Text Marketing Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Nadine MullingsNadine Mullings

December

16 2015

Top 3 Super Simple and Easy Text Marketing Services

Are you considering using text message marketing in your marketing mix? If so, check out the top three text marketing tools that I recently researched.

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All three options do not require contracts or set-up fees, the systems are super easy to use and they offer the following standard features:

Group Texting– Allows you to send a text to a large list of individuals at one time
Keyword and Shortcode– Each company offers you a Keyword- a word people can use to text your company ( i.e. “Text”), and a shortcode- a 5-6 digit number that your customers or prospects can text your keyword to (i.e. 515155)
Scheduling Ability– Ability to schedule a specific day and time for your text message to be sent
Auto Replies– Automatic messages that can be setup to respond to incoming text requests
Multimedia Message Service (MMS)– The ability to send pics, video, or audio via text
Inbox/One-on-One Conversations– An inbox that also allows you to respond to individual text received by clients or customers
Drip Campaigns/Autoresponders– the ability to schedule a series of text messages in advance and automatically send to your customers and clients over a period of time.
Upload a Permission-based list- the ability to upload into the system a list of mobile phone numbers of individuals who have opted in to receive text messages.
Text-to-Join/Text-to-Win– the ability for people to join your mobile list by texting your keyword to a shortcode.
Reports- The ability to track and see the analytics of your text messages
Social Media Integration– Ability to send text messages and post messages to Facebook.
Website Sign-up Widget– Allowing your prospects to sign-up for your mobile list via your website
Link shortening– allows you the ability to shorten any of your links within your text message.

Now here is how they differ:

SlickText

SlickText offers the following additional features:

Email address collection– If you want to also build your email list and collect email addresses, SlickText offers an email capture feature.
Double opt-in– If you want a double opt-in requiring individuals to confirm that they are opting in to your mobile list, SlickText offers a double opt-in feature.
Unique Coupon Codes– If you offer coupons, and you want the ability to track each coupon individually, SlickText offers unique coupon codes.
Dynamic Expiration Date on Coupons– If you would like to automatically add an expiration date to your text coupon, SlickText allows you to dynamically add expiration dates to your coupons.
Send your texts directly from your phone, no need to send from your desktop
Create flyers to promote your text message campaign
Create QR Codes to help promote joining your mobile list
Link Tracking– the ability to track the links people click on in your text message
Free Rollover Text for paid accounts
List Segmentation- segment contacts into unlimited Groups. Then, choose to send your messages to one group or multiple groups.
Email Marketing Integration with MailChimp and Constant Contact

SlickText Price- A forever FREE option is available, then prices start as low as $29/month

SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting offers the following additional features:

Schedule automatic appointment reminders
Text-to-vote– Poll your audience with the text to vote ability
Schedule messages on Twitter
Link Tracking– the ability to track the links people click on in your text message

SimpleTexting PRICE– FREE 14-Day Trial, then prices start as low as $45/month

EzTexting

EzTexting offers the following additional features:

List Segmentation- segment contacts into unlimited Groups. Then, choose to send your messages to one group or multiple groups.
Recurring Messages- allow you to compose a text message that will be sent out on a regular basis – daily, weekly or monthly, with all sorts of scheduling options.
Personalization- First and last name fields can be automatically merged into your mass text messages for a personal touch.
Message Templates- Allows you to save your favorite text messages for future use.
Voice Broadcast- you can send out thousands of calls within minutes.
Text-to-vote– Poll your audience with the text to vote ability
Schedule messages on Twitter
Email Marketing Integration with MailChimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber
Send your texts directly from your phone, no need to send from your desktop
Create QR Codes to help promote joining your mobile list

PRICE- FREE Option available, then prices start as low as $49/month

Are you using a Text Marketing Service? If so, which Text Marketing Service do you prefer and why? Be sure to post your comment below:

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Marketing, Text Marketing

December

08 2015

The Secret to Successful Text Message Marketing

As a business owner, coach, or consultant, you may not be taking advantage of one of the best marketing platforms out there, Text Message Marketing. Many people avoid text message marketing because they are unsure how to use it, how to not be intrusive, and how to get results. However, it’s not as complicated as people make it out to be.

