruction on your flyers, radio spots, TV ads, print ads and other pieces as a way for customers to take action after seeing your ad. People carry their phones with them everywhere, so it is easy for them to text when they see your ad, improving the success rates of your ads. For increased impact, offer a deal for signing up.

Text Sellers About New Opportunities

It is easy to segment your subscribers into sellers and buyers, and you might have even more groups you wish to create. The same customer can be placed in more than one group, so if someone is both a buyer and seller, he or she will not miss out on any text.

When there are new opportunities for selling at your consignment store, send out a text to your SMS marketing subscribers. This might be when you start selling a new product or merchandise. Perhaps you had too much of a particular item but now require more. This makes it easy for you to reach your sellers and communicate your needs to them.

Let Customers Know About New Inventory

On the other side of your business is your customer base. When you have new stock from one of your dealers or vendors, text your SMS marketing subscribers. This allows them the first look at your new inventory while also making sure people know what you have available for them. You might have a regular text that puts the spotlight on a particular stock item. This might typically be new items, but you might also highlight something that has been difficult to sell.

Send Offers and Coupons

SMS marketing provides an excellent way to send your loyal customers offers and coupons. Mobile coupons have a much higher redemption rate than other formats. They only need their cell phones with them. Then, they simply show the text at checkout. There is no printing anything out or remembering to bring it. Coupons provide a strong motivation for customers to come in and shop at your store. Alternatively, if you need more merchandise, offer a special discount for those who wish to sell something on consignment at your store.

Alert Subscribers About Events

Text messages have a high open rate. This means you can feel confident that messages you send to your SMS marketing subscribers are read. Capitalize on this by sending your subscribers information about events in your store. Perhaps you plan to have a massive sale to move your products, or maybe you plan to host a customer appreciation party. Whatever the event, you have the chance to increase attendance by alerting and reminding your subscribers about it through text message.

Implementing an SMS marketing program provides you with a way to increase engagement with your buyers and sellers. This will help your consignment business, and you also will stand out from the competition, further increasing your sales.

Contact us to learn more about how you can utilize this powerful marketing channel.

 

 

Surf's Up! Build Your Surf Shop Business with Mass Texting

Whether your surf shop is open year round or needs to make the most of your summer business, finding clients is an essential component of your business. You can promote and promote your shop, but it is important to find a way to engage with your clientele so that they not only choose you over the competition, but also come back again and again.

Mass texting provides you a versatile way to promote your business, communicate with potential clients, and maintain a relationship with those you already have. Following are just a few ways to utilize mass texting as part of your marketing strategy.

Promote Your Business

Mass texting provides an excellent channel for promoting your business. It is an opt-in service, which means that you are only allowed to send messages to those who sign up. You can promote to these customers, which does help, since they are already engaged. However, you do not have to feel as though this limits you. There are ways to utilize your texting program to draw in new business as well.

Texting makes a great call to action on any of your other marketing and advertising collateral. For example, add the phrase "Text Surf Rental 55555 to find out more and get a 10 percent discount on surfboard rentals" on your ads that promote your rental business. Adding a discount or offer to the CTA increases the response to and improves the efficacy of your ad.

Engage with Customers

Customer engagement is an essential component of business in today's market. Finding ways to communicate with clients and build a more personal relationship helps to create more loyal customers. Your mass texting messages do not have to be just deals and offers, although those do create highly lucrative messages. It is also a medium through which you can send out tips and other information to continue to build your relationship with your customers. For example, keep your customers informed of the surf report or tips on surfboard care are other ways of keeping in touch.

Text messages are a more intimate medium. People have yet to feel saturated with SPAM and marketing messages. This gives you an edge over your competition when you communicate with customers through texts. They will be more willing to view you as a friend than just another company, helping to bring in more repeat business.

Send Out Reminders

When you have events, you want to be sure to have a strong level of engagement. People are so busy, they might easily forget about events, especially if you initially tell them about it weeks ahead of time. Mass texting is the perfect avenue for sending out reminders because messages are opened and read within just a few minutes. Send out an email to let people know about the event. Then, remind them about 24 hours ahead of time to increase participation.

This also works for transactional messages. Text reminders of rental pre-orders or let customers know when an order is ready to be picked up. Send receipts through text and include a thank you with a deal or other motivation to customers to come back.

Invite Customers to Events and Tours

Another way to engage customers is to host events at your business. This might be customer appreciation days or weekly surf club meetings. You might run tours and surfing classes for visitors. Perhaps you also offer stand up paddleboard and kayak tours. No matter what events your shop offers, you want to be sure to attract people to them. Mass texting provides you a way to alert your customers and increase participation. Adding it as a call to action also helps you to draw a larger crowd.

Take Advantage of a High Surf Day

People carry their phones with them at all times, making mass texting the best way to get a hold of them with last minute information. Take advantage of this by sending out alerts on days where the surf is perfect. You might already send out surf reports to some of your more loyal customers, but not everyone might want this daily or weekly information. Group your customers for sending relevant text messages, and then have some messages sent to everyone, such as a high surf day.

These are just a few ways to utilize mass texting for your surf shop that go beyond sending coupons and deals. These play an important role in any SMS marketing campaign, but there is so much more you can do with this versatile marketing medium.

Ready to see how you can implement texting in your marketing efforts? Try ClubTexting for free.

4 Creative SMS Marketing Messages to Boost Your Summertime Sales

As the temperature increases, some businesses start to see their sales take a dip. Conversely, those that specialize in summertime goods and services work hard to make their busy season get them through the rest of the year. Whether you rely on summertime sales or just are looking to bring in some extra business during the season, SMS marketing can help you to boost your sales. If you are starting a new campaign or just looking for a way to spice things up, try one or more of the following messages for a more successful summer.

