With 97% of text messages opened and read within 5 seconds of being received, SMS is by far the most powerful tool you have to target and reach your audience instantly. In addition response rates are incredible and can reach 40% if your campaign is successful. And to be successful with text messaging, the first step is to write the perfect SMS copy.

Here are our 7 tips to writing great SMS copy and making a success of your campaign.

1. Be concise and keep it short

A single SMS message consists of 160 characters. For the most cost-effective campaign you need to choose your words carefully. Get to the point straight away, the benefit or reward to the recipient should be clear. ALSO, TRY NOT TO SHOUT AT YOUR RECIPIENTS. USING CAPITALS IS A TURN OFF. Stick to normal text for winning campaigns. However you can write one word you want to jump out in uppercase to grab the attention of the recipient

2. Offer an opt-out path on all messages

Always include a simple opt-out option in your texts. Ensure you make it clear to your customers that they can stop receiving messages from you at any time. No-one wants to be bombarded by messages that aren’t useful to them. An easy and obvious opt-out mechanism protects your reputation and saves you money by not wasting texts.

3. Proofread your copy, and don’t do “text talk”

Don’t forget to proof read your outgoing messages. Once they are sent there is no way to recall them so it’s vital to get it right first time. What is true for email is also true with SMS: through your text, it is your Brand talking and your image “at stake”. For those reasons, don’t do text talk.

4. Include a clear call to action

Ensure that the reason for the text is made clear. You want the recipient to act on your text, so tell them what they need to do to benefit from the information they have been sent. Follow the same guidelines as you would in a Google Ad. Let the client know what they’re getting and how to get it. Clear, action oriented language drives the best results.

5. Make sure you link your text to mobile friendly pages

If you’ve been successful in your copy writing, recipients will click on the call to action. As they are on a mobile device, make sure that your pages are mobile friendly! If you are not familiar with mobile responsive websites, here is why a fully responsive website is a priority in 2015.

6. Make it urgent

You might send your amazing offer to someone interested in it, but if there is no urgency, the recipient may leave it for later. If this happens there is a good chance they could forget about it and not come back to the SMS

7. Personalise your message.

The great strength of text messaging is that it allows you to send your message to very targeted recipient. Personalise your SMS by including the name of the recipient. Also, you want to create engagement, so make sure you sound accessible, don’t forget to make your name, or the name of your business visible in the text so your customers know right away where it comes from


 

For more insights on how text messaging can help your business, check out our 10 smart ideas on how to use mobile messaging.


Can You Outsmart Competition WSI

 

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