Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About SMS Marketing [webinar slides]

Katherine Raz, Community Manager @ Signal Jamie Rubin, Partner @ InfoLawGroup Questions? •  Type your question in during the webinar •  Tweet @Signal or use hashtag #GetSignal

invite others to join: JoinWebinar.com code [103-934-899]

•  How to kick off your SMS program •  Rules of the road •  Building your list •  Necessary language and SMS copywriting tips •  Advanced tips: promotions, sweepstakes, coupons •  Legal aspects of SMS marketing

Signal is an all-in-one marketing platform where businesses can manage: •  Email newsletters •  SMS marketing •  Social media publishing •  Content tools (landing pages, short URLs, QR codes) and promotional

tools (sweepstakes) for building your customer database •  Customer database, including tracking engagement across channels •  Sign up for a free trial at Signalhq.com

About Signal

Why SMS marketing?

•  SMS is the most immediate form of marketing communication. An estimated 90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes of receipt (Singlepoint, 2010).

•  98% of text messages are read,

compared to 22% of emails, 29% of tweets and 12% of Facebook posts (Frost & Sullivan, 2010).

•  70% of people in the US would like to

receive offers on their mobile phones (Upstream).

Michael Coghlan, via Flickr

Who is SMS for?

•  Consumer brands to send offers, coupons, and pricing alerts

•  Information services to send updates

•  Businesses to communicate with field

employees, especially in sales •  Non-profits to mobilize volunteers

•  Consumer brand loyalty programs, like

birthday clubs

Emad Aljumah, via Flickr

SMS marketing begins with a short code, a 5 or 6-digit telephone number (U.S.) Shared short codes

o  Inexpensive o  Immediate use o  Limited keywords

Unique short code

o  Takes a few months to provision o  Setup and monthly costs are

significantly more o  Use any keywords you like o  No other business shares your code

Creating and building your list: short codes

James Cridland, via Flickr

Customers opt in to your SMS marketing list by texting a keyword to a short code. You can use as many keywords (alias) as you like for a single list, or you can create multiple marketing lists and use different keywords for each. Your keyword should:

o  Be short o  Be easy to spell o  Unique -- doesn't "sound like"

another word o  Not contain hard-to-decipher letters

like lowercase "L" unless you're prepared to overthink signage

o  Consider trademark issues

Creating and building your list: keywords

joyosity, via Flickr

You call to action is the prompt in your advertising (broadcast, print, web) that directs customers to text a keyword to a short code to join your list. What must be included:

o  Program identification (name of your business or the campaign)

o  Intended frequency of messaging o  Opt-out instructions ("STOP to quit") o  The phrase, "Message and data

rates may apply" o  Links to privacy policy and terms

and conditions Also think about including:

o  An incentive o  A campaign-specific, rather than

brand-wide, keyword ("Lawnmower" vs. "Sears")

Creating and building your list: call to action

jengallardo, via Flickr

The Mobile Marketing Association •  Global nonprofit responsible for

establishing mobile marketing standards •  Works jointly with CTIA (wireless

communications industry’s trade association) to enforce standards

•  Keep up with best practices > http://www.mmaglobal.com/bestpractice

CTIA violations usually result in a warning and a reminder to fix noncompliant aspects of your SMS campaign. Continued violations can result in the suspension of your campaign or revocation of your short code. More to come in the legal aspects of the presentation.

Keeping in compliance

Walker.Carpenter via Flickr

IN-STORE SIGNAGE Text KITCHEN to 75309 for an instant 20% off your Renee Bennett order and to sign up for future deals from the Renee Bennett coupon club. 3-4 texts/month. Message and data rates may apply. Text HELP for info and STOP to quit. SMS "WELCOME" MESSAGE Welcome to the Zippy Car Wash Coupon Club! Msg&data rates may apply. 4 msgs/mo. Text HELP for info, STOP to quit. Ix.ly/698405

Example compliant messages

DennisSylvesterHurd via Flickr

ONE-TIME MESSAGES Autoresponders, sweepstakes, trivia, etc. are one-time SMS promotions. There is no opt-in prompt, so you cannot use numbers collected via these promotions for future marketing purposes unless you add a prompt after the promotion conclusion. RECURRING MESSAGES Customers sign up for your list in order to get recurring updates from your company. They opt-in, and can easily opt-out when they want to

One-time vs. recurring messages

\!/_PeacePlusOne, via Flickr

SINGLE OPT-IN A consumer opts into a text marketing program via their handset. A welcome message follows this prompt. DOUBLE OPT-IN A customer signs up for an SMS marketing list via a web form. This prompts an opt-in confirmation message to be sent to the handset. ("We've received a request to add you to XYZ list. Text Y to confirm.") Customer MUST respond with "Y" to be added to the list.