Sizzling Sales

Sales are a great way to draw in business no matter what time of year. One way to increase awareness and interest is to create something that attracts the attention of your customers. To do this, play around with summer-based puns for your sales. This could be using terms such as sizzling sales or beat the heat. Incorporate this language into your SMS marketing messages to draw a crowd. For example, your message might read, "Beat the Heat with our 20 percent discount on summer clothing. Redeem in stores before August 15."

You can take this even further with text messaging to promote last minute deals that reflect the day's weather. Most people carry their phone with them everywhere, so you can feel confident they will see the text right away. When the weather calls for an abnormally hot day, tell people how coming into your business will help them to avoid the heat. If you are a restaurant, this could be a special limited-time offer on cooling foods, such as ice cream or specialty drinks. Movie theaters might advertise their air-conditioning, and retail stores might push certain summer items that help keep people cool.

Free Popsicles for the First 100 Customers

Free swag is another way to draw in a crowd, especially when it is available for a limited time. Take advantage of the hot days and offer something for free when they shop. It can be something inexpensive but fun, such as popsicles, or it can be an item related to your business, such as branded sunglasses, flip flops or a tote. Make this exclusive to your SMS marketing program for an enhanced effect. Your text might read, "Be one of the first 100 customers before noon on Monday and get your free sunglasses to sun in style this summer. Bring in this text to our stores today."

Summer Scavenger Hunt

Summer is a time when people spend more time outdoors, which often also involves spending time with friends and family members. Get people's attention by offering a summer-long scavenger hunt and motivate them to play with their friends and family members. This might include daily or weekly texts that take people from one clue to the next.

At each successful new location, they win something small, such as a new coupon. Then, anyone who reaches the end of the scavenger hunt around Labor Day is entered into a drawing for a larger prize. This might also facilitate discussion and competition among your customers, building a larger community. Your texts might read something like, "Click here for today's scavenger hunt clue. Successfully locate the item and receive a 10 percent coupon valid for this week."

Summer Solstice Party

Whether at the beginning, middle or end of summer, attract customers through hosting a party. This might simply be a day of specials and exclusive sales and extended discounts or it might be a genuine customer appreciation party. Either way, attach it to a particular holiday in the summer. This might be one of the more traditional ones, such as the summer solstice, July 4th, Labor Day or Flag Day.

Alternatively, you can get more creative by choosing one of the lesser-known holidays, such as National Ice Cream Day or National Cheesecake Day. Your text would state something such as, "Come celebrate National Ice Cream Day with us and get a free scoop of ice cream with every purchase of $5 or more. Bring in this text for your treat."

These are just a few examples of how to get creative this summer to draw in customers with your SMS marketing campaign. Just remember to keep the content of your messages under 160 characters, exclusive to the medium, and of value to your audience, and don't forget a strong call to action.

Ready to see how one of these messages works with your campaign? Try ClubTexting for free.

 

 

6 Strategies for Creating a Dynamic Coupon Program with SMS Marketing

Many companies turn to SMS marketing for a cost-effective way to send offers and discounts to their customers and potential customers. This marketing channel has many lucrative benefits, but it is possible to miss out on some of these advantages by creating a lackluster coupon campaign. By using one or more of the following strategies, you can ensure that your campaign is strong and helps you to reach your business goals.

Reward for Opting In

To get your SMS marketing campaign up and running, it is beneficial to offer a coupon or discount as a reward for opting in. This will motivate more people to choose to sign up for your text marketing program, including those who have yet to patronize your business. You can promote your program on all your regular marketing channels by simply adding a keyword, short code or long code, and text stating the reward for opting-in.

Choose the Right Deal

When developing your coupon program, it is important that you select the right deals to incentivize customers to actually redeem it. You want to find the right balance between providing a great deal and still making a profit. The word "FREE" can be highly attractive to consumers, but it is also possible to simply offer a percentage off an item. It is best to combine the offer with some sort of minimal purchase, especially if you are giving away something for free.

Take Advantage of Limited-Time Deals

SMS marketing provides you with a great forum for sending out limited-time offers. Most text messages are read within just a few minutes of receipt. This means you can send out a coupon that is good only for that day, or for a small window of time. For example, restaurants can send out a text for a lunch special an hour or two before lunch hour. Retail stores and eCommerce sites can send out exclusive flash sales that only take place during a particular time period. Because it is only available for a short period of time, people will be more motivated to take action right away.

Do Not Send the Same Deals Every Time

It is very important that you continue to provide value with every text you send. Otherwise, you may see your opt-out rate increasing exponentially. One way to remain relevant to your consumers is to consistently send out different deals rather than relying on the same one. If people know they are going to get a similar deal in the near future, they will not feel it is necessary to take advantage of it right away. One way to develop your strategy is to create groups of coupon types, such as pricing-based offers, time-sensitive offers, or product-based offers. Then, cycle through each category, using a slightly different offer each time or even combining some categories. You may still focus more on one particular type due to it having a more powerful response, but you still want to provide some variety. For example, pricing-based offers have about a 66 percent likelihood to trigger action compared to just a 52 percent likelihood for time-sensitive offers.

Set up Your Business for Mobile Redemption

Having a strong SMS marketing coupon program is not just about sending out the coupons, but it is also about redemption. You want to make it as easy as possible for your customers to redeem the coupon. Otherwise, they may opt out of the program and may even leave with a negative perception of your company. Before sending out the first coupon, be sure that you have set up your business for mobile redemption. This may mean you simply alert staff members to the program. Some businesses may choose to send special codes that need to be scanned. If that is the case, it is important that you are able to scan a phone for redemption.

Identify Your Company

One of the most important things to do in your mobile coupons, and any other messages in your SMS marketing campaign, is to always identify your company. This may seem obvious, but it is one thing that is regularly overlooked when developing the message content. You should not assume that consumers know from whom they receive a message. If there is no overt identification, they may assume it comes from a competitor or simply delete it as spam.

