How to build an SMS audience that keeps growing

Written by Sam Holmes, Marketing Director at Force24

 

SMS can be a seriously useful channel when timing matters. I lean on it a lot when speed is key and I need the message to be seen, like an event timing change or new product launch. But building a strong SMS strategy starts a fair way before you send your first text, whether you are B2B or B2C. We of course need people to actively choose to hear from you, a good reason for them to sign up and enough customer intelligence to know when SMS is actually the right channel to use.

So, rather than focusing purely on collecting as many mobile numbers as possible, we should be thinking about how you can build SMS naturally into the customer journey. Below, I’ve given eight realistic ways to get started that don’t involve changing too much of what you’re already doing.

 

1. Build SMS into the journeys you already have

You probably already have plenty of opportunities to grow your SMS audience. Data capture points like newsletter sign-ups, account creation, quote requests, brochure downloads, event registrations, enquiries and bookings can all provide natural moments to ask whether somebody would like to hear from you by text too.

The key is having a good reason to ask. Someone registering for an event might want a reminder on the day. Someone making an enquiry may want updates as things progress. A customer nearing an appointment or renewal might appreciate a timely nudge. 

SMS opt-in should feel like a useful part of the experience, rather than another field you want someone to complete. And, of course, make sure your consent process clearly reflects the marketing channels somebody has agreed to receive communications through.

 

2. Give people a good reason to sign up

“Sign up for SMS” probably isn’t enough. Instead, tell people what they will actually get from it.

That could be:

• first access to new products or availability
• booking and appointment reminders
• relevant offers
• event updates
• renewal notifications
• stock alerts
• useful updates based on their interests

You don’t always feel you need to rely on a discount either. For businesses with longer, more considered customer journeys, convenience, relevance and good timing can be the incentive.

A travel brand could offer alerts when new dates become available. A dealership could offer updates on vehicles somebody is interested in. A recruitment business could give candidates the option to receive relevant job alerts. Give people a clear reason to want your brand in their messages.

 

3. Introduce SMS to your email audience

Your future SMS subscribers could already be sitting in your database.

Someone subscribing to email doesn’t automatically mean you can market to them by SMS, but your existing audience is a great place to promote the option.

Try adding SMS registration into your:

• email newsletters
• preference centres
• automated journeys
• customer account areas
• dedicated campaigns

And don’t necessarily promote it to everybody in exactly the same way. Consider what you already know about each person. For example, a customer who regularly attends your events could be invited to receive event reminders. Someone repeatedly viewing a particular product could be offered relevant availability updates. An existing customer approaching renewal could opt into reminders.

The more relevant the reason, the stronger the sign-up proposition.

 

4. Choose the right moment on your website

Pop-ups and forms can be great ways to grow your SMS list. But timing matters – showing every new visitor an immediate request for their mobile number is very different to offering SMS to somebody who has spent time engaging with your business.

Think about triggering an SMS sign-up when somebody:

• returns to your website
• views several related pages
• spends time researching a particular product or service
• reaches a high-intent page
• begins an enquiry
• browses an event or booking page

This is where behavioural data becomes really useful. Rather than treating everybody who lands on your website in the same way, use their behaviour to help determine what should happen next.

For one person that might be another piece of content. For another, an email nurture journey. For somebody showing stronger intent, it could be the perfect moment to offer SMS updates.

 

5. Let people choose how they hear from you

Not everybody wants every message through every channel. You can give audience a a choice.

A simple preference centre can allow customers to decide whether they would rather receive email, SMS or a combination of both. Email might be better for longer updates, inspiration and content.

SMS might suit reminders, important updates and moments when timing matters. And some customers will want both.

The more you understand about somebody’s preferences, the easier it becomes to build journeys around how they actually want to interact with you.

 

6. Capture SMS consent at useful moments

There are points in almost every customer lifecycle where sharing a mobile number makes sense. For retail businesses, checkout or booking pages are an obvious one. But there are plenty of opportunities beyond making a purchase.

Think about:

Bookings and appointments
Offer reminders and useful updates.

Events
Give attendees the option to receive information before or on the day.

Enquiries and quotes
Let prospects opt into relevant updates while their decision develops.

Account creation
Capture communication preferences from the beginning.

After purchase
Offer useful service, renewal or customer updates.

The aim here is to identify the points where SMS genuinely adds something to the customer experience.

 

7. Promote SMS outside of your website

Your website isn’t the only place you can grow your SMS audience. Think about everywhere else customers interact with your brand.

Social media, paid campaigns, events, physical locations, QR codes and printed materials can all point people towards an SMS sign-up. Again, make the reason specific.

“Join our SMS list” is easy to ignore. “Get a text when registration opens” or “Sign up for new availability alerts” makes the value much clearer.

 

8. Give people a reason to stay subscribed

What happens after someone signs up is what determines whether they stay there. Start with a useful welcome message that confirms what they’ve subscribed to and what they can expect. Then you can be selective.

SMS doesn’t need to become email with fewer characters. Instead you can use it when the immediacy actually adds something: an appointment is approaching, availability changes, somebody reaches an important stage of their journey or their behaviour suggests now is a good time to act.

If a message can comfortably sit in an inbox for several days, email might still be the better channel.

 

Build a better SMS audience, not just a bigger one

The value of an SMS database isn’t simply how many numbers it contains. It comes from knowing who wants to hear from you, what they’re interested in and when SMS is the best channel to reach them. Connect consent and communication preferences with customer data and behavioural signals, and SMS becomes much more useful than another broadcast channel. It becomes part of a smarter, more connected customer journey.

 

Want to make SMS part of your automated journeys?

If you are already using Force24, you’ll know it brings your customer data, behavioural signals, segmentation and multi-channel marketing together already, so SMS should be pretty easy to get off the ground if you’re not already utilsing it in your journey alongside email and the rest of your customer journey. If you’re not a Force24 user and would like to see what this looks like in practice, you can explore Force24’s features here.

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