Informing Your Employees

Whether you’re expanding your team, or just getting on board with mobile marketing, it’s important to be on the same page with those who help run your business. As a manager, your time is extremely valuable, and you likely find yourself delegating tasks to your associates. But do they know how to handle the tasks you give them? Do they know the difference between an SMS and an MMS? Do they know your keyword and shortcode? Can they help customers find their coupons and help them redeem them? With the Streamwerks Mobile Marketing platform, you can send out text blasts, multimedia messages, text-to-win contests, and much more! However, when you have a specific marketing plan in mind, handing that responsibility over to an employee can be daunting when faced with these questions. In this blog, we’ll talk about how to train your employees about different messaging media types, platform training, messaging etiquette, and your point of sale.

Platform Information

As you begin to hand over more marketing to your employees, show them how to navigate the Streamwerks platform. There are many features on our platform, but you’ll find that your company only uses a few of these. Go through each tutorial on the features that you use with your employees to ensure that your marketing tasks go out quickly and efficiently. This can be especially important with time-sensitive content, such as Text-to-Win Contests, and Loyalty Programs.

As you plan ahead for special events, saving to a later date can ensure that you don’t accidentally send it out immediately before it’s done. And while you may know this, your employees will not. Training within the platform is painless and easy. If the tutorials aren’t helping either, or you need a personal refresher on how to use your features, you can also call/email Rob at Streamwerks for one-on-one training to get back up to speed.

Explaining SMS vs. MMS to Your Employees

You just figured out a great event announcement idea, and you want to send it to your customer base as soon as possible for the upcoming weekend. You let your marketing associate know that you want to send out a message with the idea. Does your employee know the difference between an MMS and an SMS? Or which one would be better suited for this type of message?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the main differences between the two:

SMS (Short Media Service, a.k.a. text message)

• Basic text message of up to 160 characters
• Can create message templates
• Great for quick promos or reminders for events

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service, a.k.a. video/image with text message)

• Multimedia files and text message of up to 500 characters
• Can send an audio file, video, image, pdf, vcard
• Great for large announcements, or wordy promos that can be better accomplished in an action-packed video/image

For either message, you want to stay within the character boundary. Not only is this for the sake of having one singular message sent out (having more than one could result in the messages being sent in the wrong order, as it will send in multiple parts), but you also need to respect the attention span of a customer. Sending out paragraphs to a customer’s phone could result in them opting out if they have to read too much to see what you’re offering. You and your employees will be able to see the character count below the message box. It will appear red when you’ve gone over the character limit.

Message Etiquette

So now your employees are trained on how to use the platform, and they’re ready to start sending out messages. Now comes the training on message etiquette. This includes the timeliness of sending a message, the content of the message, and the quality of the message. Mobile marketing is a powerful tool and should be used responsibly.

Timeliness

It’s 3 am, and your phone suddenly buzzes with urgency. You wake up, bleary-eyed to see who has texted you at such an odd hour. It’s a coupon for a BOGO ice cream! Not only are you irritated that you’ve been sent a message at a very late hour, but to ensure it doesn’t happen again, you opt out from that list! Whether you think the coupon sounded great or not, the time at which you received it was enough for you to stop shopping at that business. When you are training your employees to send out messages, remind them to always keep the texts between the hours of 9 am and 10 pm, just as you would a normal business. Even when you’ve forgotten to send out a last-minute reminder, if it’s outside of these hours, save it for the next day.

Content

You have an allotted amount of messages that you buy with your monthly marketing plan. We encourage you to use some of these messages to communicate with your customer base! Your customers like to be seen as “insiders”, “VIPs”, and “Those in the Know.” Send them information about your building updates if you are under construction, for example, to build excitement; or let them know about an employee’s birthday if they interact with the employee often. In addition to this, it is important to note that even if you are a business that caters to age-restricted items, there is no filter or screen that prevents underage users from receiving your messages. To comply with federal messaging regulations in this aspect, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, gambling, and other topics/themes are not allowed to be sent via SMS or MMS.

Does this prevent your business from creating content to send to your audience? Of course not! For example, a brewery could create a contest to win a Mike’s hard cider cooler, but you wouldn’t be able to include the alcohol’s brand name in the message. People could see the brand in an image attached to the contest, but the message being sent out would only include “you’re entered to win a cooler!”. Including words like “alcohol”, “jackpot”, “cash”, etc. will prevent your mass messages from reaching your customers. Be sure to give your employees a compiled list of “red-flag” words during your training that could create problems with your content.

If you are concerned with accidentally including a restricted word in your advertising, Rob can work with you to help craft messages for raffles, contests, and loyalty programs without including some of these regulated words, or suggest alternative ideas to getting your messages out and noticed.

Want some great ideas for how you can create a text-to-win campaign for your company? We’ve explained it all in this blog!

