Author: Aaron Hammond, Partner & SMS Marketing Specialist at 3BM
We all like to have fun with our friends and family, right?
But sometimes what was supposed to be a short night, or just one drink, turns into a long night with just a few too many…
And the alarm the next day comes a bit too early…
And you wake up not quite feeling yourself…
Next thing you know, what should have been a productive day ends with your todo list just as long as when the day started.
As a business owner, having an off day is more detrimental and has a great impact on you and your business.
Enter:
Nishal, Founder & CEO of No Days Wasted, sums up their mission perfectly:
“Our mission is to create functional, science-backed products that allow us to be our best on a daily basis.”
No Days Wasted believes in living life to the fullest, keeping close the moments we experience with friends and family, enjoying ourselves…
And still being able to show up as your best self the next day.
Have your cake and eat it too? Yes, please.
Their science-backed supplements caught my attention years ago when I admit I was more of a partier than I am today, but they aren’t just a cure for hangovers.
Additional products focus on immunity, hydration and being proactive.
I’ve been on their email and SMS lists for years…
And they still catch my attention just as much today as they did the first time I signed up.
Awww, a love story.
Enough of that, let’s dive in.
Rules: The SMS Sages
Each week, we brave the infinite attack on our senses to find highly-effective ecommerce sales texts… and we pull back the curtain to reveal what made them work.
Our goal with this weekly tangle with The SMS Sages is to teach you strategies and tactics you can use with SMS for your own brand.
Where do we find these mystical electronic shortened pieces of mail? Our own text inboxes, mostly, since we’re signed up to many lists of brands we enjoy following. We also take suggestions from readers who have striking texts they’d like to share.
Did you get a text recently that made you smile, take a second look, or literally laugh out loud? We want to see it.
Send an email with screenshots of the text to us at (aaron at threebeaconmarketing dot com) with a brief note about what you liked about it. If we choose to break it down, we’ll give you a shoutout and link back to your site.
Oh, and don’t forward us the texts you wrote. That’s the only rule.
Cool? Cool.
The Opening Intro: Straightforward & Uncomplicated
Many brands are afraid to open up SMS marketing as an additional channel, because they feel that they are encroaching on customers’ personal life and space.
Sure, you will certainly anger your customers if you are constantly bombarding them with cold texts providing no value, but it can be done correctly and successfully.
Let’s dive in.
The ‘from’ name is the first piece of information the customer sees after opening your text.
While some brands may use the name of the CEO, or their mascot, in their Opening Intro, No Days Wasted is straightforward and uncomplicated:
There is certainly no doubt where this message is coming from!
Feel free to keep it simple, like in this example, or spice it up a bit, if that fits your brand personality.
Opening Line: Aw, They Remembered!
This particular message was sent on Valentine’s Day, and their Opening Line reflected this, as you would expect from messages sent on particular holidays:
Alright, I know…
‘So far, this text is pretty lackluster…’
Hold on, I promise I’m saving the best for last.
Body Text: A Love Story
Right, so here is the part where you provide value.
Why did you interrupt their day? What’s in it for them?
Basically – what do you want?
No Days Wasted extends their text to be a bit longer than getting straight to the point, but as long as value or context is provided – no problem.
Taking advantage of a gift giving holiday, and realizing that not everyone has a significant other, No Days Wasted plays on the ‘treat yo’ self!’ concept here.
Oh, and the offer?
25% catches my attention!
Image: How Far Is Too Far?
Honestly, the image is what stole the spotlight for me and makes up for any missed opportunities in the text itself:
Ha! That look though.
No, seriously, look again…
An average Joe…
Sitting with his girlfriend…
Enjoying a glass of wine…
The double entendre gets me.
First, you are probably enjoying an adult beverage on this holiday, whether you are single or in a relationship, and they showcase a benefit of their product quickly and easily…
Help you enjoy that beverage, without the nasty side effects.
Second, we’ve all seen horrible slasher films with teenagers or college students trying to have a ‘romantic’ evening, acting all sly, before it goes all wrong.
I don’t know about you, but this gives me flashbacks to numerous movie scenes.
The Sign-Off: Give the Deets
If there is a code or not, state that in your message:
Obviously, if there is a code, you want customers to know for the sake of their sanity.
If there isn’t a code, you want customers to know for the sake of YOUR sanity.
Because you will get multiple messages asking, ‘code’, ‘code?’, ‘is there a code?’
And your inbox will start to sound like the seagulls off Finding Nemo:
You’ll want to say:
Save everyone some time, share the details, and end with a strong call-to-action.
Last, but not least, don’t forget about your tracking URL, because you gotta be able to track engagement and direct ROI back to the SMS message, or what’s the point?
Bringing It All Together
And here we come to the close.
No Days Wasted keeps the messaging pretty simple and to the point…
Because the messaging really isn’t the star of the show…
That fantastic photo is:
I have to say I literally laughed out loud to start.
And then I sent screenshots to all my friends so they could enjoy and laugh out loud as well.
There you have it, they got me and turned me into a brand ambassador all in one message.
What You Learned
Here’s the tl;dr of what you learned today:
- Creativity is good, but simple messaging is clear and concise
- Play on holidays or special occasions, but ensure you aren’t alienating any segment of your list
- If you can make the customer laugh, you won
- If you can make the customer become an unknowing brand ambassador, you are the champion
- Just think about the kind of text message you would want to see in your inbox, and have fun
Now what?
- Book a call with 3BM to see if it makes sense to work together.
- Check out No Days Wasted’s products