SMS Marketing in 2024: 3 Ways for Brands to Win

SMS marketing is a critical piece of sustainable, profitable franchise marketing. Recent data shows that text messaging earns 3-4x more engagement than the next best channel (email). You can (and should) put this channel to work thoughtfully to increase your franchise locations’ revenue. Here are three ways to do it.

1. Catapult local marketing by texting for Google reviews.

When most consumers have a need, they jump on Google and search for a solution close by. They typically click on the first listing, and—if that provider does what they need and responds quickly—choose to work with them. You can become the first provider at the top of Google search listings by earning more Google reviews.

To earn more Google reviews, text every customer after you’ve completed service for them, and ask them to share their experience on Google. Text Request’s review management suite even lets you connect your business phone number to your Google Business page, so you can request reviews, track your progress, and even respond to them all through Text Request.

Do this for each of your locations. Before long, you’ll be ranking #1 in search results, and winning the lion’s share of new business.

2. Bring customers back again and again with SMS promotions.

You’re collecting contact information from leads and customers, and you’re getting consent to contact them, but are you putting that contact info to good use? Chances are, you’re adding them to your email marketing list, but you also need to include them in your SMS marketing. You can simply upload opt-in contacts into Text Request.

Periodically, text previous customers about new opportunities and reminders to use your services. Depending on what your franchise provides, that may be:

• Weekly reminders to join a class or claim a discount

• Monthly follow-ups to re-engage warm leads

• Quarterly promotions about seasonal offers

• Semi-annual reminders to take full advantage of their contracts

• Annual scheduling reminders to make sure contracts stay in tact

People will see and act on your texts, leading directly to more revenue, so make sure this is part of your plan!

3. Convert more website viewers into qualified leads and sales.

You spend a lot of time and money driving qualified visitors to your website. Then what happens? Use SMS to bridge the gap between someone who’s interested and someone who's purchasing. Here’s one way to do it.

Add an SMS Chat to your website—a live chat widget that starts text message conversations. It’s convenient for visitors to ask questions and get quick answers, which helps you start and close more conversations from your website. And it’s effective for you, because you get their cell phone number and can instantly follow-up through the channel that works best. This way you can take full advantage of the traffic you’re already getting.

SMS marketing is a necessary component for profitable franchise marketing. Visit textrequest.com or contact us to see how Text Request will help you take full advantage of it in 2024.

Kenneth Burke is the VP of Marketing for Text Request, a business messaging platform. I've written over 1,200 articles on business growth for dozens of outlets, and I've helped all types of companies from pre-launch startups to billion-dollar businesses achieve their goals. I'm also a champion for Chattanooga and am always open to a new book recommendation.

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