Let’s continue our BFCM prep and pivot to SMS.
You can use ActiveCampaign to send SMS in addition to campaigns and automation emails to communicate with your contacts this BFCM.
For instance, as a retailer you may send SMS for exclusive early access, personalized discounts, reminder of upcoming deals, or last minute offers.
You might also have exclusive in-store deals versus online, or product recommendations based on past purchases.
But before you start firing off texts, let’s review a few DOs a DON’Ts:
DON’T send texts simply because you can
DON’T send anything but the messages they opted into
DON’T fail to take time zones into account
DO have a good reason to use SMS instead of email
DO get permission to send for a very specific purpose
DO keep your message short
DO personalize the message as much as possible
DO give instructions on how to opt out
DO stay away from marketing speak and jargon
DO limit how often you send
Remember, texts are far more personal that our emails. Just because we have the ability to send text messages, doesn’t mean we should.
Text messages are best used for time-sensitive, important messages. If it’s not time-sensitive, surely it could have been sent as an email they’ll see next time they check their inbox. And, if it’s not a critical message, why interrupt their attention with a text?
With these tips in mind, leverage SMS effectively to drive engagement and boost sales during the Black Friday frenzy!
Day 15 - Task of the Day:
Draft out your SMS notifications:
- Click Automations on the left menu.
- Select the automation you want to add your SMS message to by clicking “Edit.”
- Click on the node (+) in your automation to add your “Send SMS” step.
- Select “Contact” for your recipient.
- Enter the text you want your SMS message to display.
Note that you can personalize the SMS message with contact- or deal-specific information by clicking the “Personalize” dropdown and clicking the personalization tag to insert. SMS messages have a 160 character limit. If you are using a personalization tag in your message, it will cut off at 160 characters after personalization. - Select the days you want your SMS message to send.
NOTE: If a contact reaches this Send SMS step outside of the days you selected, the SMS message will not send, and they will proceed to the next step in your automation. - Select the time range of when you want your SMS message to send.
NOTE: If a contact reaches this SMS step outside of the time range you selected, the SMS message will not send, and they will proceed to the next step in your automation. - Click “Save.”