Congratulations if you’re one of the early adopters of SMS wine marketing! You’re well on your way to competitive success, but what comes next after convincing your customers to subscribe?
Your answer to this question is critical since you’ll never have a second chance to make a first impression. And a helpful welcome message instantly confirms customer expectations while motivating them to keep engaging with your text messages.
7 Tips for Writing Effective Welcome Texts
1) Remind CUSTOMERS What They Signed Up For
When a customer first opts in to receive texts from your wine brand, common sense says you should thank them immediately and confirm your plans to meet their needs with a regular series of automated messages. So your first message should be a timely reinforcement of what they can expect to receive from you, when, and how often.
Some text marketing platforms built for the wine industry simplify the process by sending a free compliance message as a separate text whenever a new contact joins your SMS list.
To comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), your automated compliance message should do the following:
Confirm the frequency of automated texts you plan to send
Offer a convenient way to ask for help
Confirm the ability to opt-out at any time
And let new subscribers know that message & data rates may apply
2) act immediately
According to research, the average human attention span is now less than 10 seconds. So when wine marketers ask when they should send their welcome sequence, our answer is “immediately.”
When a new wine consumer opts in to receive your text messages but doesn’t hear from you right away, the distractions of modern life mean they might not remember why they signed up, then unsubscribe when you finally get around to welcoming them.
3) PLEASE USE YOUR MANNERS
Your kindergarten teacher was wise to help you learn the power of simple words like “please” and “thank you.” Polite expressions serve as a social lubricant that conveys respect and goodwill.
As a professional wine marketer, the welcome message you send new SMS subscribers is the perfect time to use your best manners.
So, in addition to acting quickly, the SMS message you send welcoming new contacts should convey your sincere thanks for their interest and express your intent to serve your customer’s needs.
4) ALWAYS OFFER SOMETHING OF VALUE
The tension between greed and fear gives life to consumer requests to join your opt-in SMS list.
On the one hand, they must like what you offer. But on the other hand, they’re wary of inviting even well-meaning brands to share their personal messaging inbox.
So an effective SMS welcome message should reinforce their decision by delivering what they want, from a simple coupon code to an exclusive invitation to experience a new wine release.
When your first text message delivers value like this, it confirms that your customers made the right choice, increasing their chances of becoming long-term subscribers. It’s a win-win. 😁
5) Think Outside of the TEXT BOX
Consider adding images to your welcome message by sending MMS messages. Our friends at SimpleTexting found that texts with a photo led to a 52% higher click-through rate than SMS alone.
So if you want consumers to engage with your texts quickly, it’s best to show and not just tell.
6) ALWAYS STAY ON BRAND
Chances are, wine merchants using text messaging have carefully cultivated their brands. So the first text message you send to new SMS subscribers should reinforce your good work by showcasing your brand’s personality.
If your brand offers luxury guest services, approach text messaging like a concierge by personalizing your welcome message.
But if your brand’s vibe is witty and fun, let your freak flag fly when you welcome new SMS subscribers.
The key takeaway is that text messaging is simply a more powerful way for you to be yourself.
7) SEND A WELCOME SERIES OF TEXT MESSAGES
Research on human behavior shows consumers are most engaged when they first sign up to receive your messages. It’s why their experience in the first few weeks defines the rest of the relationship.
If you offer consumers many ways to engage your brand, sending a series of messages might make sense instead of sending a single text. New subscribers to your text list might enjoy:
A link to your winery’s social media pages
Info on what new subscribers can expect
A thank-you gift for joining your text list
A similar welcome sequence can work for new wine club members and retail customers by using autoresponders to send your SMS messages at specific intervals.
However you harness the power of an automated welcome sequence, you’ll be profiting from one of the most productive marketing techniques available to wine merchants.
In 2022, alcohol marketers generated an average of $3.72 incremental revenue when they sent an automated welcome sequence…20-times better than a typical SMS campaign.
The Final Word on Welcome Texts
It’s often said that we only get one chance to make a first impression. So when you launch your SMS wine marketing program, it pays to give some extra thought to how to begin your new relationships.
If you do it right, text marketing can generate 32 times more customer engagement than email marketing, so the stakes are enormous.
We hope this article will give you some food for thought so you can delight your customers and grow your business with SMS wine marketing.
Happy Selling!