Text has become the preferred method of communication among the civilized, cell phone-wielding masses. And SMS marketing is catching up fast, enabling business owners like yourself to remind your customers about time sensitive discounts and fostering the kind of intimate engagement people in your line of work could only have dreamed of 10 years ago. But even the best SMS marketing software program in the world won’t keep that customer base engaged if you don’t get yourself well versed in SMS marketing etiquette.
• Learn how to spell well. It doesn’t matter if half of your customers don’t know the difference between there, their and they’re – the other half does know the difference, and won’t be as forgiving of you as they will their best friend who just rattled off a random text. SMS marketing software with spell-check won’t help you in situations like these, so brush up on your lingo if you want to come across as a professional.
• Speaking of lingo, be careful what you say and how you say it. SMS marketing may not feel as formal as an email marketing message or as permanent as a print ad, but you’ve still got to play by the same rules. Before you fire off a marketing text to two thousand of your closest customers, ask yourself if you’d feel comfortable publishing that message on a billboard outside your place of business. When in doubt, get a second opinion.
• Mind your manners. Although brevity is key, there’s no reason to abandon courtesy and politeness in your SMS marketing messages.
• Watch the clock. Many people sleep with their cell phones by their ears, and the last thing anyone wants is a marketing message from you in the middle of the night. Be sure to use SMS marketing software that can schedule delivery times and that takes into consideration different time zones if you’ve got a national (or international) customer base.