If there's one thing that every business owner is concerned with, it's definitely lead generation. Whether you call it by the industry term or just refer to it simply as "getting some customers", it's undoubtedly true that every sale starts with getting a customer interested in whatever it is you're trying to sell. The question is this: once you've figured out how to get more qualified leads, do you have any idea what to do with them? This blog is a twofer, in that you'll learn a little about nurturing leads and a bit about SMS, because in today's marketing world the two often work hand in hand.
Exercise Trust-Based Marketing
Most people approach a new business relationship – meaning a business they're just beginning to read about, interact with, or considering buying from – with a certain degree of cautious optimism and a fair amount of trust. The average consumer wants to believe that they've found the next best dry cleaner or nutritional supplement or ice cream recipe, but before they're going to shell out their hard-earned dough they want a little proof of concept and evidence that your company isn't going to break their hearts (or their budgets).
- Be clear from the very beginning about your intentions by getting customer permission for future texts and describing exactly what the phone number will be used for.
- Be equally clear about how consumers can unsubscribe. Everyone needs access to a clearly marked opt out.
- Be strategic. The average millennial exchanges some 67 texts each and every day. It would be ridiculously easy to either get caught up in all that digital noise or simply passed over for more important messages. Only your content can help you stand out in a good way, but you can easily stand out in a very bad way as well (like if you send texts too early, too late, or too often).
Be True to the Text
First, understand what a text is very much not: a blog, an email, an article, an opportunity to outline your 2-year plan, your chance to talk about yourself or your business for three or four texts in a row. Texts are limited to 160 characters for a reason; if what you have to say exceeds that limit, text isn't the right medium. Here's what you can use text for, in terms of nurturing your newly generated leads:
- Check in. Regular texts saying "you might like this new blog" or "here's some great reviews of our new product" keeps things short, sweet, and informative, and creates top-of-mind awareness.
- Ask for opinions. The average smartphone user takes a mere 90 seconds to respond to a text message (versus an average of 90 minutes to return an email), making SMS the perfect medium for encouraging consumer feedback.
- Get creative. Text can be more than just, well, text. Coupons have proved remarkably effective (10 times as much as traditional print coupons, actually), and QR codes and short codes will also help get people interested.
Give Value
Forget what you need. Approach every text you send with this question in mind: What's in it for my future customer? You want to build a lasting relationship with this person, and that only happens when you give them something that makes them feel something, want something, or believe in something. Inspire and educate, and those mildly interested people might well turn into revenue-generating customers.
Build on this blog by reading up on how to best use mobile marketing to drive sales, and always remember the power of text: SMS is a lifeline between you and your customers, and if you treat it with respect, great things will happen.
What's Next?
What do you think of what I've covered so far? Will you adopt SMS as your tool for communication? I would love to read your comments below.
Topics: Lead Generation
