20 rules of the shortest marketing texts
We have been working on the A2P SMS market for more than ten years. Millions of newsletters and thousands of sms campaigns passed through our platform. Over the years, we have gained experience that we will share in this article.
Of course, this is not about annoying spam. Not only is it illegal, it’s also ineffective. The essence of SMS marketing in the targeted delivery of a message to someone who is willing to receive it and is waiting for the necessary information. All other approaches cause only negative.
Another thing is when communication with the audience is carried out with its consent. But even here, there are always some tricks that have a positive effect on conversion, loyalty and other important marketing metrics. Cooperating with the largest telecommunications and marketing companies, we found several patterns that increase the chances that your SMS will interest the addressee.
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1.Turn to the person personally.
If this is an existing client, then, of course, it will be right to contact him by name. But even if you do not know the name, remember that a message that is addressed to a specific person is different from an advertisement on the street, which means that it cannot be impersonal. For a beautiful treatment, select the appropriate word in this situation.
At the same time, excessive familiarity or formality should be avoided if it is not part of your corporate style. Often, the appeal "Dear customer!" Is quite enough.
2. Short and to the point
Modern technologies no longer limit the sender to 160 characters when sending SMS, but still you should not go beyond these limits. By sending a message, you break into the life of another person, and he is unlikely to want to read long stories in SMS. Always write as short as possible, trying to put the most useful information in the message, avoiding unnecessary details. If the essence of the message is understood without additional clicks, in order to open it and finish it - you are a master of short text (almost, like Chekhov).
3. Correctly formulate - do not confuse customers
No need to “invent a bicycle”. In the race for originality, simplicity of perception sometimes suffers. Try to formulate the text of the SMS in such a way that the message is not ambiguous (unless this is the essence of your advertising). If your proposal is difficult to read and perceive, it is highly likely that it will simply be deleted immediately.
4. Select only the most important
Since the text cannot be distinguished in bright color or other type when composing an SMS, often capital letters are used to emphasize a certain word. But do not get too carried away with them. You, probably, noticed that the message written in capital letters (Caps Lock th), is very difficult perceived and almost not readable. Do not repeat such mistakes, highlighting in capital letters only the most important thing in your text.
5. Exclude difficult words / abbreviations
All sorts of text abbreviations, slang and obscure words also negatively affect the effectiveness of SMS distribution. Incorrectly chosen words can adversely affect the image of your company, even reducing customer loyalty to it. If it is impossible to avoid abbreviations, use them extremely rarely and only where the word will be logically understood by the recipient after the abbreviation.
6. Write in plain language
Very often we receive SMS, the words of which are read as in Cyrillic, but written in English letters. The fashion for such messages came from the time when one SMS could accommodate more Latin characters than words written in Cyrillic. We do not recommend using this variant of text compilation, since this method is not readable enough and is difficult for people to perceive. In addition, the use of, for example, letters such as "J" / "Y" mislead recipients, because very often they have quite different interpretations: d, i, f, b, etc.
7. Add calls to action
Of course, brevity is the sister of talent. But if you simply write dull, unemotional information in a message without a hint of what a person should do with it, they are unlikely to achieve the desired effect. Be sure to prescribe the text of the mailing, include calls to action. Clearly list the person what you expect from him. For example: “Come and get a gift!” / “Buy at a discount!” / “Sign up now!”.
8. The first word is more expensive than the second.
It is no secret that if we were not interested in the first lines of the article, then we are unlikely to finish reading it to the end. The same principle applies to short texts for SMS distribution. In order for the recipient to read all the information entirely, arouse interest in it from the very beginning. If the text contains information about discounts, place it at the beginning of an SMS, for example: “DISCOUNTS up to -50%”.
9. Focus on customer benefits.
We have already said that it is very important to correctly place accents in SMS. But now you need to understand exactly what you need to focus on. Everything is simple, of course, on what the client will receive if he agrees to your offer. If the context of the message implies a benefit in the form of discounts or the possibility of buying an exclusive product - write about it.
10. Get plenty of numbers.
Minimize the time spent reading your SMS. Do not write letters that can be reduced by writing in numbers. In addition, numeric data gives a specific specifics to the recipient of the message. And also, as studies show, numbers are more easily perceived by people in the text than words.
11. Out of Chaos - Keep the Structure.
Of course, it all depends on the features of the company, but we recommend that you always adhere to a single structure. So the recipient will always know in advance where the information on discounts or addresses of stores. For example, first write what kind of discount, then in what store, address and contacts.
12. Give the person a sense of significance.
Try to compose the text of the messages so that the person feels caring for himself and the fact that this sentence is quite unique. Show that you care about the customer and remember important dates for him, such as, for example, his birthday. If the company is engaged in wedding services, send an SMS greeting to the client with the wedding anniversary and information about the discount on the services of a photographer.
