SMS marketing tips for NZ small businesses.
Text messages are personal, so the bar is higher than for email. Get it right and customers reply, book and buy. Get it wrong and they opt out. These practical tips come from what works for small businesses.
Writing the message
- 1. Put your business name first, so people know who it's from.
- 2. Lead with the offer or news in the first few words.
- 3. One message, one call to action.
- 4. Write like you talk: friendly, not shouty. Go easy on capitals and emojis.
- 5. Add urgency only when it's real: "till 2pm today", "6 spots left".
Timing and frequency
- 6. Send during the day, never late at night.
- 7. Match the moment: rainy-day specials when it's raining, reminders the day before.
- 8. A couple of great messages a month beats a weekly blast.
Getting replies, not opt-outs
- 9. Segment with tags so people only get relevant offers.
- 10. Ask for a reply ("Reply YES to book") to start conversations.
- 11. Answer replies quickly; that's where the sales happen.
- 12. Always include an opt-out, and respect it.
SMS marketing tips questions.
How often should I send marketing texts?
For most small businesses, a few times a month at most. Relevance matters more than frequency.
What time should I send SMS?
Mid-morning to early evening on weekdays usually works well; avoid late nights.
How long should a marketing text be?
Short. One or two sentences with one clear call to action.
More ways KiwiTxt helps
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