Convenient reporting for sent messages, incoming messages, etc.
Use text to capture email addresses. This is the easiest way to collect an email address from your client/customer. When an email address is the first thing in an incoming message the system will automatically save it, along with the contact phone number, in your contact list. You can then export the list to use with your email provider.
Why would you need an email address if you have their phone number and can text them?
Increase open rate of email
Some businesses need to send out emails with forms, documents, newsletters, a pdf of the full monthly ad, etc. However, if you can send a quick text letting your contact list know to look for the email and what action is required by them, it will greatly increase how many people open and read the email. Using Text Monster you can gather both their phone number and email address in one system.
Share a presentation
Live presenters often have a book, pamphlet, or other document that they would like to give to attendees at the event. Instead of putting a lengthy url and instructions for the download up on a screen, where people have to try and copy the information down, simply have the attendees text their email address to your phone number. They send one simple text and you collect their email address and phone number at the same time. You can then export that list directly from the Text Monster dashboard.
2 way texting means you can carry on a conversation with an individual person through your Text Monster phone number. When you send out your weekly special and someone replies asking what time the store closes you can reply to them directly with store hours. If someone texts in asking if you have a specific item in stock, you can reply to them directly letting them know what you have and even ask if they’d like you to hold one for them.
Example:
You send out a mass text saying: “Today only take 50% off any item in stock at The Barn! Show this message to redeem, can’t be combined with any other offer.”
With two-way texting you can really keep and build personal relationships with your customers. Being engaged with your customers is a great way to ensure they are happy with your product/service and keep them coming back!
Scheduling
Two-way messaging is essential for appointment scheduling. Ask customers to reply to confirm their appointment or cancel if they can’t make it. You can then text them one-on-one to work out the best day and time to meet their needs.
This is also a great way to let customers know about openings in your schedule, they can then reply to the message and reserve an open slot, immediately.
Groups are used to segment your marketing lists. Choose a keyword for the group and have a custom auto responder message for each group. This can be used to send custom offers for the product/service that each customer uses most.
“Save $5 on any haircut this week at The Salon”
Then send a separate offer to the nail clients saying:
“The Salon has a sale on all gel nails all week, show this message to get 20% off any new set”.
Text the day of the week that you want coupons to 218-555-1212 to get a special offer every week!
If you text Monday to 218-555-1212 you will get our Monday special every week!
Create as many groups as you want to customize your messages to the demographics and needs of your contacts!
The web based dashboard makes it possible to send a message from anywhere. Use a mobile device, tablet, or PC to login to your account through a web browser. To send a message, select your contacts, load a template or type in your message, and click Send. Even if you’re on vacation in the Caribbean, as long as you have a device with Internet access, you can send your bulk text messages. There is nothing to download or install.
Example 1
It’s Monday morning, I was supposed to be home last night but my flight was delayed, then rerouted. Now I’m sitting in an airport waiting for my connecting flight to get me home when I remember, “It’s Monday – I need to send out the weekly text special!” Luckily, I’m in an airport with free WiFi access, I pull out my phone, login to my Text Monster dashboard and quickly type out my message and click Send. The Monday special is now on it’s way to our regular customer list!
Example 2
I’m at a business meeting in Chicago. I just got checked into my hotel room and need to send an update to the employees that are traveling with me, to let them know about a schedule change for the meetings the following day. I pull out my phone and realize the battery is dead. I grab my laptop and of course I can’t get the WiFi to connect. I need the text to go out now, so I head to the business center and quickly pull up a web browser to login to my Text Monster account. Two minutes later my message has been sent to the group of employees traveling with me.
Message templates are messages stored on your account. Quickly load a message template to send the message to an individual or group, without typing it out every time. Message templates are very handy in a number of different scenarios:
Example Message Template
Appointment reminder:
Here is an example of an appointment reminder message template: You have an dentist appointment with Dr. Brown tomorrow at . Please call 662-555-1212 if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
When you load the template all you need to do is fill in the exact appointment time for that number and then click Send. Simple!
Monthly Special
A retail store may have a special offer the first of every month, they could save a message template for this text: It’s the first of the month! Visit The Retail Outlet this week and take 20% off any item! Also, check out our new clearance items! See you soon.
Quarterly Company Meetings
A group of employees are required to attend a quarterly meeting. Set up a message template to send out the day before the meeting, “Reminder: ABC Company’s quarterly meeting will be held tomorrow morning at 10:00 am in conference room A. You’re attendance is required, contact your supervisor if you cannot attend this meeting.”
