Text Messaging - Your Big Break in Marketing

By: Anna Yates Thursday April 11, 2019 comments

Let's say you're the owner of a specialty candy shop, and you want to let your customers know about the new line of jelly beans you're adding for Easter. This is the most exciting thing since your Christmas fudge, and you need everyone in your area to pre-order these jelly beans!

You've already sent emails and postcards to existing customers, but your open rate has been less than satisfactory - below 10%. You need a more effective way to touch your audience, and you need it integrated with your CRM and email system so you can track your results. Text message marketing could be the big break you've been looking for!



With texts, you have a personal, direct way to touch your customers. Here are some staggering figures about text message marketing:

• 90% of people read texts within 3 seconds of receiving them
• Text messages get a 98% open rate
• Customers use mobile coupons 10x more than other methods

At this point, you may be thinking, "All of that sounds great! Now how does that actually help me? What are my options?" With your phone.com account, you can integrate it with AllProWebTools, you can send bulk messages to a group of contacts, or you can send messages to individual contacts and chat with them live. 

What Can I Do with Bulk Texting?

• Add a text message to a marketing campaign that includes email and other forms of communication.

If you want to use emails, texts, calls, and postcards to touch your customers about those new jelly beans, you can create a marketing campaign that includes all of those pieces. That way, customers can receive an email announcing the new line on the first day, and receive a text advertising the jelly bean flavors on the second day. Your text message marketing can now combine with your email marketing to reach customers in new and creative ways. You can find out how to create a marketing campaign in our recent blog.

• Manually add customers to a new tag in your CRM.

When you create a new tag, you can manually add existing customers to that tag at any time to start including them on bulk texts. For example, if you create a tag for the new line of jelly beans named, "Easter Treats," you can add your customer Mary Lee to that tag by going to her contact in your CRM and adding her to it. You can add customers to as many tags as you want, and your tags can include as many contacts as you want!

• Follow-up with new leads or existing customers through lead form and tags.

When new customers fill out a lead box in a landing page, they're automatically added to your CRM, as well as whatever tag you choose for that lead form. For example, you can use email or social media to send out a landing page and lead form, where new leads can add their contact info. After they submit the lead form, they'll be added to your "4th of July Popsicle Interest" tag and you can use text message marketing and email marketing to send them announcements and promos leading up to the popsicle's release. 

• Allow customers to add themselves to a tag.

AllProWebTools allows you to set up a text message opt-in so that customers can add themselves to a tag and start receiving special texts and emails. For example, you could make a social post about the new line of Easter jelly beans and urge customers: "Text 'join Easter Treats' to (123) 456-7890 to get a 10% off coupon your Easter jelly bean bag!" Then you can continue to touch them with updates about your jelly beans and other products, like your upcoming 4th of July popsicle. Text message marketing can take many forms but each one is an effective and fun way to reach customers! 

 

What Can I Do With Individual Texting?

1. Send a personalized message.
You can send customers messages individually by clicking "New Message" in their contact. Individual texts are a great way to reach out to customers on a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary, and send them a coupon or voucher to celebrate! With personalized messages, you can use text message marketing to go the extra mile to serve and connect with your customers.

2. Customers can text your number directly and chat one-on-one.
Not only can you send individual messages to customers, but customers can send texts directly to your business number at any time. You can use this feature to offer 24-hour support, for customers to RSVP for events or order their favorite candy, and to offer a way to opt-in for special campaigns and offers. Even better, the business number through Phone.com allows you to be available to customers around the clock while keeping your personal phone number private. Text message marketing isn't just relegated to marketing - you can use it for customer service, too! 

How to Send Bulk Texts

1. Create a tag and add contacts to the tag.
To learn how to create and manage your tags, watch this video! 
2. Create a new text message.
Hover over "Marketing, then click "Text Messages."

Name your new text message, then click "Create New Text Message."

Write the message of the text and then click "Send Message."

3. Select tags and schedule the message.
Once you click, "Send Message," you'll be able to select as many tags as you'd like for the text. Everyone in those tags will receive this text.

Then, choose the date and time you'd like the text to be sent and click "Schedule Text Message." If you want to send the text immediately, click "Send Now."

How to Set Up Auto-reply for After Hours 

Sometimes, people may text your business number after hours. In AllProWebTools 5.1, we've added an auto-reply text that goes out when people text after your business is closed. Here are the simple steps to edit the after hours auto-reply text and your company's business hours:

1. Go to Marketing Text Messages 

2. In the box on the ride side of the screen, you can see the auto-reply text message and edit it as needed. You will need to add the {OPENAT} short code to your auto-reply text to put your business' hours in the text. Go ahead and copy it now - {OPENAT}.

3. If you want to make sure your business hours are correct or change your business hours, click the "Set Business Hours" in the top right corner of the box. 

That's all it takes! Texts with the message and business hours you've set will go out if someone texts your business number after hours. Now you don't have to worry about replying until you open next! 

Add people to a text messaging group

Text messaging groups are the same as tags.  You can learn more about tags here.

You can add a contact to a text message marketing group by going to their CRM record and clicking the corresponding tag.

People can add themselves to your marketing campaign by sending a text message to your company phone number.  If you had a tag called "freetips" - the text message that they send would simply say: 

join freetips

Remove people from a marketing group

You can remove a contact from a text message marketing group by going to their CRM record and unchecking the corresponding tag.    You can learn more about tags here.

People can remove themselves from your marketing campaign by sending a text message to your company phone number.  If you had a tag called "freetips" - the text message that they send would simply say: 

unjoin freetips

Your text message subscribers can also request that you no longer send them ANY text messages by sending the following text message to your company phone number:

stop

If they would later like to receive text messages from you again, they can send the following text message to your company phone number:

unstop

Visit our recent blog to learn the details of our text message marketing feature and how our integration compares to other text marketing providers.

CAUTION - Please watch this video for important information about Text Messaging:

About the Author: Anna Yates

Anna Yates is a Content Marketer with experience in social media marketing, email marketing, and blogging. She loves telling stories through writing and helping businesspeople find the solutions they need! Born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, she's right at home with the water and sun. When she's not outside, you may find her in one of Lakeland's quaint coffee shops with a cup of coffee, writing away.