Collecting Phone Numbers: 12 Right Ways to Do It
In today's world, SMS marketing plays a crucial role in engaging customers and sharing important updates. However, with increasing concerns about privacy, it is important to prioritize transparency and obtain customer consent. Recent statistics have shown that 80% of popular mobile apps collect data from users' messages. This makes it more important to be upfront about data collection practices.
Personalized messages are essential to boost engagement and create a brand image. Understanding customer preferences allows us to tailor messages that truly resonate with them, showing care for their needs beyond just selling products.
Using popup windows can effectively gather phone numbers and drive traffic to your website. However, it is crucial to seek explicit consent before collecting any data. When using SMS marketing with deals and offers, moderation is key to avoiding customers.
Customer feedback is incredibly valuable for improvement as it shows appreciation for their opinions and helps loyalty. Actively seeking out and utilizing this feedback allows us to enhance our store and offerings continuously.
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Why You Shouldn’t Simply Buy a List of Phone Numbers?
Why You Shouldn’t Simply Buy a List of Phone Numbers?
To navigate the changing world of marketing, it's crucial to not only be creative and strategic but also fully comply with laws and regulations that safeguard consumer rights and privacy. Businesses must prioritize following the laws to avoid legal consequences and uphold a positive brand image.
There are three laws that directly impact marketing practices — the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the CAN-SPAM Act, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). By understanding and adhering to these regulations, we protect consumers from unwanted communications and demonstrate our commitment to respecting privacy rights and promoting ethical marketing practices.
- The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a law in the United States designed to safeguard consumers from unsolicited telemarketing calls, faxes, and text messages. It mandates that businesses acquire written consent from customers before engaging in automated or prerecorded calls and sending promotional text messages. Additionally, the TCPA establishes a Do Not Call Registry allowing individuals to opt out of receiving unwanted marketing calls.
- The CAN-SPAM Act in the United States aims to control and manage commercial email messages specifically targeting spam. It establishes guidelines for businesses that send marketing emails mandating the inclusion of sender information, a transparent opt-out mechanism, and avoiding misleading subject lines. This legislation applies to commercial emails and individual messages, with significant penalties for violations.
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a law on data protection that was implemented in the European Union (EU) in 2018. Its primary goal is to empower EU citizens by giving them control over their personal information and ensuring consistency in data protection laws across EU member states. This regulation applies to any organization, regardless of its location, that handles data of EU residents. Businesses must obtain consent for collecting data, provide clear and transparent privacy policies and grant individuals the right to access, correct, or delete their information. Compliance with the GDPR is crucial as non-compliance can lead to penalties emphasizing the importance for businesses to adhere to its requirements.
How to Collect Phone Numbers for SMS Marketing
Creating an SMS subscriber list is crucial for achieving successful marketing in today's fiercely competitive environment. Businesses use innovative approaches, such as keywords, webinars, and exit intent popups, to efficiently gather phone numbers. Let’s explore twelve tried and tested techniques that can help enhance customer engagement, grow your SMS subscriber base, and get leads.
You can always learn more about lead generation in our blog.
1. Use a Keyword So Users Can Text You
People remember words better than numbers, so make sure to create a keyword that will anchor your business in their heads. You can use it instead of a number so they can text you whenever they feel like it.
Some users will subscribe to your list as soon as they see the code, while others will wait for another moment. So make the keyword easy and memorable. For example, if you sell clothes, you can anchor your products with something like TRENDYCLO, or if you sell mattresses, you can pick GOODSLEEP. It is memorable, describes your product, and is easy to use.
Don’t forget to advertise your keyword to get more new customers and to collect phone numbers. Try to understand what media channels your target audience uses and work with that. If you are feeling uncomfortable with that, ask your marketing team to help you.
2. Promote Your Keyword Everywhere
Consider all the marketing channels your clients might use to interact with your brand while putting yourself in their position. For example, they could browse your website, view your social media pages, scroll through your Instagram feed, read your email newsletter, or take your business card.
These locations should include your keyword prominently alongside a call to action. The more phone numbers you gather, the more people will search for your keyword.
3. Mobile App Keyword Pop-up
Another way to collect customer phone numbers is by offering your customers to sign in to your SMS newsletter when they surf your app. Just keep it straight: “Hi! Here’s our SMS newsletter, and we would like you to join. Get new promo codes and notifications about our sales. Type in the keyword and enjoy your benefits.”
It’s true that people like honest business owners. So, while users check your goods and services, you can show them the pop-up window that shows the keyword for SMS subscription.
Mobile App Keyword Pop-up Example for collecting phone numbers
4. Ask For a Mobile Number During the Registration
Use your website for collecting phone numbers and other information about your users. You can use any marketing tool to get the desired information, i.e., freebies, promo codes, discounts, free shipping, etc.
Make sure your CTA is short and easy to understand. Don’t make it long or hard to understand. Just write your offer as it is, i.e., “Sign up for our SMS newsletter and get free shipping.”
Ask For a Mobile Number During the Registration Example for collecting phone numbers
5. Use Your Order Confirmation Page to Ask People to Join Your SMS Newsletter List
Don’t miss a chance to use every possible page to get mobile numbers. As soon as the user finishes the purchase, you can place your subscription offer on the confirmation page.
Just think that people bought the desired item literally one second ago, and they must be so happy that it is easier for them to subscribe to your newsletter.
You can ask them to enter the phone number to get shipping information and add an agreement to receive exclusive offers via SMS.
