How to Build an SMS Subscriber List from Scratch

Are you growing SMS subscribers for your business? If not, you’re missing a great opportunity to build a targeted community and boost your sales.

In this blog post, we’ll explain why you need to build and grow your SMS subscriber list and how to do that. Also, we’ll introduce the capabilities of WP SMS for segmenting your subscribers and run customization bulk messaging. 

Why Is Growing SMS Subscribers Essential? 

As you know, many countries restrict promotional messages unless you have explicit consent from recipients.

Regulations like GDPR and TCPA require you to send promotional messages only to those who have subscribed.

So you can’t simply send advertisements to any phone number you have. That’s why you must build a list of relevant subscribers who have agreed to receive your messages.

Apart from legal matters, growing SMS subscribers has some other benefits such as:

• Targeted Communication: The SMS subscriber list allows you to write messages according to your audience preferences.

• Customer Retention: When you have regular communication with relevant audiences and offer targeted products and deals, customers gradually trust your brand.

• Increased Lifetime Value (LTV): In the long term, your SMS subscriber list will lead to repeat purchases and higher revenue.

• Higher Engagement: People who have agreed to receive your messages are more likely to act on your messages. Of course, a higher engagement rate will result in higher conversion rates.

• Data Collection and Insights: You can track subscriber behavior on your site, refine marketing strategies and also improve your products/services.

• Customer Segmentation Opportunities: If you grow your SMS subscriber list and collect enough data, you can segment subscribers into various groups based on important factors like demographics or purchasing history. This allows you to send highly targeted text messages to each group.

Prerequisites of Growing SMS Subscribers

Before reviewing the methods of building and growing an SMS subscriber list, it’s good to see what you need.

Define Your SMS Marketing Goals

First, you need to set SMART goals for your marketing campaigns, including SMS marketing.

This helps shape your SMS marketing strategy and target the most relevant audience instead of sending cold SMS to everyone’s phone number.

Here are a few common SMS marketing goals:

• Increasing sales
• Increasing customer loyalty 
• Boosting event attendance
• Enhancing customer service
• Increasing website traffic

Remember that your goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Otherwise, you can’t devise a strong plan for your SMS campaigns because you don’t know what you want. Also, SMART goals allow you to track your performance and optimize your strategy accordingly.

Recognize Your Audience

The next step is to conduct a study on your target audience to see who they are, what they do, what they want, and what type of message appeals more to them.

If you don’t know your potential customers’ preferences and interests, you can’t build your SMS subscriber list. 

For example, if you have a restaurant, and your main goal is to boost your local food sales, you need to find traditional food lovers. When you determine your target audience, you can more easily find them and grow SMS subscribers.

You can go to relevant social media channels, look at valid websites in your niche, and check online communities to collect useful data about your audience.

Choose the Right SMS Platform to Segment Subscribers

Another important matter about your subscribers is that you can’t behave in the same way with all of them. 

Although you’ve targeted relevant audiences, they might have significant differences.

So, you need to choose a versatile SMS tool that offers segmentation and other advanced features, such as automation and scheduling.

You must choose your SMS tool based on your budget, requirements, and current platforms. For instance, WP SMS is a WordPress-based SMS tool that is perfect for online stores and businesses with a WordPress website.

It offers a free plan with basic features like:

• Send SMS/MMS
• SMS Newsletter & Subscribers
• WordPress Notifications
• Webhooks
• GDPR compliance

Moreover, its premium version offers advanced features and add-ons such as:

• Login With Mobile/SMS
• 2-Factor Authentication in wp-login.php
• Scheduled SMS/MMS
• Repeating SMS/MMS
• Integration with Zapier, Contact Form 7, Formidable, Forminator, and WooCommerce

Last but not least, it allows you to segment your audience and send customizable SMS messages to each segment.

So don’t waste your time looking for another SMS tool. Try the demo of WP SMS to see its capabilities and then choose your plan to start your SMS marketing journey right now.

12 Ways to Build a Targeted SMS Subscriber List

Now, let’s see how you can find potential customers and grow the list of your subscribers:

1. Use an Opt-in Keyword Campaign

Opt-in keywords are a simple but effective method to ask people to give consent to receive promotional text messages.

Look at the following examples to see how it works:

You can use various channels, including social media, SMS, email, or in-store requests, to promote your keywords.

2. Offer an Incentive

Put your feet in your customers’ shoes. Why should you give consent to receive ads? Of course, without obtaining something valuable in return, you wouldn’t agree.

It is well-established that people are more likely to subscribe when you include a valuable offer in your subscription form.

So if you want to grow your subscribers, you’ve to offer incentives with various offers like: 

• Discounts: “Sign up & get 10% off your first purchase!”
• Exclusive content: “Get VIP access to upcoming sales!”
• Freebies: “Subscribe now & receive a free eBook!”

3. Leverage Website Popups and Forms

One of the best channels to grow your SMS list signups is your website. Adding an SMS opt-in form on your website is an effective way to encourage visitors to subscribe to your SMS list.