Insurance Open Enrollment Period
Most insurance companies have an open enrollment period during which employees can make adjustments to their insurance plan. Having a saved message template will make it easy for the HR director to quickly send a mass text to all employees reminding them of the open enrollment period. “The company annual health insurance open enrollment dates are Nov 1st-21st. Please contact Susan in HR at 714-555-1212 to signup or make any changes to your plan; or logon at www.website.com to update or make changes.”
Sequential messages provide a way to send additional auto responder messages to your clients in a time-based sequence. Sequential messages are ideal for those clients that need a reminder every 30 days, 2 weeks, etc. after they first join your list. If your customer bought a 30 day supply of your product you may want to remind them in 25 days that it’s time to order their next 30 day supply. These sequential messages are different from scheduled messages because they don’t go to your entire list at the same time, they only go to the contacts that are exactly 25 days past their opt-in date. The message may go out to a different list of people everyday, if you have people buying the product daily. The bulk text may go out to 5 people today and 25 tomorrow; when they get the message will depend on when they were added to the list.
Let’s look at some other ways that a business could use sequential messaging for their text marketing. Sequential messages can be used as a loyalty text incentive. For instance, a bagel shop has people text in to get a free bagel and join their text campaign. They may send a coupon or special announcement every couple of weeks to keep their brand name fresh but every 60 days they want to “reward” the people that are part of the VIP text club. So, they give them a free bagel every 60 days – in addition to other promotions! With sequential messaging they can set up a free bagel offer to go out at 60 days, 120 days, 180 days, etc. This is a great way to keep the customers happy but not have an influx of 1000 people all wanting a free bagel on the same day. By having the message go out only to those that are exactly 60, 120, or 180 days after opt-in you may have 20 a day that will get the free bagel text – much more manageable!
Example
The Bagel Shop puts out a sign that says “Text freebagel to 702-555-1212 to join our text list and receive a FREE Bagel!”
Auto Responder: The first message they get back is the auto responder, this goes out immediately when they send the first text in. The Bagel Shop has an auto responder saying, “Thank you for joining our VIP Text Club – Show this message to get your FREE bagel. Offer good for 5 days.”
Sequential Message 1: set to go out after 60 days. If the contact above sent the first text on Oct. 1st. They’ll get the first sequential message on, or about Dec. 1st. This message could say something like, “Thank you for being a valued customers and member of our VIP Text Club! Show this message to get a free bagel! Offer valid for 5 days.”
Sequential Message 2: set to go out after 120 days. This one goes out to our example customer on, or about Feb. 1st and may say, “Can you believe you’ve been a VIP Text Club member for 4 months?! Let’s celebrate! Come in today for your FREE bagel! Offer valid for 5 days.”
Sequential Message 3: set to go out after 180 days. On April 1st your 3rd sequential message will be sent. “To celebrate your 6 month membership in our VIP Text Club we’re offering a free bagel to you AND a friend! Show this message within 5 days to redeem. Invite your friend to join the club for their own special text offers!
There are numerous ways to use sequential messages, get creative and make your text marketing unique!
Use the message scheduler to create and save messages you want to send out ahead of time; no need to login every time you are sending a message. The message scheduler is a calendar feature that will let you set up one-time scheduled messages or recurring messages to your sms group text list. Recurring messages can be set up to go out on a specific day of the week, specific dates within a month, or at specified intervals throughout the month.
3 Simple Examples of Scheduled Bulk Texts
As you can see, there are many different scenarios in which a business or organization may want to use the message scheduler to schedule a bulk text message to their list of contacts. The calendar feature Text Monster uses is very robust and makes it easy to schedule messages to a group of contacts or to your entire list.
An auto-responder message is sent back to each person when they send a text to your phone number. When they text in, they get your auto-responder back immediately with the custom message. Their number is collected by the system and added to your contact list so you can send them future specials and offers. Once you’ve customized your auto-responder, the messages will go out automatically when someone texts in, saving you time but is still keeping your customers engaged. Advertise a special offer and they’ll get your mobile coupon back as soon as they text in. Hang a sign near the cash register telling people to text the word Discount to your phone number to save 20% on their entire purchase.
Example Flyer
Save 20% Instantly
When you join our text club.
Text Discount to
512-555-1212
Example Auto Responder
Thank you for joining our exclusive text club. Show this message to save 20% on your purchase. 1 time use, valid for 1 week. Can’t combine with other offers.
Auto Responder Uses:
