Use bulk texting to get more patrons through the door on game days.

The MLB regular season has begun, and restaurant and bar owners are stepping up their marketing efforts to reach more patrons on game days. If your business is running some special promotions in honor of baseball season, there are a number of ways to spread the word to potential customers. Bulk texting is one tried and true marketing approach to consider. Here are three ways that your business can use mobile marketing to get your audience's attention on game days.

Offer VIP Deals to Your Mobile Subscribers

If you want to attract more customers for baseball season, consider running a special promotion for your existing mobile subscribers. Offering loyal customers an exclusive deal, such as a discount on meals or a free beverage or appetizer, will make them feel valued and excited about connecting with your business via text message. Whether you are interested in running a promotion related to the first home game of the season or you are hoping to get more patrons through the door to watch a storied baseball rivalry, bulk texting can help you accomplish your goals.

Use a Multichannel Approach

Are you interested in growing your mobile subscriber list as we head into baseball season? One effective way to do this is through a multichannel marketing campaign. For example, you may want to do a direct mailing to potential customers who live nearby letting them know you're offering special promotions related to baseball season. As part of your mailing, you can include a long code where customers can send text messages in order to opt-in for exclusive deals and discounts. Consider adding the same long code to printed advertising in your restaurant or pub as well. Using a multichannel marketing strategy can help give your mobile subscription list a much needed boost.

Don't Stop with One Message

Bulk texting isn't just about sending one message to your mobile audience. It's about creating an engaging dialogue over time. While your goal may be to increase foot traffic to your business for one specific game, you can also use mobile to attract more customers the next time around. Is your business offering a special menu in honor of the 2015 MLB season? Do you have any interesting baseball promotions or news to share? Instead of communicating with customers just once, use bulk texting as a tool to get the word out about happenings at your restaurant or pub for the duration of the baseball season. Just make sure to strike the right balance in terms of how many messages you're sending. You want your audience to be excited to hear from you, not annoyed by too many texts.

Attract more customers to your restaurant or pub using mobile marketing.

Are you a restaurant or bar owner that's interested in making the most of the 2015 baseball season? Consider stepping up your mobile marketing efforts to attract the attention of a larger audience. Offering VIP deals to existing mobile subscribers, growing your subscription list with a multichannel marketing effort, and engaging with your audience over time can help you boost your business. If you are interested in getting started with a bulk texting campaign, try Club Texting for free today!

Creating groups of mobile subscribers can help you build more effective text message marketing campaigns.

Is your mobile subscriber list growing at lightning speed? While this is a good problem to have because it means people are interested in connecting with your business, it can be difficult to create relevant text message promotions for a large, diversified list of subscribers. If you are finding that your marketing campaigns aren't as effective as they could be now that your list of mobile customers has grown, it may be time to segment your list. Here are a few strategies for segmenting your subscriber list for more successful text marketing campaigns.

Demographic Segmentation

Do you own a retail business which sells clothing for men and women? Or perhaps your business offers a variety of products; some that are popular with Millennials and others which are a hit with the Baby Boomer generation. If your mobile subscriber list has grown considerably, it might make sense to create different groups according to basic customer demographics. Consider breaking down your list by gender, specific geographic location, or age group. Segmenting your list in these ways can help you create more targeted text message promotions that will resonate with different audiences.

Segment by Purchase Behavior

If you are interested in increasing the effectiveness of your text message marketing campaigns, it may be as simple as grouping your mobile subscribers according to their buying behaviors. This can be done in a couple different ways. You can choose to create a list of subscribers who purchase specific goods from your business frequently and center your promotions on those particular products. You may also want to consider looking at past purchase behaviors and coming up with a list of related products that you could market to a particular segment of your mobile subscribers. Using past purchase behavior to create groups of customers can help you improve the relevancy of your upcoming text message marketing campaigns.

Group According to Past Promotions

Has your business been reaching out to customers via text message marketing for a while? If so, it may make sense to take a look at your past promotions and try to identify specific patterns. Were certain customers more receptive to a particular type of promotion? For example, did a 15 percent off promotion perform better with a specific audience than a free gift with purchase campaign? Were some customers drawn to a limited time offer while others seemed to ignore it? Review your past promotions to see how your customers responded, and then create groups based on which messages resonated with specific audiences.

Segment mobile subscribers to create more relevant offers.

Segmenting your mobile subscriber list can help you create more effective text message marketing campaigns. If you've noticed lately that your list of mobile customers has grown considerably, it may be a good idea to segment your subscribers by demographics, purchase behavior, or group them according to how they responded to past promotions. Are you interested in exploring how you can create groups to get a better return on your business' text message marketing efforts? Try Club Texting for free today!

SMS messaging is an easy way to stay connected with your employees, no matter where they are in the world.

Are you a nonprofit director that's looking for creative ways to raise awareness and increase donations? Effective marketing and donor engagement are two major factors behind every successful nonprofit. In recent years, many nonprofit leaders have been exploring how they can use mobile to stay connected with donors, team members, and volunteers. Using mobile to improve reach and communication is beneficial for nonprofits in many different ways. Here are three reasons to think about adopting a mobile strategy with SMS messaging for your nonprofit organization.

Stay Connected to Your Team

Do your team members frequently travel to remote locations of the world? Sometimes Internet access can be spotty in certain geographic areas, which can make it a challenge to stay connected with your employees via email. Since cell phone usage has become so prevalent, even in remote locations, communicating via text message may be a better alternative to email. Whether you are interested in reaching one person in particular or keeping your entire team up to date on current projects, SMS messaging is an effective, reliable way to communicate with your employees. You may also be able to get the input you need from your team faster than if you used email as an exclusive means of communication.

