Did you know that SMS messages have an open rate of 98%, compared to just 20% for emails? That’s right – your message is nearly guaranteed to be seen when you use SMS marketing. But is it the right message to engage customers effectively? Moreover—just like the tree that falls in a forest with no one around to hear it—if you launch an SMS campaign but have no subscribers, does it even matter?
From building a robust subscriber base to crafting compelling campaigns, we’ll cover everything a franchise business needs to know to turn their SMS marketing into a powerful engine for customer engagement and sales growth.
Building a Strong SMS Subscriber Base
A robust subscriber list forms the foundation of any successful SMS marketing campaign. However, growing this list can be challenging. Here are several effective strategies to expand your SMS subscriber base:
- Offer exclusive discounts or promotions for SMS subscribers
- Provide franchisees with in-store signage to promote SMS sign-ups
- Include SMS opt-in options on your website and social media platforms
- Run contests or giveaways that require a SMS subscription to enter
- Offer a loyalty program tied to SMS subscription
Remember, the key is to offer value to your subscribers while ensuring the sign-up process is as seamless as possible. Let’s get into some numbers backed subscriber growth strategies:
Incentivizing Subscriber Growth
If you’re beginning your SMS journey, you likely don’t have a pool of eager recipients waiting. To jumpstart subscriber growth, consider offering a giveaway. One effective strategy to maximize the impact of giveaways and limited-time offers is to “waterfall” the offerings.
Real-world example
For example, a real-life coffee franchise with 12 locations and an online presence aimed to grow their subscriber list and maximize SMS ROI strategically. They implemented an incentivized pop-up form on their website with three tiers of offerings. This approach proved highly effective—their list growth doubled, then doubled again as the incentive escalated from a 10% discount to free coffee, and finally to an entire espresso machine giveaway.
Over a four-month period, the coffee shop franchise saw an impressive 230% increase in subscribers by applying the waterfall approach to their offerings.
Opt-in vs. Double Opt In
Opting into communications simply involves sending a code to a specific number. Double opt-in, which requires texting to sign up and then confirming with a “Y” reply, is optional except for “abandoned cart” reminders. This seemingly simple switch can significantly impact your overall subscriber count.
Remember, quality is as important as, if not more important than, quantity when it comes to your subscriber base. Targeting email subscribers, loyalty program members, or customers who make in-person purchases can help ensure that your subscribers are genuine buyers rather than one-time coupon hunters.
Real-world example
For instance, a national sub sandwich chain with over 2,500 locations saw their SMS subscriber rate grow by 76% quarter-over-quarter after making this change. Initially, only 17% of their loyalty members signed up for SMS outreach because they weren’t completing the entire opt-in process. By removing the second opt-in step, that number jumped to 30% of members in just three months.
Crafting Effective SMS Campaigns
Crafting effective SMS campaigns is an art that combines personalization, timing, and compelling content. In this section, we’ll explore key strategies to create SMS messages that resonate with your audience and drive engagement, from personalization techniques to lifecycle triggers.
SMS Lead Engagement Campaigns
There’s a reason why “the early bird gets the worm” is a well-known phrase. 78% of customers purchase from the first company to respond. Implementing SMS gives you the ability to be the first—and most visible—response to any incoming inquiries.
Real-world example
The Learning Experience, a child and daycare center with 600 locations, tested the impact of both automated and manual text message communications by launching SMS marketing with Voxie in select facilities. These locations saw a significant 28% increase in student enrollment from 2023 to 2024 with a 30% revenue growth.
Win-back Strategy
When it comes to revenue, both purchase volume and frequency matter. One of the most impactful SMS campaign strategies targets current loyalty members or repeat purchasers who haven’t made a purchase within a predetermined time frame.
Real-world example
A New Jersey-based quick-service restaurant exemplified this by upgrading incentives for loyalty members who hadn’t purchased in the past 90 days. Instead of their typical offer of double loyalty points, they changed it to $2 off a meal. This simple adjustment yielded impressive results: 164% more revenue than their average limited-time offer campaign, a $24 return for every dollar spent, and a 506% increase in conversion rate in just three days.
Best Practices Speed Round
To maximize the results of SMS marketing, follow these key principles. Even with the best campaign strategy, it’s the small daily nuances that make the greatest impact over time.
- Personalize content: Go beyond customer names and reference past interactions for a more engaging experience.
- Keep messages concise: SMS has limited characters, so make your point quickly and clearly. (No paragraphs!)
- Include clear CTAs: Every message should have a specific, actionable goal. If there’s no CTA, don’t send the SMS.
- Implement two-way communication: Allow customers to respond and interact, creating a dialogue rather than one-way messaging.
- Integrate with other marketing channels: Use SMS to complement your email, social media, and in-store marketing efforts.
- Respect opt-in/opt-out preferences: Always provide an easy way for customers to unsubscribe and honor their preferences promptly.
- Track and analyze performance: Use analytics to measure the success of your SMS campaigns and optimize future efforts.
- Ensure brand consistency: Maintain your franchise’s voice and style across all SMS communications.
By implementing these strategies, franchises can effectively harness SMS marketing to boost customer engagement, increase sales, and build brand loyalty across multiple locations.
About Voxie
Voxie empowers franchise leaders to increase revenue and reduce operational costs without adding to their workload through SMS marketing. Our tools enable franchises to create an SMS strategy that fits their unique use case, ensure consistency and compliance at scale, and gain visibility into the text marketing success of all franchise locations.