I started my pressure washing business in August 2012, and so last year, I didnt think about getting email addresses from customers.
I’ve got 2 notebooks full of names and numbers though, and I was wondering if anyone knew any mass texting programs.
I’d like to send out a mass message, offering some sort of discount or deal to them, and asking them if they’d like to be included in our email list for future deals.
Does anyone know of any programs that could do this for me easily?
Free is, of course, ideal.
My phone is kinda slow and unresponsive at times if too many things are going on, so I’m trying to avoid sending it with that, if possible.
Texting is more of a personal form of communication than phone and email, and the ONLY form of communication that hasn’t been taken over by mass marketing… People hate mass texts and they will be ignored. I would not recommend it…
I would have to agree with Trevor. Capture their email addresses and send out a quarterly newsletter, I think that would be more effective.
The high school and college where my boys go send mass texts somehow all the time. I actually like getting them and I think it would be just another marketing technique that should reap benefits especially with previous clients. I don’t know how to do it but I would if I could
Only instance where a text would be sent from my company to customers is reminding them of appointments. Like DemandForce.
Just got a text from Papa John’s pizza talking about the new cheeseburger pizza… Guess where I’m eating tonight? I think it can be affective if done correctly. I think the main issue would be to NOT over use it, sending text every other day.
Last year I had a couple inquires from text messages that I received from clients.
From start to finish, both jobs were completed with text communication only.
I feel it could be a very useful tool but…only if used sparingly and not spamming.
I agree guys, I wouldn’t want to get spam texted either.
I just plan on doing it 1 time, with previous clients, offering some sort of discount or referral bonus, and asking them if they’d like to be added to our email list for future deals.
Ask your customer if they receive texts, then ask if they would want you to text them when you are offering discounts. I have been trying to set up maintenance schedules for my gutter cleaning and driveway cleaning customers. And I tell them I will text them when they are due. I always try to sell my gutter cleaning customers a driveway cleaning or pool deck cleaning. I even measure stuff out and give them a price. If they are hesitant, that’s when I ask them if they want to know when I am offering discounts, They usually say yes.
I always ask customers where they got my name, and if they receive texts. I have that info in my database.(MS office/excel)
If they ask the reason why I asked them if they get texts, I tell them that if for some reason I am going to be late or can’t make the appointment, I will text them. Which I do BTW.
Now here’s the bad news… after going through all that, setting up a maintenance schedule. I sent out 14 texts telling my customers they were due for their 6 month gutter cleaning in December. 1 responded. This is after all of them asked me how often they should be done. They agreed, and said to text them in 6 months. So I can see it working if you were going to send out a hundred texts. I know this is sort of not the same thing as offering a discount to drum up business, but it is using texts to contact customers.
I guess you really don’t know how some of these things work out until you actually try it.
Look at Street Bidder for example. If I saw someone snapping pictures of my house I would not like it and be suspicious from the word go… But yet Street Bidder is just that and then they can send you a picture of how crappy your house look lol… and this way works. Who woulda guessed this could work a few years ago?.. Probably no one.
