The Ultimate Text Marketing Guide for Social Sellers

Did you know that text marketing is one of the most effective channels for social sellers? In fact, SMS marketing statistics show that people are four times more likely to reply to SMS marketing efforts than they are to email.

That's because text messages are personal and immediate. They're also perfect for driving conversions, building loyalty, and generating leads.

When it comes to social selling, businesses have a lot to gain by using text message marketing. It fits right in with broader social selling strategies, which allow you to target specific business prospects on social media and develop relationships with them.

Text marketing communications channels can help you build a strong network of potential customers, which can eventually lead to growing and scaling your business.

Moreover, it can enable you to better understand your customers' needs and wants. By engaging with customers through text messages, you can learn more about what they're looking for and how they want you to market to them.

You can then use this information to create more targeted marketing campaigns, eventually leading to even more sales. (And who doesn't want that?)

If you're someone who is:

• Working a full-time job with an e-Commerce side hustle
• Juggling several different micro-businesses; or
• Trying to build a team as part of your social selling business

And you've been trying to leverage social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest (even Linkedin) to effectively engage with prospects and connect on a deeper level with them.

Then you owe it to yourself to find out why text marketing has the potential to do far more for you. (Psst, here's a secret. It isn't necessary for you to shell out a ton of money on social ads or "boost" your posts to ensure people see your content!)

In this ultimate text marketing guide for social sellers, we'll discuss SMS marketing, why it's crucial to integrate it into your whole marketing strategy, and how you can start using it in your own business.

What is Social Selling?

Social selling is a term that refers to the use of social media platforms to build relationships and interact with potential customers to eventually make a sale.

In recent years, social selling has become an increasingly popular marketing strategy. This has occurred as more and more businesses recognize the value of social media in building relationships and engaging with potential customers.

While social selling can take many different forms, some common strategies include creating valuable content, interacting with potential customers, and building a network of supporters and influencers. (Which is why text marketing fits in perfectly, but we'll get to that in a moment.)

When done effectively, social selling can be a potent marketing tool to help your business reach new heights.

Why Should Social Sellers Use Text Marketing?

SMS may be a relatively new form of communication, but it's quickly becoming an essential tool for those who want to reach their customers where they are.

In a world where we're constantly on the go, text marketing allows you to connect with your customers in a personal and convenient way. And you can use it to complement other channels like email, push notifications, and your efforts on traditional social media platforms.

As a result, you can enjoy increased ROI through better customer engagement and retention when you utilize text marketing as part of your multi-channel marketing strategy.

Top Reasons to Use SMS as a Marketing Tool

One of today's marketing challenges is getting noticed by your target audience. And it's not just because there's so much competition out there.

Our inboxes are overflowing, and we're so used to seeing ads on our social media accounts that we hardly even notice them anymore. But SMS marketing has considerable advantages over other marketing channels.

Here are some of the most significant.

SMS Marketing is Designed for Mobile Commerce

You've probably noticed that all the major social media companies have invested heavily in developing mobile apps for their platforms.

Why?

Because just about everyone has a cell phone with texting capability these days. And, a majority use them all day, every day.

In fact, a study done recently found that 46% of people spend around 5-6 hours per day on their mobile phones in their personal time, making it critical for businesses to reach consumers where they are.

Fortunately, SMS messages make mobile marketing easy since they're designed to be read on mobile screens. SMS messages are also highly effective, with a 98% open rate and nearly 100% deliverability.

This makes them an ideal way to reach consumers and promote your product or service.

You Can Get More Engagement With High Open Rates

SMS messages are a great way to reach out to your customers and get them engaged with your brand.

According to a personalization study by McKinsey, SMS messages received high engagement levels from shoppers across the globe.

In particular, the US was the most likely to elicit an 'open and read' action from SMS messages.

Text Marketing Allows You to Connect with Customers Using Their Preferred Communication Method

As a business owner, you must know that text messaging is a great way to keep in touch with your customers and team. But did you know that SMS texts can also help you connect with your ideal audience in the way they want to communicate?

