I Started a Text Club for My Business—Now What?

Congratulations on adding text messaging to your marketing channels! This powerful tool can significantly enhance customer engagement and boost sales through SMS and MMS marketing. However, to maximize its effectiveness, you need to actively promote it. As marketers, we understand that just because you have a new channel doesn’t mean it will grow on its own. Here’s how to ensure your text club gains traction and drives meaningful engagement.

1. Promote Your New Text Club

Think back to how you successfully grew your social media following or email list. You didn’t just set up a page or signup form and hope for the best—you actively promoted it! Here’s how to effectively get the word out about your text club:

• Dedicated Email Campaign: Utilize your existing audience! Craft an engaging email to announce your text club. Highlight the benefits of joining and include a direct link to your signup landing page.
• Social Media Blitz: Leverage your social platforms to create buzz around your text club. Share eye-catching visuals and incentives to pique interest and encourage sign-ups.
• Integrate Sign-Ups Across Channels: Make it easy for potential subscribers to join by integrating signup forms on your website with pop-ups, footer forms, and prompts during checkout—just like you would for email subscriptions.
• In-Store Traffic: Create flyers with a QR code leading directly to your sign-up page, placed near checkout areas or popular product displays. Train your staff to actively promote the text club during checkout and engage customers about the benefits of joining.

2. Incentivize Sign-Ups

To boost your text club membership, consider applying the same tactics you used to grow your email list or social media followers:

• Kickoff Sweepstakes: Launch an exclusive sweepstakes that encourages people to join your text club. This approach mirrors the successful giveaways you’ve likely run on social media, plus encourages sharing to increase entries.
• Exclusive Offers: Provide a free gift with purchase or a discount for first-time text subscribers, creating immediate incentives for customers to join.

3. Automate Subscriber Experiences

Automation is key in all marketing channels, including SMS marketing. Here’s how to create automated experiences for your subscribers:

• Create Flows: Set up automated, tailored experiences based on how subscribers join and interact. For instance, you could have different flows for those who sign up via email versus those who join through a website pop-up—similar to segmenting your email list for targeted campaigns.
• Engaging Welcome Flow: When a new subscriber joins, ensure a warm welcome! Design an automated flow that introduces them to what they can expect and maintains engagement until your next campaign.

4. Build Up Your Cadence of Text Messages

Once your subscriber list grows, keeping the communication flowing is essential. Here are some tips to help you determine how often to send messages:

• Find Your Frequency: Consider your email marketing strategy. Experiment with sending messages daily, weekly or bi-weekly to find the right balance that keeps subscribers engaged.
• Stay Top of Mind: Regular communication helps maintain brand awareness. Consistency is key, just like with your social media posts.

5. Get Creative with Your Content

Consumers want more than just product promotions; they crave variety. Just as you share valuable content through email and social media, consider these ideas for your text messages:

• Helpful Blogs and Insights: Share informative content that positions your brand as a thought leader in text message marketing.
• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Provide subscribers a glimpse into your company culture or product development process, fostering a personal connection.
• Exclusive Access and Events: Share early access to sales or special promotions, creating a sense of exclusivity.

6. Treat Your SMS Subscribers Like VIPs

Your SMS subscribers are part of your VIP community. They’ve entrusted you with their direct cell phone numbers, which is invaluable—text messages boast a staggering open rate of 98%, compared to just 20% for emails. This means your messages are far more likely to be seen and acted upon. Use this opportunity wisely by delivering high-value content that makes them feel appreciated.

Conclusion

Launching a text club is an exciting step towards enhancing customer engagement, but remember that, like with other marketing channels, promotion is crucial. By actively promoting your text club, incentivizing sign-ups, automating subscriber experiences, maintaining consistent communication, and getting creative with your content, you can maximize your text club’s potential.

Embrace these strategies, and watch your engagement—and sales—soar with the power of SMS and MMS marketing!