Tactics for Building a Client Number Database

Do you want to reach all of your customers, regardless of what type of phone they have, or whether they are connected to the Internet or not?

SMS, one of the hottest marketing channels today, is your obvious choice! With opt-ins existing to protect customers from unwanted marketing messages, your next step is building a client number database to easily reach and engage your customers by sending them invites to events or contests, promotion alerts, as well as gather feedback.

If you’re hosting a special event, lecture, trade show, or conference, you can gain subscribers by signing them up on-site. Simply ask attendees, customers or guests to fill out a document with their contact information, or to text in a keyword and start receiving special offers, contests or alerts. This is the most common way of how retailers are obtaining opt-ins and building their database.

By having an opt-in widget on your website, or taking the client’s phone number when they create an account and allowing them to opt in online, you are one step closer to your target audience. When clients give their number online, a double opt-in is necessary: send them a welcome message and allow them to reply with a keyword such as YES in order to officially subscribe to your brand updates.

The traditional text message and the plethora of social networks are friends, not enemies – they might as well make it official on Facebook. Share your text message program across your social media platforms and convert social media traffic into SMS opt-ins.

Video did not really kill the radio star, it’s just that now there are more options. Engaging the radio audience with keywords is a very effective way of getting all listeners, regardless of age or social media presence, to actively participate. One of the most common use cases is running a contest where users text in the artist’s name to win concert tickets. Since radio stations tend to be hyper-local, polls with keywords can give show hosts real time data to work with on current local news, events or deals for local brands. Once a user has texted in, you can prompt them to opt in if they would like to receive regular alerts.

Billboards have not disappeared. They remain an advertising staple, especially at outdoor events or in shopping malls. Adding a keyword and number to the displays allows the brand to go past the initial impression and achieve an on-going communication. Think of a music festival with thousands of people; having them opt in is a marketing strategy, but also a way to manage the crowd with information updates and drive traffic to slower areas with promotions.

Guerrilla marketing – think flash mobs – spreads virally for unmatched reach and impact, and you can harness it by including invites to opt in for SMS marketing. Use the in-person contact with consumers as an opportunity to create a more long term relationship, inviting the public to use their phones to text in to win or to receive an exclusive deal. They can then be prompted to opt in to the alerts program.

Make that chocolate bar, lipstick or bottle of beer not just a purchase but another means of engagement. Adding a number and keyword inviting people to subscribe to products or even on a store window is a passive but powerful call-to-action. Whether it’s an innovative one-time campaign or subscribing to regular updates, this is an easy way to create more interaction with consumers.

Infobip’s Campaign Manager can help you create contests, send out broadcasts, run polls, and incentivize with coupons, all from one easy to use platform. Import already existing contacts that have signed up in-store, or watch as your subscriber list naturally grows through our analytics section.