The secret to successful text message marketing is really four-fold:

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Build an engaged audience of people who are interested in hearing from you via text message. This is the first step and the most important step. You have to build a permission-based list of individuals who have agreed to receive text messages from you. Without a permission-based list you will not be able to succeed with Text Message Marketing. Similar to email marketing, your list is going to be the core of your success. For tips on how to build your Text Message Marketing list, be sure to check out the post How to Build a Powerful Text Message Marketing List
Once you build an awesome permission-based Text Message Marketing list, the next step is to provide valuable content. Discounts and promotions work really well with text message marketing. Offering some type of coupon or discount code for your product or service via text message has a high response rate because the majority of people will see your message, and those are interested in your promotion will usually take action. However, text message marketing is not limited to just coupons and promotions, they are also good for announcements, notifications, and reminders. For more ideas on how you can use text message marketing in your business, be sure to check out the post How to Use Text Message Marketing in Your Business
Be sure to consistently reach out to your audience via text message. You have to be very careful to make sure that you respect your access to someone’s text messages, and you don’t want to be an annoyance, so it is important to gauge how often you will be sending out text messages to your list. It even helps to establish frequency up front so people will be more comfortable opting in to receive information from you via text. Saying something like “We respect you and will only send you text messages two times a month”. Establishing it upfront and sticking with what you promised will help establish trust.
Lastly, it is important to always offer a way to opt out of receiving text messages from you. This is a requirement, and if you are using a text message marketing provider this option can automatically be added to your text messages. You want people to be able to easily opt out if they are no longer interested.

If you follow all four steps, then you will have the secret to successfully using text message marketing in your business. Are you using text message marketing in your business? If so, what have you found makes your text message marketing successful? Be sure to leave a comment below.

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Text Marketing

August

25 2015

How to Build a Powerful Text Message Marketing List

In my last two posts I talked about 5 Reasons You Should Be Using Text Message Marketing and How to Use Text Message Marketing in Your Business, so in this post, I am going to address one of the key factors to being successful with Text Message Marketing, which is building an effective Text Message list.

[Tweet “The key factor to being successful with Text Message Marketing is…… #TextMessageMarketing #MarketingEssentials”]

Similar to building an email list, you have to get people to opt-in (give permission) to receive information via text message. So in this post I will cover 5 ways to grow your text message list:

[Tweet “5 ways to grow your text message list. #TextMessageMarketing #MarketingEssentials”]

Encourage individuals to join your text list by offering a special incentive. (i.e. Text “SPECIAL” to “515151” to receive a 10% off coupon). People are more likely to opt in to join your list if they get an immediate benefit like a discount code or a coupon. You can place this offer in your emails, at events offline, on social media, etc.
Encourage individuals to join your text list by having a contest. (i.e. Text “Ticket” to “515151” for a chance to win tickets to an awesome event that is happening in town). People always like to have a chance at winning something, so this can be an easy way to build your text message list.
Encourage individuals to participate in a text poll. Polls are a great way to get instant feedback, but you can also use it as a way to build your text list. (i.e. Text “Yes” to “515151” if you agree with the question of the day, or text “No” to “515151” if you disagree). You can use this method of building your list on platforms online or offline just by promoting participating in the poll to your audience.
Encourage individuals to join your text list by offering a lead magnet. Now I am pretty sure you have heard this term used for online marketing activities. A lead magnet is a FREE download that would be of interest to your target audience. Some popular lead magnets include, eBooks, Checklists, Guides, etc. You can offer the same types of lead magnets to grow your text list, (i.e. Text “FREEDownload” to “515151”) and send the lead magnet as a link in the reply text message.
Include a “mobile phone number” field in your sign-up forms and add a disclosure on the sign-up form stating that you may contact them via text message (i.e. event sign-up forms online, event sign-in lists, etc.). Requiring individuals to add a mobile phone number is an easy way to grow your opt-in text message list.

These five ways are a great way to start to build a text message list. Once you have a text message list, be sure to check out the How to Use Text Message Marketing in Your Business Post so you can learn how to use Text Message Marketing to effectively reach out to the people on the list that you have created.

Have you started to build a text message list yet? If so, what have you found to be the most effective way to build your text message list? Be sure to comment below and let us know.

Looking for an easy text message marketing platform to use? Check out EZ texting, an online browser-based mass text messaging software that is affordable and easy to use.

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Text Marketing

August

18 2015

How to Use Text Message Marketing in Your Business

I recently posted 5 Reasons You Should be Using Text Message Marketing, and got several inquiries and questions regarding text message marketing and how to use it in business, so today’s post is all about How to Use Text Message Marketing in Your Business.

The first thing I want to clear up is that I am talking about using text message marketing to market to individuals who have opted in to your text message marketing campaign. I do not support and I totally disagree with randomly texting individuals marketing messages who have not given you permission to contact them via text.

