8 Questions to Ask When Choosing Text Marketing Software
When it comes to text marketing software, you have a variety of options. Each comes with its unique pros and cons, and all come with the benefits of text marketing. If you are trying to decide which text marketing software is right for your unique business, audience, and goals, ask the following questions while exploring your options.
#1) What is text marketing software?
Text marketing software is a system that enables businesses to collect phone numbers from interested audiences and then, send text messages to that audience. Text marketing software consists of: a database of people to contact, a system to send messages to the people in the database, and a dashboard to review the results of your campaigns.
#2) Do I need software for text marketing?
Yes, you need text marketing software if your business wants to engage in text marketing. You can’t simply take a phone number, enter it into your phone and message your customer. There are laws that dictate the way that businesses are allowed to send messages via text. Text marketing software is designed to ensure that you follow the correct legal guidelines (and set up proper campaigns and reports).
#3) Do I need to have an existing audience database?
You need an audience database to run effective text marketing campaigns. You can't send messages if you have no one to send them to. If you are just getting started and don’t have a list, consider this as you look for text marketing software. In addition to looking for a provider who can help you manage your text marketing campaigns, look for a partner that can help you grow your database as well.
Related: 7 Simple Ways to Collect Customer Contact Information
#4) Do I need to ask permission to text my database?
Having an existing list of leads and customers doesn’t necessarily mean that you can add them to your text marketing software and start messaging them. You need their permission to be able to contact them through text marketing. If you don’t have permission, or you don’t know if you have the required permission, look for a text marketing partner who can guide you through the process and ensure that you are following proper legal guidelines.
#5) How much does text marketing cost?
As you research different text marketing software and providers, consider the costs associated with each. Review costs that may be associated with:
- Platform Fees: Text marketing software may include a monthly fee for using the platform.
- Set-up and Management Fees: Look for costs that may be associated with setting up your account, such as adding users to the database, creating a strategy, customizing your dashboard, etc.
- Cost Per Message: There may be a cost for each message that you send. This rate typically ranges between $0.01 to $0.05 per text message.
- Cost Per Keyword: Keywords are the phrases you invite people to text to join your list or participate in a specific campaign. There may also be a cost associated with how many keywords you use. These rates can range from $5 to $25 per keyword per month.
As you look at different text marketing software, look out for these costs and add them up to get an idea of what your total investment will be.
#6) What are my text marketing goals?
If you are searching for text marketing software, you may have already established that you want to try this marketing tactic. But, do you know why? Take a step back and assess your goals. Are they goals that align with text marketing?
Text marking might be right for your brand if you want to:
- Build a customer/lead database
- Engage an existing customer/lead database
- Start a lifecycle marketing program
- Drive interest in your brand, event, or location
- Learn about your customers
Related Reading: Is Text Message Marketing for Small Business Right For Your Local Brand?
#7) What ROI can I expect from text marketing?
Text marketing has multiple applications so it isn’t always easy to determine its exact return on investment. Your results will vary based on your approach.
At MyArea Network, we have run multiple campaigns that combine a variety of approaches to both grow a database and convert subscribers into customers, and we found the text marketing ROI to produce an average 5X return. Our customers often see five times their investment come back to their business.
Related: This Is Why Restaurants Miss Out By Not Using Text Marketing
#8) Can I run successful text marketing campaigns on my own?
Text marketing is more than setting up a software for collecting data and sending messages. If you want to see real results from your text marketing campaigns, make sure you have the insight to launch successful campaigns. To run the best text marketing campaigns, you may need:
- Strategy for getting in front of your target audience driving interest to sign up
- Landing pages that utilize strong copy and design to encourage audiences to sign up
- Strong copy and offers for your text message copy
- Strategy for continuing to market to people who join your list
- The ability to assess analytics to optimize campaigns to produce better results on future campaigns
If you don’t believe you have the team to execute on each of those tasks, look for a text marketing software that also offers consulting to help with campaign execution.
Related: Text Marketing for Bars & Night Clubs: Tools, Tips and More
Find the Best Text Marketing Software
The answers to these questions will help you conduct a needs assessment for text marketing. As you compare software, look for the solution that best aligns with your needs and goals.
And, if you need help with your decision-making process, MyArea Network is here to help.
We offer managed text marketing services that create the strategy and set up the systems for your campaigns. You tell us what you need, and we will execute the full plan to fill your database and engage your list.
Or, if you want to see how you can do it on your own, check out MySuite. MySuite is our free marketing suite that includes tools to help you set up text marketing campaigns on your own. You can design and execute campaigns within software. Sign up for a demo or create your free account today.
Or let us walk you through the process, sign up for a free chat with one of our text marketing experts to see how we can help guide you through your decision process.
