It’s no secret that SMS is a smart strategy for engaging consumers. With open rates vastly exceeding email, SMS is a powerful tool for enticing new customers or retargeting former ones. 

Unfortunately, it’s inevitable that sooner or later, you’ll lose some SMS subscribers. Whether you like it or not, consumers’ patience can break if you send them the wrong messages. 

If your SMS opt-out rates have suddenly spiked, your current SMS strategies are worth a closer look. 

Here are five reasons why your SMS subscribers are heading for the exit door and what you can do to lure them back in for repeat business. 

 

1. An onslaught of SMS text messages

 

Inevitably, too much of a good thing can eventually turn bad. The outcome will likely be unpleasant if you’ve gobbled down too many cookies or consumed more than your fair share of craft beer.

The same can be said for SMS. It can be a real turn-off if you’re bombarding your subscribers with too many texts. It can make your brand seem clingy, or even pushy. Since SMS can be more intrusive than email, less is always best.

According to SMS best practices, you should send only two to four texts per month, or one each week. Anything more than that might increase your opt-out body count.

 

2. Irrelevant SMS content

 

Generic offers or content that SMS subscribers can’t relate to can cause them to opt-out. There’s nothing worse than having your phone flooded with irrelevant information.

If your generic texts can be applied to every subscriber on your list, you’re doing something wrong. Personalized messages that are tailored to specific subscriber subsets make customers feel seen.

Customizing your communications is simply with data already stored in your CRM. Bucket your subscribers according to demographics, behavior, or common interests. This way, you can send content that better caters to their unique needs. 

Mitto Integrations allows you to merge our SMS tools with your existing CRM, making SMS segmentation a breeze. 

 

3. Poor timing

 

For SMS success, you need to get your timing right. If you send customers text messages late at night or first thing in the morning, they’ll likely opt out. On the other hand, you might be sending your texts at peak hours, causing your messages to be buried under dozens of other notifications.

As a general rule of thumb, shoot off your texts between 9am and 12pm or 5pm and 8pm on weekdays. For Saturdays and Sundays, send your messages between 10am and 12pm before everyone rushes out the door for their weekend plans. SMS scheduling makes this simple.

 

4. A lack of value

 

Consumers crave value. If your meaningless messages aren’t enhancing their quality of life in any sort of way, subscribers will opt out.

That’s why it’s essential to take a thoughtful approach when crafting your messages. While subscriber segmentation can help you personalize your messages, you still need to provide value to your audience.

Try basing your sales around the seasons. For instance, offer deep discounts on cozy coats during the fall and winter. Or, send your subscribers back-to-school specials in mid-to-late August. Holiday or birthday campaigns work wonders as well. 

 

5. They’re just not that into you

 

It’s always upsetting to realize people aren’t interested in your brand. Your business is fantastic! Why wouldn’t they care? 

The cold reality of the matter is that some subscribers don’t care. You might want to consider enhancing your brand messaging across all other platforms to attract these ambivalent customers. Get creative and try several different ideas. Once customers catch wind of your new-and-improved content, they’ll eventually start to engage.

 

Decrease SMS opt-out rates with Mitto Campaigns

 

Want to lower your opt-out rates? Mitto Campaigns can help. Create, deploy, and manage your SMS marketing campaigns from one user-friendly platform. You can also schedule messages, segment lists, and track your results.

To learn how Mitto can decrease your opt-out rates, contact us today.