On a final note for this section, we do not permit any hate speech or violent themes, and any attempt to advertise with these will result in an immediate suspension of your account.

Quality

As you allow your employees’ creative freedom to interweave with MMS’s and coupons, ensure that the images your company sends out are of high quality! There is a restriction on file size when uploading these images and videos (Image dimensions: 1024×1024 px, Image File Size: 1MB). When you are inserting these media into your messages, having an incredible image can be just the wow factor you need to pull someone to your store. However, sending out a blurry, difficult-to-read image can also do the exact opposite for your business. Before you send anything from your computer, teach your employees to send a test image to their phone and your phone. You can find this option within the Text Message and MMS feature underneath the opt-in/contact lists. If you can then approve it from that test, then you know that you’re good to send it out to your customers!

Point of Sale

It’s important to know all the points above, but without a contact list, you don’t have any customers to send messages to! When customers visit your storefront, have your employees remind them to type their phone number into the kiosk. If the customer is new to the business, asking them to opt in properly is crucial. People are sensitive about their information and don’t like to give their phone numbers to a business they’ve visited for the first time.

We recommend giving your employees a script for this step. For example, they can say “Please enter your number into our kiosk so we can send you in-store deals and important information”, or whatever you prefer. This opens up the dialect to explain a loyalty program if you have one, or special deals and coupons that opt-ins have access to. By building this relationship, you can grow the number of people you reach with offers.

Make Your Employees Experts in Mobile Marketing

Your employees are essential to the marketing of your brand, as they are the face that your customers will often interact with. Giving them the proper instruction and tools to efficiently use your platform builds their confidence in assisting customers and makes them knowledgeable and reliable sources of information for your storefront. This is crucial for allocating your time as a store manager and creating a team that believes in your brand on a personal level.

Streamwerks Media provides services that are here to help you as you and your employees learn to use the technology. Alternatively, Streamwerks can also act as your marketing administrative assistant for a nominal fee. As you begin to plan your monthly marketing ideas, reach out to Rob and bring along your marketing assistant to slowly incorporate these blog practices. We’ll sit down with you and your team to go over demos and Rob can start training you to set your team up on the path to mobile marketing success.

The post Mobile Marketing for Your Employees appeared first on StreamWerks Media.

With Summer in full swing, we expect business to be at its peak. But when you see potential customers using their summer spending elsewhere, it means turning back to the drawing board. As a leading mobile marketing company, we understand the challenges faced by small businesses in attracting and retaining customers, especially during the tourism season.

In this blog post, we will explore the power of text message marketing and how it can help your small business thrive during this crucial period. Whether you’re a local restaurant, a boutique hotel, or an adventure tour operator, utilizing SMS marketing can make a significant impact on your customer acquisition and retention strategies.

Understanding the Power of Text Message Marketing

In an era of digital communication, text messages have emerged as a highly effective tool for engaging with customers. With a minimal time commitment, text message marketing is a quick way to get the word out about specials, events, and updates about your business to customers.

Additionally, SMS marketing allows you to connect directly with your target audience, providing an immediate and personal touch that other marketing channels can struggle to achieve. With over 95% of text messages being read within minutes of receipt, you can ensure your messages reach customers when it matters most.

Engaging Customers with QR Code Scan-to-Win Marketing

One of the most innovative and proven ways to leverage text message marketing is through QR code scan-to-win campaigns. By incorporating QR codes into your promotional materials, such as flyers, posters, or even menus, you can encourage customers to engage with your business in a fun and interactive way. For example, a local ice cream parlor can print QR codes on their dessert menus, offering customers a chance to win a free scoop by scanning the code and signing up for their SMS marketing list. This not only increases customer participation but also builds a valuable contact list for future promotions.

But it doesn’t stop with the winner. After the contest ends, send a consolation gift to the non-winners for continued business! Running a monthly contest also grows your list continuously, and builds a strong recommendation list.

Leveraging SMS Marketing for Customer Retention

While attracting new customers during the tourism season is crucial, it’s equally important to retain their loyalty and bring them back for the next tourism season. SMS marketing offers an effective solution for customer retention by allowing you to stay connected with your audience throughout the year.

By sharing exclusive discounts, special promotions, or even personalized birthday offers via text message, you can keep your business top of mind for customers and nurture long-term relationships.

Harnessing SMS Lead Generation for Targeted Marketing

SMS lead generation is another powerful tool that small businesses can employ to enhance their marketing efforts. By using opt-in keywords, such as “TOURIST” or “EXPLORE,” customers can sign up to receive updates, tips, or special offers from your business. This strategy not only helps you build a database of interested prospects but also enables you to segment your audience based on their preferences and demographics. This targeted approach allows you to tailor your messaging and offers, ensuring maximum relevance and engagement.