People like to be in the know, and they want to feel like they matter to brands.

When you use text messaging to keep your audience informed about offers, events, and other news that matters to them, they feel cared for and part of the process. In addition, text messaging is a convenient way for busy consumers to stay up-to-date on what's happening with you and your business.

How to Get Started Using SMS Marketing

There are a variety of text marketing platforms and services out there, each with its own unique set of features and pricing plans.

Of course, we're biased, and we recommend using Shout. Not only is the app super affordable, but business owners never have to worry about their messages getting buried by an algorithm or being shadowbanned. Plus, the support offered is robust if you happen to run into any issues.

With that said, once you've chosen a text marketing service provider, the next step is to set up your account and plan out your text messaging strategy.

This includes building your subscriber list, drafting your initial text message campaign, and developing an auto-responder script in case anyone responds to your messages.

However, there's much more to it than that.

To properly integrate text marketing into your social selling strategy, do the following.

Narrow and Define Your Goals

Like with most marketing initiatives, make sure you start with a goal in mind and determine precisely what you want to achieve with this new channel.

For example, most businesses know that customer support is essential, but many still struggle with providing adequate support. One way to reduce customer support issues is to start using text messages.

Or what about abandoned items in shopping carts or post-purchase order details? Businesses can keep shoppers informed and reduce customer support calls with text marketing.

Plus, this new channel also provides an opportunity to upsell and cross-sell related products. For instance, if a consumer buys a shirt from your store, you can send them a text message notification about a matching pair of pants that are on sale.

Just remember to have a clear goal in mind when crafting your marketing campaigns and messages.

Work to Grow Your Subscriber Base

There are some important things to take into consideration when it comes to growing your list of subscribers for your SMS marketing platform.

First and foremost, it's essential to always stay compliant with all regulations and guidelines related to SMS marketing. This means only collecting contact information from those who have expressly permitted you to send them messages—whether this is through subscription forms, giveaways, opt-ins, etc.

In addition, you should consider using a variety of tools and strategies to reach new potential customers and build your subscriber base.

For example, you can partner with other local businesses or companies to offer promotional content. Likewise, it can be helpful to incorporate engaging tactics like contests or quizzes that encourage people to sign up for your SMS program.

By taking these and other measures to grow your subscriber list effectively and responsibly, you can create a successful SMS marketing program that delivers real results for your business.

Build Your Credibility

It's vital to have a solid reputation, both for yourself and for your business. A good reputation can open doors and help you build relationships. It can also give rise to new opportunities and help you close deals.

One way to build a solid reputation is through using text marketing in a professional manner. You can do that by following some best practices, which we'll get into in a moment.

Just keep in mind that your authenticity is essential, whether you're trying to build trust with potential clients or want to create a record of who you are.

Your interactions with your audience through text messages are a great place to achieve this. You can share and link to relevant articles about your industry, add thoughtful insights to conversations, and solve problems your prospects may have.

All of these activities help to establish trust and build relationships. So don't be afraid to be yourself (while keeping it professional). It's a great way to establish your voice and show the world who you really are.

Create and Engage in Group Chats

Group chat is a powerful and convenient way to communicate with others. It allows you to message multiple people simultaneously, keeping everyone in your team or organization up-to-date on the latest news, announcements, or ideas.

Unlike one-to-one chat apps, group chat enables you to create message threads for ongoing conversations. This helps keep discussions organized and easy to follow.

Additionally, group chat allows you to share files and links with your teammates, making it an excellent tool for collaboration on important projects.

Group chat has everything you need, whether you're looking to stay in touch with colleagues during your workday or organize a virtual conference call with remote employees.

Mass Texts

A mass text, also known as a large-scale broadcast text message, is a type of message that businesses and organizations often use for marketing purposes.

The main advantage of mass texts is that they allow you to reach large numbers of people simultaneously. This can be particularly useful for promoting sales or events or sending out important updates or announcements.

In addition, mass texts are generally less expensive than other forms of marketing, such as direct mail or television advertising.

