Choosing Your SMS Marketing Keyword

Choosing a keyword for SMS marketing is an important step of a campaign that can affect your success. A keyword what your subscriber will text to our short code 83936, to join your list. Example: “Text KEYWORD to 83936 for VIP Specials and Offers.” A short keyword that is in-line with your business brand can lead to higher opt-ins and ultimately higher campaign ROI.

Tips on choosing SMS marketing keyword:

1. Keep it short- Long keywords are prone to error when customers type them into their phones. Keep it between 3 to 10 characters and all one word. If customers know your business as a nick name or shorter version or your business name, use this for your keyword.

2. Don’t use numbers- Numbers in keywords are confusing especially if you are verbally telling your customers your call to action.

3. Keep branding in mind- Keeping your keyword in line with your business will help keep a consistent image across all marketing platforms. Don’t use a keyword that your customers have never heard or it not used in your business name or an item or service you sell.

4. Use keywords to segment marketing- You can use different keywords to test your reach of different marketing efforts. Use one keyword for social media call to actions and a different keyword for print advertising. You will then easily be able to see from your account dashboard which keywords have higher opt-ins and focus your future efforts there.

5. Don’t re-use keywords- If you use a keyword for a contest, don’t re-use that keyword for a text-2-offer campaign. Even though the contest may have expired, customers may want to also opt-in to your new text 2 offer campaign and they will not be able to because they are already subscribed. Also promotions have a way of staying on the internet and other places long after expiration and this will lead to confusion.

If you choose a SMS marketing keyword in haste and in hindsight it does not work for your marketing plans, give us a call or email and we can change it for you. Having the correct keyword does make a difference in opt-in rates, customer interaction and ROI. Remember to think of keywords that your customers already associate with your business and keywords that are easy to remember and spell.

About the author

Author: Shane Farrell. Shane has been in the restaurant business his entire live. Working as a cook in fine dinning, owning multiple pizza parlors around Boston and as a one time owner of the oldest bar in Boston, The Red Hat. Now he uses his experience to write marketing guides and articles and act as customer support liason, all in the name of helping his fellow small business owners succeed. Google +