If your content falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, it will not make a sound. If your potential customers are not hanging out in that particular sunny glen surrounded by towering oaks, your message will fall on deaf ears. You MUST find where your people are and tell them what they need to know. There is no longer an excuse for not knowing who and where your clients are.
Social media serves up all kinds of juicy demographic data, and consumers align in little groups just waiting to be snatched up.
But what about the marketing strategies in general? Getting too close? Too in your face? Or is it just right, as Goldilocks would say?
What would she think if she got a text message telling her that complimentary bowls of perfectly cooled porridge were being served at the snack center? She’d think you knew what she wanted. Customers love that.
Text Message Marketing
As recipients and transmitters of this up-close and personal marketing type, it is worth more than a glance. Speaking of glances, with text message marketing, when you see it, you see it. You probably had your phone in hand anyway!
How often have you wandered a huge convention center, aimlessly — or got caught up in a conversation and missed a great break-out session?
A quick alert that tells you where to be and that it’s starting in 15 minutes is a welcome reminder. It can also afford the opportunity to extricate yourself from that pushy salesperson – as you flash a smile and a: “Gotta run!”.
As the product/service provider who has spent a ton on the booth build, all the convention marketing materials, and the accommodations – you want to corral those future clients; find the sunny glen in which they are basking. There are numerous message types that can be sent like:
- Alerts about special promotions
- Links to coupons
- Keynote speaker reminders
- Surveys
- Winners of the drawings
…And of course driving recipients to a landing page or to respond to a call to action.
Permission Based Marketing
So back to Goldilocks at the Javits Center. She raised a hand about those perfect bowls of porridge, and when they were ready, she was made aware.
She didn’t ask to hear about a timeshare in Orlando while she dined.
Basic protocols that govern a society prevail here: don’t bait and switch by giving people something they didn’t ask for and don’t give them anything if they want nothing. Truth? Don’t poke the bear. Your business has a reputation to uphold.
Know Your Platform
Like the abundantly clear rules of any marketing that invades a client’s space – whether laptop or iPhone, just be cool. At the onset:
- Let them know what they will be getting
- Obtain their opt-in
- Never forget the ubiquitous disclaimers about those messaging and data rates that may apply
- Like a good email marketing campaign, make it easy for them to leave and then send them a gracious “thank you” in an autoresponder when/if they do
As part of a regular campaign, 2-4 texts a month is sufficient, although you may use all of those 4 in a special setting like a convention when there is a singular purpose for a limited time – as long as you set those expectations.
And probably most importantly, if you have nothing good or important to say – don’t say anything.
Don’t use text message marketing unless it really serves your objectives and your audience. No need to unnecessarily contribute to chatter. That’s when you leave the world of friendly porridge-eating bears and begin barking up the wrong trees — at squirrels.
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