Share Updates about Existing Campaigns

SMS messaging can also be used to share updates about your existing campaigns with your donors. For example, if your nonprofit is focused on improving education for children in sub-Saharan Africa, you can use SMS messages to share progress. Did you recently finish construction on a new school? Or maybe you've brought some new teachers aboard and completed an education program in the area. Communicating with your donors via text message is a simple way to keep them up to speed on what's happening with your current campaigns, no matter where you are in the world.

Increase Engagement for New Campaigns

Are you mapping out a fundraising campaign for a new initiative? SMS messaging is a great way to raise awareness about your cause and collect donations. You can use texts as a tool to spread the word to your mobile subscribers about an upcoming event hosted by your nonprofit, inform them about a new campaign, or set up a donation system. Many nonprofits are creating SMS donation campaigns that allow mobile subscribers to easily send a text message to make a donation. Since SMS messages can be sent to recipients for just a few cents, using mobile to increase awareness can help you accomplish your fundraising goals without breaking your marketing budget.

Text messaging may be a more effective channel than email for sharing information about your nonprofit.

SMS messaging is a helpful tool for nonprofit organizations. Teams can use text messages to stay connected, even in the remotest parts of the world. SMS messages can also be used to share updates about existing campaigns with donors and increase engagement on brand new initiatives. It's an inexpensive way for nonprofits to improve communication and achieve their fundraising goals. If you are interested in exploring how your nonprofit organization can benefit from SMS messaging, try Club Texting for free today!

Mobile users are texting more frequently.

It's no secret that texting has become a popular way to communicate in recent years. As mobile phones have evolved to include built-in and touchscreen keyboards, it's become easier to send and receive text messages. One of the most common misconceptions about texting is that it's exclusively used by teenagers and younger people who want to connect with their friends and family. While it's true that texting a popular means of communication among younger consumers, it is actually catching on with older generations as well. Here are a few signs that texting may actually be more popular than you originally thought.

Mobile Usage Is Increasing Across All Age Groups

A recent study estimates that while younger Millennials are the most connected age group, mobile ownership has actually increased across the board in recent years. In 2014, 58 percent of American adults owned smartphones, and a staggering 90 percent owned a mobile phone. It's not just younger generations who are using mobile either. Pew Internet estimates that 88 percent of 50-64 year olds have mobiles, and 74 percent of those over 65 have cell phone access as well. These stats are good news for business owners interested in reaching more customers via mobile marketing.

Number of Total Texts Sent and Received are Impressive

2013 data obtained from Internet research firm Experian shows how prevalent text messaging has become in the United States. While those in the 18-24 age demographic sent and received the most texts per month by far, 2,022 and 1,831 respectively; data also shows that consumers over 35 years of age are also using text messages as a communication tool more often. Those in the 35-44 year age demographic sent and received 831 and 726 messages, while mobile users ages 45-54 sent 525 texts per month and received 473. This data suggests that older generations are becoming more comfortable with communicating via text.

The Amount of People Who Read Texts is Staggering

It's also worth noting that open rates for text messages average around 98 percent. This figure is almost unheard of in the marketing world. For comparison's sake, email open rates are approximately 22 percent. If you are looking for a way to ensure that your marketing message is heard, consider working with a mobile communications provider to get started with your first text message campaign. Most companies allow you to easily track open rates and review how your marketing effort is performing relative to your total mobile subscription list.

Text messages open rates are quite high.

A common misconception among business owners who are reluctant to get started with text message marketing is that texting is used exclusively by younger generations. This simply isn't true now. The proof is in the numbers. Smartphone use is increasing across the board, the number of texts sent and received is on the rise, and text messages have a 98 percent open rate on average. If you are interested in exploring how your business can benefit from text message marketing, try Club Texting for free today.

Text marketing doesn't have to be complicated in order to be effective.

Have you been hesitant to try text marketing for your business because you know very little about mobile? Not to worry. In most cases, you don't actually need to know much about mobile technology to get started with a text message marketing effort. You simply need to come up with the right language for your messages and a mobile communications company can help you with the rest. Here are three simple tips for creating a great text message campaign for your business.

Create a Goal for Your Campaign

As with any other marketing effort, it's important to create your text marketing campaign with a specific goal in mind. Are you hoping to attract more patrons to a special event at your restaurant? Do you want to increase sales on a certain product in your store? Think about how you want to structure your campaign relative to your primary goal, and then start developing your marketing messages from there. Identifying what you'd like to achieve ahead of time can help you avoid trying to accomplish too many things at once with your text marketing campaigns. As the old saying goes, "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Keep Things Short and To the Point

Text message marketing is slightly different from other forms of marketing because you have very limited space to convey your message. The 160-character limit forces you to keep things short and to the point. Spend time creating a compelling call to action, and make that the focus of your message. Keep in mind that sending multiple texts to your mobile subscribers in a short time period isn't the best strategy because it can cause frustration, and dilute your marketing message. It's better to focus on creating a direct call to action in your first message and sending a follow up text to your audience at a later date.

Choose the Right Partner

If you're worried about the technology behind text marketing, the key is to choose the right partner to create your campaign. Selecting a mobile provider that offers a simple to navigate platform can make campaign creation, distribution, and results tracking easier. It's also a good idea to work with a company that can provide you with the support and training you need to make the most of your first text marketing effort. Look for a mobile communications provider that offers the features and assistance you need to create a successful campaign.

Partner with the right mobile company to create a compelling text marketing campaign.

Creating a great text message marketing campaign is easier than you might think. Start by thinking about what you want to achieve with your campaign, and then focus on the language you want to use in your messages, making sure to keep things short. It also helps to choose the right partner in order to simplify the distribution and tracking process. If you are interested in getting started with your first text message marketing effort, try Club Texting for free today! The intuitive platform and helpful support team make it easy to create your campaign.

