How to Grow Your SMS List: 5 Best Practices to Follow SMS marketing is a great marketing strategy for companies of all sizes and budgets because of its high open rates and conversions. Here's how you do it.

It's hard to believe in the legitimacy of a marketing method that boasts a 98% open rate and a 20–30% conversion rate, according to Startup Bonsai. However, these incredible outcomes are achievable with SMS marketing, such as SMS lists. As a result, many businesses are capitalizing on this untapped marketing opportunity to boost sales.

The return on investment for SMS marketing is encouraging. This makes it easier to monetize your subscriber list in the context of customer experience and marketing. However, almost every business worries about how to get clients to sign up for an SMS list without being intrusive or illegal.

Getting clients' express permission to use their phone numbers is crucial, and the only way to do it is to be completely honest about your intentions. The primary focus of this message should be on conveying the benefits of joining your SMS mailing list to your target audience. Here are five ways to improve your SMS marketing.

1. Pop-ups for instant attention

One option is to introduce an SMS pop up on your website. It's a great approach to getting website visitors interested, whether or not they're already familiar with your business. To ensure your website visitors opt in, perfecting the timing and content of these pop-ups is crucial.

Related: 5 Ways to Use Texting to Grow Your Sales and Marketing

SMS pop-ups can be timed to appear as users reach the bottom of your site or just before they click away to another one. Make your pop-up highlights why people should sign up for your SMS list, such as access to exclusive offers.

2. Launch a text-to-join campaign

Text-to-join is the simplest approach to acquiring prospective customers' phone numbers.

Customers can choose to receive your promotional texts by texting "join" to a special shortcode. This approach can also gather other information, such as a complete name, zip code, and product preferences. You can also use this data for future advertising initiatives.

It takes little effort to launch a text-to-join campaign. All you have to do is make up a term that relates to your company and start advertising it. Instruct your audience to send a message containing the keyword to your company's regular phone number or a shortcode.

Related: 7 Ways to Correct a Failing Marketing Strategy

Your SMS subscription list will automatically expand to include everyone who sends the specified keyword. Your subscribers will know they have successfully opted in when they get an automatic reply after signing up for your SMS list.

3. Provide rewards for people to join your list

Getting clients on your SMS marketing contact list is something you'll need to promote at all times actively. You can streamline this by offering your clients discounts, freebies and other enticing offers. Make an irresistible deal and watch your number of SMS subscribers soar.

Let's say you run a car wash service. If they sign up for your SMS list, you can give them a 20% discount on their next car wash. Assuming you own a supermarket, you could offer subscribers a Buy One, Get One Free promotion on certain products in exchange for their phone number.

4. Include a check-out sign-up

Another good strategy for gathering numbers from your target audience is to have customers sign up for your mailing list at the point of purchase.

Get clients to sign up for your SMS list when they pay at your store. Let them know that signing up for SMS will allow them to enjoy exclusive discounts. This facilitates the collection of contact numbers for use in SMS marketing. For example, if you own a salon or spa, you might give customers a discount on their next service in exchange for their consent to receive promotional text messages from you.

5. Make the most of your current list of email or newsletter subscribers

If you already have a subscriber list for your email or newsletter, you may have an easier time converting those same customers into SMS subscribers. Persuading the people on your email list to also opt-in to receive text messages could be beneficial because text messages are more successful than emails.

SMS marketing is a great marketing strategy for companies of all sizes and budgets because of its high open rates and conversions. Although growing your SMS list while still being compliant might seem challenging, a well-executed SMS campaign can do wonders for income. If you're looking for a unique way to build and maintain your SMS subscriber base, the aforementioned methods can help.