250 text messages may not seem like a lot, however, if you use them wisely and effectively they can produce some pretty incredible results. Here are three tips for getting the most out of your 250 FREE text messages through CityGro (don’t have them yet? Click here).

1. Use your limited characters wisely

With SMS marketing, you are generally limited to 160 characters per message. Staying within these boundaries can help avoid extra charges and ensure that the message is not cut short. To assist with this, CityGro provides a character count to help you know how many characters you have left while creating a message.

To use your characters wisely, try and condense the message as much as you can through the use of abbreviations, acronyms, or symbols. A few common abbreviations that we use include EXP (Expires), EOD (End of Day), and TXT. When it comes to acronyms the most common example of this is BOGO (Buy One Get One).

2. Segment your list for a greater return

When it comes to SMS marketing, relevancy is key to the success. Where most campaigns fail is when a message is sent to the wrong person, at a bad time or with an irrelevant offer. Traditionally, SMS marketing has been used to send blast messages to an entire database. CityGro provides enhanced marketing tools that allow you to track behavior, interests and spending habits so that you can better understand your individual customers. Having access to this invaluable information can help you stretch your 250 FREE text messages much further than you otherwise could and delivers the right message, to the right customer, at the right time.

For example, if I know that Tom just had a haircut yesterday, and receives a haircut every 30 days, I would want to use that information while constructing a message. Having this information also helps eliminate a lot of the wasted messages sent that have no chance of producing results. Segmenting your list can help cut out the number of messages sent while increasing the number of redemptions you receive. Getting the right message, to the right customer, at the right time is what delivers true results.

3. Always include a call to action

I saved the best for last. Most important to the success of your SMS marketing, always include a call to action. Simply put, this is the action you want your customer to take as a result of your message.

One of the worst examples I’ve seen of this came from an upset client. This particular client created a text message saying, “Happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” After the message had been sent, he called our support team letting them know how poor the results were. “No one came in off my text message,” he said. As we reviewed the message he had sent we quickly learned why no one responded. Frankly, there was no reason nor action to respond!

While this may seem like common sense, make sure that there is always some form of action you’re asking customers to take!

What tips do you have for getting the most from your 250 FREE text messages? If you don’t have an account with us yet, fill out the form below.

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