Crafting Effective SMS Marketing Campaigns

To make the most of your text message marketing initiatives, it’s essential to follow some best practices:

Keep messages concise

Due to character limitations, it’s important to keep your SMS messages brief, clear, and to the point. Get your message across succinctly, and always include a clear call to action.

Offer value

Ensure your messages provide tangible value to your customers. Whether it’s a discount, exclusive offer, or useful information, make sure your recipients feel rewarded for being part of your SMS marketing list.

Personalize when possible

Addressing customers by name and tailoring messages to their preferences can significantly enhance engagement and create a sense of personalized attention.

Timing matters

Be mindful of the timing of your messages. Avoid sending texts too early or too late in the day, and consider time zone differences if you cater to a diverse customer base.

Start Your Summer Success

In conclusion, small businesses can unlock tremendous potential by incorporating text message marketing into their customer acquisition and retention strategies during the tourism season. QR code scan-to-win marketing, SMS lead generation, and targeted messaging are just a few of the powerful tools at your disposal. By leveraging the immediacy and personalization of SMS marketing, you can attract new customers, foster lasting relationships, and ensure their return for future tourism seasons.

The Streamwerks Media platform helps businesses like yours harness the power of mobile marketing.

Take It From Small Business Owner Alex

In the picturesque town of Pineview nestled amidst the towering mountains, Alex owns a cozy store called Mountain Treasures, specializing in outdoor gear and adventure essentials. Aware of the challenges faced by businesses in attracting customers during the tourism season, Alex decided to implement SMS marketing into his summer strategy, hoping to bring his small business to new heights.

Eager to engage with his target audience, Alex immediately embraced the power of QR code scan-to-win marketing. He created visually appealing flyers and distributed them to local lodges, hiking trails, and even at the entrance of his store. Each flyer featured a QR code that, when scanned, gave customers a chance to win exciting prizes by signing up for Mountain Treasures’ SMS marketing list. The campaign not only piqued the interest of adventure enthusiasts but also built a valuable contact list for future promotions.

As the tourism season started, Alex focused on leveraging SMS marketing to boost customer retention. He sent personalized messages to his customers, expressing gratitude for their visit and offering exclusive discounts on their next purchase. By using automation tools, he ensured that customers received birthday greetings and anniversary offers, making them feel valued and appreciated. The result was a growing sense of loyalty among his customers, who eagerly returned to Mountain Treasures for their outdoor needs, year after year.

Honing in on the keywords

Driven by his belief in the power of targeted marketing, Alex harnessed the potential of SMS lead generation. He included opt-in keywords, such as “MOUNTAIN” and “ADVENTURE,” in his marketing materials, encouraging visitors to join the Mountain Treasures community for updates, expert tips, and exclusive offers. With a segmented audience based on their preferences and interests, Alex tailored his messages to cater to specific groups, ensuring maximum relevance and engagement.

Alex’s dedication to SMS marketing bore fruit. His small business thrived not just during the tourism season but throughout the year, earning a reputation as the go-to store for outdoor enthusiasts in Pineview. Word-of-mouth recommendations spread like wildfire, attracting visitors from far and wide, even the big city just an hour away. The success of his marketing efforts empowered Alex to expand his product range, offer unique services, and become an integral part of the local outdoor community.

By embracing QR code scan-to-win campaigns, personalized messaging, and SMS lead generation, Alex not only attracted new customers but also fostered enduring relationships year after year. His story became a source of inspiration for fellow small business owners in Pineview and beyond, encouraging them to explore the untapped potential of mobile marketing.

Real Strategies that Work

Alex’s story exemplifies the transformative power of text message marketing for small businesses, even in mountainous regions. By incorporating QR code scan-to-win campaigns, personalized messaging, and SMS lead generation, he successfully attracted and retained customers throughout the tourism season. His dedication and commitment to the strategies outlined in Streamwerks Media’s blog allowed Mountain Treasures to flourish, becoming a trusted name in outdoor retail.

If you’re a small business owner in a similar setting, take inspiration from Alex’s journey and unlock the potential of text message marketing. By harnessing the power of SMS campaigns, you can enhance customer acquisition, retention, and overall business growth. Streamwerks Media is here to guide you along this path, providing expert insights and support. Embark on your own success story today, and witness your small business thrive in the mountains and beyond.

The post Leveraging SMS Marketing During The Tourism Season appeared first on StreamWerks Media.

Jump to your section

• How Can Text Message Marketing Help Me?
• The Benefits for Your Business
• Customizing Your Campaign
• Best Practices for Text Messages
• Optimization Tips
• Measuring Your Text Message Marketing Success
• To Sum It All Up

How many hours do you spend each day on your marketing? And we mean all of it. Flyers, social media, graphics, emails, website… the list goes on.

