How to get Opt Ins

Give people a reason. Simple as that. You are asking for their phone number and permission to send them text messages give them a reason to say yes!

Text message marketing is the most effective way to communicate with your customers

But… There’s a Catch! It’s this pesky little thing called the law.

You can’t just start texting your customers (even if you have their phone number) if you don’t get their permission first. You are required to get an opt in. In fact, the law says you must get written permission prior to sending a text message for marketing purposes. And, there are hefty fines if you don’t get permission first.

I have talked before about why I think its actually a positive that you are required to get an opt-in, you can check out that video here.

Here are my 3 favorite ways to get opt ins so you can start communicating the way your customers do.

Incentivize

Give people a reason. Simple as that. You are asking for their phone number and permission to send them text messages give them a reason to say yes. This can be done a variety of different ways, but you need to provide additional value to the customer.

This method works for both potential customers as well as current customers. This can be anything from a coupon to getting notified of deals and promotions before others, but it whatever you are offering, it has to provide value.

A couple examples of local businesses that have done this well:

Get a free drink today for joining our VIP Text Club

Buy one coffee get one half off by joining our text club

Get access to our sales events a day early by joining

Contests

Text to win is probably my FAVORITE method to get opt ins. Trust me on this one, people will do just about anything for the chance to win something. The better the prize the more opt ins you will get. And remember you are only giving away one prize to one winner. People worry about the cost of the prize, but you are only giving one away.

This is another method that works for both potential customers as well as current customers. I do want to point out this is the most effective way to get potential customers on your opt in list and introduce them to your business. But make sure you follow up with them!

A couple of examples of local businesses that have done this well:

Free beer for a year! Breweries offer the chance to win free beer for a year when people opt in.

Free season pass! Ski resorts offer the chance to win a free season pass.

Loyalty Programs

Transform your punch-card! Take your existing loyalty program or punch-card and make it a text message based loyalty program. Give people way to earn free products or services from you by opting in and then buying products from you.

A few local business examples:

Buy 9 beers get the 10th beer free.

Buy 10 lunches get the 11th free.

Spend $300 in our salon/products get $20 off your next purchase.

It is relatively easy to build an opt in list if you give people a reason to opt in. You are only limited by your imagination!

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How to get Opt Ins

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