The best (and worst) moments in text messaging

With open rates of 98%, SMS is an excellent addition to a marketer’s toolkit. You may have seen many great text message examples, however, there’s a lot to be learned from seeing what not to do.

Below are 5 examples of SMS marketing. Here we provide the good, the bad and the ugly of text message moments! 

1. Setting expectations

Domino’s “Piece of the Pie” Rewards program enables customers to earn a free pizza after they’ve made six orders, plus member-only promotions and offers via email, text or both. 

Along with this, users are informed that they’ll receive up to six SMS or MMS marketing messages per month, setting contact expectations. This customer loyalty and rewards program is a surefire way to help build engagement, minimise customers unsubscribing, and grow sales.

2. Encouraging conversations

Starbucks has embraced SMS marketing by encouraging conversations which helps to build stronger relationships and forge a one-to-one connection. For instance, Starbucks began a trivia text message campaign in 2013 to increase customer engagement. Here is an example:

The company also used text messaging to send out exclusive discounts and offers. Since then, Starbucks has continued to use SMS marketing to connect with its customers and increase sales. In fact, in 2013, the company sent over 2 billion SMS messages.

Take a leaf from Starbucks’ book and find a softer way to nurture relationships and show an interest in the individual customer without overwhelming them. For example, why not tell your subscribers a little about your brand’s story or product origins?

3. Taking ‘funny’ too far

Everyone loves a good joke. But not only can humour be very situational, it might not always be appropriate. That’s what a company called Parklife Weekender, which runs Manchester’s annual festival, discovered back in 2014.

They had sent a marketing text message out to their list promoting “after parties” for the annual festival. The message read:

By itself, the message seems harmless enough. And it is. But instead of using the company name as the “from” name, they changed it so that people would receive a message from “Mum”.

According to a statement by the company, the change “was intended as a fun way of engaging festival-goers”. Unfortunately, though, many people complained about the text message. Among them were people whose Mums had passed away just a few weeks before the text went out.

When people complained to the company, the response wasn’t sympathetic. Later, they issued a statement saying they acknowledged the message might not have been appropriate for everyone. The apology wasn’t enough, though, and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued the company a £70,000 fine.

Text message marketing is very effective, quick, and works for just about any industry. But this case underlines how important it is to be aware of the regulations regarding the marketing messages you send. You can find out more about SMS marketing regulations here. 

4. More information please? 

Let’s throwback to when Donald Trump was campaigning to be the 45th president of the United States. 

This text appears quite misleading. What are people supposed to subscribe to? And how does that help America? 

The end of the message lets people know that responding might cost them money in sending the SMS reply: “Msg&data rates may apply”. But what isn’t included is a way to stop receiving the messages.

There should always be a straightforward way for recipients to opt out of all future messaging. Something like “Reply STOP to cancel” is required in SMS marketing messages.

5. Too clever for your own good? 

SMS messages could be better received when marketers stop trying to be too clever. Here are some SMS marketing messages sent by a major office supply store (we’ll refrain from mentioning their name). 

If you’re going to try and be clever, make sure you have your words in the correct order (reread the first message if you missed the typo). Plus, the text message already includes a great offer, so the second half of the text was probably not needed anyway.

The second message can be taken in so many ways. Am I insulted if I don’t even get friend requests? Does it make me sad because I don’t have any friends? Or am I annoyed because everyone wants to be my friend, and I don’t want to think about it anymore?

When sending an SMS to a customer, the more straightforward the message, the better. Also, ensuring your SMS marketing messages are proofread to avoid any clumsy errors is vital. 

See excellent results when SMS marketing is done right 

SMS marketing is one of the most straightforward, low cost and quickest ways to enter the world of mobile marketing and promote your brand. It’s no surprise some of the largest businesses rely heavily on this channel. 

But it’s not just big-name brands that use SMS marketing. Whether you’re a small business or an established company, texting your audience is a cost-effective way to grow. 

With the help of SMS marketing, you can keep your customers updated on your special offers, provide them with quick customer support and remind them of your business.

Learn more about text message marketing today by contacting an Esendex expert, or download our SMS marketing guide below.