A successful and dynamic coupon program with SMS marketing takes more than just sending out an offer and hoping your clients or customers take advantage of it. It is important to take the time to build a strategy and utilize different types of offers so that you consistently deliver something of value to your customers.

If you are ready to see how mobile coupons can help your business, try ClubTexting for free.

 

 

7 Ways to Promote Your Easter Specials with SMS Marketing

Easter is a popular time for businesses to run specials. Promotion plays a valuable role in driving business, and these specials provide another activity to add to your marketing and advertising campaigns. One invaluable tool to help promote your Easter specials is SMS marketing. If you are unsure how to use this marketing channel to promote your Easter specials and increase business, try one or more of the following message types.

Call to Action

One of the best ways to use SMS marketing to promote your business and Easter specials is as a call to action in your advertisements and marketing collateral. It is easy to include a keyword and short code on your flyers, print ads, billboards, TV and radio spots, and digital marketing platforms as a way for potential leads to get more information. For an even larger impact, offer people a reward in the form of a coupon for joining your texting program.

Daily Deals

Texting is a powerful marketing channel, but it is best used at a frequency of about one or two times per week. However, during special marketing campaigns, you could turn it into a platform for daily deals. This should be a special campaign for which customers sign up to receive an exclusive daily deals for your business during a specific period of time, such as the week leading up to Easter.

Easter Egg Hunt

A popular game on Easter is the Easter egg hunt for children. With your SMS marketing campaign, you can get parents and other adults involved in their own digital Easter egg hunt. You can ask customers to find special keywords and text them to you to receive a special discount or another prize. You could even have a "golden egg" keyword that is the grand prize of the game. It is possible to put the keywords up around town on your advertisements or on various pages of your website.

Text to Win

If you do not want to create an Easter egg hunt, you can still run a game for your customers and potential customers through a "Text to Win" campaign. For this game, customers text a certain keyword to enter a contest. At the end of the contest, you give out one or more prizes. To increase the numbers playing your game, it is best to reward everyone who plays with a small prize, such as a 20 percent off coupon or free shipping.

Refer a Friend

Word of mouth is a powerful way to increase your business and bring in more customers. One way to inspire your current customers to share information about your company with their friends is to run a "Refer a Friend" campaign. You can use your SMS marketing platform to do this by asking your subscribers to forward a text to their friends. Reward both the customer and the friend with a coupon or discount.

Limited Time Offers

Limited time offers have a strong impact on whether or not people take action and make a purchase. SMS has strong potential for running special flash sales or discounts that last for only a few hours, because most people read their texts within a few minutes of receipt.

Exclusive Deals

Easter is a holiday for which many people purchase gifts for their friends and family members, so they may be looking for ways to save some money on their purchases. You can use this incentive to send your text marketing subscribers exclusive deals that help them to save even more money on your Easter specials. Your customers and potential customers will be motivated to take action if you provide them with a great deal on the items or services for which they were looking or on items they did not even realize they needed.

It is possible to take advantage of the Easter holiday to attract visitors to your business. Many of these SMS marketing campaigns can help you to promote your Easter specials. Plus, they can help with any other sales and specials you have in the future.

Ready to see how texting can help your Easter campaign? Try ClubTexting for free.

 

 

The Top 5 Ways to Use Group Texting to Boost Holiday Business

The holidays are just around the corner, and for many businesses, this time period represents the bulk of their sales for the entire year. The highest average monthly retail sales tend to be in November and December as people hit the holiday sales and buy presents. Having a good holiday season is important for the health of your business. By using group texting, you can engage with your potential customers and boost your holiday business.


Santa's not the only one who can send out holiday greetings and gifts through text.

Text to Win Contests

One way to get into the holiday spirit and engage your customers is to run a holiday-themed text to win contest. This type of contest is simple to run and easy for your customers to enter. If you offer an attractive grand prize or something small just for entering, such as a special coupon, then people will be more likely to participate and subscribe to your SMS marketing list for future campaigns. Once they have the coupon, they will be motivated to shop for gifts in your store or business.

Special Sales

Sales and discounts drive the holiday shopping, which is why Black Friday deals start earlier and earlier every year. You can take advantage of people's desire to save big in the holiday season by sending out special sales that are exclusive to your text message subscribers. In the weeks leading up to the holiday shopping period, it is beneficial to promote your group texting program, promising special exclusive sales and deals for subscribers.

Last Minute Discounts

Group texting is an immediate marketing channel. Most people open their texts within just a few minutes of receipt, which makes it the perfect forum for sending out last minute discounts and flash sales. It is best to send out your message a few hours before the sale begins to ensure people have time to prepare. The more limited-time the offer, the more motivated people will be to take action right away.

After Christmas Sales

The holiday season does not have to end once Christmas passes. Many smart shoppers wait for the after Christmas sales to do their shopping to take advantage of better deals. With group texting, you can promote your after Christmas sales and boost business by offering an exclusive coupon.

Create a Marketing CTA Related to Your Texting Program


When your team develops your holiday marketing flyers, incorporate a text CTA.

One way to extend the reach of your holiday marketing efforts is to include information about your group texting program in your call to action on your marketing collateral. A short CTA easily fits on posters, flyers, television ads, print ads, and more, because you simply need to include a keyword and short code. Not only will this help you attract more business around the holidays, it will also help to grow your mobile subscriber list.

There are many other ways to incorporate group texting into your holiday marketing strategy. A creative campaign can help you get the attention of last-minute shoppers and boost your business during this important season. Ready to run your holiday campaign? Try ClubTexting for free today!

Weird and Wonderful Thanksgiving Marketing Ideas

 

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Halloween is done and dusted and Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means we’re heading towards the biggest spending bonanza of the year. In theory, it should be easy for retailers to capitalize. Black Friday and Cyber Monday provide opportunities for huge sales spikes, as shoppers start buying gifts for the end-of-year holiday season. 