Once you have built up a text message marketing list, then you can use text message marketing in several different ways. Here are 7 ways to use text message marketing in your marketing mix:

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Special Offers– An easy text message marketing campaign is to text your list a special offer. Special offers could cover several things (coupons, discounts, bonuses, etc.) The key to a successful special offer is that it needs to resonate with your audience. Make sure it is an offer they will appreciate and take advantage of.
Promote Events– Text message marketing is a great way to spread the word about upcoming events that you may be hosting (workshops, seminars, open house, etc.). Your text message can even include a link to the address where the event is taking place, making it easy for people to find the location.
Appointment Reminders– Send your clients a friendly reminder of upcoming appointments. This helps to keep everyone on the same page as to when their next consultation or visit is scheduled to take place. You can send out reminders one week out, one day out, and even one hour before. This also helps to eliminate missed appointments
Tips– Send out relevant tips to your clients via text message. Sometimes just sending helpful and timely tips can be awesome for your clients. The key is to make sure your tips are relevant and will resonate with your audience.
Flash Sales– Text messaging is great to get the word out about a sale that is happening in a very short amount of time. This type of sale usually occurs within hours (i.e. 9:00 am-1:00 pm, 1:00 pm-9:00pm, etc.). Because of the need to purchase quickly, text messages are a great way to get the word out about flash sales.
Surveys/Polls– Need feedback on a product, service, etc. Text messaging can be a great way to send a quick poll or survey to get feedback from your audience.
Welcome Notification– Welcome new customers, clients, members by sending them a welcome text message. This is a great way to stand out and show appreciate to your new customer, client, or member.

Are you using text message marketing in your business? If so, how are you using text message marketing in your business. Be sure to comment below and let us know.

Looking for a easy text message marketing platform to use? Check out EZtexting, an online browser-based mass text messaging software that is affordable and easy to use.

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Small Business, Text Marketing

August

11 2015

5 Reasons You Should Be Using Text Message Marketing

Although text messaging has been around for a while now, using text messaging as a part of a company’s marketing mix is a fairly new concept for most business owners, coaches, and consultants, but the potential of text message marketing is huge.

So why should you be using text message marketing in your marketing mix? Let’s examine some of the benefits of text message marketing:

A large percentage of consumers use cell phones on a daily basis, and many people send and receive text messages on their cell phones. In fact, text messaging has become an easy and efficient way to communicate, so sending text messages to your own opt-in list would be an easy and efficient way for you to communicate with your clients or prospects. Did you know that:

“86% of consumers send or receive a text message every week” source- EzTexing-SMS Marketing Statistics

[Tweet “A large percentage of consumers use cell phones on a daily basis. Are you using text message marketing in your business? #MarketingEssentials”]

2. If you would like your marketing messages to be read, then text message marketing is one of the best channels to use to ensure your message will be received and read by your audience, check out these statistics:

“95 out of 100 of your customers who have opted into your text messaging program OPEN and READ your mobile messages within 3 mins.” source- Forbes- Pulling Back The Curtain On Text Message Mobile Marketing

[Tweet “text message marketing is one of the best channels to use to ensure your message will be received and read by your audience. #MarketingEssentials”]

3. Text Message Marketing is one of the most affordable marketing channels. Text Message Marketing services range from free, to a couple of cents per text, to a low monthly fee depending on what Text Message Marketing Service you choose to use, making it one of the most affordable marketing channels you can use.

4. People often take immediate action with a text message. Unlike other marketing channels, text message marketing tends to be immediate and people tend to take immediate action regarding a text message (i.e. respond, download, click, etc.), so if you are looking for immediate results, you may want to consider text message marketing.

“30% of consumers interact with a brand via text message.” source- EzTexing-SMS Marketing Statistics

[Tweet “text message marketing tends to be immediate and people tend to take immediate action regarding a text message. Are you using text message marketing #MarketingEssentials”]

5. Text Message Marketing is easy to use. Once you sign-up with a Text Message Marketing service, and you have built an opt-in text message list, sending text messages to your audience is super simple. Just log on to the platform, compose your message, click send, and your message will be received by the individuals on your opt-in list within minutes.

Are you using text message marketing in your marketing mix? If so, what other benefits do you find from using text message marketing?

Interested in using text message marketing, check out the EZTexting Platform. And see how you can start using Text Message Marketing in your marketing mix.

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Small Business, Text Marketing, Uncategorized

April

28 2015

6 Super Quick Ways to Grow Your Business Using Text Marketing

As an independent business owner, coach or consultant, you know the importance of staying in contact with your customers and prospects, and having a plan to consistently stay connected can help you grow your business.

There are several ways that you can stay in contact with your customers and prospects, (i.e. social media, email marketing, phone calls, etc.). However, Text Message Marketing is one of the only methods that allows you to effectively, efficiently, and easily reach your customers wherever they are, and whenever you need to.