Adding humor to your marketing campaigns is a great way to get your audience's attention.

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side! While this old joke has certainly seen better days, it probably served its purpose and grabbed your attention. Humor is an effective way to engage with an audience. As a result, many businesses have begun exploring how they can use humor an ice breaker for their marketing campaigns, as well as to boost customer engagement. If you are thinking about using humor to connect with your audience, here are four tips that can help you get your upcoming funny text marketing campaigns off on the right foot.

Keep Things Clean

The most important rule about using humor in your marketing efforts is to keep it clean. Steer clear of toilet humor or dirty jokes, as they can be damaging to your brand and may cause backlash from your mobile subscribers. Stick to amusing puns, plays on words, and simple jokes to add an element of fun to your text marketing campaigns. Keeping it clean will help ensure that your audience is amused, not offended.

Make It Short

Due to the brief nature of text messages, you have a limited amount of space to get to your punchline. Stick with short jokes or phrases that can be conveyed in under 160-characters. This can help you avoid overwhelming your audience with multiple messages, an approach which simply isn't funny. It can also help you keep your costs down on your marketing efforts.

Choose Wisely

Choosing your subject matter wisely is an important rule for using humor in your text marketing efforts. Consider avoiding potentially sensitive topics such as politics and religion, unless they are directly related to your business in some way. Sticking to topics that are near and dear to your brand can help boost your campaign's effectiveness. For an example, if you're a restaurant owner, try to get creative with some food humor. This approach is also a safe way to keep from unintentionally alienating your mobile subscribers. The last thing you want to do is offend a loyal customer, causing them to cut ties with your business.

Pay Attention to Your Voice

While you may enjoy sarcastic, dry humor in real-life conversations with friends, it's better to avoid this type of humor for your text message campaigns. Sarcasm doesn't always translate well onto the small screen of smartphones, and your mobile subscribers may end up being confused by your jokes. Instead, take a lighthearted approach to humor. Focus on using short jokes or puns that your customers will find amusing.

Make the most of your text marketing by lightening things up.

Incorporating humor into your text marketing efforts can help give your business a boost. But it can also backfire if you aren't careful about the type of humor you use and the subject matter. Make sure if you are using humor in your text campaigns to keep things clean, simple, and lighthearted. This will help you avoid any potential issues that could come up as a result of your approach. If you are interested in using text marketing to reach your customers, try Club Texting for free today!

Always ask for your customers' permission before sending them texts.

We have all heard the old saying, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." In many life situations, this simple adage may be true. But when it comes to text message marketing, it could not be more false. If you are considering using text message marketing to attract the attention of your target customers, here are three reasons why it is critical to ask for permission to contact them rather than ask for forgiveness for sending unwelcome messages after the fact.

You Could Get Into Legal Trouble

In recent years, the regulations around mobile marketing have changed. Government agencies like the Federal Communications Commission have created rules about mass text message campaigns. Businesses must receive permission from their target audience in order to send potential customers offers via text. According to the rules, commercial businesses must get a written okay from mobile users in order to communicate through SMS message. Companies need to abide by these regulations or message could be flagged as spam and they may be opening themselves up to legal threats.

Creating a Mobile Subscriber List

To avoid getting involved in any unfortunate legal messes, business owners that choose to use text messaging to reach their audience usually build a mobile subscriber list first. This can be done in a number of different ways. Many companies choose to ask for customers' mobile numbers during the checkout process. For example, if you own a retail store, you may ask them to sign up for a mailing or mobile messaging list as they're completing their purchase. Other businesses might decide to create print marketing materials encouraging potential customers to text 'yes' to a specific number in order to receive special offers.

Taking a Cautious Approach

Once you have built your mobile subscriber list, it's a good idea to take a cautious approach to your first marketing campaign. Instead of simply sending offers to your list, consider having them opt-in again in order to ensure they are still interested in receiving communications from your business. This is beneficial for two reasons. Some customers may have forgotten that they subscribed to your list in the first place. It helps serve as a reminder for them, and helps protect your business. Many companies choose to lead off with a simple message that says something like, "Text YES to receive special offers from us." Being cautious is better than having to ask for forgiveness from mobile subscribers who aren't sure why they're receiving your messages.

Having your customers opt-in can help protect your business from potential legal issues.

Asking your mobile subscribers for permission to send text message communications is important. Not only will it help protect your business from any potential legal issues, it will also help you ensure that the people you are communicating with are actually interested in what you are offering them. Creating a mobile subscriber list and having your customers opt-in a second time can help you weed out the people who are interested in engaging with your business from those who aren't. If you are interested in creating a text marketing campaign, try Club Texting for free today.

Certain words can help you create magic with your next text message marketing effort.

Want to add some magic to your next SMS text marketing campaign? There are some key words and phrases which can help you improve your response rates for your text marketing efforts. You can maximize your campaign's effectiveness by using phrases that convey urgency and exclusivity, making customers feel valued and important, and offering compelling incentives to your mobile audience. Here are six words and phrases that can help you add some magic to your next text message marketing campaign.

Limited Time

Chances are you've been intrigued by a limited time offer as a consumer. Many people simply cannot help being attracted to these special deals. Developing an SMS text marketing campaign which offers limited time deal for your customers helps create a sense of urgency, which will effectively pique their interest and increase the likelihood that your mobile subscribers will redeem your offer. A good example of a well-crafted limited time offer is a message similar to the following: 'Receive 20 percent off your total purchase for the next 48-hours only. Offer expires Saturday at midnight.' If your audience knows that your special discount or offer is only available for a short window, they'll be more likely to take advantage of the deal.