It’s likely several hours minimum. And chances are that this isn’t sustainable, which brings us here.

Now let us ask you another question. How long does it take you to send a text message? A few seconds, maybe a minute at most? It’s no wonder that we use them often. Nearly every person has a phone and uses text messaging (check!), text messages are quick and to the point (another check!), and most people check a text message within 90 seconds of receiving one (and check!).

Text messaging is often thought of for personal use only, but as a business owner, you can also reap the rewards.

This efficient and simple strategy can help save time by streamlining communication with customers, improving response rates, and eliminating the need for manual processes like emails and customer calls. With our ultimate guide to text messaging for business marketing, you’ll soon be wondering why it took so long to adopt this convenient method of customer outreach! Everything from setting up a campaign to analyzing results is covered here – let’s begin exploring how texting has become the top choice for modern organizations.

How Can Text Message Marketing Help Me?

Text message marketing, or mobile marketing, is one of the most effective methods of digital marketing in today’s world. What business doesn’t want to be able to easily keep in contact with customers or leads through a quick and short message? This form of mobile communication allows businesses to easily inform customers about new promotions, upcoming events, and pretty much any info you want to send to your audience at the touch of a button. Text message marketing gives businesses the advantage of having direct access to the mobile devices of their customers; creating a much more efficient way for consumers to interact with each other. With its proven success track record, mobile marketing is definitely something that should be part of your overall marketing strategy if you don’t like to waste time.

The Benefits for Your Business

As we said at the beginning of this post, marketing is time-consuming. With so many platforms to advertise on, how do you prioritize your most active one? That is if you know which one truly is the most active. But nearly three-quarters of the world will be using only their smartphones for engagement by 2025. On top of that, the majority of people check their phones within 90 seconds of receiving a message! So if you’re still unsure about how your business could benefit from text message marketing, think about all that time you spent creating flyers and sending emails when you could have sent a text message in only a few seconds…

“Time isn’t a huge issue for me”

What about money? The average flyer costs about $1.07 each from Office Depot. Know how much it costs to send a text message? 3 cents.

No one loves doing math, but we believe this part is important:

Not only is important to note that flyers have a 1-5% engagement rate, but their cost to send them out to each individual is nearly 35 times the cost of text message marketing.

So not only are you connecting with customers within seconds of sending a message, but you’re also cutting back dramatically on costs. With text messages, businesses can easily create a personalized experience, save time in gradually connecting with their customers, and save money in the process. Text messages are short, but they can pack quite the punch when it comes to establishing a positive working relationship with potential leads or existing customers.

Customizing Your Campaign

If you’re interested in starting a text message marketing campaign for your business, we’re here to help. You can create a custom campaign that fits your needs, and manage it from start to finish. Whether you’re looking to run a QR code contest, or simply let your customers know about your monthly specials, youve got it covered. And even if you don’t know how to incorporate text message marketing into your current strategy, Rob our lead marketer can sit down with you in a 1:1 to find the perfect campaign to fit your unique brand and business goals.

Best Practices for Text Messages

If you decide that you want to do your own messaging and stay personally engaged with your audience, how do you know what to send? What hours are most effective for maximum reach? What should you even say when messaging as a business? Let’s break down some of the best practices before you start.

When it comes to text message marketing, industry restrictions and business hours should always be taken into account. It’s important to keep up with the industry-specific regulations and laws that pertain to messaging in order to reduce the risk of a penalty. Furthermore, sending messages within normal business hours is always a good practice to give your audience a more than welcomed distraction from their typical nine-to-five.

When crafting messages for your customers, be sure to maintain a friendly yet informative tone as if you were talking to a friend. It’s a text message after all, so keeping it casual is a great way to show that you’re a real person, not just some company face. In this way, you can create an inviting experience that connotes trustworthiness while providing helpful information that they can actually use.

Optimization Tips

It’s no secret that text messaging campaigns can be a great tool for businesses to connect with their customers and keep them informed about products, promotions, and updates. To maximize the effectiveness of your text message marketing campaigns, it’s important to keep your deals fresh and up to date. Make sure to use compelling offers that capture your customers’ attention and incentivize them to stay engaged with your brand.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to get creative with your messages try out different formats like polls or quizzes – anything that will spark conversation between you and your audience. Keep in mind that these kinds of strategies all go hand in hand and help make up a successful text message marketing campaign.

Measuring Your Text Message Marketing Success

Utilizing text message marketing is an efficient way to measure the success of your campaigns. With increased foot traffic as a result of increased customer engagement, track metrics like increased conversions, sales, and loyalty rewards. Specifically, use SMS marketing to gauge how successful doubling down on promotional campaigns can be and how that ties to increased revenue. There are many opportunities for businesses to gain more insight into their customer’s behaviors when it comes to opting in and out of content, creating additional touchpoints with customers to gauge how well your customers respond (e.g. increasing your contact list through new opt-ins).

