Text message marketing has become an essential tool for businesses to engage with their audience effectively. It's a direct, personal, and highly responsive channel that can significantly boost your marketing efforts. According to Gartner, SMS marketing has a 98% open rate, making it one of the most effective marketing channels. Here are five things you might not know about text message marketing that can help you harness its full potential.

1. The Difference Between SMS & MMS

You might have heard the terms SMS and MMS thrown around, but do you know the difference? SMS stands for Short Message Service, which is your standard text message limited to 160 characters. MMS, or Multimedia Messaging Service, allows you to send multimedia content like images, videos, and audio along with text.

Why MMS Can Be More Beneficial:

• Visual Appeal: MMS messages can include images, which makes your content more engaging and visually appealing. Studies show that visuals can increase engagement by up to 94%.
• Extended Content: Unlike SMS, MMS allows you to send longer messages without the 160-character limitation.
• Higher Engagement: Our research has found that an MMS with 3 images has a 45% higher click-through rate than an SMS.

However, the key to leveraging MMS effectively is having the right vendor. A reliable vendor ensures that your multimedia messages are delivered efficiently, appear correctly on all devices, and are billed accurately.

TapOnIt, for example, allows you to send multiple images, thousands of characters, unlimited emojis, fancy fonts, links, and more in a single MMS. Other vendors often charge for these features as multiple messages, which can become costly. Understanding how your vendor charges is crucial to staying within your text marketing budget. Additionally, a good vendor will provide analytics to measure the performance of your MMS campaigns, helping you fine-tune your strategy for better results.

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2. Visual Elements Enhance Performance

Incorporating visual elements into your text messages can significantly boost their performance. People are naturally attracted to visuals, and this applies to text message marketing as well.

Benefits of Using Visuals:

• Increased Engagement: Images, GIFs, and videos capture attention more effectively than plain text. They make your messages stand out and can increase click-through rates. Research shows that visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared on social media. 
• Branding: Including your logo or branded visuals in your messages helps reinforce brand recognition and trust. It makes your texts instantly recognizable to your audience.
• Better Communication: Visuals can convey complex information more clearly and quickly than text. Whether it's a product image, an infographic, or a quick video tutorial, visuals can enhance your message and make it more memorable.

TapOnIt's platform allows brands to stand out with enhanced messaging features like sending multiple images, GIFs, unlimited emojis, fancy fonts, and links in a single MMS message - providing a more engaging experience than traditional SMS.

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3. It's Easy to Get Subscribers, But You Have to Do It Compliantly!

Starting and maintaining a text club may seem daunting, but it becomes quite manageable once you get going, especially with the right vendor. Look for one that offers subscriber journey automation, advanced scheduling, and seamless integrations to minimize your team's workload. The initial investment of time and money can lead to significant returns: Check out our sales calculator to see the potential impact of texting on your business.

One of the great advantages of text message marketing is how easy it is to grow your subscriber list using your existing audiences. By leveraging your current marketing channels—such as email lists, in-store promotions, social media, and website traffic—you can quickly build a robust list of subscribers eager to receive your messages.

However, it's crucial to ensure compliance with regulations when growing your subscriber list. Here are some ways to gain subscribers compliantly: If you ask for a direct opt-in, such as saying "Text Join to 12345," ensure you include the proper compliance language. If you direct them to a landing page or a form to join, include compliance information as fine print that is clearly visible.

Ways to Gain Subscribers:

• Email Lists: Promote your text messages to your existing email subscribers. Include a call-to-action in your newsletters inviting them to sign up for exclusive offers and updates via text.
• In-Store Flyers: If you have a physical location, use in-store signage and flyers to encourage customers to join your text message list.
• Social Media Posts: Utilize your social media platforms to spread the word about your text messages. Create engaging posts that highlight the benefits of subscribing.
• Website Traffic: Add opt-in forms or pop-ups on your website to capture visitors' interest. Offer incentives like discounts or early access to new products in exchange for subscribing.
• Landing Pages: Create a dedicated page for text sign-ups that can include a form gathering multiple pieces of information such as name, birthdate, email, phone number, or custom fields. You can also gamify the experience by setting up a Sweepstakes landing page to incentivize sign-ups with the chance to win a prize.

TapOnIt's platform offers simple sign-up options to help you grow your subscriber database quickly and efficiently.

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By tapping into these channels, you can easily expand your reach and build a strong subscriber base for your text message marketing efforts.

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4. Timing is Everything

When it comes to text message marketing, timing can significantly impact your campaign's success. Sending messages at the right time ensures they are seen and engaged with.

Optimal Timing Tips:

• Avoid Early Mornings and Late Nights: Sending messages too early or too late can be intrusive. Aim for mid-morning or early afternoon when people are more likely to be available and attentive. Research shows that the best times to send marketing texts are between 10 AM and 2 PM.
• Consider Time Zones: If your audience spans multiple time zones, schedule your messages to arrive at optimal times for each region.
• Leverage Urgency: For time-sensitive offers or reminders, sending messages closer to the action time (like a sale ending or an event starting) can drive immediate responses. One TapOnIt client had a one-day text exclusive sale, which resulted in an exceptional 20x Return on Investment.

TapOnIt’s platform offers automation tools to schedule text blasts in advance and timezone smart options, ensuring your messages reach your audience at the optimal time.

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5. Personalization Drives Results

Personalization in text message marketing goes beyond just using the recipient's name. It involves tailoring content based on their preferences, behaviors, and past interactions.

Effective Personalization Strategies:

• Segment Your Audience: Divide your audience into segments based on demographics, purchase history, or engagement levels. This allows you to send more relevant messages.
• Use Data: Leverage first-party data to craft personalized content that enhances engagement. Implement geographical targeting, send birthday text messages, celebrate subscription anniversaries, track coupon redemptions, and highlight sharing milestones. By utilizing this data, you can create a more relevant and compelling experience for your audience.
• Interactive Content: Personalized offers, reminders, and interactive content like sweepstakes, polls, or quizzes can make your messages more engaging and effective. 

TapOnIt's platform offers smart audience segmentation tools and robust reporting and analytics to help you create personalized, data-driven campaigns.

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Conclusion

Text message marketing is a powerful tool that, when used correctly, can drive engagement, build brand loyalty, and increase conversions. Understanding the nuances of SMS and MMS, leveraging visuals, timing your messages, personalizing content, and effectively growing your subscriber list are key strategies to make the most of your text message marketing efforts. By implementing these tips, you can create more impactful and successful campaigns.