But Thanksgiving itself - and the days leading up to it - are a comparatively quiet time for businesses. Unless you’re in the food business, there are no guarantees of boosted profits, which means you have to get creative with your mobile marketing tactics. To help you, here are some off-kilter ideas to help you stand out from the crowd:

 

Break a Record

There are so many strange and surreal world records out there, it’s not as hard to break one as you might think. In 2008, National Geographic Kids magazine set the record for the longest chain of shoes ever laid out, with 10,513 items of footwear, heel to toe. Doesn’t sound too hard to beat does it? Or, how about attempting to beat the record for most star jumps in a minute (which currently stands at 61). Get your customers involved with an SMS campaign - if they can beat the record and send you the video proof, offer a prize giveaway. Whatever record you (or your customers) go for, try to keep it industry relevant. 

 

Cranberry Bucket Challenge

The ice bucket challenge is a bit 2014, so why not update it with a turkey twist? Because they come with pre-made brand recognition, such memetic juggernauts are crying out for a decent spin, so why not get your staff and social media followers to tip Cranberry sauce over their heads. Messier and more expensive than ice? Certainly. But wilder and wackier too. A colorful, sticky mess like this could really get you some attention online - you might even approach the scale of the frozen water viral phenomenon that inspired it.

 

Mobile Treasure Hunt

Give your online followers an incentive to sign up for mobile alerts by offering a whole bunch of festive prizes to anyone who can find a Thanksgiving-themed plushie around any major city you can get it to. A stuffed turkey - stuffed, that is, with fabric, not sage and nuts - is the obvious choice. Set a 48 hour time limit for your turkey hunt, and run it all via mobile communications. Send occasional, cryptic text message clues, making them easier as time goes on without anybody finding the turkey.

Is Your Business in a Summer Slump? Give it a Boost with Mobile Marketing

For many retail stores, summertime means a lull in business. Children out of school, families on vacation, and sunny weather enticing many to spend time outdoors can lead to a reduction in the total number of people visiting your store.


Summer can cause a reduction in sales, but there are ways to combat the summer slump.

However, summer does not have to mean reduced profits for your business. Here are a few ways mobile marketing can help to give your retail store a boost during the summer season.

Mobile-Only Sales

One way to increase your summer sales is to share special mobile-only sales with your customers. This provides an incentive for your mobile subscribers to come into your store and take advantage of exclusive, limited time offers. You can also target vacationers with mobile-only deals that can be advertised via text message, email, or your website.


Mobile marketing can help you connect with vacationers interested in taking advantage of your sales.

Most vacationers will not be able to print out coupons, but they will have their smartphones or tablets with them, according to a recent article on American Express Open Forum. Therefore, if you allow potential customers to redeem deals via their mobile devices, you may increase the number of vacationers taking advantage your offers.

Summer-Centric Promotions

Another way to boost your summertime sales is to provide deals and offers that tie-in closely with the season. For example, you can share special promotions related to the holidays, such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and back to school.


Create summer promotions around popular holidays to attract more customers.

You can also develop campaigns related to other popular summer events, such as baseball games or beach trips. There's also an opportunity to get creative with your specials, such as offering a "staycation" sales promotion for those who are not going on vacation, or developing a fun contest which encourages potential customers to submit photos of their favorite baseball park or beach in order to win a unique prize.

When you create promotions around summertime events, it's a good idea to try to tailor the items offered to the specific holiday or summer-centric activity, according to Signs.com. For example, on Memorial Day you may discount items that are Patriotic-themed or associated with summer, such as beach chairs, swimsuits, and barbeque grills, as this weekend is the official start of the season.

Timing is Everything

When you send out messages to your customers with your mobile marketing campaign, you want to be sure to choose the right time. The best way to attract the most attention is to send messages at peak times, which are different in the summer than the rest of the year because of the extended daylight hours and increased number of vacations. During the summertime, Wednesday tends to be the busiest day for sales during the week. According to data from Internet Retailer, approximately 16.1 percent of weekly revenue during June to August occur on Wednesday.

Cross-Channel Integration

Another way to boost your sales through mobile marketing is to integrate your promotions with your marketing efforts on other channels, especially social media. You can attract customers by posting details about your mobile program on social media, and then offer a special promotion if they opt-in to receive text messages from your business. No matter what time of year, people continue to engage on social media channels, which means that they will still be seeing your advertisements.


People still check social media during the summer, making integrated marketing efforts essential.

You can also increase your business with geo-targeted marketing approaches. Many people are on vacation, so they will be using their smartphones to find restaurants, stores, and other businesses while they are in the area. If you create advertisements that are geared towards local audiences, you can boost the overall foot traffic to your business over the summer.

Although summer may be associated with a decrease in sales, you can reduce the impact of the seasonal slump with targeted marketing campaigns. Mobile marketing, especially text messaging, can help you reach customers, inspire them to visit your store, and find those who are just passing through while on vacation, all of which will give your retail business a boost. Learn more about how your business can increase sales with SMS marketing any time of the year with this helpful Club Texting blog post.

How Local Retailers Can Use Text Message Marketing to Reach Customers Nearby

Whether you have a brick and mortar store, a club, a restaurant, a salon, or another type of local company, it's important to target your marketing efforts to the potential customers that live near your business. In order to expand your reach with a local audience, it is essential for your business to advertise digitally and explore mobile marketing to connect with customers. According to data from comScore, about 55 percent of Internet usage is undertaken on mobile devices. Additional data from Integrate Media Group emphasizes that many online searches, approximately 4 out of 5, are conducted to find local information, and the same percentage of people want to see ads that are targeted to their location.


Reach local customers with text message marketing.

