How to Build Your “Opt-In” Cell Phone Database

Our customers at Text Nerd are finding that using mobile messaging is a very effective, inexpensive way to communicate with their customers and add profits to the bottom line. Simply put it’s a great way to advertise or to communicate with a customer base. Ah, there’s the rub! How does a business go about building a database of cell phone numbers or of names and cell phone numbers? Here are five suggestions that can help:

1) INCENTIVIZE your existing and potential customers to “opt-in” WHILE IN your place of business. Text Nerd provides promotional materials to help you build your cell phone database. These include countertop displays and business cards with your company logo and information on how they can “opt-in”. The cards are something that can be given to the customer to take with them so they can register anytime. The customer can also register on the Text Nerd web site on your customer page. But the odds go down substantially if the customer leaves the place of business without opting-in. So incentivizing the customer is important. Many of our customers provide a “freebie” of some kind or a nice discount on a product or service if the customer opts in on site.

2) INCENTIVIZE your staff and employees to help build the database. As a business owner you may or may not be involved in the daily operations that include directly interfacing with your customers. So it’s vitally important that your management staff and employees “buy in” to the idea of how important it is to be proactive in helping your customers to opt in. Hold a contest for the most opt ins during the day, week, or month. Make the prize or bonus worthwhile and something the employees can get excited about. Be creative in what you offer for incentives and prizes. Contact jerry@textnerd.com to talk about cost sharing for staff incentives!

3) BE INTENTIONAL! It’s easy to get distracted and sidetracked in business (as I know well from personal experience!) and get off task in different areas. Building the cell phone database requires intentionality with consistency. We suggest monitoring your progress daily and working with management and staff to track your progress. If you can do this the rewards can be immediate for your business. We can begin sending out text blasts with as few as 25-50 customers in your database! More is better, of course, but we can start small and grow it!

4) BE PATIENT! You may or may not have built a database for your business using CRM and/or E mail to communicate with your customers and are aware that it took some time to build it. The same is true of a cell phone database. The rules for SMS require that customers “opt-in” to receive your texts to them and they also have the right to “opt-out” at anytime. Your patience will be generously rewarded if you take the necessary time to build your cell phone database!

5) BE CREATIVE and HAVE FUN! Let your creativity run wild when it comes to creating fun ways to bring your existing or referred customers (using PLS FWD) to your business! For example, a Pet Food and Nutrition store has their customers bring their pet in a costume on a specific day to the store to receive a special discount or giveaway item! Or a dance exercise studio runs a B0’s promotion where all the class members dress like the 1980’s (remember “Flashdance” and Madonna from the 80’s?) You can use mobile messaging to create fun events, promotions, or a variety of special offers and discounts as well as pertinent news that your customers may find interesting about your industry or individual business. Let your creative juices flow as you increase your profits and grow your business!