5 Best SMS Opt-in Strategies with Examples

Did You Know?

• According to a recent study, the average person is exposed to over 4,000 ads per day. That's a lot of noise for your opt-in form to compete with! Be sure to keep your content short, catchy and beneficial to your target audience. 
• Opt-in forms are a great way to grow your SMS list, but only if they're done right. Use the strategies in this post to create high-converting opt-in forms so you can start building a successful list.

The use of SMS, or text messaging, as a means of marketing to consumers is known as SMS marketing. This type of marketing can be an extremely effective way to reach out to your target audience and promote your product or service.

However, before you can start using SMS marketing to reach your customers, you need to first obtain their permission, or opt-in. Obtaining opt-ins can be challenging, but there are a few strategies you can use to increase your chances of success.

5 Best SMS Opt-in Strategies with Examples

Try one or more of the following strategies:

1. Make it Exclusive!

Use a sense of scarcity. For example, you could mention that there are only a limited number of opt-ins available. This will make people want to act fast before they miss out and encourage them to sign up.

You could also highlight the benefits of opting in, such as exclusive offers and discounts, or early access to new products or services. make sure you mention what people will be missing out on if they don't sign up.

2. FREEBIES! Make it Worth Their While

One strategy is to offer an incentive for opting in. For example, you could offer a discount on the purchase of your product or service. You could also offer a freebie, such as a coupon or sample of your product. This will make them more likely to take the time to opt in. 

3. Keep it Simple!

Another strategy is to make opting in easy and convenient. For example, you could provide a keyword that customers can text to opt-in. You could also place a link to your opt-in form on your website or social media pages. People love convenience! Keep it simple by using an opt-in keyword that is easy to remember, such as “Join” or “Save”.

4. Make it Urgent!

Create a sense of urgency. For example, you could offer a limited-time discount or bonus. You could also use an expiration date to create a sense of urgency.

5. Get Creative!

There are many other ways to get creative with your opt-in strategy. For example, you could host a contest and offer the prize to the winner who opts in. You could also place an opt-in form in a high-traffic area, such as a checkout line at a store.

One thing to keep in mind is to keep your opt-in forms short and simple. The fewer fields there are to fill out, the more likely people will be to opt in.

Location is Key

Make it easy for your customers to find your opt-in form by placing it in a prominent location on your website or social media pages. Place Your Opt-In Form in a Prominent Location such as Above the Fold. 

The average person spends just a few seconds looking at any given web page before making a decision about whether to stay or leave. So it's important that your opt-in form is placed in a prominent location on your page, such as "above the fold" (the part of the page that's visible without scrolling).

This might seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many sites have their opt-in forms buried down at the bottom of the page. Don't make your visitors search for your opt-in form – make it easy for them to find it!

Be sure to use an Eye-Catching Headline for your opt-in. Your headline is the first thing people will see when they land on your page, so it's important to make it count. An eye-catching headline will grab people's attention and entice them to stay on your page long enough to learn more about your offer.

Use these tips when creating your headline:

• Keep it short and sweet – A headline that's too long will get cut off in search results and social media shares.
• Make it specific – A vague headline doesn't tell visitors what they can expect to find on your page. Be specific so people know what they'll get if they opt-in.
• Include a benefit – What's in it for the visitor? Why should they give you their email address? Make sure your headline communicates the value of your offer.

For example, a good headline for your site might be:

"Get 10% Off Your First Purchase."

Following your headline, you will have your opt-in instructions. “Text 1212 to 555-555-5555 to receive your discount now” Use a Visually Appealing Opt-In Form

Your opt-in form should be easy to spot, and it should match the look and feel of your website. If your form is out of place, it will stick out like a sore thumb and turn people off from opting in.

Make sure your form is:

• Visually appealing – Use colors that complement your website design, and don't use too many fields (just ask for the essentials).
• Easy to understand – The copy on your form should be clear and concise. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that might not make sense to everyone.
• Mobile-friendly – More than half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices, so your opt-in form needs to be responsive (aka, it should look good on any size screen).
• Use a Pop-Up or Overlay Form – A pop-up or overlay form is a lightbox that appears over your website when someone visits your site. This type of form is highly effective because it allows you to capture leads without interrupting the user's experience.

Pop-ups can be triggered by various actions, such as clicking on a link, scrolling down a certain amount, or spending a certain amount of time on the site.

