Should You Use Text Messaging for Marketing?

One thing to be aware of when marketing your business is that using text messaging to market may lose you customers rather than gain them.

People tend to think that everyone loves text messaging and that everyone has smartphones and that everyone has free unlimited data on their phones. That is not true.

I am a good example and there are many others out there like me. Some people think of text message marketing as the same as all those dozens of robo calls that we have to answer every day because we have a business and need to answer every call. I would never buy anything from a robo caller.

But, also like me, not everyone has text messaging and many of those who do have to pay for each message. You couldn’t reach me on text messaging if you tried because I have it blocked on my Consumer Cellular flip phone. But before I switched, I had a Verizon Smartphone but my plan charged me 25 cents for each text message. Do you think I would have been happy — or would have bought from — someone sending me a text message marketing their business?  This is just like calling my 800 # that I pay for each call.

My main business and personal phone is a land line.  And, believe it or not, there are still lots of people who have land lines.  If you send a text message to a land line, it’ll never see the light of day as land lines don’t have texting capabilities.

All I am saying is use text messaging to market, if you must. But be aware that you may be making a percentage — perhaps even a small percentage but it could be a valued customer — unhappy or even angry to get that text message from you.