VIP Offer

It goes without saying that every customer wants to feel valued. Think about your own experiences as a customer, and how you've interacted with your favorite businesses in the past. Chances are the most memorable interactions have been moments where your favorite retailers or restaurants have made you feel important. If you want to up the ante for your audience, consider creating an SMS text marketing campaign that uses exclusivity to attract their attention. VIP offers and exclusive deals for mobile subscribers can make your customers feel like they are getting something special which isn't available to the general public. This can help you improve your conversion rates.

Free Gift

Who doesn't love getting something for free? Whether you are a retailer offering a free gift with purchase, or a restaurant owner offering a free appetizer or drink with a meal, using the word 'free' in your SMS text marketing campaign can help you attract a wealth of positive attention from your audience. This simple word is a powerful incentive for many customers. If you are interested in making the most of your next text marketing effort, consider offering your target audience a free gift that's available for a limited time only. They will feel compelled to take advantage of such a great deal!

Customers love to feel as though you value their business.

Every business owner wants to create magic with their marketing campaigns. A magical, compelling marketing campaign means more sales. Consider including the words 'limited time', 'VIP offer', or 'free gift' in your next SMS text marketing effort. These simple phrases are powerful and effective, and will help you improve your redemption rates on upcoming campaigns. If you are interested in exploring how text message marketing can benefit your business,try Club Texting for free today. Your mobile customers are waiting to hear from you.

Develop relevant offers that are interesting and appealing to your audience.

Have you ever fallen victim to an aggressive marketing campaign? Maybe you kept receiving calls on your landline from the same company even after you politely indicated you weren't interested; or perhaps a salesperson simply wouldn't leave you alone on a recent trip to the mall. While aggressive marketing tactics may be effective in some cases, businesses using this approach run the risk of frustrating customers. If you are thinking of using text message marketing to reach your audience, it's important that you don't force it. Here are three ways you can respect your customers' boundaries with your mobile marketing efforts.

Share Something Relevant

One of the easiest, most natural ways to get your mobile subscribers' attention is to share relevant offers. A relevant offer won't feel like an aggressive marketing tactic to your customers. It will feel like something special that's been created exclusively for them, a message that they are likely to appreciate and follow up on. If you are interested in building the relevancy of your campaigns, consider grouping your customers by interest or into a category segmented based on basic demographic data. This simple step can help you improve the relevancy of your offers.

Don't Be Aggressive

Congratulations! Your audience has opted in to receive text message communications from your business. Once you have their attention, it may be tempting to share multiple offers in rapid-fire succession to encourage them to take the next step. Unfortunately, sending a series of messages in a short time frame will likely have the opposite effect. Instead of encouraging potential customers to visit your business or make a purchase, this aggressive tactic can cause frustration and drive consumers away. Map out your campaign so that you distribute an initial message that's relevant and interesting, and then focus on timely follow-ups over the course of several days. Bombarding your audience with multiple text messages in a short timeframe can backfire.

Offer Them Options

While it may seem counterintuitive, it's a good idea to offer your mobile subscribers the option of opting out of your text message communications. Providing this option to customers is important for a few reasons. First, it leaves your audience feeling as though they have more control over the conversation with your business. Mobile subscribers can sometimes feel inundated by marketing messages, and giving them the option to opt out can minimize any potential frustration that could come along with text message overload. Adding an opt-out feature to your campaigns will not have negative consequences for your business. If anything, your customers will appreciate your flexibility, and be grateful for the option.

Aggressive mobile marketing can frustrate your target audience.

Nobody likes falling victim to aggressive marketing tactics. Bombarding customers with advertising messages can backfire, so it's important to brainstorm ahead of your campaign. Think about how you can deliver the most relevant offers to your audience and how to appropriately time your messages. It's also a good idea to offer your mobile subscribers the option of opting out. If you are interested in using text message marketing for your business, try Club Texting for free today!

Always ask for your customers' permission before sending them texts.

We have all heard the old saying, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." In many life situations, this simple adage may be true. But when it comes to text message marketing, it could not be more false. If you are considering using text message marketing to attract the attention of your target customers, here are three reasons why it is critical to ask for permission to contact them rather than ask for forgiveness for sending unwelcome messages after the fact.

You Could Get Into Legal Trouble

In recent years, the regulations around mobile marketing have changed. Government agencies like the Federal Communications Commission have created rules about mass text message campaigns. Businesses must receive permission from their target audience in order to send potential customers offers via text. According to the rules, commercial businesses must get a written okay from mobile users in order to communicate through SMS message. Companies need to abide by these regulations or message could be flagged as spam and they may be opening themselves up to legal threats.

Creating a Mobile Subscriber List

To avoid getting involved in any unfortunate legal messes, business owners that choose to use text messaging to reach their audience usually build a mobile subscriber list first. This can be done in a number of different ways. Many companies choose to ask for customers' mobile numbers during the checkout process. For example, if you own a retail store, you may ask them to sign up for a mailing or mobile messaging list as they're completing their purchase. Other businesses might decide to create print marketing materials encouraging potential customers to text 'yes' to a specific number in order to receive special offers.

Taking a Cautious Approach

Once you have built your mobile subscriber list, it's a good idea to take a cautious approach to your first marketing campaign. Instead of simply sending offers to your list, consider having them opt-in again in order to ensure they are still interested in receiving communications from your business. This is beneficial for two reasons. Some customers may have forgotten that they subscribed to your list in the first place. It helps serve as a reminder for them, and helps protect your business. Many companies choose to lead off with a simple message that says something like, "Text YES to receive special offers from us." Being cautious is better than having to ask for forgiveness from mobile subscribers who aren't sure why they're receiving your messages.

Having your customers opt-in can help protect your business from potential legal issues.