13. Do not forget about the brand.
No matter how perfect the text for SMS distribution is, you should not forget that the brand itself sells itself. A mailing is a way to convey the necessary information to potential customers. Be sure to specify the brand name in the text in exactly the form in which it occurs, for example, in shopping centers, so that a person can visually determine who exactly to go for a discount.
14. Stay one step ahead of the recipient.
You are a professional in your field and know exactly what questions a person who has received a message from you may have. Try to predict in advance what kind of information a potential client needs in order for him to make a purchase. Do not forget, for example, to specify in the SMS the dates of the action or the opening hours of the institution.
15. Always be relevant.
It is important to remember when sending SMS about the relevance of the offer. After all, first of all it should be interesting to your client. Even if you sell fur coats in August at super-prices, it is unlikely that a person buying a swimsuit will run to you for a fur coat.
16. Play on the contrast - compare prices.
Prescribing the text, it is sufficient to effectively indicate the old and new price for the goods. Thus, a person immediately sees the benefits of working with you / buying from you.
17. Do not use tricks
Most likely, this advice will be superfluous for the majority of responsible companies, but nevertheless we will clarify: your offer should describe exactly what the client will receive. No special or additional conditions, asterisks, footnotes, no small print. Otherwise, you will lose loyalty without receiving it.
18. Group your customer base
Try to approach the delivery of offers more individually, taking into account the needs of potential customers. You should not send all your existing database with the same wording and content. If your company can offer products for both men and women, then divide the base into 2 categories. It is absolutely not necessary to include in the newsletter about discounts on women’s fishing gear or send a message to men about the arrival of a new product for weaving macrame.
19. Point your contacts
The most common error in mailing is the lack of contacts. Many people try for a long time, inventing actions and offers, make up beautiful texts, but all the work often remains undervalued. And all because the sender does not indicate, for example, the address where the sale takes place, the phone number of the restaurant for booking a table or the personal contacts of a specialist who advertises his services.
20. Testing is the key to success.
There is no magic text for SMS that will sell your products or services with a 100% guarantee. We must understand that what is effective for some may absolutely not produce results for others. After all, there are many factors that affect sales, from the quality of the product and the location of the store to the friendliness and friendliness of the staff. In any case, it is testing that gives the best result. Using different variants of mailings and analyzing the influx of customers, as well as their awareness of the company's marketing activities, over time you can easily determine which approach your target audience loves the most.
We wrote in one of our previous materials on how to properly test SMS distribution.
Of course, this is not about annoying spam. Not only is it illegal, it’s also ineffective. The essence of SMS marketing in the targeted delivery of a message to someone who is willing to receive it and is waiting for the necessary information. All other approaches cause only negative.
Another thing is when communication with the audience is carried out with its consent. But even here, there are always some tricks that have a positive effect on conversion, loyalty and other important marketing metrics. Cooperating with the largest telecommunications and marketing companies, we found several patterns that increase the chances that your SMS will interest the addressee.
')
1.Turn to the person personally.
If this is an existing client, then, of course, it will be right to contact him by name. But even if you do not know the name, remember that a message that is addressed to a specific person is different from an advertisement on the street, which means that it cannot be impersonal. For a beautiful treatment, select the appropriate word in this situation.
At the same time, excessive familiarity or formality should be avoided if it is not part of your corporate style. Often, the appeal "Dear customer!" Is quite enough.
2. Short and to the point
Modern technologies no longer limit the sender to 160 characters when sending SMS, but still you should not go beyond these limits. By sending a message, you break into the life of another person, and he is unlikely to want to read long stories in SMS. Always write as short as possible, trying to put the most useful information in the message, avoiding unnecessary details. If the essence of the message is understood without additional clicks, in order to open it and finish it - you are a master of short text (almost, like Chekhov).
3. Correctly formulate - do not confuse customers
No need to “invent a bicycle”. In the race for originality, simplicity of perception sometimes suffers. Try to formulate the text of the SMS in such a way that the message is not ambiguous (unless this is the essence of your advertising). If your proposal is difficult to read and perceive, it is highly likely that it will simply be deleted immediately.
4. Select only the most important
Since the text cannot be distinguished in bright color or other type when composing an SMS, often capital letters are used to emphasize a certain word. But do not get too carried away with them. You, probably, noticed that the message written in capital letters (Caps Lock th), is very difficult perceived and almost not readable. Do not repeat such mistakes, highlighting in capital letters only the most important thing in your text.
5. Exclude difficult words / abbreviations
All sorts of text abbreviations, slang and obscure words also negatively affect the effectiveness of SMS distribution. Incorrectly chosen words can adversely affect the image of your company, even reducing customer loyalty to it. If it is impossible to avoid abbreviations, use them extremely rarely and only where the word will be logically understood by the recipient after the abbreviation.