Just make sure you don't go overboard with your pop-ups. If you're constantly bombarding people with opt-in forms, they're going to get annoyed and leave your site. A good rule of thumb is to show a pop-up form once per session (aka, when someone first visits your site).

Include a CTA Button on Every Page:

A call-to-action (CTA) is a button or link that encourages people to take a specific action, such as opting into your SMS list. You should include a CTA on every page of your website so people always have the opportunity to sign up for your list, no matter where they are on your site.

Some effective places to include a CTA button are in your header or footer, in the sidebar, or after blog posts.

Include an Opt-In Form in Your Email Signature

• Your email signature is prime real estate for promoting your SMS list. Every time you send an email, hundreds or even thousands of people will see your signature. So why not use it to encourage people to sign up for your SMS list?
• All you need to do is add a link to your opt-in form in your signature, along with a brief message about what people can expect if they sign up.
• For example: Click here to get my free e-book on XYZ Or:
• Sign up for my email list to get exclusive content that you can't find anywhere else.
• You can even use a tool like WiseStamp to automatically add an opt-in form to your emails.

In a Nutshell

Follow these 5 rules when asking customers to opt in:

• Offer an incentive for opting in, such as a discount or freebie.
• Make opting in easy and convenient by providing a short code or link to your opt-in form.
• Keep your opt-in forms short and simple.
• Use a Trusted Sender designation to increase the chances that your messages will be opened and read.
• Allow customers to opt out at any time so they do not feel pressured into staying subscribed.

Here are some templates for SMS opt-in forms that you can use:

• To join our SMS VIP Promotional List, text JOIN to (555) 555-1212.
• To opt into our SMS VIP Promotional List, please fill out this form: (link to form)
• For more information on our SMS VIP Promotional List, please visit our website: (website URL)
• By opting into our SMS VIP Promotional List, you agree to receive periodic updates and promotional offers from us. You may opt-out at any time by replying STOP to any of our messages.
• Thank you for your interest in our SMS VIP Promotional List! To opt-in, please reply YES to this message.
• To join our SMS VIP Promotional List, simply reply to this message with the word JOIN. Thank you!
• If you would like to receive updates and promotions from us via text message, please reply OPT-IN to this message. Thank you!
• Thank you for your interest in our SMS VIP Promotional List! To opt-in, simply reply YES to this message. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP. Thank you!
• One thing to remember is that customers MUST find value in opting into your service. This means that simply bombarding them with marketing messages is not going to work. Customers need to feel like they are getting something out of opting in, such as discounts, exclusive offers, or insider information.
• By offering an incentive and making opting in easy, you can increase the chances that your customers will sign up for your SMS marketing program. Use one of the templates above or create your own opt-in message to get started today!

After Opt-in

• You have your opt-in strategy down to a T and you’ve successfully grown your SMS list by having customers opt-in. Now what? To keep the momentum going and ensure you not only effectively communicate with your customers but also get the best results from your SMS outreach, you need to have a solid SMS platform to support your SMS marketing campaigns.
• There are a few things to consider when selecting an SMS platform. You want to ensure that the platform you are using has the capability to produce the results you are looking for while making the outreach process simple. With Textdrip, you will have peace of mind with a state-of-the-art platform that automates the outreach process for you.
• Check out these reasons why Textdrip is the number-one choice for your business:
• Deliverability: With the best deliverability on the market, you won't have to question if your customers are receiving your messages.
• Automation: The built-in AI allows you to automate the outreach process and schedule your SMS campaigns to go out with the click of a button.
• Volume: Reach out to thousands of customers at a time within seconds.
• Compliance: Textdrip will ensure you are 10DLC compliant
• Ease of use: You want a platform that’s easy to use so you can focus on your message, not the technicalities. The user-friendly platform takes the work out of the equation. Live agents are on standby 7 days per week to provide you with live help if needed.
• Features: Textdrip is a platform with features that will support your SMS marketing goals. From allowing you to send automated messages to scheduling future messages, to having an outbound dialer, there are so many features that will take your business to the next level!
• SMS marketing is a powerful tool, but only if you have the right platform to support your campaigns
• Book a free demo today to see how Textdrip can take your business to the next level! You can also try out the platform free for 1-month! No obligation. Book a demo Now.

Bottom Line

If you want to grow your SMS list, you need to make it easy for people to sign up. Use the strategies in this article to create high-converting opt-in forms, and you'll be on your way to building a successful list in no time.