Marketing understandably typically takes a back seat to getting the work done for a small firm or tradesperson. It’s difficult to know where to begin, but with most of us spending half of our days on our phones (often for reasons unrelated to business), text message marketing is undervalued. It’s a low-cost marketing strategy that works for busy, on-the-go tradespeople.

1. Why should you join the SMS bandwagon?

Cell phones have evolved into a fifth limb. The majority of us find it impossible to function without them, and 62% of us can’t sleep without them. While it’s evident that we’re addicted, how does this assist you in selling your small business or trade? Well, one study found that marketing texts are opened 98% of the time. However, email marketing campaigns are only opened 20% of the time.

When they’ve opted-in, 75% of people don’t mind receiving SMS from a company.

Texts are read in under five seconds on average, with 90% of them being opened in that time.

Only 45 percent of marketing texts receive a response. Email marketing accounts for only 6% of the total.

Aside from the numbers, text message marketing has a slew of other benefits for your company, including:

  • It’s spam-free – unlike email marketing, your text won’t be lost in the spam folder, never to be viewed again.
  • It’s reasonably priced – it’ll only set you back the cost of one SMS, which may or may not be included in your phone plan.
  • You’ll have to be concise because there’s a character limit, so you’ll have to get right to the point. There is no room to be wordy, unlike emails.
  • Customers are truly interested in what you have to offer since they have to ‘opt-in’ to get your messages. As a result, rather than casting a wide net as with other forms of marketing, you’re communicating with clients who are genuinely interested in your company.

2. Making text messaging a part of your operation

It’s really quick and easy to take a customer’s phone number and enter it into a customer relationship database. When you have this information, you can utilise it to communicate things like:

  • Sharing reminders for appointments – CRM software can send automatic text reminders through SMS. Send a text the day before, the day before, or two days before your booked appointment.
  • Sharing reminders to leave feedback — for small businesses and tradesmen, feedback and reviews are priceless. Send a quick text once a job is finished thanking customers for their business and asking for comments. 
  • Notifying consumers that you’re in the area – if you’re storing customer data in a software solution, it’s simple to filter customers by location. If you have work ongoing in a specific location and want to generate more business, send a short text message to other customers to let them know you’re in the area and can swing by for quotes or small jobs.
  • Sending helpful hints or reminders — helpful hints about your sector are frequently appreciated. If you work in the HVAC industry, for example, you might inform consumers that their filters need to be cleaned. If you work in the roofing industry, you may encourage consumers to check their tiles and empty their gutters before the winter season arrives.
  • Discounts and special offers – if business is slow, texting a special offer to existing customers that they may share or forward to their friends is a terrific way to get things moving again. This might be as easy as a discount on all jobs scheduled during a specific month.

3. Doing things correctly (legally)

Are you in the business of communicating or marketing?

Remember that your customers have provided you with their phone numbers so that you can contact them about scheduled jobs. That’s not the same as approving the usage of personal information for marketing purposes.

It’s critical to understand the differences between the two and follow the proper marketing message protocol, which includes:

  • Using your company’s name as the sender.
  • Including your contact information.
  • Allowing clients to unsubscribe via text message.

Aside from legal duties, there are a few things you should know before texting your customers:

  • Avoid text jargon; you’re interacting with consumers, not pals, so professionalism is essential. Remove any superfluous abbreviations from your message and keep it simple.
  • Unless it’s an emergency, stick to business hours. You shouldn’t be texting your consumers at 10 p.m. on a Sunday just because that’s when you’ve gotten around to it. Unless it’s an emergency, Monday through Friday during business hours is better.
  • Stick to one mode of communication per message — for example, if you’ve sent an email reminder, don’t send a text message reminder. Customers may become irritated if you double up on your efforts, and your reputation may suffer as a result.
  • Customers won’t know who you are unless you’re programmed into their contacts, so start your message with your name and business name. All you need is anything as easy as “Hi, this is x from x.”
  • While text messaging lends itself to being concise, including an introduction and a thank you at the conclusion of your message helps you appear professional and kind.
  • Proofread your messages — much like a business email, spelling mistakes and typos don’t look good. Before sending any messages, read them again.
  • Don’t go overboard — consider whether you really need to send that text before you do. It’s great to send the occasional reminder or special offer, but if you send too many, you risk being labelled as spam and having a negative influence on your business.

Text messaging is a quick and easy way to communicate with your consumers and promote to them. By keeping your communications professional and helpful, you’ll give your customers an extra degree of service that will keep them coming back, leaving excellent reviews, and, most importantly, recommending you to others. It won’t even feel like marketing. 

If you’re operating a business as an electrician, you may be bound by numerous requirements, one of which is the requirement that you hold a particular level of Liability insurance. This insurance protects you from any losses incurred by your clients as a result of your negligence or errors. Make sure you thoroughly research the requirements and ensure you are in full compliance at all times.

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