Ding! You have a text. Go ahead, read it. I’ll wait.
Funny how much we focus on our phones. Statistics say 90 percent of people open and read their text messages in three seconds. A text message is practically a guaranteed read. So are you using text to reach clients and candidates?
Short Message Services (SMS), you know, text messages, work as direct marketing. Your company can use SMS to tell clients important information, to encourage candidates to submit their resumes, or to solicit feedback on your service.
Wait, you say, isn’t that called spam? Nope. “A carefully crafted SMS strategy is one that focuses on delivering an engaging and personalized message,” writes Entrepreneur.com. When you send text messages that offer a clear benefit to the receiver, you’re filling a need. When people opt-in to receive your messages, they want you to satisfy those needs.
If you’re still worried about spam, yes, there is a big rule: Only send SMS messages to people who signed up to receive them. It’s a good idea to confirm their confirmation. And you should give people the chance to opt-out at any time. Sending messages to people who don’t want them can get you fined $500 to $1500 for each message.
So, here are some tips for non-spammy SMS messages.
Make sure recipients know who sent them the message. If they can’t tell it’s from you, they might delete it. So, name your company and use specific details. But you also have to be concise because texting is a short form of communication. Keep your SMS messages under 160 characters. Why 160? Some networks break up long texts into several shorter ones, leaving your recipients to puzzle out which one goes first.
You have to keep your messages short, without looking cheap, trendy, or spammy. You’re a business. Slang and teenage abbreviations have no business in business communication. Don’t use hyperbole either—if every message reads “best-ever,” people will get tired of your marketing. Remember, every SMS message should benefit recipients—and they should see that benefit quickly.
Your text messages should be unique. People need a good reason to sign up to receive your messages. Use SMS to give people the information they can’t get elsewhere or provide immediate updates—stuff that’s not on your site or in your brochure.
To finish off, use a call to action, just like you would with any other kind of direct marketing. Within your short message, you need to tell people what to do next. A phone number or URL works well.
Ready to grow more, sell more, and be found more? ASJ helps staffing companies with mobile marketing and direct marketing strategies. Contact us to learn more.
