What are the most common SMS mistakes you should avoid?

When it comes to text message marketing, nearly every service provider and industry professional can agree that messaging your subscribers too frequently is a proven recipe for disaster. Consumers are not likely to stay subscribed to your program for long if your messages start delivering more annoyance than value to their lives. For more context, many mobile phone users in the US primarily use text messaging to communicate with close friends and family. For others, nearly all of their communication has moved to social media or apps. In both cases, receiving too many messages can seem like a brand's aggressive attempt to stay on top of all other message threads - unless every message is extremely valuable, it quickly becomes intrusive.

SMS messages are meant to be friendly, informal, and conversational. While brands should aim to make their messages as personalized and engaging as possible, it is important to remember that "friendly" does not mean "friends" and "informal" does not mean "unprofessional." Common mistakes that the carriers often flag as spam and/or lead to higher opt-out rates: 1. CAPS LOCK - Lower your case when you are marketing with SMS! No need to yell to sell. 2. "textspeak" - smh plz don't make Gpa miss ur 2GTBT LTO b/c he's lkg up each abbr... Only use well-known abbreviations like TBD or ETC. 3. Emoji overload - well-placed emojis can add meaning and context to a brand's messaging, but don't expect consumers to decipher your emoji-glyph riddle.

The SMS culture is conversational, fast-paced, and direct. Consumers who choose to communicate with brands through SMS will likely expect immediate answers to their questions, personalized support for their issues, and undivided attention on-demand... The expectation of immediate gratification means consumers also lack patience and have short attention spans. The risks associated with delayed responses for conversational SMS messaging is also evident when long delays exist between SMS marketing campaigns. Consumer loyalties and interests fade quickly, so brands have to keep consumers engaged with consistent and relevant communication without crossing the line to over-communicating.