Asking your mobile subscribers for permission to send text message communications is important. Not only will it help protect your business from any potential legal issues, it will also help you ensure that the people you are communicating with are actually interested in what you are offering them. Creating a mobile subscriber list and having your customers opt-in a second time can help you weed out the people who are interested in engaging with your business from those who aren't. If you are interested in creating a text marketing campaign, try Club Texting for free today.

An ill-timed text message can confuse your mobile subscribers.

Have you ever received a text from a business that left you scratching your head? Perhaps you received it late on a weeknight or maybe after a limited time deal had already lapsed. When it comes to text message marketing, timing is both an art and a science. A well-timed message can mean the difference between customers feeling excited about your brand or slightly confused. If you are using text messages in your business marketing toolkit, here are some tips for timing them right.

Learn about Your Target Customers' Behaviors

Part of the art of timely text messaging is learning about your target audiences' behaviors. Understanding who your mobile subscribers are and what a typical day looks like for them can help you time your text messages more effectively. For example, are most of your mobile subscribers college-age students or are they young professionals working 9-5 jobs? What are their daily patterns? Do they shop or eat at restaurants frequently during lunch time hours? Talking to your customers or conducting a short survey can help you learn more about them. The more you know about your target audience, the better you will be able to time your text marketing efforts.

Think about When You Want Them to Pay Attention

Another important thing to think about when it comes to timing is the type of offer you're sending. For example, are you a restaurant owner that's hoping to capture the attention of the lunch crowd with a special discount? Or maybe you are hoping to drive more foot traffic to your business for happy hour on a Friday evening. Take a look at what you are trying to accomplish with your offer before you schedule a time to distribute. To some degree, the type of text message you will share with your mobile subscribers will dictate the appropriate time to send it.

Avoid Certain Times

While it may seem obvious, it's important to avoid certain times with your text messages. It's a good rule of thumb not to distribute messages early in the morning or late at night. You may also want to avoid typical commute times if your target customers are already in the workforce. While you may be able to capture the attention of some people taking public transportation to get to and from work, you will likely miss a good portion of your audience that commutes by car. Avoiding certain times of day can help you get the highest possible reach for your mobile marketing efforts.

Timing is important when it comes to text message marketing, but many business owners have trouble timing their campaigns properly. There are a few key factors to look at as you are scheduling your text message marketing efforts. Learning about your target customers' behaviors, timing your messages according to the type of offer you're sending, and avoiding certain times of day can help you get the best response from your campaign. If you are interested in getting started with text message marketing, try Club Texting for free today.

Drip campaigns are an effective approach to initiating ongoing mobile communications with your target audience.

There are a number of different approaches to mobile marketing. Some businesses choose to launch limited time offers to get their target audience's attention; others take a different approach and create a drip campaign. While there are advantages to both approaches, many prefer to send ongoing communications via a drip campaign. If you are interested in getting started with text message marketing and you're wondering what the best approach is for your business, here is some helpful information about how drip campaigns work.

What is A Drip Campaign?

A drip campaign is a mode of text message marketing in which a business sends multiple messages to potential customers over a period of time. Typically, companies will work with a mobile developer to time their messages effectively in an effort to get the best possible response from recipients. Most often, customers opt-in to a certain group that's based on a keyword which a business creates in the early stages of their campaign. After they've opted in, recipients receive text messages as often as the business running the campaign chooses. For example, if a company is using drip text marketing to draw attention to an exclusive weekend event, they may send texts to potential customers every 12 hours from Wednesday through Saturday night when the event begins.

Why Is this An Effective Approach?

Drip text marketing is effective for one major reason. Instead of just sending one message that can potentially get lost in a recipient's inbox, businesses opt to send multiple reminders to potential customers. This increases the likelihood that your target audience will actually remember your event or offer. Since texting is such a quick means of communication, and recent data suggests that mobile subscribers in the 25-34 demographic receive an average of 1,130 texts per month, it can be easy for messages to get lost in the shuffle. If you are interested in getting your message above the noise, a drip campaign can help you achieve your goal.

How to Get Started

Getting started with your drip campaign is simple. First, it's important to have a specific goal in mind. Sending ongoing messages to customers about something generally related to your business may not be the best approach. If you have a special limited time sale or an exclusive VIP event coming up, you may want to draw attention to your business with a drip campaign.

Pay close attention to your calls to action as you're creating your messages, and keep texts short, yet direct. You want your customers to know exactly what the next step is as you are distributing your messages. Think about timing as well, both in terms of how much lead time you want to offer customers and how often you want your messages to be distributed. After you've done some brainstorming, reach out to a mobile developer to get started.

A well-timed drip campaign can help you grab your customers' attention and give your business a boost.

Are you interested in exploring a drip campaign for your company? If you want to reach more customers ahead of a special event or sale, try ClubTexting for free today! Your target audience is waiting to hear from you!

A useful text message can help turn potential customers into loyal ones.

Businesses large and small are using mobile marketing to engage with customers. If done right, text message marketing can help you raise awareness about your company and drive sales. But many businesses are hesitant to get started, despite the potential benefits. One of the most common reasons that business owners steer clear of text message marketing is that they are concerned about their messages being categorized as spam. While this concern is valid, there are several ways to ensure this doesn't happen. Here's a basic guide to creating useful text messages that will help you connect with customers.

Make Sure Your Messages Are Relevant

One of the best ways to create a useful campaign is to make sure that your text messages are relevant. Sometimes this means dividing up your mobile subscribers list to send targeted offers to a particular customer segment. For example, let's say your nightclub is having a ladies' night this weekend and you are interested in getting the word out. Chances are you would probably want to focus on disseminating the message to your female customers because it's one that's specifically relevant for them. As you are developing your text marketing campaigns, keeping your audience in mind can help improve the relevancy of your messages.