Single vs. double opt-in

Rick Payette, via Flickr

CALL TO ACTION Your text messages should always include a relevant call to action: •  Coupon or discount code •  Sale or pricing alert •  Personalized reminder

The best CTAs offer a discount or coupon and are actionable. Remember: SMS is immediate. No discount? Expect opt-outs. SMS COPYWRITING TIPS •  Messages must not exceed 160

characters •  Include your BRAND NAME or

BUSINESS NAME •  Outbound links should be mobile-

optimized and shortened

Writing your text messages

fictionalidentity, via Flickr

SMS marketing message examples

SMS program flow & message types PROGRAM ADVERTISEMENT The advertising or signage asking customers to join your SMS marketing program. This messaging must include frequency, message and data rates, and HELP/STOP information. OPT-IN CONFIRMATION AND WELCOME MESSAGE Message confirming request to add subscriber to a list (customer must text back "Y" to join), and message confirming list subscription. The welcome message is a great place to include an incentive coupon to be automatically dispatched to all new subscribers. Your welcome message must include message and data rate information, intended frequency, and STOP/HELP information. MARKETING MESSAGES Once the customer has joined your list, he or she will receive the bulk SMS messages you send out with your discount offers, coupons, etc. TIMED MESSAGES If you want to send additional messages beyond your welcome message, you can also configure a series of automated timed SMS messages to be triggered once a customer joins your list. AUTORESPONDERS & TEXT CHAT One-time triggered messages that respond with static information, or live text chat triggered when a customer texts a keyword to a short code. No opt-in is required to send these messages but advertisements for the program must include message and data rate information.

Promotions

Promotions are one-time interactive programs designed to help build your list when followed with an opt-in message.

Grand Canyon NPS, via Flickr

SWEEPSTAKES SMS sweepstakes allows consumers to text to enter a contest. Winners are determined and notified based on your settings. TRIVIA Text trivia sends a series of questions with right and wrong answers. Participants and winners can be notified. TEXT CHAT Consumers can trigger an SMS chat with customer service by texting a keyword to a short code. SURVEYS Collect consumer data through a single question or series of questions that are stored in your customer profiles.

SMS promotions

colinaut, via Flickr

DATA COLLECTED WITH EACH SEND •  Delivery rate •  Opt-out rate •  Note: open rate is not trackable •  You CAN measure click-through rate on

short URLs included with each send as well as coupon views

OVERALL SUCCESS •  How many participants in your

campaign? •  How many opted in to your list after

participation? •  How many coupons were sent vs. how

many redeemed? •  How has your list grown over time?d

Measuring success

homespothq, via Flickr

If you're running a multi-location business, such as a restaurant franchise, consider enabling a location-specific list that allows your customers to text to join, using a zip code prompt, their nearest or preferred location. This way you can control messaging and offers at each location, as well as offer your customers a more personalized interaction with your brand.

Location-specific lists

Gexydaf, via Flickr

PLAIN TEXT OFFERS Easy to create and send but difficult to control redemption. No smartphone needed. INDIVIDUALIZED COUPON CODES Upload a spreadsheet with varying coupon codes to be dispatched individually to each person on your list. No smartphone needed. DYNAMIC EXPIRATION DATES Insert {{code}} that works as a dynamic expiration date based on the date and time your message sends. No smartphone needed. DYNAMIC WEB COUPONS Recipients click through to a web version of a coupon that uses dynamic tags to control expiration dates and individual view limits. Recipients must have smartphone. STATIC WEB COUPONS A mobile-optimized landing page that displays a coupon. Recipients must have smartphone. COUPON COUNTDOWN TIMERS Pop-up windows that appear with countdown before coupon is displayed. Used for real-time in-store offers.

SMS coupon capabilities

Jamie Rubin, InfoLawGroup

Legal aspects of SMS marketing

steakpinball, via Flickr

Twitter: @Signal or #GetSignal Facebook: Facebook.com/SignalHQ Blog: Blog.SignalHQ.com Ask an SMS marketing expert about your program: [email protected] Next webinar: Getting to 10,000 fans: ideas for building your subscriber base Wednesday, July 31 at 2PM CDT Register: Sgnl.cm/MoreFans