Are you reaching out to a broad range of customers with your text message marketing?
Many small businesses assume that younger customers are the only worthwhile target for text marketing, but that’s not the case.
In fact, by embracing a wider customer base with your text message marketing, you can really make this medium work for your business.
So just why does your small business need a broad approach to texting? And how can you best achieve that?
Consumers of All Ages Are Mobile
You probably expect your customers in their 20s and 30s to be mobile, but what about your older customers?
The over-50 crowd proves to be ideal customers for text message campaigns.
They have a lot of spending power, and often have the free time and disposable income to spend on the things they want, need and care about.
As the article “Text Messaging: It Isn’t Just For Millennials” says, research indicates that 81 percent of baby boomers have a mobile phone, and of those, 85 percent use text messaging.
That means they’re in prime position to receive marketing texts from you, texts which could lead to more sales and better customer engagement.
By including customers of all ages in your text marketing, you can get your message in front of more people.
Start By Segmenting
To reach a broad customer base, start by segmenting that customer base.
The trick here is to appeal to a broad range of customers, but within that remit it’s important that you speak to each customer in a way that resonates with them. The best way to do that is to divide your text message list into groups.
You can choose to group your customers based on a range of factors, such as age, location, the length of time they’ve been your customer, their particular interest in your business and so on.
By doing so, you can craft your text messages to appeal specifically to them.
You might focus on specific products or services, slightly vary the language you use, or perhaps highlight specific special offers for each customer group.
Segmenting allows you to reach more customers without losing that all important personal touch.
Craft Your Messages Carefully
The key to success with text marketing is to plan each message meticulously. You only have a limited amount of space in which to get your point across, so make every word count.
Here are some pointers to keep in mind:
- Be clear and concise – Text marketing doesn’t leave room for waffle, so keep each message to the point and make your language clear and easy to understand;
- Offer something – Each message should offer something of value to the recipient. Whether it’s an offer they won’t want to miss, a contest, or important information, each message needs a defined purpose;
- Build trust and loyalty – This is true for all customers, but especially older age groups who are more likely to stick with businesses they like and trust. Use your messages to foster brand loyalty by making yourself useful, being respectful and making your customers feel valued;
- Combine with other mediums – Why not use text marketing to draw attention to your email list or Facebook page, or use those mediums to gain attention for your text marketing list? Each medium has its own strengths, and by combining them you can make the most of all of those.
Text marketing is a useful marketing tool for your small business.
Plan-out your text campaigns to appeal to customers across a range of ages, to truly make the most of its potential.
About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a variety of topics including social media, how to build customer relationships, content marketing and how to use text marketing in your small business.