Our dashboard breaks down the analytics in real time and has time parameter settings so you can see where you were a month, or even a year ago. Keeping track of your success can also help you optimize your messaging even faster so that you can create the perfect campaign with a few simple clicks.

To Sum It All Up

All in all, text message marketing is an incredibly effective and convenient way for your business to reach out to your customers and potential customers. This type of marketing strategy is not only trackable, but it also provides benefits like convenience, mobile visibility, speed, and personalization. Not only that, but setting up a text message campaign can be done quickly, and without requiring technical skills. With the right approach in mind and the best practices followed, you can measure success with metrics like open rates and response rates to track if your messaging is effective or not. Now that you know the importance of using text message marketing as part of your marketing plan, book a call with us and Rob can show you how text message marketing can benefit you!

Check out our library of tips and tricks for mobile marketing!

The post Text Message Marketing: The Ultimate Time Saver appeared first on StreamWerks Media.

There’s a lot of potential this year with consumer holiday shopping. With inflation continuing to rise, shoppers are expected to begin their hunt for deals as early as October. The main mode of online searching: smartphones. With 56% of consumers planning to use their smartphones to shop for the best deals, this is a huge opportunity for small businesses to up their mobile marketing game. The best part? It will complement and drive in-store sales. So let’s talk about the fluid and ingenious integration of the three major SMS elements with in-store promoting to increase your ROI going into 2023; loyalty programs, keywords, and shareable mobile coupons.

The Breakdown of SMS Elements and In-Store Signage

Promote your SMS elements with in-store signage and your in-store deals with your SMS elements. While this may seem obvious, playing each one off of the other so that they are balanced is going to be key to retaining customers through the tightly budgeted holiday season up into 2023. Based on the trends set so far for 2022, the majority of shoppers are looking for the best deals to be offered to them, rather than them searching for optimal deals. As we said before, more than half of Americans will be using their phones to search for these deals. While 34% of shoppers plan on using social media to find great gifts, this is the prime time to jump ahead and give consumers the perfect incentive to spend money locally at your business.

But let’s step away from the statistics and look at the strategy.

Shareable Mobile Coupons

The goal is to intercept consumers before they interact with their social media outlets. Let your existing contact lists do the work for you! Instead of offering your coupons outright, shareable coupons not only give your customers that special “VIP” feeling, but also allows them to spread the word with friends and family. Mobile coupons that are shared from person to person instead of business to shopper give that community feel that your local business is looking for, but they also build trust in your brand. There are hundreds of paid advertisements out there, and your customers have learned to disregard them. This is great for organic growth which makes your company appear more genuine. You offer discounts that your contacts want to see and give them the option to spread the love with their circle of friends and family.

Loyalty Program

Shoppers are looking for special deals that help them save money on the products they love. But while nearly every business has a loyalty program, incorporating holiday-specific deals into your VIP list is a great way to increase your contact list, and retain customers after the holiday season has ended. Since most shoppers don’t go into the new loyalty programs they signed up for during the holidays to delete them, you have the perfect advantage to remind them about your business with these SMS elements.

In-Store Promotion with Keyword Signs

In-store traffic is going to be guaranteed during this shopping season. Why not promote your loyalty programs and special SMS offers with in-store signage? You want to capture the attention of those who wander to your business and incentivize them to consider your promotions through instant messaging. This is where secret keywords can be your best friend! By having a sign that says “Text HOLIDAYS25 to 76626 to get 25% off at the counter!”, not only are visitors going to opt-in to your list to get the deal, but you can also promote this through social media or your basic Streamwerks contact list to come to your store to find that secret keyword. This incentive to make flash purchases can increase immediate sales, AND you’ve grown the list of those you can send SMS deals to after the holiday season as well.

Bringing it all together

So how do we create this perfect harmony of in-store promotions, shareable coupons, and loyalty programs all into one marketing strategy?

As customers open their phones to begin their holiday shopping, they see a text message from your business. Upon opening it, they see that your store is offering a flash sale with a secret keyword that can only be found in your store. Once at your store, they find the keyword along with the shortcode. They see that the mobile coupon can only be redeemed in the next 24 hours, pushing them to make that quick purchase to get the most out of their visit to your business. Along with the sign is a message that has your loyalty program keyword so that they can get additional offers throughout the holiday season, similar to the one they just got.

As they join your loyalty program, their initial opt-in offer is a shareable coupon for a different kind of discount. This type of mobile coupon is one that they can send to their friends and family. Those people not only get that same discount, but a message that allows them to join your loyalty program too. Here, we’ve created the perfect balance of free advertising that benefits your business and the customers.

