Let’s do an experiment:
Take out your phone. Tap open the SMS.
What do you see?
~ Introducing [PRODUCT NAME] SHOP NOW
~ 2025 NEW ARRIVALS Explore This Season’s [PRODUCT NAME] SHOP NOW
~ They’re back! [PRODUCT NAME] – choose your size
~ [PRODUCT] is back & better than ever – thanks to your feedback. Grab a bag
“ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!”
…
..
.
I’m not, and that’s the problem.
Most SMS marketing isn’t just dull…
…they are soul-sucking, making me want to hit my head against the wall
“The key to success is to find a way to stand out – to be the purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins.” – Seth Godin, legendary marketing author
**Lesson for business owner**
Here are a few principles I follow when creating SMS for clients:
~ Short > Long
“If I had time, I would have written a shorter letter.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Short does not mean easy. It means you’ve zoomed in and evaluated every single world, making sure they’ve earned the right to stay.
~ Do I sound like every other SMS?
If so, scratch that SMS.
The worst thing you can do is become “just another brand that wants my money.”
What should you do instead?
~ Can I put a smile on my prospects’ faces?
The goal of SMS is not to hard sell.
So… having a “SHOP NOW” CTA doesn’t make it great.
The goal is to snap your prospects’ attention out of zombie mode so they will tune in to what you want to say… even for a split second.
Most people’s lives are boring.
If your SMS can become the beacon of their mundane day… put a smile on their face… then you have a customer for life.
To be continued…
– WYH