Using Text Message Marketing for Sweepstakes Campaigns

September 28, 2018 Posted by Pocketstop in Text Message Marketing - M360 Social Share

When it comes to engaging with current or potential customers, sweepstakes campaigns can be an excellent choice, as they provide you with a fast and easy-to-implement solution for your needs, whether we are talking about getting people to develop an interest in your brand, promoting a new product, or increasing your website’s traffic. In order to make sure that you fully benefit from a sweepstakes, you need to go through a comprehensive preparation process, and also have a follow-up plan. But before getting to the follow-up, it is essential to address the most important aspect of all: what environment should you use for your sweepstakes campaigns?

In today’s digital world, traditional sweepstakes campaigns that you would have to promote in brick-and-mortar stores and for which you would need entries on paper are becoming more and more obsolete. People are relying on social media for their communication needs, whether we are talking about staying in touch with a friend or finding information on their favorite brands. But is social media the best environment for a sweepstakes campaign? Can something be easier than uploading a photo and filling out an e-form? The answer is: yes, text messaging. Here’s why using a text message marketing solution for sweepstakes campaigns is your best option.

When Almost All Interactions Happen via a Phone, Going Mobile is a Must

Mobile phones have become ubiquitous, they are the devices on which we get our information, the devices from which we connect to the internet, from which we work, make plans, or chronicle our journeys, so it is only natural to interact with your customers in a mobile environment.

Did you know that texting is the most used function on a smartphone? According to a Forbes report, the world sends 16 million text messages every day. You might think, “ok, but people text with their friends, they don’t want to be bothered by a business.” There is an increasing amount of data stating that more than 78% of consumers wished they could text a business. It’s simpler, cleaner, and guaranties a much more straightforward communication. Not everyone has a Facebook, a Twitter, or an Instagram account. Some people have them but only use the platforms via desktop, others simply turn of their mobile data connection in order to avoid distractions, or higher costs. But a text message will always reach its destination the minute it is sent. And although you can consider most social media platforms mobile, text messages are still the most reliable and intimate form of communication. Here’s why your sweepstakes campaign will benefit from it:

• Text messaging is available on all mobile phones
• There is no need for third parties, such as apps to download
• Text marketing sweepstakes cost less than traditional ones
• According to recent studies, text has a 98% percent open rate
• Text-to-enter can be used from anywhere and clients can enter the sweepstakes in a matter of seconds
• You can keep all winners and non-winners interested in future offers with just a text

Text message marketing not only improves the ROI of your sweepstakes campaign as companies such as McDonald’s, Nivea, Rexona, and even the Washington DC Lottery have proved with their campaigns, but it will turn all your goals and ideas into reality, if executed properly. Which brings us to the next step of our discussion.

Using Text Message Marketing for Sweepstakes Campaigns: What to Consider

Assessing the objective of your sweepstakes campaign is crucial for a successful run. Some people don’t give this that much thought, thinking that they can always return and amend their objective based on the current outcomes of the campaign, or on any other client needs that might arise during the process. But not starting with a clear objective means you will not be utilizing the sweepstakes campaign and the benefits of text message marketing at full capacity. You need to know what you want to achieve, in order to know with what tools to achieve it.

I’m Not Sure How To Set An Objective

Don’t panic, this situation is more common than you think. The reason behind a sweepstakes campaign can be anything from promoting an old product that is not doing as well as it used to, promoting a newly launched product, getting people interact with our brand, developing brand loyalty, generating customer referrals, increasing overall sales, or improving your client database. Regardless of the objective, once you have set it, you will need to consider the following:

• Develop the strategy based on the chosen objective
• Think of what prize you are going to offer (it usually should be either one of your products, or something that you know will excite your customers)
• Plan the logistics of the campaign
• Assign a keyword to your sweepstakes campaign
• Decide how will process all incoming data
• Create a follow-up

The long-term effects of a sweepstakes campaign are well-known. By building a large number of text subscribers, those effects are even more perceptible by providing you with a database of customers who are only a text message away. And if you are worried about spamming, don’t forget that text message marketing relies upon the previous consent of the customer. Running a text message sweepstakes campaign is easy to do, accessible from anywhere, and it provides you with real time analytics, the possibility to build a robust database of customer profiles, and also campaign automation. Solutions such as Straightxt offer a full range of services in terms of using text message marketing for sweepstakes campaigns, so you will not have to concern yourself with aspects such as adhering to current legislation, collecting data, or integrating the campaign with your current marketing strategies. If you want to promote your text message sweepstakes campaign on social media or other environments, you can do so.

Considering a text message marketing solution for your next sweepstakes campaign is not only a wide decision, but also guaranteed to bring you a lot of benefits, as you have already discovered from above. Being completely in charge of the objective, logistics, outcome, and follow-up of a sweepstakes campaign is a major benefit, and text messaging offers you that by providing you with an easy and straightforward way of conducting your business.

  Social Share