Offer Special Deals for Opting In
The best way to get customers to sign up for your SMS list is by directly offering them something in return. Offering deals, coupons, and other special offers to customers who are willing to sign up is one way of boosting your subscriber numbers.
Research indicates that receiving coupons and special deals is the primary reason why people sign up to receive branded SMS messages in the first place. An attractive upfront offer will get people to opt-in, and a stream of offers over time will keep them opted-in.
Offer SMS List Signups Alongside Email Signup
You can also integrate your lead capture efforts by offering SMS opt-ins anywhere you also offer email newsletter opt-ins.
Whether it’s placed on your homepage, in a blog post, or at your online checkout, an SMS opt-in can go pretty much anywhere you would place a newsletter signup form. It can really be as simple as just adding one more box to the form for an SMS number field.
Neglecting to offer SMS signup when offering email signups is a wasted opportunity. If you’re going to fish for email leads, you may as well capture SMS leads too.
SMS List Building: Text-To-Win Campaigns
A more creative way to gather SMS opt-ins is by running a text-to-win promotion. This kind of promotion requires people to text a number in order to enter a contest. After entering, each customer can be prompted to join your SMS mailing list with an automated response text.
As previously mentioned, most people subscribe to branded SMS communications in hopes of receiving coupons, offers, and deals. A flashy and attractive contest prize is a great way to entice people with the promise of similar prizes, freebies, or other offers further down the line.
Pick a prize you know potential customers will salivate over, advertise the promotion online and in-store, and watch the subscribers roll in.
Remember, this only works in some states. Check your cannabis regulations to verify whether you can do this.
Encourage Physical Signups
You can also encourage customers to opt-in when they physically visit your dispensary.
Getting your budtenders to mention your SMS program upon checkout is an easy way to spread the word. A physical sign offering a discount or promotion for online SMS signups is also an excellent strategy. Thanks to smartphones and mobile internet, customers can quickly sign up for your SMS program without being handed a direct web link.
Use Effective Calls-To-Action
Lastly, remember to use effective calls-to-action that draw people in and inspire them to take immediate action.
If you are relying on a special offer or contest to gather SMS subscribers than consider using keywords that are more specific to that context. Phrases like “to take advantage of this deal” or “for a chance to win now” can be used to instill a sense of urgency and inspire immediate action.
Many SMS programs use catchy keywords as a way to stand out in a customer’s mind. For example, a message like “Text ‘OPTIN’ to ###### right now to join’ is a standard way of letting the customer know exactly what they have to do and when they should do it.
You can learn more about SMS by texting “SMS” to 411-669 (did you see that one coming?), or give us a call!