[Tweet “Text Message Marketing is one of the only methods that allows you to effectively, efficiently, and easily reach your customers”]

Here are 6 Super Quick Ways you can use Text Message Marketing to help you grow your business:

Appointment Reminders– If you set appointments for your consultations or sessions, then using text messaging to remind your clients of their appointments is a great way to confirm the appointment and remind your client at the same time. Texting clients the day before an appointment not only reminds them, but also gives them a chance to adjust their appointment if they need to. You can even send text messages about appointments that haven’t been made but need to be scheduled.
Mobile Coupons– We all like to know that we are getting a good deal, so why not use text message marketing as a way to send out good deals to your loyal customers. Mobile coupons generate an immediate response when you create a call to action with a time limit. You can use a push campaign to send out text messages to your list with a unique mobile coupon code. The customers can then show this code at your office or enter it on your website to obtain the discount.You can also do a pull campaign in which individuals send a text to a short code and they are then added to your mobile coupon list. Types of discounts you could offer include:
1. Bonus offers
2. Percentage off
3. Flash sales
4. Not sure what discount to offer? Use technique #5 “Text to Vote” to run a poll and find out what offer is more attract to your audience.
Promotion Announcements– Running a special promotion for customers or prospects? Create a text message that you can send out to your mobile list. You can create special promotions around:
1. Holidays
2. Seasons
3. Exclusive Deals
4. VIP Promotion
5. Rewards/Loyalty Programs
Text to Join– is a great way to build both your mobile phone number list and your email list. You can have someone text a word to your short code and then respond with their email address. This kills two birds with one stone by having them join your text list and your email list with one transaction.
Text to Win– People love contests, so why not offer a text to win contest. Allowing people to actually enter the contest via text message. Be sure you have the contest rules available online for people to be able to refer to the contest rules.
Text to Vote– This method became popular from talent shows like American Idol and The Voice, which allows the audience to participate in the results of the show by texting their vote for their favorite artist. You can run similar promotions by having people vote for their favorite product, service, coupon idea, etc.

Are you using text message marketing in your business? If so, what methods are you using, and has it helped you to grow your business?

Do you need help with creating a text message marketing plan, getting started with text message marketing, or taking your text message marketing to the next level? Contact Us and let us help you!

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Text Marketing, Uncategorized

April

14 2015

How to Use Text Marketing to Grow Your Business

Texting has grown to become a part of everyday life for most people, and when most people are using a tool consistently to communicate, businesses will always look for ways to use that tool as a way to market their businesses.

The first time I was exposed to using text to communicate with a company was in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. After seeing a telethon and the requests for donations to help the victims, I felt moved to make a donation, so I pulled out my cell phone and texted whatever word we were supposed to, responded with my donation amount, and confirmed my donation amount, all in a matters of minutes (maybe even seconds), I had made my donation to the American Red Cross.

Since that time, companies are starting to realize how powerful text marketing can be, and we are seeing more and more companies jump on board with text marketing. The great thing about text marketing is that it is affordable for the small business owner and 95% of text messages are opened and read within minutes of receipt, so as an independent business owner, coach or consultant, it can be a great way for you to reach out to your customers or prospects. [Tweet “The great thing about text marketing is that it is affordable for the small business owner.”] [Tweet “95% of text messages are opened and read within minutes of receipt”]

So with that said, how does text marketing work for independent business owners, coaches and consultants? The first step is to select a mobile marketing service provider. Once you have signed up with a mobile marketing service provider, you will need to:

Build your opt-in mobile phone list– this is important because the goal of any successful marketing is to have your customer or prospect opt-in to receive your information, so it is important that the individuals on your mobile phone list have given you permission to text them. You don’t want to be a spammer!
1. Have your customers or prospects text a keyword to a short code/number that is provided by your mobile marketing service provider. A keyword is one single word that your customer or client can text to your short code number (i.e. FREE, JOIN, SPECIAL, etc.). A short code number is a number (typically 5-6 digits long) that is provided by your mobile marketing service provider in which your customers or prospects can text the keyword (i.e. 72404, 54465, 33031), so a request could be Text “FREE” to “72404”.
2. It’s always good to provide something of value for joining your list (i.e. special discount coupon, free eBook, etc.)
3. Once the prospect or customer has gone through the process, they have opted in to your mobile phone list and you now have permission to communicate with him or her via text message.
Send text campaigns to your customers and prospects. This can include:
1. Special offers and coupons
2. Announcements
3. Messages
4. You can get as creative as you would like as to what you can send your customers and prospects via text.

Are you using text marketing in your business? Are you thinking about using text marketing in your business? Share your comments below.

If you need help with getting started with text marketing or taking your text marketing to the next level, click here to contact us.

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Marketing, Marketing for Coaches, Marketing for Consultants, Small Business, Text Marketing