This is how hybridizing your marketing creates less effort for you, the business owner. With your SMS elements and in-store signage, it’s actually the customer who does most of the work for you. Strange concept, right? As we said, the majority of consumers this holiday season are willing to put in a little more research and effort to find the best deals, and one’s they can use immediately. This helps relieve their stress of finding good deals on time, and it pushes them to make those quick purchases you’re looking for. While also increasing your sales and brand awareness, you’re able to grow your contact list to push incentives for the following slow season.

A Sidenote on Keywords

Looking for customer engagement that has more excitement, but less work on your end? Text-to-Win campaigns can be great for bigger opt-in rates. Similar to the Secret Keyword, you can include signage in your store or an SMS that offers a keyword and shortcode to enter your contest. This could be a grand one-time contest for the season, multiple contests for smaller prizes/discounts, or a mix of both.

Don’t know much about Text-to-Win contests? Click here for how they can benefit your business.

The Time is Now

We all know how the holiday season goes. From in-your-face ads to the collection of flyers in your mail, approaching holiday shoppers is going to be a tricky business. But with a medley of in-store promotions that lead to your SMS offers, and the other way around, you’ve got your bases covered. Your customers are going to be inadvertently looking for deals all around, and with shareable coupons, loyalty programs, and secret keywords, that holiday magic that can only be gained from mobile marketing will be key to making your holiday marketing a success.

Here’s our gift to you! Scan our QR Code and get 1000 free messages to kick start your holiday mobile marketing!

The post Combining SMS and In-Store Marketing appeared first on StreamWerks Media.

How often have you had customers that love and use your products or services, but never followed up on giving you a good review online? What is your engagement rate with your customers? Are you able to easily convince people to join your loyalty program on their first visit to your business? What if we told you that you could encourage your customers to engage on a frequent basis, visit your store often, and even increase your popularity in your local community with a single text? Sounds like a lot of work, right? We’ll be exploring the simple concept of keywords and their multiple uses in your day-to-day marketing through loyalty programs, secret keyword contests, and text-to-win campaigns.

The Foundation of Mobile Marketing

So what are keywords, and why are they so important? A keyword is a single word that customers can text to a shortcode to opt-in to your contact lists to receive promotions and alerts. Furthermore, you can have multiple keywords for different campaigns, giving you a wide range of freedom and creativity to interlink them with your business’ own style.

The use of simple keywords is just the beginning of creating a responsive customer base. As you learn to incorporate more platform features into the use of your keywords, you’ll see how these build on each other. A new customer will use your keyword to get your promos, and inevitably get messages about your many types of contests. Once they start entering to win special prizes at your store, they’ll see the value of being a loyal member who knows about all these features at your store. The more you invest in creating loyal customers, the more likely you are to build trust in your community as a proactive business.

This an easy and effective way to increase your customer base, and a catalyst to the beginnings of a successful marketing campaign. Your keyword can be interconnected to Text-to-Win campaigns, loyalty programs, and exciting and engaging Secret Keyword contests that bring your existing and new customers back to your store over and over. So how can you do this with just one word? Let’s get into it.

Loyalty Programs

Our loyalty program feature is completely free to your customers. Through the same keyword that they use to join your contact lists, they can also opt-in to your loyalty program. While bringing in new customers is important, it’s equally important to retain them as well.

As new customers visit your store, inform them about your keyword and shortcode to instantly get coupons and special offers. Don’t forget to let them in on your loyalty program to work towards a unique surprise.  These shoppers will catch on that they can earn rewards by participating in your text message marketing. Not only are you encouraging them to come back to keep getting these promotions, you’re setting yourself apart from your competitors by offering paperless coupons that can be redeemed, and in an easy way. 

With nearly 97% of all Americans owning some type of smartphone, keyword sign-up is a quick and painless process for your audience to get your offers. Who doesn’t love an easy process?

Contests

Another way to use keywords to appeal to your audience is the use of mobile contests. Offering special prizes for new customers is a great way to reward their participation. There are two types of contests that we’ll discuss; text-to-win contests and Secret Keyword contests.

Text-to-Win Campaigns

A Text-to-Win contest is just like it sounds. Customers can text a keyword of your choice to your shortcode to enter a limited-time contest, or general monthly/weekly contests. Once they send the text message with your keyword, they receive a message informing them of their successful opt-in to the contest. To learn more about Text-to-Win contests, check out our blog breaking down everything you need to know to run your own contest!

Secret Keyword Contests

This type of keyword contest is a customer favorite! So you already have your main keyword and a decent opt-in list, and you’re looking for a new way to engage your customers and encourage them to return to your store without a coupon. This is where we introduce the Secret Keyword contest! Whether you want to do a contest every day or once a week, depending on your business, you have a secret keyword that only you know. Additionally, the only way customers can discover the secret keyword to enter time-sensitive contests is to visit your store or go to your social media to find the revealing post. This is our favorite way of engaging customers!

