After implementing a successful text message marketing campaign, the last thing you want to see is your subscribers opting out in droves. There will always be some percentage of subscribers choosing to leave for reasons beyond your control. People change their minds for no real reason or they may have initially opted in for a deal to purchase a gift. However, if you notice your opt out rate rising above the norm, then it is time to evaluate your campaign to make changes and retain your subscribers.
Keep the Message Short and Sweet
Don’t get too wordy in your message — stick to 160 characters or less.
There are only 160 characters per text message. Even though some newer smartphones make it seem as though longer messages can be sent as one text, they are still sent over mobile networks as two. This means that data and message rates apply to each 160-character text sent, which could end up costing your customers more money than they initially thought. Additionally, your message may end up being sent as two or more separate messages, which could lead to confusion. If you want to share more information, you could include a link to your website to learn more.
Maintain the Right Frequency
One of the main reasons people choose to opt out of a SMS campaign after they have already signed up is that they receive more messages than they thought. You should only send the number of messages that you have promised from the beginning. Even if you do, some people may still tire of receiving a large number of messages. Keep in mind that the optimal frequency is around eight messages per month, or one to two per week, according to recent research from BlueHornet. However, your customers may enjoy receiving more or fewer messages, so it’s important to review your own campaign data to discover the right frequency for your audience.
Send Exclusive and Valuable Content
Make sure the offers you send are exclusive to your text message campaign.
Another common reason that people opt out of text message marketing campaigns is simply tiring from receiving the same old content or content that they do not see as valuable. To reduce the chance of this, you should always send unique and exclusive content that provides some value. The most valuable content is dependent upon your type of business and your customers. Many business achieve success with their text message campaigns by sending offers and discounts, but you can also send tips, appointment reminders, exclusive access, questions and surveys, and more. Test different types of content to see what your customers seem to prefer by looking at which messages have the highest response rates, as well as which ones increase your opt in rates and decreases your opt out rates.
Remember that any content you send through text message should be exclusive to this channel, especially offers and deals. However, you can occasionally send cross-channel promotional messages, such as a link to a blog post or social media contest, as long as you do so only when the content is relevant for your text marketing campaign.
Offer Incentives and Rewards
One way to keep your customers interested in your text message program is to continually reward them for being a subscriber. One way to do this is to include incentives or offers in every text message. You can also connect your text subscriber list with your VIP or loyalty program, sending out exclusive access or deals to reward faithful customers. If your subscribers know that remaining on the list will give them something special in the future, they will be more likely to stay.
Continually Review and Adapt
Review your strategy and make changes based on the analysis.
It is important to continually review your campaign in order to identify what needs improvement. You should look at your open rates, conversion rates, opt in rates, and opt out rates to get an idea of which messages work, and which do not. It is also important to remember that what works really well one time, or even several times, may not work as well in the future. Don’t be afraid to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. If you continually make small adjustments based on your campaign analysis, you can always keep your messages relevant to your audience, reducing the number of people who opt out.
If you want to know more about how to tell if your text message marketing efforts are working, read this FireText blog post.