There are many challenges to running a small business, particularly when you’re a startup. Your initial objective should be to get the word out to as many people as possible that you’re in business, and then to slowly build a relationship with the people you cater to. For larger, more established businesses, they can use several tools, often requiring huge budgets, to achieve both objectives. But when you’re small, you only have your creativity and resourcefulness to resort to.

Fortunately for you and thanks to technology, it doesn’t need to cost a lot. Aside from social media, you can resort to text marketing services to keep your customers coming back. When done right, it can be very cost-effective.

Curious about how sending bulk SMS can drive business? Here are 3 tips:

1.     Make it multi-media

In small neighborhoods, flyers and posters are still the go-to advertising vehicle to get word out about your business. Many also use social media pages — Facebook and Twitter — to engage customers — both existing and potential. Both are inexpensive to do and, when done properly, can drive sales and revenues.

Why not make it a triumvirate and include SMS marketing into the fold?

Print media helps increase awareness and business, but its impersonal nature makes it an inappropriate tool for enhancing customer relationships. Social media, on the other hand, can and does engage your target market — but how many of them visit your page often enough to get to read your messages immediately?

That’s why you need SMS marketing. Studies have shown that a majority of mobile phone users read text messages received within minutes.

Moreover, using them in conjunction with one another creates synergies. You can increase your social media subscribers through SMS marketing, and vice versa. An increased subscriber base makes campaigns more successful — more people are informed, which means more people are more likely to participate.

2.     Make it personal

Nothing beats a personal message. It makes your customers feel important and special. Furthermore, recipients will more likely read your marketing messages and not treat it as spam.

Your text marketing service provider can help personalize your messages using common mail merge tags.

3.     Make it interactive

Don’t just make your marketing campaigns one-way. Allow your customers to talk back to you. Do you want to know how your customers feel about your products and services? Ask them to text you. Do you want to know what they desire to see in your shop next? Create a poll.

Interaction makes it more engaging, so use it to your advantage.