Offer Something Valuable

Another way to build a more relevant campaign is to offer something valuable to your target audience. This could mean different things for different businesses. For some, it may mean sharing a coupon or discount code via text message. For others, it may mean connecting with existing customers to draw their attention to a new product or service being offered. Your audience is more likely to take action if your text marketing campaign highlights a relevant, intriguing incentive. A well-crafted offer is a win-win for both your business and your customers.

Cultivate Relationships with Customers

If your business is no stranger to text message marketing, and you've had success with this approach in the past, you may want to consider using it as a tool to cultivate relationships with your existing customers. Whether that means sending out a greeting to them during the holidays or personalizing your campaigns to create offers that are more relevant for a specific audience. For example, if a subset of your customers purchases a certain product regularly, you may want to send them an offer for a future purchase. This approach to text message marketing can be used to help build customer loyalty.

Focus on creating useful offers for your audience to get the best return on your campaigns.

There are a number of things you can do to make your texts more useful for your target customers. Focus on creating relevant text messages, offering your customers something valuable, and using text message marketing as a tool to cultivate relationships with your existing customers. It's time to get started with mobile for your business. If you're interested in learning more or crafting your first campaign, try ClubTexting for free today!

Mass texting beats email marketing in a few different ways.

Things are very different than they were just a decade ago. Mobile technology and the Internet have made it easier than ever for us to communicate with one another. These tools have also opened up many new doors for business owners interested in connecting with their target audience. But is one approach to marketing more effective than another? A quick look at the data shows that mass texting beats email marketing in a few different ways. Here are three reasons to consider mass texting over email for your upcoming advertising efforts.

Mass Texting Campaigns Have Higher Open Rates

Did you know that the average open rate for an email campaign is only around 22 percent? That means if you're relying on email marketing alone to reach your audience, nearly 80 percent of your customers may be missing your message. By comparison, text messages have an open rate that is closing in on 100 percent. The latest data suggests that 98 percent of texts are opened. Both marketing approaches require that your customers opt-in somehow to receive communications from your business. Wouldn't you rather allocate some of your marketing spend to reach almost all of your audience rather than just a small portion?

Recipients Are More Likely to Click-through

Not only are mass texting campaigns more well-received by potential customers than email, your recipients are also more likely to take action. Text messages are fast-paced by nature, an immediate form of communication designed to elicit a quick response. Emails often sit in a customers' inbox for a while before they are opened. The fast-paced nature of mass texting works in favor of businesses sharing compelling calls to action with recipients. A recent survey by FunMobility suggests that approximately 36 percent of mobile customers take further action upon receiving a text message from a business. Email click-through rates average around 3.2 percent, according to recent data from MailChimp.

The Audience is Larger

There are more mobile subscriptions than there are people in the world, and mobile users are more attached to their phones than ever before. If you are interested in a large audience, mass texting is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to do it. This is true whether your customers are located in a remote corner of the world or just down the road from your business. While there may be more email addresses than mobile subscriptions, it's worth noting that your audience is more likely to actually read texts from your business. This makes your overall mobile audience is much larger than your email audience.

Mass texting allows you to reach more customers than email marketing alone.

While many business owners may be happy with the results of their email marketing efforts, a mass texting campaign represents and important opportunity. If you want to get your message across, get your customers to take action, and connect with a larger audience, consider exploring text marketing for your business. A well though-out mass texting campaign can help you increase your sales. Try ClubTexting for free today - your customers are waiting to hear from you!

A short, well-crafted text message is an effective way to get your customers' attention.

What is 160 characters long and interesting to your customers? The answer is an effective SMS message. The key word here is effective because it is possible to send an SMS message that's longer than 160 characters. But in many cases, it's better to keep things brief. While 160 characters may not seem like enough space to get your message across, it can be if you take the time to develop an effective campaign and call to action. Here are a few reasons why keeping your text marketing communications short is important.

It Can Help You Reduce Your Marketing Costs

As compared with other forms of marketing, SMS messages are a relatively inexpensive way to reach your audience. But if you are interested in staying on budget, one way to do so is to limit your messages to 160 characters. There are two reasons why this is beneficial for your business. The first is that you can avoid the added cost of sending multiple messages to your customers in order to alert them of your campaign. The second is that more customers are likely to read your message, which can result in more sales for your business. Not only are you saving money, there's also the added potential to drive more sales.

You'll Reach More Customers

Today's customers have a short attention span. If you are not getting your point across in the first 160 character SMS message to your audience, you may be missing out on reaching potential customers. Your first message needs to be something compelling so that your audience feels like they must opt-in to receive more communications from your company. Unless your campaign is engaging from the get-go, mobile users may be inclined to ignore your messages.

Your Calls to Action Won't Go Unnoticed

Chances are you want your mobile audience to take action, or it's likely you wouldn't be exploring SMS marketing for your business. Whether you are interested in alerting potential customers of a new product, offering a special discount, or enticing them with a free gift, you want to make sure your recipients understand the campaign objective and take the appropriate next step. By keeping your messages short and direct, you are forcing yourself to make your call to action a priority. Rather than trying to get your point across in multiple SMS messages, spend the time writing a quick text with a compelling CTA. This way, your calls to action will be in the spotlight, and they won't go unnoticed by your audience.

When it comes to SMS marketing, it's a good idea to keep your texts short.

There's no scientific reason for the 160 character limit imposed on SMS messages. It was actually arbitrarily decided by a technology developer during the earliest days of the concept. But there are a few good reasons to abide by it when launching a text marketing campaign for your business. Staying under this limit can help you reduce your marketing costs, connect with more customers, and get your audience to take action. If you are interested in getting started with a text marketing effort for your business, try ClubTexting for free today!