There are many marketing channels available for local retailers, but one effective way to reach your nearby customers is through text message marketing. Before you send messages to any mobile users, you need to have their explicit permission. Therefore, it's important to advertise your mobile program to your local customers so that they will opt-in to receive offers, deals, and other notifications from your business.

In-Store Advertising for Mobile Program

One of the easiest ways to encourage local customers to participate in your mobile program is to advertise it in your store. This strategy works well because you will be targeting those who already are customers, increasing the chance that they will be interested in receiving mobile offers and other information sent via text.


Take advantage of the free space inside your store for advertising.

A simple poster or banner prominently placed can tell your customers about your text message program and provide instructions on how to subscribe. You can also add a call to action that encourages mobile users to send a text message to a keyword on other advertisements around your store. You can further motivate customers to opt-in by offering a special discount or offer redeemable that day if they subscribe to receive text message updates from your business.

Direct Mailings About Your Mobile Offers

Direct mailings are a traditional way for retailers and other businesses to let those within a specific geographic location know about their business as well as any special offers or discounts. If your goal is to increase subscriptions to your mobile program, you can send out a direct mailing including information about your text message offers.


Include a call to action in your direct mailing that encourages potential customers to opt into your text service.

If you are looking for a good reason to send out a direct mailing to try to increase your sales, then you can use your mobile campaign as a reason to communicate with your potential client base. Again, it always helps to offer some incentive for signing up to receive text messages from your business, such as a special offer or discount.

Targeted Online Advertising to Geographic Area

Your online advertising can also be easily targeted to a specific geographic area. Google AdWords, one of the most widely used marketing tools for online advertising, offers location targeting that allows you to choose the location in which your ads are seen.


Targeted online advertising ensures only those in your service area see your ads.

You can target globally, or target your reach to a particular zip code, city, county, state, or other service area. Many other online advertising companies similarly offer ways to target your marketing campaign to your service area.

When you develop your online advertising efforts, you can include specific messaging about your mobile program in the ads. Alternatively, you can add it to your website and landing pages so that when a potential customer clicks through they have an opportunity to sign up for your mobile program. Text message marketing can help you easily reach those within your service area and prompt them to visit your business. For ideas on how to increase your sales with SMS messages, read this helpful ClubTexting blog post.

5 Ways Your Business Can Use SMS Messages to Increase Sales


SMS message marketing can help businesses easily connect with target audiences and boost sales.

More than 90 percent of adults in the U.S. keep their smartphones within arm's reach. Over 95 percent of text messages are read within a few minutes of receipt. About 90 percent of mobile searches lead consumers to take action.

Have these figures caught your attention?

In case you aren't already familiar with SMS message marketing, this method of communicating with customers is taking the marketing world by storm. It's effective, affordable, and it's easy to create a campaign. More and more businesses are using this mobile marketing method to reach customers and drive sales.

Whether your business sells shoes, electronics, or sandwiches, here are five ways approaches to text message marketing that can help boost your sales.

1. Create Limited Time Offer Campaigns

Nothing creates a stronger sense of urgency than advertising something that will disappear soon. When the clock is ticking, customers will feel compelled to jump on an offer before it's too late. People just can't help themselves when it comes to highly attractive deals with a tight time frame for redemption.

Offering a limited time deal to your customers will pique their interest and entice them to redeem your offer. For example, "50% Off for 48 Hours Only" will nudge your customers to take action if you've indicated that the offer is only available within a short window of time.

2. Let Your Customers Know about Special Promotions

If your business usually runs special promotions during certain seasons or months, text message marketing can work well for you. For instance, if you're a clothing retailer, you might want to consider running exclusive promotions on certain summer items, and using text messages to inform your customers about these seasonal specials. If you've already established a list of mobile subscribers, you can create an SMS message marketing campaign to let your customers know about the special summer deals that will fade away as quickly as the season itself.

Sharing information through text messages allows you to notify your customers directly about your promotion, as opposed to print ads or TV commercials. Delivering your marketing messages via text helps ensure your audience is actually reading what you have to say.

3. Make Your Subscribers Feel Important

It goes without saying that everyone wants to feel valued, including your customers. Turn the tables and think about your experiences as a customer, and how businesses made you feel in the past. The most positive and memorable experiences are probably the ones where the businesses made you feel valued. So why not do the same for your customers? With SMS message marketing, you can make your customers feel important and attract their attention by using an element of exclusivity.


Texting your customers about promotions and exclusive products can significantly increase open rates.

For example, you can send your best customers VIP offers and exclusive discounts to make them feel as though they are part of a special group that has access to something unique which is not available to the public. Make them feel special, and it may help to boost your conversion rates.

4. Make Them an Offer They Can't Turn Down

Create a compelling offer for your customers that they simply cannot turn down. Do something for them that will convince them to buy from you. Whatever you're offering needs to be something that your customers will perceive as something of value; something which they simply cannot pass up. Without a compelling call to action, your customers aren't exactly going to jump out of their seats to redeem your offer.

5. Boost Effectiveness With Cross Promotion

Why not integrate your mobile marketing efforts with other marketing channels you've already got in place? An integrated approach can help you attract a bigger audience, which can seriously boost sales. For example, if you've already got an email marketing strategy in place, consider using this channel to inform your customers about your new mobile program. You can create buzz around your mobile communications program via your business website, social media profiles, and print ad campaigns.

Mobile can be used to send short, time-sensitive text messages about everything from appointment reminders to last-minute sales. Adopting a cross-channel promotion strategy can help you increase the effectiveness of your mobile marketing efforts.

Don't Waste Another Minute: Start Raking in the Sales With SMS Message Marketing

We've explained to you what SMS message marketing can do to drive sales for your business, so why delay? At Club Texting, we can help you launch your first text message marketing campaign quickly, and at a low cost to your business.

To get a feel for how helpful SMS marketing can be for your business, try Club Texting free today!

