Text Marketing Lead Generation: 4 Steps to Build Your List
Text marketing is a powerful way to get in front of interested prospects and customers and drive them to do business with you. (Our clients see an average return of 500% on their text marketing campaigns.) But, you can only do this if you have a list to send your messages to. This is why text marketing lead generation is so important.
The more people you have on your list, the better your chances of driving more conversions and sales.
A text marketing lead generation strategy helps you get in front of people who are most likely to be interested in your brand and drive them to join your text list. With the right strategy, you can generate leads that can turn into immediate conversions and also create a list of engaged consumers that you can continue to sell to for years to come.
So, how do you do it?
Step #1) Set up text marketing software.
Just as you need software for email marketing campaigns, you need software to launch text marketing campaigns. You can’t just add numbers to your phone and start texting (just as you can’t just add email addresses and start emailing).
The first step in setting up a text marketing generation strategy is setting up a text marketing software that enables you to collect and store customer opt-in information in the legal and appropriate way.
Need help with setting up text marketing software?
Check out MySuite by MyArea Network. Your free business profile includes tools to set up text marketing software and launch opt-in campaigns. Sign up for a demo or create your free account today.
Step #2) Create opt-in gateways.
Once you have text marketing software set up, you need to set up a way for interested consumers to join your list. With text marketing you have two primary options for opt-ins gateways.
Opt-in Landing Pages: Opt-in landing pages are web pages that allow users to enter their phone number to join your text list. The benefits of using landing pages are:
- They give you an opportunity to promote the benefit of signing up for your list. You can add messaging to the page to explain opt-in offers and promotions.
- You can point ad campaigns directly to landing pages, creating a direct connection from your campaign to your opt-in.
Text-to-Join Phrases: Another way people can sign up for your text list is by texting a phrase or word to a set phone number. The benefits of using text-to-join phrases are:
- They make it easy for customers to join. They don’t need to use a web browser. They can join by just sending a short text.
- You can connect with people offline. You can promote text-to-join campaigns through signage or in-person announcements.
Step #3) Create opt-in campaigns.
Once your text marketing lead generation strategy has ways for people to join your list, you need to give them reasons to join.
People are unlikely to pass over their contact information unless there is something in it for them. You can’t just set up a list and hope that people join it. You need to create opt-in campaigns that encourage people to sign up if you want to collect customer contact information.
Here are a few examples of marketing campaigns you can use to drive sign-ups.
- Run a contest with both a grand prize and smaller prizes to increase interest.
- Give away discount coupons and promotions.
- Create a rewards club that gives special deals to loyal customers.
- Give exclusive access to your physical or online properties.
Step #4) Advertise your opt-in campaigns.
Even if you have a great opt-in incentive, no one will join if they don’t know about it. You must advertise your opt-in campaign to get it in front of the people who are most likely to respond to your offer and be interested in your business.
Identify your target audience. Before you start any in-person or digital advertising, take time to really think about your ideal audience. The point of your promotions aren’t to reach everybody; they are to reach the right somebody. Create a buyer persona that outlines the ideal customer you want to connect with. Then, use what you learn to decide where you need to be to reach them.
Recommended Reading: Get to Know Your Customers Through Super Simple Buyer Personas
Reach audiences where they are online. Consider how you can get your opt-in campaigns in front of your ideal audience when they are online. What are they searching for? What are the platforms they use? What targeting settings allow you to place your ads in front of them using:
- Social media ads
- Pay-per-click search ads
- Website display banners (on your site and other third-party sites)
Reach audiences where they are in person. Then, consider how you can get your opt-in campaigns in front of your ideal audience when they are out in the world.
- Use geofencing advertising to target customers based on where they are (like right outside your shop or in a hotel near your restaurant).
- Promote your campaigns on in-store signage to capture opt-ins while customers are in your business.
- Identify events that your ideal customers are likely to attend and promote your opt-in through announcements and flyers.
Recommended Reading: Is Text Message Marketing for Small Business Right For Your Local Brand?
Launch a Text Marketing Lead Generation Campaign Today
Your text message marketing campaigns are only as good as your text marketing list.
If you don’t have a strong list, it will be difficult to drive strong results. You need an engaged list of people who are interested in your brand and offerings to get the full benefits of text marketing.
A text marketing lead generation strategy is essential to the success of text marketing. Start off on the right foot by following these tips to launch campaigns that will build your list and lead to higher engagement and more conversions and sales.
Sign up for your free MySuite account today to set up text marketing software and launch opt-in campaigns to grow your list. Need more details? Contact our team for a free demo to see our software in action.
