SMS keywords can be used in a variety of ways – from promoting a contest to providing a way for subscribers to opt-out of your list, keywords make it very easy for people to contact you.

Increase Subscriber Response

SMS keywords should be easy to remember – even when a subscriber responds immediately to your message. Avoid using keyword phrases like Enter Now, Enter Contest, Subscribe Now as subscribers might not remember the exact order of the words when responding and may type in the wrong words altogether. This can make it very frustrating and could lower response rates. Instead, choose one word (3 to10 characters in length) like that’s easy to spell and remember.

In addition to keeping keywords short, you should also:

·         Avoid using numbers as keywords as it takes more effort to remember a number sequence than one word

·         Choose a word that’s related to your business

·         Use words that are familiar to most subscribers (avoid words written in different languages or words you make up)

When sending SMS notifications that include keywords, make it very clear about how you want subscribers to use these words. For example, TYPE: ‘Business’ to 45678 lets people know exactly what you want them to do.

Keywords for Marketing Analysis

Use different keywords when promoting contests or when asking for responses for text messages, print advertising, website marketing, and social media and blog pages to see where most people find information about your business. Track the number of responses you get for each keyword and use this information to target specific segments of your list. For example, if you receive a high number of responses from social media pages, concentrate your marketing efforts on these pages to increase sales. If you notice a low response rate from another area, consider making changes to your marketing strategy.

Opting Out

Providing a way for subscribers to opt-out of your SMS subscriber list shows that you’re a professional business owner with integrity. Select a keyword that subscribers can use to opt-out at any time. Keywords like ‘Stop,’ ‘Cancel’, or ‘No’ are good examples. Make sure to clean your list often to make sure those who choose to opt-out are granted their request.

Running a successful text message campaign requires patience and respect. Treat all subscribers in a respectful manner and they will do the same for you. After all, just because a subscriber no longer wants to be on your list doesn’t mean they won’t pass your text messages on to friends and family.