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2 posts from January 2017

01/23/2017

5 Ways to Grow Your Driving School Business with SMS Marketing

 

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Driving school success relies on attracting new customers and building trust and rapport with existing students. A solid SMS marketing strategy will easily achieve both, as well as helping your business stand out from the competition.

A low cost, high impact outreach tool, text message marketing is also really simple to set up, so it’s ideal for new and small businesses too.

Now sure where to start? Here are 5 SMS marketing for driving school tips to rev up your business performance.

 

Run a more efficient business

Texts and instant messages are short, fast and convenient. That’s why teens and tweens love them. Getting in touch with your students via the method they use most means more effective communication, and more convenience for them too. Use SMS for a range of communications to help cut costs and boost efficiency.

 

  • Send class reminders
  • Receive confirmations and cancellations to avoid time wasted by no-shows
  • Request student feedback
  • Send personalized driving tips and study reminders 

 

Impressive open rates

SMS has a much more impressive open rate than email:

 

  • 99% of text messages are opened and read

 

  • Just 28-33% of emails are opened and read

 

When you’re a small business you want to spend time on marketing that rewards your efforts. Setting up text message marketing is quicker than emailing, with no need to spend time and money on graphics. SMS marketing for driving schools is also more likely to be read than email and social media posts, so target your efforts where it counts.

 

Spread your special offers and promotions

SMS is a great way to spread the word about upcoming special offers or promotions, as well as targeted offers for existing students. You can:

 

  • Text a code or link that entitles the receiver to a discount off their next class
  • Offer a free or discounted first class to those who sign up for your SMS alerts
  • Let students know about any upcoming events you’ll be attending so they can find out more about your service in person

 

Make an instant connection with potential students

Add a keyword and short code to your existing advertising to make it easy for anyone that’s interested to get in touch and sign up for more info. As soon as they see your flyer, poster, business card or print ad they’ll have an instant point of contact, and a call to action that enables them to make contact right there and then.

 

Reach a wider audience

While local advertising is great, its scope is limited. How many people in the tri-state area will see your newspaper ad or posters? Compare that to the possible reach of SMS in the same area, when 90% of Americans own an SMS-enable phone. Your text info and offers can be easily shared by recipients forwarding texts to friends and relatives they think might be interested in your services. It means your customers are actually doing some of the marketing leg work for you.

01/20/2017

5 SMS Marketing Tips for Veterinarians

 

 

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Helping animals in your community means making as many pet owners in your area as possible know about the services you provide. SMS marketing is one of the most versatile and cost-effective tools that businesses can use to reach out to communities.

Text message marketing makes it easy to get the message out to prospective patients, as well as providing a great way to communicate with your current clients.

Here are five ways SMS marketing for veterinarians can help your practice grow. 

Add a text call to action – and Increase the power of existing advertising

With people carrying phones in their pockets 24/7, by including a keyword and short code to your advertising, potential customers have an easy and instant way to get in touch with you to learn more as soon as they see your ads. Texting has been found to be a more powerful call to action than providing an email, web address or voice call contact.

 

Appointment Reminders

One of the most useful ways SMS marketing for veterinarians can enhance efficiency and reduce costs is through appointment reminders. A simple way to improve your customer communication, useful appointment reminders reduce the number of missed appointments. With a 98% final read rate, your reminders are always likely to be seen, and they give your patients that chance to let you know of any possible scheduling conflicts, so you can manage your appointment scheduling better.

 

Promotions and tips

Text messaging is also a great way to let your subscribers know about any new products or services you have to offer. Whatever you’re adding to your practice, from pet food to grooming services, you can encourage more footfall and an interest in the wider range of services that you provide. Sending out tailored pet care tips also helps you build a relationship with your patients, adding a personal touch, and ensuring they have all the info they need to care for their pets properly. 

 

Discounts

Vet’s bills can be expensive. It’s one of the reasons pet owners can put off those routine check-ups or vaccinations, saving trips to the vet for emergencies only. But offering special rates to text subscribers can motivate them to come in and see you.

Whether you’d like to offer exclusive discounts to first-time or existing patients, text message marketing allows you to get in touch with those who could benefit and let them know about your latest offers.

 

Patient Questions

The beauty of SMS marketing is that it isn’t just a one-way street. You can get in touch with patients, but they can get in touch with you too. Allowing pet owners to get in touch with you via text with their pet care queries is a valuable service that patients really appreciate, and helps to build trust and loyalty with your practice. Cheaper than manning the phones all day, all questions can be sent to a dedicated number to be reviewed by yourself or other staff members. You can then provide advice or ask the client to come in to see you in person if necessary.