Why SMS Marketing Is the Perfect Tool for Small Business Owners What does “Opt” mean in text?Why SMS Marketing Is the Perfect Tool for Small Business Owners

What is Opt-in Texting?

Opt-in marketing regarding SMS Text is an essential process to understand for business text marketing success.

The word “opt” means to choose something.  Opt-in means agreeing to participate or be part of a group.  At the same time, opt-out means choosing not to participate or not be part of a group.

What does Opt mean in Text?

Opting in means in SMS Text that recipients provide express permission or consent and subscribe to your text communication program. Essentially they opt-in to receive future texts or SMS messages from your business.  If they decide not to subscribe (or unsubscribe later), they are opting out.

There are strict regulations protecting consumers from receiving unsolicited marketing messages via texts.  Therefore, it is critical to understand what opt in means in Text marketing. Here is additional information regarding regulations to Opt into SMS marketing. 

What are opt-in and opt-out in texting?

Opt-in is a process to confirm customer’s permission when using SMS text marketing to grow your brand. It is crucial to understand what makes SMS text marketing different. You must receive written permission to send promotional marketing messages.  Transactional texts refer to messages that provide a response to a purchase or action by the customer. For example, a customers who submits a reservation request or sets up an appointment, may receive a confirmation by SMS text. Similarly if a customer places an online order, they may receive a text regarding curbside pickup. These are generally messages provided for customer service or support.  Customers get additional support information  if you send a transactional SMS message.  In such situations, you typically notify your customers that you’ll send only texts related to your purchases.  Tell customers in advance that you are not sending promotional text messages.

How to build an opt-in SMS marketing list?

Text communication is essentially different from e-mail communication.  Most marketing e-mails are never read. But texts have a very high rate of engagement because they are brief and typically contain a clear call to action like a link to your website, special offer coupon or other landing page. Make the Call-to-action attractive for the success of the Text campaign. 

You can start generating opt-in lists using SMS using many different methods. 

1.  Use a website opt-in form

Put a webform on your website.  As part of the form, ask subscribers for their phone numbers and provide the proper disclosures indicating they they are providing permission to receive promotional texts from your business.  After receiving the completed request from the website,  send a text asking the customer for confirmation of their subscription. Typically this text conformation asks the customer to respond Y or Yes to confirm their consent.  This process is ofter referred to as Double Opt-In.

2.  Use a Custom Designed Tablet that Requests Opt In

We provide custom designed loyalty tablets that allow you to have customers enter their phone numbers to join. The tablet prompts customers to confirm the phone number they entered is correct, provides information on the permission they are granting and provides customers with required disclosures regarding how to opt-out in the future if they no longer wish to receive messages from you. 

3.  Text In Keyword To A dedicated phone number or a shortcode

The best option is for customers to text a keyword to a dedicated phone number or a short code to become mobile subscribers.  This short process builds your subscription list quickly.  Texting a simple keyword is an easy way for customers to subscribe. This method may also send a one-time message asking the recipient to respond with “Y” or “Yes” to confirm their permission. 

4.  Use your e-mail list

An easy way of creating an SMS marketing list is to contact current subscribers of the e-mail list.  Ask current customers and e-mail subscribers to also Opt-in to the Text list. The best way to get this type of Opt-in is to provide a link to a webform and they can click the link on their phone to sign up.

5.  Use QR CODES 

Customers can scan a QR code that pre-fills their phone number and the text in keyword. Customers just have to click send and follow the prompts to opt-in. It could not be any easier.

6.  Use In-Store Signage

Use in-store signage with text to Join or QR codes and customers can join easily. Use in-store signage and social media posts to communicate the perks for customers you join. 

7.  Promote on Social Media, business cards or external signs

Add actionable instructions for customers to subscribe to your SMS text club using social media, to your business cards or external signs so customers can sign up for your text marketing list. 

What Is The Most Important Takeaway?

The most important thing about the opt in process is to make sure you follow all the rules and always provide proper disclosure. 

What should I do if I don’t have an opt-in list?

It’s a common problem, but easy for us to solve.  We will work with you to create an Opt-in marketing list so that you may contact clients via SMS or MMS text messages with special offers, loyalty rewards or alerts. 

1.  Convenient Communication

Successful Marketing is all about ease of communication and convenience.  The convenience of communication can lead to great success in meeting your business targets.  Generally, a business may ask you to sign up for a newsletter or ask for your email address, so they can send you offers to reminders.  The open rate for  e-mails is only about 20% and continues to decline.  Instead, sending the same messages via Text has a 5 times higher open rate of about 98%.

Customers find it very easy to provide reviews and book their next appointments with links sent via text right to their phones. Businesses will be able to inform clients instantly and directly about their loyalty rewards, loyalty status or limited-time special offers. 

2. Preferences and Personalization

Send special discounts directly to your marketing list via text message based on customer preferences. One example is is to ask customers what types of messages they prefer, such as special events, like a trunk show, or what brands they prefer. When a special sale is happening for that brand, you can send a message to those customers that told you exactly what brands they love.

When you focus on capturing information from customers with their permission, they are more likely to remain engaged and make more frequent purchases.

Make the messages short and sweet for your customers, with a clear call to action like including  a link to a coupon code that is only available for a limited time frame. 

3.  Customer Lifetime Value

SMS messages are essential for the growth of your customer base. The key is to use SMS and MMS as secret weapons to gently entice customers and develop a cadence that they get used to . If you message too often, customers may opt out. Using SMS and MMS to contact your customers with perfectly-timed messages can help to increase their engagement and drive higher redemption rates. Overtime, you may be able to increase the Customer Lifetime Value as customers know more about you, your company, the types of promotions and communications and special events. 

We can help you build An Opt-in list

We have decades-long experience creating SMS Marketing full-service solutions for businesses.  We start with building you an Opt-in marketing list of your loyal customers. We use several tools and strategies to inspire your ideal future and current customers to opt into your marketing campaigns.

Call us at (484) 325-5725 or Click here to get started with SMS Marketing text messages.