Use pop-ups and forms on your website and define various triggers based on actions taken by users. For example, you can consider these triggers:

• Users spend more than 30 seconds on your site.
• The user scrolls past 50% of a page.
• The visitor is about to leave (exit-intent popups).

Create attractive pop-up messages to entice people to react. Here is an example of growing SMS subscribers using website popup messages:

4. Promote SMS Sign-ups via Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are perfect for growing SMS subscribers.

Try to be active wherever your potential customers are active and use all the features available to make the most of this opportunity. For example, you can use the following features to increase your SMS opt-in rates:

• Stories & posts: “DM us your number to get special offers!”
• Facebook ads: Use a “Send Message” CTA to encourage opt-ins.
• Instagram bio: Add a sign-up link to your profile.

5. Use Email Marketing to Drive SMS Opt-ins

If you already have email subscribers, you must consider them a goldmine for your SMS marketing.

Try to send an email to invite them to subscribe in return for a perk like a discount or early access. Look at the following email template and use it to encourage SMS subscription:

Subject: Get Exclusive Deals – Subscribe to Our SMS List Today!

Header: Unlock VIP Perks with a Simple Text!

Body:
Hi [Customer’s Name],

We love keeping you in the loop with the best deals, exclusive discounts, and early access to our sales. Now, you can get all these perks sent straight to your phone!

🎉 Join our VIP SMS list and enjoy [mention the perk, e.g., 10% off your next purchase]! 🎉

It’s super easy:
📱 Text [KEYWORD] to [SHORTCODE] to subscribe and claim your exclusive offer.

Once subscribed, you’ll be the first to know about:
✅ Special discounts
✅ New product launches
✅ Limited-time deals

Don’t miss out—sign up now and enjoy your exclusive reward!

[Join Now] (Include a button or link to opt-in page)

See you soon,
[Your Brand Name]

Remember that you can include your invitation in your email marketing campaigns, not as a separate email.

6. Encourage In-store Sign-ups

You can also use your physical stores and in-person sign-up efforts to grow your SMS subscriber list.

Here are some ideas for in-store sign-ups:

• QR codes at checkout.
• Table tents in restaurants.
• Printed receipts with opt-in details.
• Ask customers face-to-face.

You can use a motivator like a free appetizer to increase your opt-in rates.

7. Run a Giveaway or Contest

A giveaway is an effective way to quickly grow your SMS subscriber list. In a giveaway, you offer a prize in exchange for something like a sign-up.

Giveaways have some benefits like:

• Attract new subscribers quickly
• Boost brand awareness and engagement
• Provide quality leads for future marketing

So try to determine a prize like a $100 gift card or a free trial for your online service for two weeks. Then, promote your giveaway on all channels using a text like “Win a $100 Gift Card! Enter by texting WIN to 55555.” Make sure that your subscribers know why you are collecting their phone numbers.

8. Integrate SMS with Your Customer Loyalty Program

You always need to pay special attention to your loyalty programs. Try to explain the benefits of joining your loyalty programs and subscribing to your SMS list to encourage engagement. For example, you can offer rewards for certain points:

• Sign up for rewards via SMS.
• Receive points updates and special perks.

9. Leverage QR Codes for Quick Sign-ups

Try to use creative and modern methods to improve your opt-in strategies. For example, use QR codes and ask people to subscribe to your SMS list.

You can place the QR code on:

• Packaging
• Flyers
• Digital ads
• In your store

After your audience scans the QR code, they will be directed to your sign-up form. You can also redirect them to their messaging app with a pre-filled opt-in keyword.

10. Partner with Influencers & Affiliates

Nowadays, many people choose brands based on endorsements by influencers. More than 50% of youngsters say influencers affect their decisions related to brands/products.

So you need to take advantage of this opportunity in your marketing strategies, especially SMS subscription. Try to leverage influencer marketing to promote your SMS subscriber list.

Of course, some influencers might be costly so you need to choose the right influencer based on your budget. You can start with nano-influencers and offer them discounts or early access instead of money.

11. Add SMS Opt-ins at Checkout

If you have an eCommerce business, you can ask customers to subscribe during checkout. You can simply use a checkbox like “Receive order updates & special offers via SMS.”

You can also put something similar next to comments and other interactive pages on your website.

12. Create a Referral Program

It’s good to know that more than 90% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family members. It’s actually more trustworthy than any other form of advertising. This is similar to SMS subscriptions.

So, try to encourage subscribers to refer friends in exchange for rewards. For example, offer something like “Refer a friend & get $5 off when they join our SMS list!“

Conclusion

Growing the number of  SMS subscribers is an essential part of your SMS marketing strategy. You need to try various channels like social media, email, website, and in-store activities to run opt-in campaigns. 

Of course, you need to offer something enticing so that your audience believes your text messages are worth it. 

Avoid pushing too hard for it because your audience might get annoyed, and this will dent your brand reputation. 

Finally, try to use the right tool to manage your subscribers and segment them to send personalized text messages to each segment. 

WP SMS is one of the best SMS platforms in this regard. We’ll help you run targeted bulk messaging campaigns and grow your subscriber list while complying with GDPR. So why wait? Get started right now!

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