Mastering SMS Marketing: Essential Dos and Don’ts for Live Events

Most event marketers know that SMS is a powerful marketing channel for selling more tickets, but for many, getting started can feel intimidating - often worried about annoying their fans or coming off as spam.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry! Like any marketing channel, there are key dos and don'ts that event promoters must understand to maximize the effectiveness of their SMS campaigns. Let’s dive into some essential tips to ensure your SMS marketing efforts yield fruitful results.

Do’s:

1. Only send to those that opted in:

   Respect your fan's preferences by only sending SMS messages to those who have explicitly opted in to receive them. This ensures that your messages are welcomed rather than perceived as intrusive.

   
   

2. Have a purpose:

   Every SMS message should have a clear call-to-action (CTA) or purpose. Whether promoting ticket sales, announcing event updates, or soliciting feedback, each message should serve a specific objective.

   
   

3. Attention Grabbing:

   Craft messages that grab attention from the get-go. Use compelling language, emojis (sparingly), or even multimedia elements like GIFs or images to make your messages stand out in a crowded inbox.

   
   

   

   
   

4. Make it easy for customers to opt out:

   Respect your audience's autonomy by providing clear instructions on how to opt out of receiving further messages. Not only is this a legal requirement in many jurisdictions, but it also demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and privacy.

   
   

5. Consistency in your SMS strategies/schedule ahead:

   Establish a consistent schedule for sending SMS messages, whether it's weekly updates or timely reminders leading up to the event. Consider leveraging automation tools, like Cymbal, to streamline the process and ensure messages are sent out reliably.

   

   
   

6. Offer Quality Incentives:

   Encourage engagement by offering exclusive incentives or rewards to recipients. Whether it's early access to tickets, special discounts, or VIP perks, providing value to your audience increases the likelihood of them taking action.
   
   

Don’ts:

1. Don’t bombard customers with messages:

   Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive messages. Respect their time and attention by maintaining a balanced frequency of communication.

   
   

2. Don’t make customers guess who the text is from:

   Always identify yourself clearly in your SMS messages. Avoid ambiguity or cryptic sender names, which can lead to confusion. In fact, using Cymbal to get a local phone number and branded contact card for your campaigns can help build trust with fans.

   

   
   

3. Don’t send texts without a goal:

   Every SMS message should have a defined purpose or goal. Avoid sending messages for the sake of it, as this can dilute your messaging and diminish the impact of your campaigns.

   
   

4. Don’t sound like a robot - make it human:

   Inject personality and authenticity into your messages to resonate with your audience on a personal level. Avoid robotic or generic language; instead, strive to create a tone that fosters a connection with fans.

   
   

   

   
   

5. Avoid common spam triggers:

   Steer clear of common spam triggers that can flag your messages as unsolicited or spammy. This includes using all caps, naked links, multiple identical messages, excessively long messages, special characters, and misspellings.
   
   

Mastering SMS marketing requires a delicate balance of creativity, strategy, and compliance, but that shouldn't stop you from trying. By adhering to these dos and don'ts, event planners can harness the power of SMS to engage attendees, drive ticket sales, and enhance the overall event experience. Remember, each SMS message is an opportunity to connect with your audience, so make it count!