Mass SMS can help you share important messages with your students quickly.

Does your school have a no text messaging allowed rule in place? It may be time to reconsider! Mass SMS is an effective marketing tool for businesses, but it's also a practical method of communication that can be used in other contexts. In recent years, many schools have been using mass texting to share important announcements with teachers, students, staff members, and parents. If you are an education administrator that's been considering mass SMS as a communications tool for your school, here are three reasons why it is so important.

Mass SMS is Effective

Smartphones are popular with teenagers as well as adults, and texting has become a prevalent means of communication in recent years. This has two important implications for you as a school administrator. The first is that parents, teachers, staff, and students are likely to own or have access to a mobile phone. The second is that they are probably using it to send and receive text messages regularly. This means that if you are interested in reaching a specific audience, mass SMS is an effective channel for getting your message across. Imagine being able to share an important message with everyone connected to your school in a matter of seconds. Mass SMS is a simple, effective, and inexpensive communication tool.

It Can Be Used In Many Ways

Are you interested in opening up the lines of communication among staff members at your school? Or perhaps you are hoping to use mass SMS to share important announcements with parents of your students? No matter what your communications goals are for the school year, mass SMS can help you achieve them. If you'd like to use texting as a tool to create more collaborative working relationships among your teachers, you can do it. If parent/teacher conferences have been poorly attended in the past, a well-crafted mass SMS campaign can help you increase parent participation. Mass SMS can also be used to connect with your students and share important school announcements.

It's Useful in Emergency Situations

While it isn't something any school administrator wants to think about, emergency situations have occurred at schools around the country. We often hear media reports of terrible situations like bomb threats and school shootings. In the event that a potentially life threatening situation occurred at your school, do you have an effective means of notifying people in order to protect them from harm? Mass SMS can provide an effective vehicle for notifying your students, staff members, and parents about potentially harmful situations quickly. In this way, this unique communication tool can actually be a life saver.

Consider using mass SMS as a communications tool for your teachers.

Mass SMS isn't just a business marketing tool. It's a practical way of sharing important messages with large audiences. Mass SMS can be used to transmit school-wide announcements with parents, alert students of potential emergencies and threats, and improve communication and collaboration among staff members. If you are interested in exploring mass SMS for your school, try ClubTexting for free today.

Text message marketing can help your business connect with more Millennials.

We've got some big news! Consumers in the 18-34 year age demographic are in love with their smartphones. While this may come as no surprise to companies that are using text message marketing to reach a Millennial audience, some businesses have yet to embrace the power of mobile in 2015. If your company hasn't added mobile to its marketing toolkit, you could be missing out on reaching potential customers. Here are some important things to note about text message marketing and reaching Millennial consumers.

Millennials and Smartphone Usage

The 18-34 year age demographic is a large and growing customer segment. This particular audience is among the most connected consumers in the world. They love their smartphones, and rarely leave home without them, which is why it makes sense for businesses to try and reach this particular audience via mobile marketing. Recent data suggests that a staggering 85 percent of Millennials in the United States own a smartphone. In terms of overall numbers, that's a potential audience of over 66 million people. Companies tapping into the power of mobile to reach this important customer segment are seeing valuable returns on their investment.

Why Text Message Marketing Works

Text messaging has become an increasingly prevalent means of communication over the past decade. Texts are a quick and effective way to send simple messages, and it's usually quicker to text someone than it is to make a phone call. From a business marketing perspective, the fast-paced nature of texts works in a company's favor. 90 percent of texts are read within a few moments of receipt, and mobile users have become more receptive to receiving marketing messages via text as long as they are timely and relevant. It's also worth noting that overall open rates for text messages are close to 100 percent. If you can encourage customers to subscribe to receive your messages, you can be sure that they are opening and reading what you send.

What Kind of Response You Can Expect

It can be challenging to gauge what kind of response you'll get from your text message marketing campaign. It depends on a few factors, including the size of your subscriber list and how many people opt-in to receive communications from your business. While there are some uncertainties, there's a wealth of potential that comes along with using text message marketing to reach a Millennial audience. Not only are you connecting with your audience through a channel that they are using frequently, there's also an opportunity to reach a large number of 18-34 year old consumers.

It's no surprise that Millennials are attached to their smartphones.

While it may come as no surprise that Millennials are using their smartphones and responding to texts, many businesses haven't begun using mobile as a tool to reach this key customer segment. Given the latent potential associated with text message marketing, there's no better time than now to add it to your business advertising toolkit. If you are interested in launching a text message marketing campaign for your business, try ClubTexting for free today!

Text message marketing can help you connect with more customers this year. Photo credits: danielfoster.

You know the old saying, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." When it comes to marketing, it certainly holds true. While you may be reaching some customers by focusing your marketing efforts on one channel, an integrated marketing strategy can help you attract more patrons to your business this year. If you're already using social media or mobile marketing to reach your target audience, you're off to a good start. Here's how to use the two channels together in order to maximize the impact of your marketing campaigns.

Learn More About Which Social Networks Are Popular with Your Audience

Before you jump into social media, it's important to find out which sites are most popular with your audience. To gather the information you need, you can either talk to your customers informally while they are hanging out at your club or restaurant or conduct a formal customer survey about social networking behaviors. This is an important step in the marketing process. After all, you wouldn't want to waste your time sharing content on a social networking site that's unpopular with your target audience.

Use Social Media for Networking

After you've determined where your customers are spending time online; it's time to get started with social media! Create an account for your business and share some interesting content. Rather than using social networks exclusively for promotional purposes, consider engaging your customers in a dialog. Creating an interesting, fun social media presence will help draw attention to your business. Remember, social media is the new word-of-mouth, so it's important to add some personality to your social networking presence in order to maximize your return.