Author Bio:

Lisa Simonelli Rennie is a freelance web content creator who enjoys writing on all sorts of topics, including online marketing, social media advertising, personal finance, and anything to do with the internet industry.

3 Reasons to Offer Your Customers a Loyalty Program


Text messaging can be used to support your business' loyalty program efforts.

Are you a member of a customer loyalty program? If you're a frequent shopper at a certain store, chances are the answer is probably yes. Loyalty programs are typically created as a thank you to customers. While many programs are structured differently, they usually have one thing in common. A good loyalty program offers something beneficial for loyal customers. Are you a business owner that's thinking of creating a rewards program? Here are three reasons why it's a good idea to take the next step.

Your Customers Are Important

It goes without saying that your loyal customers are critically important to the success of your business. Not only do they likely shop at your store frequently, they also serve as your unofficial brand ambassadors. These are the individuals who talk to their friends about how much they enjoy shopping with you. A loyalty program is a great way to thank them for their business and help you cultivate that relationship over time. Your loyal customers will appreciate the perks that they receive via the program, and your business will benefit from their ongoing patronage.

It Can Help You Attract More Customers

When you're a member of an amazing loyalty program that offers unique perks, you're likely to tell your friends about it. A well-crafted loyalty program can help you earn customers in a couple different ways. First, it makes it more likely that existing customers are going to spread the word about your business. After all, who doesn't love a good deal? You can also use your loyalty program as a tool to grab the attention of one-time customers, offering them special offers for shopping with you again. It's a win-win for both your business and your customers.

Mobile Makes the Process Easier

Many businesses have now harnessed the power of mobile to support their customer loyalty programs. Some may choose to use timed text messages to stay in touch with their audience, offering them special, targeted deals that are based on their past purchasing behaviors. Others may tie in their loyalty programs with an existing mobile application so that customers can find everything they're looking for in one place. If you don't have an existing mobile app for your business, consider using text messages to transmit relevant offers to your loyal customers. Over time, you can analyze the data from your ongoing communications to develop more effective, enticing coupons and perks for your loyalty program members.


You can use mobile to share special loyalty program offers with your audience.

Loyalty programs are beneficial for both businesses and customers. Program members get tangible perks, including percentage off coupons, notifications about special sales or events, and unique discounts that may not be available to others who aren't enrolled. From a business standpoint, a well-crafted loyalty program can help you improve customer retention, attract the attention of a new audience, and tailor your marketing messages over time to improve relevancy. If you are thinking of creating a customer loyalty program for your business, there's no better time than now to get started. Consider using text messaging to support your program efforts, and try Club Texting for free today!

How to Craft a Time Limited Text Message


A compelling limited time text message is hard to resist.

Act now! This offer is available for a limited time only! Chances are you've seen many variations of that slogan on television commercials, print advertisements, and products on store shelves. Many businesses launch 'limited time' marketing campaigns in order to turn potential customers into buyers. This tried and true advertising strategy is popular because it works. If you are interested in grabbing the attention of more customers with your upcoming mobile marketing efforts, here's how to craft a limited time text message that will give your business a boost.

Apply a Short, Yet Realistic Timetable

If you want your limited time text message campaign to be a success, it's important to choose the right timetable. You want to strike the perfect balance between something that's short enough to create a sense of urgency for your customers, yet realistic. It's important to give them ample time to visit your business and take advantage of the offer. Since texting is such a fast-paced means of communicating, limited time offers should be structured slightly differently than if you were running a limited time print campaign. Otherwise you run the risk of your customers forgetting about the offer altogether.

Consider distributing your text, and giving your customers a day or two to redeem your offer. For example, if you are trying to get patrons into your restaurant for an upcoming weekend event, you may want to send your text message on a Wednesday and say that the offer is valid from Friday to Sunday. This gives people enough time to plan, but not so much time that they'll forget you sent them a message in the first place.

Make Your Call to Action a Priority

Your campaign's call to action should be a top priority when crafting a limited time text message offer. It's important to remember that you only have a limited amount of space, and keeping things short and direct is beneficial in a couple of ways. A well-crafted call to action can help heighten the sense of urgency of your limited time campaign. It can also help capture your recipients' attention more successfully than a longer text message. Recipients don't necessarily want to have to scroll down to read a longer message. One example of an effective CTA for a limited time campaign could be something like the following. "Redeem this offer in the next 48-hours at our Main St. location." It's short, to the point, mentions a timetable, and tells customers how to redeem your offer. Creating a sharp call to action can help make your limited time text message campaign more effective.


Use limited time text message offers to connect with more customers.

Limited time offers are an effective way to grab the attention of potential customers. The simple fact is that everyone loves a good deal, and applying a short timetable to your offer can help increase redemption rates. If you are thinking of launching a limited time text message offer for your business, focusing on timing and developing a compelling call to action can improve your chances of success. Try ClubTexting for free, and start building your text message campaign today.

6 Ways to Reach Online Shoppers in 2015

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According to recent research from selz.com, online sales during the first quarter of 2014 were up 13% compared to the same period in 2013, and mobile ecommerce was up an impressive 35%. If anything like that growth happens again this year, 2015 looks set to be a record-breaking year for cyber shopping.

Knowing the numbers and taking advantage of them, however, are two different things. If you’ve never thought about sending a group sms message, or even considered how to go about encouraging people to opt in to a group sms text list, this year is a good time to look into the advantages of doing so. If you want to avoid getting left in the dust during 2015, check out some of these ideas for engaging digital shoppers this year: 

 

1) Dynamic Advertising

Canny fashion retailers are creating marketing campaigns which allow consumers to click through ads to gain access to the latest clothing collections. This may include browsing a brand’s entire catalog, viewing prices and watching embedded videos, but the only limitations to dynamic ads are your imagination. Dynamic clothing catalogs are also capable of automatically updating with new offers, so there’s no need to constantly adjust the interface. You can even include a link within the ads to encourage viewers to sign up for future group sms message alerts. These ads provide consumers with a window on your brand’s ethos, as well as an easy-to-use online shopping option. 

