Build Your SMS Marketing List with Text to Join
Growing your SMS subscriber list starts with making it easy to sign up. Text to Join lets customers opt in instantly — just a keyword and a number, and they're on your list.
What is Text to Join?
Text to Join allows people to opt-in (sign up) to receive your SMS messages. Your audience joins by texting a specific keyword to your SMS short code (or 10-digit number).
Text to Join also gathers other information like full name, zip code, and product preferences. This data comes in handy for future marketing campaigns.
Text to Join: How Does it Work?
It’s very simple. It only takes a few minutes to set up your marketing campaign. Start with your keyword. Then, create a confirmation text. Finally, promote your keyword to your audience. Here’s how the process works using eyewear glasses as an example:
- Your audience texts your keyword to your numberYour eyewear keyword is “GLASSES” which you ask your audience to text to your short code 911911.
- Your audience receives a confirmation textAn automated text message gets sent to your audience. To get the best response to your automated reply, we suggest doing the following:
Include eye-catching content your audience wants to open. For instance, a promotion code works well; and
our confirmation text explains what information you wish to share with them and how often. Such as, “Use our promotion code to get 50% off your next purchase. Afterward, we’ll send you other 50% off promotions for a different eyewear accessory every week.”
How to Set Up Text to Join
Follow our easy instructions to learn how to set up Text to Join. It’ll only take you a few minutes.
Complete our two-step plan to collect phone numbers.
Create a short keyword relevant to your business. People remember short keywords rather than longer ones. Ask your audience to text the keyword to your short code (or, 10-digit number.)
Everyone texting your keyword to your short code instantly joins your subscription list. Their mobile number gets collected for your future “text blasts” (mass text messaging.)
When somebody texts to join your subscription list they receive your automated reply, also known as an “SMS autoresponder.” It’s a simple message to the person confirming they’ve successfully opted-in. It can even include an incentive for joining - like an offer or discount. Your auto-reply then collects their mobile number.
When setting up your keyword you can enable data collection features. For instance, ask for their sex, age, and location. The collected data helps you with a future marketing strategy based on target subscribers by their demographics (age, sex, location, etc.)
First, you will need a text to join platform like Textedly which allows you to seamlessly send out text to join messages.
The campaign keyword you choose must relate to your business. A pizza restaurant may choose the keyword PIZZA. A company selling eyewear might choose GLASSES. An automobile tire retail store chooses TIRES. It’s that simple.
What’s the best short word that describes your business? That’s your keyword.
Also, consider including an incentive for signing up like a half off text coupon for their next purchase.
Your auto-responder confirms the person’s successful signup. Also, follow up on the promised incentive for signing up like: “Here’s your coupon” or “Use this code during your next purchase for 1/2 off.” Incentives inspire people to sign up.
Promote Your Keyword
There are plenty of methods for enticing users to subscribe to your text to join campaign, such as:
- Subscriber-Only Flash Sales or Discounts;
- Content or Blog Promotion;
- Weekly or Monthly Tips:
- Sweepstakes or Contests:
- Event Promotion;
- Thank-You Messages;
- Review Request; and
- Surveys or Polls.
Include your keyword, short code, and opt-in benefit in other places to attract new subscribers such as:
- Receipts;
- Napkins;
- Business cards;
- Company bio on Facebook, and other social media channels;
- Roll-up banner on walls;
- Window stickers on your door and windows facing outside; and
- Word of mouth.
Collect Text Subscribers
As you most likely have gathered, the options for collecting text subscribers are really endless. Here are some ways to build your SMS subscriber list:
- Catch their attention at your store’s register with a sign and signup sheet;
- Include a signup option with your online checkout;
- Display signup sheets at conferences where your company participates; and Advertise on your website.
Text to Join Benefits With Textedly
At Textedly, we not only make it easy to start a text to join campaign, but we also offer many beneficial features, including:
- Mass group texting;
- Signing up new mobile subscribers using your keyword (dedicated to you) with our short code 33222;
- Easy text messaging scheduling;
- Automatic text replies customized for you;
- Longer message length allowing you to send text messages with 300 characters instead of the standard 160 characters;
- Two-way text messaging inbox for you to chat with subscribers with our Free Incoming SMS messages system;
- Unlimited subscribers with no limits on the number of subscribers you sign up;
- Custom subscriber data where Textedly retrieves your subscriber’s mobile phone number, city, state, zip code, and full name;
- Built-in link shrinking allowing you to shrink your hyperlinks to a few characters giving you more space for longer text messages;
- Comprehensive analytics filled with data collection features to help your future marketing; campaigns;
- And more!
Why Users Love Textedly
Conserves My Resource of Time
Textedly allows me to save the most valuable asset of my life, time!
Straightforward and Responsive Team
I just signed up for Textedly yesterday, and so far, I’m really impressed. It’s refreshing to see a company so dedicated to providing great support right from the start.
Highly recommend it
You can upload a large list of contacts, and be selective about which ones receive a particular text. When you get stuck, the support is super.
Get Started With Textedly’s Text to Join Services
Collecting mobile phone numbers is made simple with our Text to Join service. Take advantage of the valuable data about your subscribers for successful SMS marketing strategies. Increasing SMS subscribers builds your business reach allowing profits to grow. Ready to start your own text to join campaign? Get started on Textedly with a free 14-day trial.