Get Started with Text Marketing to Share Special Promotions

Social media and text message marketing can complement each other very well if businesses use these channels correctly. Many businesses use social media to not only engage with customers, but to collect important information about their audience. Demographic data such as age, sex, location, and interests collected through your business social media profiles can be used to create more personalized text message marketing campaigns. There's a lot of buzz about personalization in the mobile marketing industry today, and there's a good reason for it. Personalized marketing campaigns help businesses stand out with their target customers. If you are interested in developing a more effective text message marketing effort, taking a look at your businesses' social media profiles can help you personalize your campaigns.

Use social media and text marketing together to broaden your reach with potential customers. Photo credits: peterras.

Taking an integrated approach to your business marketing efforts can help you reach a larger audience. Before you get started with social media, make sure to find out which channels will be the most impactful for your business. Once you've determined which social networks your customers are using most frequently, start engaging with them on these platforms. Use text message marketing to share information about special promotions and complement your social media marketing efforts. If you are interested in launching a text message marketing campaign for your business, try ClubTexting for free today!

Attract new customers with some fresh marketing campaigns this new year.

The new year is a great opportunity for a fresh start. This is true for both individuals and businesses. If your marketing efforts were less impactful than you'd hoped, it's time to step up your game in 2015. Whether you're interested in reaching a new audience or reconnect with existing customers this year, there are a number of approaches you can take that will help you achieve your business goals. Here are four ways to improve your marketing in 2015.

Revisit Past Campaigns

The best way to create more effective marketing campaigns is to learn from past successes and failures. Take a look back at some of your previous promotions, and spend some time trying to identify common elements. For example, are particular deals more appealing to your customers than others? Did timing play a role in campaign success? Is one marketing channel more impactful than another? Revisiting past efforts is the first step towards developing more effective campaigns this year.

Talk to Your Customers

One of the best ways to find out what your customers want from your business is to ask them. Conducting some formal and informal market research can help improve your marketing efforts this year. Talk to your customers when they visit your business, ask them what types of promotions grab their attention, if there are ways you can improve your food and drink menu, and how you can enhance their experience in 2015. Use the information you gather to map out your marketing plans.

Explore New Channels for Promotion

If your marketing efforts left something to be desired in 2014, it may be worth exploring new channels for promotion. Sometimes it's not your promotions themselves that are the issue; it's that you aren't choosing the best avenues to share information with your customers. This year, consider trying something different like a text message marketing campaign. Well-crafted text campaigns have high open rates and are an effective way to reach your customers.

Pay Attention to the Results

Are you tracking the results of your marketing efforts closely? If not, it's time to start. The best way for you to determine whether a marketing campaign is effective or not is to track the response from your customers. How you track this data depends on the channel you're using to reach your target audience. For example, if you launch an ad campaign online, there are platforms that allow you to monitor your click through rates. Paying attention to the results of your ongoing marketing efforts can help you create better campaigns.

Get people talking about your business in 2015.

It's time to refresh your marketing efforts and reach more customers this year. If you're interested in taking things up a notch in 2015, start by revisiting past efforts, talking to your customers, expanding your marketing horizons via new channels, and paying attention to campaign results. These four steps can help you achieve your business goals this year. Click here to learn more about how you can reach new customers with your marketing campaigns today!

Text message marketing can be used to share time sensitive information with potential customers.

Many businesses experience success by engaging with consumers through multiple channels. Thanks to technology, the options for connecting with your audience through your marketing efforts are almost endless. But email and texting are two of the most popular ways that brands interact with their customers. If you are interested in taking your marketing efforts up a notch in the coming year, you may want to consider adding these tools business marketing toolkit. Email and text marketing are effective, and if campaigns are done correctly, these particular channels complement each other quite well. Here's how you can create a marketing 1-2 punch with your email and text message marketing efforts.

Email Is One of the Most Trusted Forms of Communication

People have been communicating via email since the Internet's earliest days, so it makes sense that this channel would be among the most trusted forms of communication. Many consumers prefer to interact with brands via email. Recent data suggests that 64 percent of email users report being receptive to business marketing messages in their inboxes, and 50 percent say that they prefer to receive email notifications about special promotions from companies. Despite being a trusted form of communication, it's worth noting that email open rates tend to be low as compared with text message open rates.

Open Rates for Text Messages Are Higher Than Email

One of the biggest benefits of using text message marketing in addition to your email campaigns is that open rates for text messages tend to be much higher than email. If a customer opts in to receive text communications from your business, open rates for messages may be as high as 98 percent. Email open rates average just 20 percent, but that's not to say the channel isn't effective. Think of it this way, if your subscription list has 10000 members; your email has the potential to reach 2000 people. By the same token, you may be able to reach 9800 of those subscribers via text.

Email and Text Message Marketing Are Complementary

Many businesses choose to use email and text message marketing in conjunction with one another because they are complementary tools. The two channels allow for vastly different types of communication. Email can be used as an ongoing tool to share evergreen information about your business in an effort to build customer loyalty, while texts can be used to transmit time sensitive data about things like flash deals, special promotions, and appointment reminders. Email messages don't convey the same sense of urgency that text message communications carry, and the information that you share with your customers will likely vary.

Email is a tried and true means of cultivating ongoing business relationships with customers.

If you're interested in reaching a new audience or improving customer loyalty this year, consider using email and text message marketing to share information with potential patrons. Email is a tried and true form of communication which can be used to build ongoing relationships with your customers, and a well-crafted text message campaign can be used to pique their interest around time-sensitive deals and promotions. Start improving your marketing initiatives for the coming year, and try ClubTexting for free today!