We haven’t written about SMS Texts for a while, what with everything else going on here at Adva Mobile. It remains one of the important marketing tools for you to use to help acquire, engage, and sell to your fans. There are two types you can use:
Incoming: This is where you tell your fans to text in to you to join your App. So, at shows, from the stage, you shout out out “If you like that song, text get to 88704”.
Outgoing: For all the fans that texted in (and we told them they were subbed in to your App) you can now send them a text, up to four times each month, with a link to your mobile web app.
We came across an article with really good insights into why you should consider using SMS Texts. It’s by Sandra Nichols Marcy, who runs The Social Jazz http://thesocialjazz.blogspot.com/,( @pecangirl)
and she provided this great list of why you should include SMS Text in your marketing mix. She writes:
and she provided this great list of why you should include SMS Text in your marketing mix. She writes:
· You can reach your fans any time, day or night and – unlike email addresses that get forgotten or abandoned – you know they’ll get the message.
· Somewhere around 94% of SMS messages are read – a higher percentage than email.
· Because your fans carry their cellphone with them most of the time, you can reach them quickly no matter where they are. If your gig tomorrow hasn’t sold as many tickets as you’d like, you can reach fans almost immediately.
· Because they’ve chosen to give you their cellphone number, your fans are already highly engaged with you so you know they’re actively interested in what you have to say.
· SMS messaging is very personal – make yours friendly and they’re more likely to do what you want them to do. You can remind them of something they might have forgotten – an upcoming gig or EP release.
· You can be spontaneous – it’s a great way of getting engagement with your audience before, during or after a gig and get their reactions then and there.
· You can easily do free stuff – maybe a reduced ticket price to people who show the SMS on the door or quote the code when booking via email. Subscribers expect exclusivity and they’re more likely to tell their friends about the good stuff they get because they subscribe.
· Your fans are more likely to tell their friends or colleagues about your SMS when it appears on their phone – it extends your reach beyond the SMS recipient. Word of mouth is your best advertising tool!
One word of caution – don’t go near SMS messaging unless you can be sure that subscribers who opt-out no longer hear from you … nothing is more annoying than getting messages from someone you no longer want to hear from.
Sandra’s got a good point on the last one especially, but that’s where Adva Mobile comes in. The text messaging service we provide handles all the background rules of SMS – opting in fans, controlling the number of messages you send them, and opting out if they no longer want to connect with you on their mobile phones.
SMS Texting is a terrific tool to connect with fans and engage them on their phones. Contact us if you need any help or advice setting up your next campaign.