 

2) Apps

Mobile apps are an incredibly powerful tool for retailers, as more and more digital consumers rely on a good app to engage with brands. Good examples in the retail world include Victoria’s Secret, H&M and Kohl’s.

 

3) Sweepstakes

Running a sweepstakes on social media is a good way to keep consumers engaged in between shopping. Most people check their social media almost as often as they check their text messages; used in tandem with sending group sms messages to those who have opted in, a sweepstakes can keep the conversation going long after people have stopped thinking about your products. Plus, it’ll encourage more people to sign up for future group SMS message alerts. After all, who doesn’t want free stuff or big discounts?

 

4) Gift Guides

Online gift guides work brilliantly as a supplement to catalogs because so many people use their mobile devices to browse products prior to shopping. An attractive gift guide is one of the better uses of the oft-maligned QR code, so consider adding a QR code to your print ads, sending customers directly to a gift guide.

 

5) Content-Powered Commerce

Forrester Research coined the phrase ‘Two-Site Syndrome’ to describe a tendency for brands to use one site for engaging content - videos, industry information etc - and another to host the product catalog. The trouble with this approach is that it creates a disjointed user experience. So while it might seem easier to split your marketing content from your commercial interface, it’s better in the long run to create an integrated, one-site solution, where social media and blog posts serve the function of driving consumers to your catalog.

 

6) Geo-Targeting Technology

A retailer may wish to connect their online presence with their physical location via location-targeting tactics such as offering time-limited discount deals directly to mobile devices the moment it enters a retail store, or to customers who live (or travel) within a certain distance of the retailer. You can even send SMS to groups of people with the same shopping habits as soon as they find themselves nearby. Used in conjunction with mobile coupons and other text messaging strategies, geo-targeting promises to be one of the most powerful tools in the marketers arsenal this year. 

 

 

 

Customer Loyalty and the Art of Text Marketing


Text message marketing is an effective way to improve customer loyalty. Photo credit: Bantam10

Effective text message marketing is both an art and a science. It's all about grabbing the attention of potential customers with engaging, well-timed messages. If done well, text marketing can help you connect with a broader audience and build brand loyalty over time. One of the most effective approaches to text message marketing is communicating with repeat customers to keep them coming back to your business over time. If you are interested in using text messaging as a tool to improve customer loyalty, here's what you need to know.

Text Message Loyalty Programs Add Value

According to recent data, 90% of customers who participated in a mobile loyalty program felt that it was valuable, and two-thirds of those involved purchased something as a direct result of a text promotion they received. The bottom line is that well-crafted mobile loyalty programs truly add value for customers. They can also help drive sales for your business. If you are thinking about using text message marketing to engage with repeat customers, it's a win-win from both a customer and business perspective.

Messages Can Easily be Personalized

One of the emerging trends in mobile marketing is personalization. The idea is that potential customers will be more likely to take direct action if a marketing communication is highly relevant to them. Differently businesses choose to customize campaigns in different ways. Some may rely on location data to deliver messages that are geographically relevant, others might focus on timing.

A key benefit of a mobile loyalty program is that text message marketing communications can be personalized fairly easily based on key metrics like location and purchase history. Many businesses choose to customize their text communications using data about past purchases. For example, if a customer comes into your restaurant frequently and orders the same appetizer, you might consider sending them a text that offers a free app with their next meal purchase. Tailoring your text message marketing campaigns to your audience can help increase their effectiveness, and keep your customers coming back for more.


Text marketing programs are valuable for businesses and customers. Photo credit: Cubmundo

Spread the Word About Your Text Message Marketing Program

If you are interested using text message marketing to transmit relevant offers to repeat customers, it's important to spread the word about your program. Advertise your text message marketing initiative prominently via popular social networking sites, on your website, and in-store. Raising awareness about your program will increase customer sign-ups. Alternatively, you can also choose to reach your customers via mass text to encourage them to enroll in your loyalty program.

Text message marketing can serve multiple purposes for your business. Not only can you use texting as a tool to reach a new audience, you can also use it to cultivate connections with your existing customers. Many businesses are building customer loyalty and driving sales with well-crafted text messages directed at repeat customers. If you're interested in exploring text message marketing for your business, there's no better time than now to get started. Try ClubTexting for free today - you won't be disappointed!

Author Bio: Jess Shepard is a writer who enjoys researching and writing about marketing, small business, and entrepreneurship.

Why Your Text Messages Need a Call to Action


An effective call to action can help make your text marketing campaign a success.

Open rates for text message marketing campaigns hovered around 98 percent in 2014. If your company hasn't starting using text marketing to connect with customers, you could be missing out on an important opportunity. Here are a few tips for businesses that are interested in getting started with text message marketing and here's why having an effective call to action is a critical step towards campaign success.

Crafting a successful campaign starts with an opt-in
The first step towards crafting a successful text message marketing effort is getting potential subscribers to opt-in to receive communications from your business. Businesses need to provide customers with an opt-in option in accordance with anti-spam regulations. The most common question among companies that are just getting started with text marketing is: how do I get my customers to opt in? There are a few different approaches you can take.

Crafting effective calls to action
Whether you're new to text marketing and you want to grow your subscriber list or you're a veteran text marketer that's simply interested in increasing customer opt-ins, an enticing call to action is the key to success. As you're thinking about your call to action, it's important to remember that consumers are inundated with marketing messages via email, mail, and the Internet. In order to get potential subscribers to opt-in for text communications, the language you use in your call to action needs to be irresistible and convey value. Here are some examples of effective calls to action that you can use as inspiration.