6. Write in plain language
Very often we receive SMS, the words of which are read as in Cyrillic, but written in English letters. The fashion for such messages came from the time when one SMS could accommodate more Latin characters than words written in Cyrillic. We do not recommend using this variant of text compilation, since this method is not readable enough and is difficult for people to perceive. In addition, the use of, for example, letters such as "J" / "Y" mislead recipients, because very often they have quite different interpretations: d, i, f, b, etc.
7. Add calls to action
Of course, brevity is the sister of talent. But if you simply write dull, unemotional information in a message without a hint of what a person should do with it, they are unlikely to achieve the desired effect. Be sure to prescribe the text of the mailing, include calls to action. Clearly list the person what you expect from him. For example: “Come and get a gift!” / “Buy at a discount!” / “Sign up now!”.
8. The first word is more expensive than the second.
It is no secret that if we were not interested in the first lines of the article, then we are unlikely to finish reading it to the end. The same principle applies to short texts for SMS distribution. In order for the recipient to read all the information entirely, arouse interest in it from the very beginning. If the text contains information about discounts, place it at the beginning of an SMS, for example: “DISCOUNTS up to -50%”.
9. Focus on customer benefits.
We have already said that it is very important to correctly place accents in SMS. But now you need to understand exactly what you need to focus on. Everything is simple, of course, on what the client will receive if he agrees to your offer. If the context of the message implies a benefit in the form of discounts or the possibility of buying an exclusive product - write about it.
10. Get plenty of numbers.
Minimize the time spent reading your SMS. Do not write letters that can be reduced by writing in numbers. In addition, numeric data gives a specific specifics to the recipient of the message. And also, as studies show, numbers are more easily perceived by people in the text than words.
11. Out of Chaos - Keep the Structure.
Of course, it all depends on the features of the company, but we recommend that you always adhere to a single structure. So the recipient will always know in advance where the information on discounts or addresses of stores. For example, first write what kind of discount, then in what store, address and contacts.
12. Give the person a sense of significance.
Try to compose the text of the messages so that the person feels caring for himself and the fact that this sentence is quite unique. Show that you care about the customer and remember important dates for him, such as, for example, his birthday. If the company is engaged in wedding services, send an SMS greeting to the client with the wedding anniversary and information about the discount on the services of a photographer.
13. Do not forget about the brand.
No matter how perfect the text for SMS distribution is, you should not forget that the brand itself sells itself. A mailing is a way to convey the necessary information to potential customers. Be sure to specify the brand name in the text in exactly the form in which it occurs, for example, in shopping centers, so that a person can visually determine who exactly to go for a discount.
14. Stay one step ahead of the recipient.
You are a professional in your field and know exactly what questions a person who has received a message from you may have. Try to predict in advance what kind of information a potential client needs in order for him to make a purchase. Do not forget, for example, to specify in the SMS the dates of the action or the opening hours of the institution.
15. Always be relevant.
It is important to remember when sending SMS about the relevance of the offer. After all, first of all it should be interesting to your client. Even if you sell fur coats in August at super-prices, it is unlikely that a person buying a swimsuit will run to you for a fur coat.
16. Play on the contrast - compare prices.
Prescribing the text, it is sufficient to effectively indicate the old and new price for the goods. Thus, a person immediately sees the benefits of working with you / buying from you.
17. Do not use tricks
Most likely, this advice will be superfluous for the majority of responsible companies, but nevertheless we will clarify: your offer should describe exactly what the client will receive. No special or additional conditions, asterisks, footnotes, no small print. Otherwise, you will lose loyalty without receiving it.
18. Group your customer base
Try to approach the delivery of offers more individually, taking into account the needs of potential customers. You should not send all your existing database with the same wording and content. If your company can offer products for both men and women, then divide the base into 2 categories. It is absolutely not necessary to include in the newsletter about discounts on women’s fishing gear or send a message to men about the arrival of a new product for weaving macrame.
19. Point your contacts
The most common error in mailing is the lack of contacts. Many people try for a long time, inventing actions and offers, make up beautiful texts, but all the work often remains undervalued. And all because the sender does not indicate, for example, the address where the sale takes place, the phone number of the restaurant for booking a table or the personal contacts of a specialist who advertises his services.
20. Testing is the key to success.
There is no magic text for SMS that will sell your products or services with a 100% guarantee. We must understand that what is effective for some may absolutely not produce results for others. After all, there are many factors that affect sales, from the quality of the product and the location of the store to the friendliness and friendliness of the staff. In any case, it is testing that gives the best result. Using different variants of mailings and analyzing the influx of customers, as well as their awareness of the company's marketing activities, over time you can easily determine which approach your target audience loves the most.
We wrote in one of our previous materials on how to properly test SMS distribution.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/334336/
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