How to effectively grow your SMS subscriber list

SMS marketing can be very effective—often more effective than other forms of advertising. For example, research has found that marketing texts can get as much as 209% higher response rates than email or Facebook. And they create sales: other studies have found that customers who get marketing texts are 40% more likely to convert than those who don’t.

The conclusion is clear: SMS marketing can be really effective.

But to make SMS marketing effective, you’ve got to build your SMS subscriber list, and build it compliantly. How do you do that? In this article, we’ll explain the tactics we’ve seen work best for us and our clients.

What is an SMS Subscriber?

An SMS subscriber is a person who has opted into your SMS text list. That means that they have agreed to receive marketing text messages from your company.

These subscribers are typically more valuable than other marketing audiences. That’s because text messages are more personal than other forms of marketing, so it’s more effective. And because it’s more effective, you get more return on your investment in subscription texts than in other kinds of messages.

Compliance with SMS Marketing rules

Following your local SMS marketing rules is critical. For example, it’s important to remember that text marketing subscribers are different than the subscribers on your email list. People on your email list have agreed to receive emails from you. They haven’t agreed to receive SMS messages. Each of your lists has to be kept separately and only include individuals who have explicitly agreed to receive messages from your company in that medium.

Following local SMS marketing laws used to be tedious and complicated. However, SMS marketing platforms like Mobiz make it easy to ensure your campaigns follow all the rules and build customer loyalty.

How to grow your subscriber list

So how can you actually grow your SMS mailing list? Here are our best tips.

Text-to-join with Mobiz

Text-to-join is a quick way for your customers to join your list. All they do is text a predefined keyword to your business number and they get added to your database and list. You can post this information anywhere customers will see it: On social media, on marketing materials in-store, in email communications, or even on your website.

Mobiz makes it easy to set up these keywords. We even let you supercharge this by creating QR codes that populate the keyword and number directly into the phone’s native messaging application. Or, you can create a link that your customer taps to do the same thing. Then they simply send the message and get on the list. Easy peasy.

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Add options to join from your e-commerce website

If you have an e-store, make joining a part of your checkout process. It’s a natural place for you to obtain subscribers because you already have one critical piece of information about these customers: they’re interested in your products. This can be as easy as filling in their phone number and checking a box to join or even simply adding a text to join QR code that customers can scan.

Website pop-ups are another great place for these. Make them appear as people browsing your products and take advantage of your web traffic. Configure these so that they appear after a certain amount of time spent on your page, after scrolling through a certain number of products, or even as someone is about to leave your site. With the right message (and perhaps even a discount offer) a sign-up pop-up will drive conversions for your business.

Create lead magnets

Text-to-join makes it easy for your customers to get on the list. But you have to make it worth their while. One of the best ways to do this is by creating lead magnets that your customers sign up to receive. A lead magnet is a free resource that your customers can only access once they sign up to your SMS subscriber list. Effective lead magnets can include:

• Case studies

• Tutorials

• Webinars

• Industry trends or reports

• E-books

For example, if you run a restaurant, compile a list of 5 recipes into an e-book and send it to new SMS subscribers. Or, if you run a gym, create some exclusive exercise videos that customers can get by joining your list. The key to success here is that the content you give out should be valuable to your customers.

Discounts or promotions

Who doesn’t like a deal? Your target audience will certainly appreciate the chance to get your products or services at a discount. Here are some ideas for making it work:

• Launch a product prize giveaway. Create a dedicated landing page for the competition that includes a sign-up form. Ask participants to join your subscriber list.

• Offer discounts for in-person sales. Instruct sales personnel to tell shoppers that they’ll get a discount on their purchases if they join the SMS list.

• Advertise coupons on social media. Specify that to get the coupon, your audience members must text to join the subscriber list.

• Provide a discount during online checkout. Add a few fields to your checkout form for your e-commerce store. Offer a small discount for signing up.

Your SMS subscription list powers conversions

Your subscriber list is a gift that keeps on giving. It’s a way for you to directly reach out to your most engaged audience with personalized messages and offers. Not only that, but because of the nature of SMS marketing, you can measure and track customer activity to help you optimize your campaigns.

That’s why SMS marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies out there. The results speak for themselves—sky-high open rates, massive click-through rates, and robust conversions.

Ready to get the most out of SMS marketing? Start building your list today. Sign up for a 14-day trial for Mobiz.