11 Common Mistakes of Text Marketing (and how to fix them) — Switchboard

When done right, businesses and organizations who utilize texting increase brand awareness, boost customer engagement and generate sales faster than any other channel. If you are new to the world of business texting though, you may unintentionally find yourself making a few mistakes. In this article we’ll walk through some of the most common ones and how to avoid them altogether.

1). Not being human enough.

Your customers aren’t bots, so don’t text them like one. While it may be tempting to simply repurpose the same copy used in emails and advertisements into a text message, the tone used in one-way channels like those do not resonate with people the same when it’s sent through a two-way channel like texting. The most important thing to remember about texting is that it is personal, casual and conversational. Think about how you text in your own life. If you were one of the people on the list you’re sending to, would you appreciate getting the same message you’re sending? If the answer is no, then it’s time to rethink how your text is written.

2). Always sending the same type of message

The easiest way to lose your audience's interest is by being predictable. If all you send people are salesy messages then don’t be surprised when they opt-out. Diversify your messaging and take advantage of the casual expectation people have when they text, and engage with them in between promotional offers. A good engagement message is something that makes the recipient feel valued or entertained. Asking a question is an excellent way to easily make your audience feel valued, plus you can get some great additional data to tag and use later this way. 

3). Sending a paragraph

It’s very important to remember that texting is not email. This may sound obvious, but when you come face to face with 300-600 characters of space to write a message, it is very common for people to try and use up every last character. When it comes to writing an effective text, less is often more. Why? Because (aside from the occasional long winded disagreement) people don’t text each other paragraphs. Use the channel how people expect it to be used; brief, casual and conversational. You don’t need to say everything at once. Spread it out across several messages and write to elicit a response that leads into the next thing you want to talk about.

4). Not responding to people.

This is a huge one. If you want your texting programs to work, you absolutely need to be actively managing the replies people send back to you. Texts are meant to be responded to and someone who sends you a text back is a golden opportunity for engagement. 

5). Not scheduling your messages thoughtfully

Don’t wake people up with your texts and don’t interrupt their dinner. Send texts at a time that is mindful of the way people live. This will also increase your engagement rate!

6). Never including images or videos in your text.

Don’t be boring. Make your messages more interesting and tell your story better by including a picture or video with your text. There is huge potential for lasting impressions. People retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in a text. Around 64% of consumers make a purchase after watching branded videos and more than 50% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. Take advantage of our Enhanced Video Texting feature!

7). Forgetting to introduce yourself first

This is another big one. The first text you send people absolutely must be an introduction text. Who are you and why are you texting me? That’s the question everyone thinks when an unknown number texts them. Acknowledge this and send a message that makes people feel comfortable with you, and look forward to the next text they will get (plus the option to opt-out of getting any future texts at all!).

8). Using off-the-shelf link shorteners.

Never send bit.ly links. Period. Any off-the shelf link shorteners are not trusted by consumers. Use our built-in link shorteners to compress your link so people trust it and also automatically  track click-throughs. 

9). Not including something actionable for the recipient.

Give them something to do! Why did you text them in the first place? There should always be a next step the recipient can take with your message whether it be tapping a link, sharing with their friends, answering a question, texting back a keyword, filling out a survey, calling back a  number, the possibilities are endless!

10). Texting people more often than they want you to

Don’t give people a reason to opt-out by annoying them with too many texts. Best practice is to let people know how often they can expect to hear from you in your intro text, and not straying too far from that. Remember that even if you’re sending the best messages ever, you shouldn’t be texting people more than their best friend.

11). Sending without opt-in consent

Just the same as email marketing, it’s important to get permission from people before sending them messages. It’s especially important given that texting is a channel which is both intimate and immediate. Keep in mind that when you hit send, you will be triggering hundreds or thousands of instant “dings'' on peoples phones. Imagine having your attention suddenly pulled to your phone for a message you never agreed you even wanted to receive. Make sure you only text people who have given their consent to receiving texts from you to avoid annoying people and losing them as a potential future customer altogether.