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SMS for Competitions and Polls

Text Messaging for Competitions & Polls

Use text messaging to drive consumer engagement through competitions and polls.

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Increase Engagement with SMS Polls and Competitions

An SMS messaging service can be used to great effect for operation of competitions and polls, which in turn builds brand preference and exposure for your business or product.

Send interactive polls and competitions via SMS

Why Use Text Messaging for Competitions and Polls

Almost everyone has a cell phone, and in contrast to postal addresses, email addresses and home telephone line numbers, most people keep the same cell number indefinitely. Competitions run over SMS can build brand equity and also drive sales, allowing you to build customer loyalty for your brand, gather information about their customer base, and to enhance relationships for long term gain.

Benefits of Polling Your Customers Through Text Message

SMS competition example - win an ebike

SMS Competitions can be valuable drivers for the following benefits:

  • Improved customer loyalty

  • Increased customer retention

  • Maximised purchases value and volume

  • Enhanced brand recognition and association

  • Generate new customers and leads

How do competitions achieve this? Polls and competitions, particularly those carried out via an SMS messaging service, drive consumer responses. Most campaigns are time sensitive, and competitions are a great way to encourage your audience to act for fear of missing out. Plus these days everyone has an opinion, why not offer a reward for your target audience to share their ideas with you in order to improve your brand?

You can use text message competitions to drive virtual traffic to online stores and foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores. Or use your other marketing formats to drive people to SMS with a competition designed to help build your SMS Opt-In list, allowing you to reach more people with your next text message marketing campaign.

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How to Build Your SMS Opt-In List with Competitions

Using SMS keywords and shortcodes you can make opting into your SMS database easy. No matter what marketing medium you use - billboards or outdoor ads, television, radio, display - tell people to send a keyword to your short code in return for a chance to win a prize.

Ensure that you create a punchy, concise call to action of the format:

Text {KEYWORD} to {SHORT CODE} to {purpose}

Optin List Competitions
Optin List Competitions

For example, on your advertising you say:

Text PETROL to 123567 for your chance to win your fuel paid for a year.

When someone texts the SMS keyword, the autoresponder can reply that they've gone into the draw and include an opt-in for other promotions, eg:

Thanks for entering! You’ve gone into the draw, to be drawn 02/05. Text YES to receive exclusive promotions and offers.

Once your customers responds YES, they will be added to your marketing database to grow your audience and ultimately customers, transactions and revenue.

Set and Forget SMS Competitions and Polls

For polls, promotions, specials, and prize giveaways, SMS competition solutions can be fully automated and responses are tracked and analysed for future reference.

Send polls as a one-off SMS blast, like for market research polls to determine which products to develop.

Or send them in response to a trigger like post-purchase [text message surveys], including NPS surveys, using SMS keywords and an autoresponder. Set up different responses for customers who give an NPS rating of:

  • 0-6 (detractors)

  • 7-8 (passives)

  • 9-10 (promoters)

Competitions via SMS autoresponder example for gaming store
Send NPS polls via SMS and use autoresponders to tailor each question - promoters example
Send NPS polls via SMS and use autoresponders to tailor each question - detractors example

Marketing Surveys and Polls by SMS: Autoresponder Templates

Once your prospect has opted in to participate, have these templates sent by autoresponder.

SMS Market Research Example

Thanks for participating. If we were to introduce {new product} to our range, would this be something you are likely to buy? (Reply YES or NO).

Market Research Example SMS Follow up

Thanks for your feedback, you have been entered into the draw! Final question - if we were to introduce {new product} to our range, how much would you be willing to pay for it?

NPS Text Message

On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being most likely, how likely are you to recommend our {product/service}?

NPS Response: Promoters - Ask For a Review

Thanks for your response! We hope you continue to enjoy using our {product/service}. Leave us a review on {channel} for a {amount} discount code toward your next purchase.

NPS Response: Detractors

Hey {first name}, we're sorry to hear that you weren't happy with our {product/service}. We'd like to try to fix this, someone from our customer support team will be in contact with you soon.

NPS Response: Passives

Hi {first name}, thanks for your rating. Is there anything better we can do? If so, reply CALL or EMAIL to have a friendly support team member reach out via your preferred contact method.

With an SMS messaging service, your poll or competition information is delivered simultaneously and may be sent instantaneously or pre-scheduled. You know your message will be opened and responded to much faster than email. Additionally, many consumers prefer mobile text messaging as their ideal mode of communication. It's a win-win situation.

Let's Get Started with Competition SMS Marketing

Contact us at ClickSend today to learn more about how SMS competition solutions can work for you.

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