10 Tips for How to Grow SMS Subscriber List
Learn the most effective and innovative strategies to expand your SMS subscriber list, leveraging proven techniques in SMS marketing to reach a wider audience and drive engagement.
Whether you’re interested in starting your first text marketing campaign or improving your current one, it’s crucial to focus on building your SMS marketing list. Our guide below explains a subscriber list, why it’s important, and how to create your own.
Before you can send SMS marketing texts, you’ll need an SMS subscriber list to know exactly who to message. An SMS subscriber, or marketing list, refers to a group of contacts that have agreed to receive your marketing content via text messages. Because the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) protects consumers from receiving unwanted messages, a subscriber list will only include those who have opted into your text messaging program.
Now, why does building an SMS marketing list matter? Building a list is important because it helps you identify and communicate with those most engaged and interested in your marketing content. Since these subscribers have already given their permission to receive your messages, they’re more likely to interact with your content than just a random group of people unfamiliar with your brand.
But just because you already have a list of contacts doesn’t mean you should stop there—you should always be implementing new strategies to grow your SMS marketing list. After all, the more subscribers, the better.
Before we jump into our top tips for encouraging subscribers, let’s address some best practices for building and maintaining an SMS text marketing list:
- Know the law: Understanding text marketing regulations will help keep you compliant.
- Get permission: Don’t add subscribers to your SMS lists (or send them texts!) without their consent.
- Provide an opt-out option: Always include a way for subscribers to opt out of your marketing program anytime.
- Be mindful of the frequency of your messages: Create a messaging cadence so that you don’t bombard your subscribers with texts at all hours of the day.
- Offer valuable information: Your message content should be interesting and engaging—don’t just send marketing SMS texts for the sake of sending texts.
- Incentivize your subscribers: Offer discounts and perks to help keep your subscribers hooked.
Best Ways to Grow SMS Marketing Subscriber List
1. Use QR Codes
QR codes are a prime list-building tool. To implement this idea, design a QR code that links to a pre-set message in your customers’ messaging apps when they scan the code. From here, they must click send on the message to subscribe to your SMS marketing program.
The beauty of QR codes is that you can place them on everything from your websites and billboards to your menus, receipts, products, tags, and more.
2. Embed Pop-Ups on Your Website
A pop-up message on your landing page that prompts customers to join your SMS text marketing program is a great way to see SMS growth. After all, these customers are browsing your website, so there’s a good chance they’ll be receptive to receiving your SMS texts. For example, if they’re looking through your inventory or searching for a specific product, they’ll likely appreciate a promo code or discount on their purchase.
A pop-up message on your website homepage might say, “Subscribe and get 15% off your next purchase!” Just be sure to include messaging explaining what the text program entails and a “no thanks” option.
3. Create Sign-Up Forms
Sign-up forms are another popular tool to grow your SMS marketing list. You can embed them on your website or create shareable forms to include in your email campaigns and social media platforms. When going this route, just keep these forms above the fold and ensure they’re easy to see.
For instance, you might design a sign-up form inviting your customers to join your loyalty program. Your form should include information about the program, fields for the customer to provide their name and phone number, and a box for your customers to click to agree to opt-in. Your form might say, “You’re invited! Sign up for our loyalty program to earn rewards and exclusive discounts.”
4. Take Advantage of Shortcodes and Keywords
The key to growing your subscriber list is to make it as easy and hassle-free as possible for your customers to opt in. One way to do this is to create a shortcode and keyword that your customers can text, instantly adding them to your list.
Let’s say you oversee a bakery. You could create a message that says, “Get a free cookie with your next purchase! Text COOKIE to 665544” to encourage your customers to subscribe to your text messages.
5. Leverage Your Followers
Those who already follow your business in some way will be more inclined to subscribe to your SMS marketing list than those who have never even heard of your company. So for this strategy, go after those who already follow you on social media and/or receive your marketing emails. For example, create social media posts encouraging followers to subscribe and include links to your sign-up form in your email campaigns.
6. Offer Incentives
Perhaps the top way to grow your text list involves incentivizing your customers to join. This might mean providing discounts, promo codes, free shipping, freebies, and other perks like access to a VIP program, exclusive sales, and updates.
You can incorporate incentivizing messages into any of the above tactics. For instance, you might offer a special discount when your customers scan your QR code or provide a free service when they join via your sign-up form.
7. Run a Contest
Contests are a great way to drum up interest in your business. For this idea, create a contest or raffle in which participants must sign up for your SMS text marketing program for a chance to win your prize.
For example, maybe you own a spa and want to give away a free couple’s massage to a winner who joins your text program. In this case, you could post an announcement on your social media channels saying, “We’re giving away a FREE couple’s massage package to one lucky winner! To enter to win, text SPADAY to 445544.”
Once the contest closes, you can randomly select a winner from your list of new subscribers and award them your prize.
8. Go Offline
Remember your offline efforts, too. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar shop, a pop-up shop, or a booth at the farmers market, use these in-person interactions with customers as opportunities to encourage sign-ups.
When engaging with a customer, tell them about all the perks they’ll receive when they join your SMS marketing program. You could also draw their attention toward a sign with your shortcode or QR code at your checkout booth or include a flier with subscription details on their receipt when they purchase an item.
Remember, just because your subscription list is digital doesn’t mean you can’t talk about it in person!
9. Create a Referral Program
Designing a referral program is another solid way of building your subscribers list because it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
To achieve this, reach out to your current subscribers and offer them a perk for inviting their friends and family members to join your SMS marketing program. For example, you could offer them $20 off their next order or a free product when they invite someone they know to sign up.
This way, your subscriber receives an incentive for the referral, your business gets another subscriber, and the new subscriber earns access to all the benefits of your text program!
10. Combine Strategies
The best tactic for increasing subscribers involves implementing various strategies at once. For example, you might include QR codes on your receipts, place pop-ups on your homepage, and include sign-up forms in your emails. You might also create posts about it on your social media channels and talk about your SMS marketing program with your customers in person. This helps you cast a wide net, appealing to your in-person shoppers, online browsers, email subscribers, and social media followers.
Try EZ Texting’s SMS Marketing Solutions
There’s never been a better time to implement your text marketing program. Whether you’re looking to boost engagement, increase your conversion rates, or drum up more interest in your business, a text marketing platform like EZ Texting can help.
Contact us today to learn more!
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