However, mass texts can also be less personal than other methods, and recipients may feel inundated if they receive too many messages.

As a result, it's important to use mass texts wisely. You should use an SMS platform that allows personalization and only send them to people who are likely interested in the information.

Consistently Provide Value

Staying active with text marketing is crucial if you use it as a marketing channel. Thankfully, there are plenty of options available.

• You can share your expertise by offering up solutions and always staying focused on the potential buyer
• You can send time-sensitive promotions and share important updates; and
• You can send reminders

Remember that if you offer consistent value, people will be more likely to stay subscribed to your list.

On the other hand, when you don't, there are consequences. People may unsubscribe, block your number, or even talk negatively about your business to their peers.

Nurture Your Prospects

All things social are now an intrinsic part of our day to day lives, and social selling is rapidly emerging as one of the most effective strategies for growing a business online. However, as anyone who spends time on social media can attest, it can often be challenging to differentiate one's business and make an impact.

One crucial aspect of social etiquette, especially social selling, is paying attention to and responding to what your target audience is saying and sharing.

When using text marketing as part of a social selling strategy, you've got to do many of the same things you'd do on a social media platform.

The difference is that text marketing platforms like Shout allow you to build out personalized, automated responses to many of your audience's most common questions and concerns.

That means you can interact with them in real-time while nurturing them and responding to genuine concerns. And you can do all of that without having to personally text one-on-one with your entire subscriber list.

Earn Trust by Sharing Success Stories

When it comes to developing trust with your audience, nothing is more effective than social proof. Through showcasing success stories and glowing customer reviews, you can demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your product or service.

Whether you have a long history of satisfied customers or your business is still relatively new, using text messages to share these success stories can help to earn the trust of your prospects and convince them that your claims are authentic.

Be Responsive to Customer Complaints

As stated previously, one of the many ways businesses use text marketing is customer service.

Remember, social selling isn't just about aggressively pushing your products or services. Rather, it's about being social and engaging with your target audience in a way that promotes your business.

This can involve responding to customer complaints and resolving any issues that come up. By providing exceptional customer service, you can increase loyalty among existing customers by quickly and effectively responding to your customers' problems.

When you use text marketing to focus on delivering top-notch customer service, you can reap the benefits of a more successful, thriving brand.

Text Marketing Best Practices

With a text marketing strategy in place, it's important to keep a few best practices in mind to maximize your social selling success.

Let's take a look at a couple of them.

Keep Your Messages Short and On Topic

It is more important than ever to be concise and stick to one central message per text. People tend to read text messages on small screens, so text threads that contain multiple calls to action are not ideal.

Additionally, many people still pay a surcharge for text messages, so they will likely not appreciate using three texts if one would do the job just as well.

At the end of the day, it is essential to remember that your goal when sending text messages should be to engage with others in a friendly and efficient manner. Therefore, you've got to try and keep your text messages short and sweet!

Personalize Your SMS Marketing Campaigns

When it comes to efficiently interacting with your audience, it is essential to balance consistency with personalization. While you should always maintain a consistent look and feel, this does not mean that you should be sending out generic messages that are passively targeted.

Instead, you should focus on using your brand voice whenever possible and personalizing your messages with things like sectioned lists and data automation tools.

This will encourage your audience to feel more connected to the content you create, ultimately increasing their engagement and interest in what you have to offer.

Wrapping It All Up

When it comes to marketing your business, text messaging can be a powerful social selling tool. To begin, you simply need to figure out what message you want to send and why, ask people if they are okay with receiving text messages from you, and find an SMS messaging service like Shout that fits your needs.

Once you have all this in place, you can begin sending text messages to your customers and prospects. Keep your messages short and relevant, and be mindful not to overstay your welcome by bombarding people with text messages on a daily basis.

Over time, as you continue to use text marketing and track the results of your efforts, you will gain valuable insights into how this strategy is working for your business. With these insights in hand, you can optimize your social selling strategies for even greater success in the future!