Your SMS List is super important for your Text Marketing Efforts. It’s like the Key to your SMS marketing Locks . Without a good list, your offers and messages won’t work as well.

But, Building a strong SMS list takes time and effort. Buying a list isn’t such a bad idea. But any successful marketer will tell you that ‘You need to grow your list naturally’.

With that in mind, We have some tips to help you build your SMS list faster. These are Five proven methods to get more subscribers for Your Bulk SMS Marketing. But First, Let’s talk about why growing your list matters and some general rules to follow.

The Importance of Expanding Your SMS Marketing List

SMS is a highly effective channel for business-to-consumer interactions. Nearly everyone with a phone can receive text messages, making all 15 billion phones globally accessible for this form of communication. This is a larger audience than those on social media or with email addresses.

Key Reasons to Expand Your SMS Marketing List

• Ownership of the Channel: SMS, like email, is an owned channel. Unlike social media platforms, which can ban your account, or search engines, which can alter their algorithms and affect your traffic, your SMS list remains entirely under your control. Once you have built an engaged list of subscribers, no external changes can take it away.
• High Open Rates: Text messages boast an impressive 98% open rate. If you want to ensure your message is seen by customers, SMS is the optimal method.
• Legal Compliance: It’s important to remember that sending unsolicited marketing text messages is illegal. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires businesses to obtain consent before sending marketing texts. Therefore, building a permission-based SMS list is crucial for legal and ethical marketing practices.

The concise nature of text messages also makes them ideal for delivering clear and direct calls to action, leading to higher conversion rates. Expanding your SMS marketing list is not just a strategic move; it’s essential for maintaining direct and effective communication with your customers.

Essential Components for Building an SMS Subscriber List

1. Obtaining a Suitable Number

The foundation of your SMS marketing strategy is the number you use. There are two primary options:

• 10DLC (10-digit long code): This number resembles a standard phone number, giving it a personal touch. It’s ideal for low-volume messaging and businesses starting out.
• Short codes: These are memorable, short numbers designed for high-volume messaging. While they offer greater reach and speed, they incur higher costs.

The optimal choice depends on your business size, messaging volume, and budget.

2. Creating a Compelling Reason to Opt-In

Offering a compelling incentive is crucial to encourage subscribers to join your list. Providing exclusive discounts, early access to sales, or VIP offers can significantly boost opt-in rates. Research indicates that a whopping 60% of consumers sign up for SMS lists to receive special offers. Additionally, incentives like coupons, discounts, or free trials can sweeten the deal.

3. Providing Easy Opt-In Methods

To maximize subscriber acquisition, offer multiple opt-in methods:

• Keywords: Simple and memorable keywords like “TEXT DEALS TO 12345” make it easy for customers to join.
• Online forms: Integrate opt-in forms into your website, social media platforms, and email campaigns.
• Automation and autoresponders: Streamline the process by setting up automated welcome messages and providing clear expectations about the type and frequency of messages.

4. Organizing and Segmenting Your Contacts

Effective SMS marketing relies on segmentation. By dividing your contacts into groups based on interests, behavior, location, or purchase history, you can deliver highly targeted messages. Contact tags provide granular details for even more personalized communication. Data reveals that segmented campaigns can generate a staggering 760% increase in revenue.

5. Promoting Opt-In Opportunities

To build a substantial SMS subscriber list, promote opt-in opportunities across multiple channels:

• Social media: Utilize organic posts, paid ads, and influencer partnerships.
• Website and digital ads: Employ pop-ups, banner ads, and targeted campaigns.
• Physical and digital checkout: Include opt-in options at point-of-sale and online checkout.
• Email newsletters: Cross-promote SMS sign-ups within your email campaigns.

Top 5 Ways to Grow Your SMS / Text Marketing List

Increasing the number of subscribers on your SMS marketing list translates to more potential customers to engage. However, subscribers don’t usually find your SMS list on their own—you need to actively seek them out.

Effective Tactics to Gain SMS Marketing Followers

1. Offer Exclusive SMS Deals and Discounts

Provide your SMS subscribers with unique deals. This could be a one-time holiday promotion or an ongoing offer. For instance, you might offer free shipping during a holiday campaign to all SMS subscribers. After the campaign ends or the customer completes their purchase, they may unsubscribe. Therefore, it’s crucial to provide ongoing value by sending exclusive discounts available only to SMS subscribers. This encourages customers to stay subscribed and even join other channels for more deals.

2. Convert Your Existing Email Subscribers

Inform your email subscribers that they can also receive SMS marketing messages. Offer them different incentives for signing up for both. For example, your email list might receive holiday discounts, while your SMS list gets last-minute deals. This encourages customers who seek the best prices to join both lists.

3. Add a Sign-Up Form to Your Website

Make it easy for website visitors to join your SMS list. Embed sign-up forms in blog posts or directly on your homepage. You can offer free content, such as a guide or checklist, to entice visitors to enter their phone numbers. Additionally, placing sign-up forms in the footer, sidebar, or as non-intrusive pop-ups can be effective. Track each form’s success to determine which ones convert the best, and remove any that don’t perform well.

4. Provide Checkout Bonuses

Offer a bonus at checkout for customers who subscribe to your SMS list. This could be a 10% discount or a gift item in exchange for their phone number. Seeing an immediate benefit, like a discount before completing a purchase, can be very enticing.

5. Require SMS Numbers for Contest Entrance

Use contests to build your SMS list at events. Ask participants to text a keyword (such as “Join” or “Enter”) to a short code to enter. This approach can attract new subscribers interested in winning prizes or receiving discounts.

 *(Bonus) Entice Your Social Media Following to Subscribe

Encourage your social media followers to join your SMS list. These followers already show interest in your brand, and an SMS channel can offer them additional value. Promote your SMS list through regular posts, stories, or even during live streams. Adding your SMS short code and an enticing offer to your company bio can serve as a continuous promotion.

Also Read: What is SMS Automation? How does it impact your businesses?