While your customer base is looking to win these exciting contests, they also have a good reason for visiting your business over and over. This will drive your sales, and increase your likelihood of converting one-time customers into loyal and frequent visitors. Sounds too good to be true? We helped one of our clients get 191 new and unique opt-ins in under 48 hours with this technique! Additionally, they now receive nearly 180 new views for their promotions each month. Then, after increasing their opt-in list, they alerted all their customers through text to go support them in their city’s local Best of the Best contest. Not only were they nominated for two categories, but they also won first place in one division and 3rd in another! And the best part is, they hardly had to put in any time to do it.

Remember how we said everyone loves an easy process?

Our Final Word on Keywords

We believe that mobile marketing should be fun and easy! Not only for you but for your customers are well. Keywords are the single most important feature within the Streamwerks platform to make you stand out in the sea of businesses. With so many uses, and so little to learn in order to use them, incorporating their uses beyond simple opt-ins is crucial to becoming a successful business.

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With August coming to an end, active businesses are looking for new and innovative ways to engage new and existing customers. While newer marketing strategies and methods are being created every day, we can’t help but fall back to an existing tool that continues to pave the way for small to large businesses. QR Codes have continuously shown their worth in modern marketing. Today, we’ll talk about how to use QR codes to create a class sign-up list that can be updated instantly, generate a contact list to give updates to your participants, and highlight their advantage over paper lists.

Following Up on Classes

A QR code class sign-up is a process where customers sign up for classes by scanning QR codes with their mobile devices. This system is convenient in several ways. About 85% of Americans own a smartphone capable of scanning QR codes, making this method readily available to the majority of your customers. Additionally, QR codes, once scanned, bring a person directly to your sign-up page. This avoids the need to type in your URL or navigate to your page, making it a one-step process for your visitors. On top of an easy sign-up process, you can include your Facebook page, business page URL, and any other social media that you want to connect to the sign-up page for additional social media advertising!

Coupled with a data collection mechanism that collects generic and customized data from your customers, QR codes and mobile marketing technology give you the leverage to directly market to them in the future about classes they may be interested in. 

Once you have your attendee list for your class, keep them engaged with before and after-class tips and challenges to build up prior knowledge about the topic, engage them in learning and practice between classes, and then extend their learning after class is over. Create mobile offers for class materials before, during, and after class to keep them engaged and give them additional value from the class. And, don’t forget to send them industry updates to keep them engaged in the topic!

Create Your QR Code Sign Up

The best part about coming up with the class sign-up system is that its SUPER easy to do! We can help you plan a strategy for the pre and post-market opportunities to help you profit from more than just a one-time class fee. As the business owner, you come up with the classes you want to include, and a small description of what that entails (class description, costs, equipment needed, experience required for the class, etc.). Think about how to connect information and offers to your class and then let’s get a strategy together.

As customers scan the QR code, they can see all of the details, and if they want to sign up, the form will be right there under the description to opt-in directly to your contact list to receive additional details. Pending on if you want customers to come in and pay first to finish the sign-up process or not, they will receive a confirmation with any follow-up instructions, information about the topic offers for class materials, and encouraging quips from you before they come to your class How’s that for building brand loyalty and customer engagement?!

For example,

Debbie runs a yoga studio. She’s often too busy running the classes or doing internal work that makes manual class sign-ups difficult and time-consuming. So she creates three classes, each with its own QR code. As customers pass by or see her flyers and posters in other shops, they scan these QR codes, where they can see all the details, and finish filling out the form. Immediately after opting in for the class, they get a text message with details on paying for the class, along with any other information they need to know prior to attending. While her class sign-up runs automatically, Debbie can check in every once in a while to see how many people have opted into her classes without any of the hassle of collecting information, or continued advertising.

She suddenly remembers that she can’t run the third class session due to construction in one of the studios. Instead of running around to collect flyers to make new ones with the new information, she informs Streamwerks that it will need to be pushed back one week, and the pages connected to her QR codes are immediately updated for her customers! To keep the excitement going, she sends a text with a link to a yoga article, and even sends them a discount offer for a yoga mat and blocks from her studio. She sends a message to those already signed up to let them know of the schedule change. Having put in only an hour or two of her time, she’s planned out her whole month’s worth of classes with hardly any effort put in!

Making the Most of

Whether you’re creating new classes each week, or you have the next month planned in advance, the class sign-ups can be updated, and retired, pending on how long you want to run them. In addition to easy sign-ups, you can also update pre-existing customers with offers on similar classes and specials for class supplies after they’ve opted-in!

