Texting a keyword to a short code is the easiest way for you to grow your customer list. But getting personal information from your customers can be challenging. People expect something in return when they provide their phone number or email address. So, to grow your list, you need to be strategic when using a keyword for marketing.
A keyword is a simple word, phrase, or combination of words and numbers that is sent to a short code. The response is almost immediate. Your customers can send a keyword to sign up for digital coupons, alerts on promotions, or membership to a loyalty program. Plus, using keywords is cost-effective with a low-cost to entry and regular fees, so it’s perfect for small retailers.
What Makes a Successful Keyword?
Keywords can be used as a stand-alone campaign or for a variety of promotions and events. You can be creative and match your keywords with other campaigns and those themes. Each keyword is associated with a specific campaign, which allows you to track engagement and return on investment.
There are several vital elements to consider when developing a successful keyword campaign that begins with knowing the purpose of your keyword. The message has to be short and enticing enough for people to use it. This requires a few tactics to motivate your customers in a way that gets them to opt-in.
The Keyword
Some questions to consider when choosing a keyword are:
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Does it match the promotion?
Matching the keyword with the promotion keeps it relevant. If it doesn’t, then it will seem out of place. Try not to get too clever, because the word needs to be a direct reflection of your business and the promotion. When the keyword matches the promotion, your message is clear and concise.
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Is it easy to remember?
Using a word that has special characters in it makes it harder to remember. For example, you replace a capital “S” with “$” that may confuse people who only get a glance at the word. These also get changed by autocorrect. You also want to make it easy for your employees to remember and be able to pass it on to customers.
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Is it short?
One word is best. It’s easier to remember and doesn’t get complicated. That’s why acronyms are so popular when texting because a few letters can be an entire phrase or sentence. Another reason is that the average length of a word in English is less than five letters. Around 80% of all words are between two and seven letters.
The Message
You don’t need to tell customers every detail of what you’ll be sending them. Too many details make the message too long. Plus, they are already familiar with how keywords work. So, your keyword campaign has to offer something of value. Do they get a discount? Are they signing up for loyalty rewards? Whatever it is that you choose, it has to entice and incentivize.
Marketing Your Keywords
Make some room in your budget for signage and other ways to advertise your keyword. If you’re running an ad in the paper, set aside a small corner for your keyword. In-store signage is some of the most effective and it doesn’t have to only be on the wall or table tents. Your employees can hand it out on business cards. It can also be part of an online pay-per-click campaign and appear on your Facebook banner.
Every impression you make counts. The goal is to increase the number of impressions, so people will recognize your keyword and text it. When you offer real value, it’s hard for them not to take advantage. Once they do, you’ll have them on your list of customers for future marketing communications.