SMS mail-outs don’t start with a text, as one might think. They start with the subscribers to whom you’d like to send messages. It may seem that it is quite easy to assemble a customer database, but this is not entirely true.
There are several ways to compile a high-quality database for SMS mail-outs, with full participant consent, and ready for segmentation and further analysis. Although none of these techniques is secret, for some reasons companies often forget about them.
Questionnaires
The first and most common way is questionnaires filled in by clients, with contact information, and also a description of themselves and their interests. By doing this, they confirm that they are already familiar with you and your product, which means that your advertising will not be unexpected or aggravating for them. To motivate clients to fill out questionnaires, offer them a one-off discount or some other bonus.
Registration on the Website
The second way to gather information is via registration on the company’s website. If the clients are ready to give you personal information, they are already interested in cooperating with you. You only need to choose an attractive offer for them. Many people use a lead magnet or, in other words, an attractive free offer for potential clients, which they can receive in exchange for their consent to receiving messages from you. Lead magnets can be free consultations, gifts or trial periods.
Special Phone Numbers
The third way is to include a phone number in the advertisement. Customers can text this number to receive more detailed information. This is very convenient for all concerned. They have no need to search for the information themselves, and you get in contact with people who are interested in your products and can become your clients.
Motivation
Finally, try to motivate people to leave you their data by inviting them to participate in a variety of competitions. If you choose the contest format carefully, then your chosen market segment should definitely respond to it.
When thinking over ways of replenishing your pool of potential customers, remember the most important thing is that your strategy should match your target audience. These are people who have shown an interest in your product. Either they have already bought it, or they have reasons to make purchases in the future. Moreover, these people must give you their personal contact consciously and voluntarily. Only then, communication via SMS will be fair, appropriate and mutually beneficial.
