Why You Can’t Live Without Short Code SMS for High-Volume Texting

The best brands are built by bringing value to customers. With the sheer volume of options and the ability to find them in online searches, engagement is more important than ever. More than that, it’s important to have mindful, valuable communication with your customers. This not only supports them but helps you to stay front of mind. SMS is the way forward, and short code SMS for high-volume texting will get you there.

A supplement to your existing marketing strategies, text messages add a more direct means of communication at scale. Text messaging can help improve your customer’s experience by providing status updates, timely reminders, and relevant promotional information to a large audience simultaneously.

Text Messaging: More Than Just Friendly Chit-Chat – Short Code SMS for High-Volume Texting

These days, mobile phones are like another appendage. In fact, a global survey showed that the majority of users couldn’t live without their cell phone and would much rather lose their wallets. That makes sense, of course, now that virtually everything can be taken care of with these devices. Mobile wallets for payments, ordering services for food and groceries, online shopping… Do we even need to leave the house anymore?

On average, mobile phone users pick up their phones 58 times a day. That means not only is the phone always within arm’s reach, but there are eyes very often on it. Your digital marketing strategy should include SMS to ensure you’re reaching this captive audience.

SMS marketing can be effective for immediate sales. It’s also a powerful tool for building an avenue of communication with prospective and current customers, brand trust, and loyalty. That’s why short code SMS for high-volume texting is a game changer.

Uses for High-Volume Texting

Instead of relying on email or sending impersonal messages, high-volume texting takes your communication to the next level. With a platform built to support short code SMS for high-volume texting, you can reach thousands of contacts at the same time with ease. These platforms allow you to create, distribute, and track your text messages to customers.

While you can reach many customers at once, you should be sure you’re leveraging this technology to the highest degree. Messages should be relevant and actionable, prompting your audience to engage in some way.

Make Announcements

Time is of the essence when you’re selling products or services, particularly when you’re launching something new. A great way to build excitement and engage with your broader  audience is through announcements.

Short code SMS for high-volume texting is an excellent tool for creating intrigue. If you’re in the run-up to a launch of a new product or service, send a brief text to announce to your customer base that something new is coming. This is also a great way to share that you’re adding new items to your catalog.

Suggest to your customer that they register to be among the first to hear your news. Share insider news about product launches and entice customers to purchase. Announce in-store or online events, and encourage customers to join.

Run Promotions

Everyone loves a good deal. SMS is a key approach to sharing about promotions and sales, letting your customers know when they can save money. You can also offer discounts available only to those who subscribe, book, or order from a link in your text. 

Depending on the nature of your business, the timing when you send a message is crucial. If you’re delivering pizzas, for example, sending a text-based nudge to your customers on game day is a great way to remind them you’ve got the food covered.

Related: Bulk SMS Texting is a Game Changer

Launch Contests

Try bringing a sense of fun and competition into your text strategy. Contests and giveaways will increase engagement by giving customers a reason – and potential reward – to interact with your brand. 

Encourage enrollment in a program, participation in a promotion or event, or offer a chance to win based on providing feedback on their experience. Short code SMS for high-volume texting can quickly engage your contacts at scale and encourage participation.

Solicit Feedback

First-hand experience is the best guide for understanding just how your business is doing. After all, if you’re in the business of serving customers with a product or service, it’s invaluable to know the experience of those customers.

Sending a text after customers make a purchase, after your product is delivered, or your company performs a service is a great way to follow up. While these texts are more personal than mass texts, you can use your mass texting platform to send one-to-one texts as well. Not all platforms offer this flexibility, so be sure to ask when evaluating providers.

With these types of texts, you can reach out with a thank you for their patronage, and ask that they fill out a customer survey or form to tell you about their experience. You can also add the option of authorizing their feedback to be used as a customer testimonial on your website or social media channels.

Provide Helpful Information

Another useful scenario to leverage your high-volume texting platform to engage one-on-one with customers is when a customer purchases your product and then has questions about it. Rather than waiting for them to reach out to you or start searching around online, you can proactively reach out with some helpful tips and information. 

Sending a text after their purchase is complete will add some personalization to the transaction. Whether it’s instructions, tutorials, or tips on how to use your product to the fullest, you can send a short text to provide this information. 

Links to pages on your site, videos on how the product is used, or documentation that supports your product are some things you may be able to provide. Make sure they know how to reach you and your customer service department if they still have any questions or challenges.

Send Reminders

The busy nature of life these days means things are easy to slip out of our minds. You can add value by sending SMS messages to remind your customers of important events. Send a text to encourage them to book reservations or appointments, remind them to schedule product servicing, and invite them to upcoming events you want them to register for.

Related: Long Code vs. Short Code Texting

What are Short Codes?

Short codes are five- to six-digit numbers that show up as the sender of your messages. When text message marketing began, many businesses would share a single short code. This helped to cut down on the cost as it was divided amongst the participating brands, but it created issues.

Shared short codes meant that brands were dependent upon one another to have good, clear strategies. If one brand was too frequent, abrasive, or unclear in its messaging, it could affect the enrolment numbers of other brands. 

Customers who opted out of receiving messages would often unsubscribe from brands that they would still like to hear from. Carriers also began to see a risk of spam in this approach and have blocked messages originating from shared short codes.

Dedicated short codes are personalized and ensure all messages are true to your brand. Short codes enable you to send and receive messages in bulk in a reliable and efficient way. With the support of mobile carriers, you can be sure these messages pass through filers and arrive at your recipients. When it comes to short code SMS for high-volume texting, you can distribute your message to a broad audience quickly and easily.

Summary

In the fast-paced and phone-dependent world we live in, there is a lot of pressure on companies to keep up. With this pressure comes immense opportunity, as customers can be reached more directly than ever before. 

Short code SMS for high-volume texting should be a well-thought-out element of any modern marketing strategy. This is why a dedicated short code is key for high volume texting. With an SMS platform like TrueDialog, you have all you need to deliver high-impact messages to your potential and current customers, for myriad reasons.

Disclaimer: Please note that this advice is for informational purposes only and is neither intended as nor should be substituted for consultation with appropriate legal counsel and/or your organization’s regulatory compliance team.