Potential subscribers are more likely to opt-in if your call to action is compelling.

Good CTAs create a sense of urgency
A limited-time opt-in offer creates a sense of urgency. Setting a designated amount of time for a deal can increase the likelihood that potential subscribers will opt-in to receive communications from your company. For example, a business might use the following limited-time call to action in order to increase their subscription rates.

 

  • Text "okay" to 123-456-7890 within the next 24 hours to receive a special deal.
  • Text "yes" to 123-456-7890 by midnight to receive an instant 30% discount.

Effective CTAs offer unique benefits to customers
The best calls to action offer unique benefits like discounts, coupons, or free products and services for customers who opt-in. After all, it's incredibly difficult to resist a good deal! Examples of calls to action that offer special benefits for customers include the following.

 

  • Send a text to 123-456-7890 to receive a 15% off discount for preferred customers.
  • Text "yes" to 123-456-7890 for your exclusive Black Friday discount.

Keep calls to action clear and concise
You have limited time to make a connection with a potential subscriber. To increase your opt-in rates, it's important to keep your calls to action concise. Providing simple instructions and illustrating benefits clearly can help improve your business campaigns.

Text marketing is an effective way to reach new customers. If you're thinking about adding text messages to your business marketing toolkit, there are a few important things to remember. First, your goal is to get customers to opt-in. To do this, you need to create compelling calls to action that entice customers to participate in your campaign. Creating urgency and providing benefits can help increase your opt-in rates. To learn more about why text marketing is so effective, see this blog post from ClubTexting.com.

Jess Shepard is a content writer who enjoys researching and writing about marketing, small business, and entrepreneurship.

4 Times Mass Text Messaging Beats Email

While some companies choose to utilize email as a means of communicating with potential and current customers, many more are finding that mass texting is a better option. Mass text messaging services offer many benefits and make for easy communication. Here are four times when mass texting easily beats emailing.

Last Minute Schedule Change

If you're holding an event and have a last-minute schedule change, you want to make sure that as many people as possible are informed. Some businesses may choose to email these changes, but not everyone may see the email in time! With the use of mass text messaging, you can get the changes sent to everyone's phones right away.

Since so many people have cell phones with them at all times, they will be very likely to see a text message pop up on their phone and get the location, time, or date change instantly.


If you need to alert individuals of a schedule change as soon as possible, texting is the way to go!

Fast Responses Needed

There may come a time when you need an answer quickly. Whether you're asking for someone to come help at an event or you're polling your customers to learn their opinion, you will likely want to get results fast. With text messaging, this is possible.

Think about how many times you've likely sent out important emails in the past only to get responses day later or no response at all. With texting, you're making it easier for individuals to communicate with you quickly so that you get the information that you need.

Last Minute Deals and Offers

At some point, you may decide to offer a special deal or discount to potential customers. This is a great way to get more people through your doors and increase sales during a slower time of year. With the use of text messaging, you can reach potential customers more quickly.

An email message may sit in their inboxes for a long time or it may never even get read. A text message, on the other hand, is easy to look at. You can include a code or secret message in order to entice people to take advantage of the deal once in the checkout line.


Share a great deal with text message marketing.

Add Subscribers Instantly

With text message marketing, it's pretty easy to add new subscribers. If you're a restaurant for example, you can place signs at each table offering a percentage discount to individuals who subscribe to the text messaging club. You can provide a code number for individuals to text and they will be instantly added to the subscription service once they send a message.

This is a great way to get more potential customers interested in your marketing messages more easily. With email, it's more difficult to have messages sent automatically to new subscribers.

As you can see, mass text messaging is often the best way to communicate. You can reach a large number of people quickly and are more likely to have your message be read.

Ready to see the difference? Try ClubTexting for free.

4 Marketing Text Messages People Are Happy to Receive

What's the key to making sure that your company's marketing text messages get read? Make sure that they have content that will make customers happy! While text message marketing can be a great way to reach out to potential and current customers, you need to make sure that your message is well thought out so that you get the results that you want. Take a look at the following information to better understand some marketing text messages that will make customers happy.

Free Offers!

Who doesn't like the word free? Putting a free offer in a text message will make your customers happy because they're able to try out your brand and keep more money in their pocket.

Restaurants and bars may consider offering free appetizers or drinks with a purchase. Club owners, on the other hand, may want to offer a free cover deal for a certain night of the week. This is a great way to bring new people into your establishment.

Make sure that your free item has value so that more people are willing to visit your establishment.


Sending the right text messages can help your brand be more successful

Text About Discounts or Deals

If you're not going to offer something free, giving away discounts or deals is the next best thing. In today's economy, more people are looking for ways to save money on their everyday spending. Offering a dollar amount off or a buy one get one deal is a great way to keep your business sales coming in. These types of text messages work well.

Consider sending deals and discount texts in the middle of the week, so that you can spark weekend plans between current and potential customers. If you offer a deal that is too good to pass up, they may choose you over the competition.

Send Funny and Creative Texts

No matter what type of message you send, it can pay off to use humor. This goes along well because customers will be more likely to appreciate your messages and continue to look at them in the future.

If you have text messages that are creative and stand out, you will continue to attract more people to your brand. Individuals may even share your messages with their friends and family!


Customers appreciate well thought out marketing messages.

Don't Forget About Current Events

Customers like to read text messages that relate to current events. Do you have a community festival that will be in the area soon? Is there a sporting event coming up at the end of the week? These are great ways to communicate with your customers. Use these events as a way to spark conversation.

Take a look at a calendar and plan out some future text messages based on upcoming events. Customers will be going out for these events, so essential to make your establishment an option.

These are some tips on how to create marketing text messages that your customers will want to read. With careful planning, you can create a stellar mass text messaging plan that will bring in new faces and more business.

Natasha Etzel is a writer who writes on a variety of topics, including online marketing and business marketing.

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