6. Share Exclusive Offers
It’s obvious that people don’t like sharing their personal information like address or personal mobile number. That’s why you need to be honest with your clients. Tell them how many SMS messages they’ll receive and describe what they’ll receive. Make sure that the information they’ll get is useful, i.e., send them offers, discounts, promo codes, etc.
To start with, you can send coupons each month, offer free shipping or samples, run giveaways, notify about new products or services, and offer exclusive products.
You can create personalized offers to make sure to get the most of your popup.
7. Offer Your Email Subscribers an SMS Subscription
We are sure that you already have a list of subscribers. Those are loyal people to your products and services, so you can ask them to update their personal information with their mobile phones. Just make sure to send them news and offers that differ from their email newsletter. If you offer the same things via different channels, it doesn’t have that much of a meaning to it.
Or simply ask people by email something like: “Hi! Do you want to receive exclusive offers faster so you won’t miss them? Subscribe to our SMS newsletter as well”.
8. Run a Contest
Everyone likes contests! This is a great chance to collect phone numbers and to give a nice prize instead of many small ones that people won’t use.
If the prize is quite expensive and feels like a good offer in exchange for a phone number, people will sign up to your SMS subscriber list and will happily receive our letters.
You can start with sending contest news and alerts via SMS before sending a general newsletter.
9. Provide a Discount on Preferred Product or Next Order
You can entirely focus on the offers you provide to customers by using dynamic popups and dynamic display components in your emails. Your SMS opt-in rate will increase if you provide a discount on a customer's preferred item.
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Discount for the next order for collecting phone numbers
10. Leverage Social Media Advertising
Utilize social media platforms for executing advertising campaigns to promote your SMS subscription. Create captivating ad content emphasizing the advantages of subscribing and guiding users to a designated landing page or popup, facilitating effortless signup.
11. Host Webinars or Virtual Events
Promote seminars or virtual gatherings that focus on your products or industry. Ask attendees to sign up using their numbers to receive event reminders and access exclusive content.
Keep in mind, that you can get phone numbers with this template as well, adjusting it in the settings.
12. Use Exit-Intent Popups
Implement exit-intent popups on your website to target users who are about to leave without subscribing. Offer an irresistible incentive to capture their attention and encourage SMS sign-ups.
FAQ
Why Is SMS Marketing Important for Nurturing Loyal Customers and Boosting Sales?
SMS marketing plays a role in nurturing loyal customers and boosting sales by providing a direct and personalized communication channel. SMS messages have higher open rates than methods, ensuring prompt delivery to the intended audience. By customizing messages based on customer preferences, interests, and purchase history, businesses can create personalized experiences that foster connection and loyalty, ultimately encouraging repeat purchases. Additionally, SMS marketing allows for the delivery of exclusive offers, discounts, and promotions, which drive sales and strengthen customer relationships.
How Can Popup Windows Help Gather Phone Numbers and Drive Website Traffic?
Popup windows can be a tool for gathering phone numbers and boosting website traffic. When strategically positioned, these popups grab the attention of visitors. Please encourage them to take action, such as signing up for an SMS newsletter or providing their contact details. You can entice visitors to share their phone numbers by offering incentives or exclusive content. Additionally, popups can direct visitors towards landing pages or promotions, ultimately increasing engagement and driving more traffic to your website. It's crucial to strike a balance and ensure that these popups don't disrupt the user experience to avoid any reactions from users.
What Are the Benefits of Using Personalized Messages in Sms Marketing?
There are advantages to using personalized messages in SMS marketing for both businesses and customers. When messages are tailored to preferences and behaviors, it creates an engaging and relevant experience that customers appreciate. Personalization demonstrates that the brand truly understands its customers and genuinely cares about their needs fostering a connection and loyalty. Moreover, personalized messages can capture recipients' attention and prompt response, improving conversion rates.
What Strategies Can I Use to Encourage Existing Email Subscribers to Subscribe to My SMS Newsletter?
You can use cross-promotion and exclusive incentives to encourage your email subscribers to sign up for your SMS newsletter. Send targeted email campaigns highlighting the benefits of subscribing to the SMS newsletter, such as receiving offers or getting early access to promotions. Please make sure the opt-in process is clear and straightforward so it's easy for subscribers to sign up for SMS updates. Consider offering discounts or rewards to those who subscribe to both channels, further motivating customers to opt in.
How Can I Effectively Balance the Frequency of Sending SMS Messages to Avoid Overwhelming Customers?
Finding the balance when sending SMS messages is important to avoid overwhelming customers and ensure ongoing engagement. It is crucial to segment your audience based on their preferences and behaviors to achieve this. By tailoring your messages to groups, you can ensure that each group receives content that is relevant and targeted specifically for them. Additionally, allowing customers to choose how often they receive communication gives them control over their messaging preferences.
Make SMS Marketing More Effective
SMS marketing is a tool for nurturing loyal customers and boosting sales. However, to make this strategy successful, crafting messages and avoiding common errors that can harm customer loyalty is vital. Keep your SMS content concise and easy to understand, avoiding texts that overwhelm recipients.
When creating SMS messages, aim for simplicity and clarity. While limiting messages to 140 characters is recommended, remember that shorter is often better. Customers prefer information without having to navigate through lengthy texts.
Communicate the advantages of subscribing to your SMS newsletter, whether its offers or money-saving opportunities provide customers with a compelling reason to opt in. Additionally, prioritize the security of customer data by assuring them that their phone numbers will never be shared with parties or used for spamming purposes. Lastly, offer a hassle-free option for users to unsubscribe from SMS mailings respecting their preferences and enhancing the overall customer experience