What if you don’t run the typical class structure? Perhaps you offer demos, do shows, or are looking to create volunteer events. You can create business conference sign ups, company-hosted events for customers, and so much more. The sky is the limit, so if you have an idea, its EASY to implement!

In Conclusion

It’s just a fact that QR codes are used more now than ever. As a powerful and convenient method of marketing and connecting with customers, and being an easy and affordable transition method for all business sizes and types, there’s no better time to incorporate QR codes into your marketing strategy. Interested in spending less time creating class sign-ups and extending your reach? Call us today to see how you can get started immediately! For more information on how our QR Codes work, click the link below to learn more.

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You’ve probably heard of the phrase “less is more”. When it comes to marketing your company brand, you want your audience to know exactly what you’re offering, and how customers can partake in your business. QR codes have been around for several years now, and their function has become more valuable with the emphasis on paperless advertisement and efficiency. From apparel brands to major corporations like Coke, the need to engage with consumers digitally has become essential for connecting physical and digital marketing.

Text-To-Win campaigns and QR code Scan-To-Win campaigns are the pinnacles of this marketing movement. With the ability to create lead lists and drive foot traffic to your store and social media platforms, this simple widget makes the most of your time allocated to marketing. Here, we’ll go through the process of campaign creation, launching, and multi-platform integration.

How to Build a Contest

In order to create a contest, you’ll need a contact list to include in your contest, the final date of your contest, and a pre-selected prize. Customers can opt into your contact list through your company keyword and shortcode, or by scanning the QR code linked to the contest. There, shoppers will be asked for their contact information in the event that they win. After they click submit, the platform automatically organizes this information into your contact list.

On the final date of your contest, the Streamwerks platform will randomly select 1-5 winners, depending on how many prizes you want to give away. The system automatically sends the winners the message included in your contest. For the message, we recommend a brief description of the prize, and how the winner(s) can go about collecting it. On your end, you can choose to receive an email, text message, or both to be notified of the winner’s contact information and name.

Additionally, if you need to apply an age gate for age-specific products, you can check this option on the platform. While the system cannot acquire ID information to verify their age, you can check the winner’s information when they come to collect their prize.

Lead Creation

Text-To-Win campaigns and QR code campaigns are great ways to generate leads. Shoppers agree to give you their phone number in order to be contacted about their prize, and you get to increase your contact list. This aspect of the campaign allows you to send future offers and incentives to shop at your store after the contest has ended.

Sharing Your QR Codes and Keywords

Sharing is caring, and if a shopper loves the deal they received at your store, they’ll likely share this information with friends and family. This form of free advertising is significantly better than word of mouth. While this builds your reputation in your local commerce, you are also increasing your contact list.

In your campaigns, you can incentivize non-winners by attaching coupons. Just as the winner receives your automated winner message, the non-winners are also automatically notified that they didn’t win the main prize. This is a perfect business opportunity to inform them that while they didn’t win, they still get a special coupon as a “thank you” for joining the contest. Now you’ve encouraged them to continue entering future contests and come back in to use their new coupon. Sending a message to non-winners is not required, as it can use a significant portion of your message credits if you have a large contact list. However, it could also increase your sales in the aftermath of the contest.

Collecting Information

The more you know about your customer base, the better you can cater to them. As shoppers enter your campaigns, they’ll be required to enter their first name, last name, and email address as a point of contact in case they win. When creating your contests, you can request more information, like their zip code, gender, date of birth, and custom questions (“What is your favorite beverage?”, “How did you hear about us?”) that include a dropdown box of options.

However, you want to be careful with how much information you initially ask for. The less work someone has to put in to enter your Text-To-Win campaigns or QR code campaigns, the more likely they’ll complete the form to enter the contest. Additionally, requesting too much can make contest applicants weary of why you’re asking them these questions. While you know that it’s to help give them better offers, they will not recognize this and abandon the contest entry form. Remember, this is only the beginning of potential long-term relationships with your customers and you’ll have more opportunities to gather data to cater more effectively to them over time.

Social Media Integration

If you have social media platforms or a website, you can easily redirect contest applicants to them after they’ve entered your campaign. Once a shopper has completed their entry, they will receive a confirmation message that they’ve entered. This is where you can include your website URL or links to your social media. This can work retrospectively as well! Including your keyword or QR code in social media posts or on your website increases awareness of your brand and advertises to a larger audience. Here, people can tag others in the post to share the contest or share your URL.

It’s important to note that Facebook does not permit pages to request follows or likes to enter a contest or to have better chances of winning.

Conclusion

Text-To-Win campaigns and QR code campaigns are extremely versatile tools when growing your contact lists. They’re engaging, customizable, and simple to create, making them user-friendly for both business owners and customers alike. They can be linked to your social media, and save you valuable time when trying to increase potential leads and in-store sales. If you’re interested in what a demo looks like, you can try it out here.

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