Writing text is not always easy, especially when you have a limited number of characters. In addition, a text message is plain text, without the support of images to explain the message. To help you write better text messages, we've put together some best practices. Check out our tips and create more effective messages.
Keep your messages concise
Make your point clearly and concisely. It's a good idea to start with the actual subject of the message so that the recipient wants to read it. Especially when writing marketing messages, we recommend concise content that the recipient can read and understand quickly. However, you should use a friendly tone and address the recipient in the first person, otherwise messages can become choppy.
The first words are like a headline
Recipients only see the first few words of the message in the preview. Therefore, these words should be treated as the first line of an email. Is the beginning of the message interesting or important enough for the recipient to read it? Use the first few words to indicate whether you are making a limited offer, an important announcement or even an enquiry.
Take advantage of line spacing
Use line breaks to improve the readability of text. Especially slightly longer text can feel heavy and may even be unreadable if it is in one line. Splitting text with line breaks helps structure the content and makes it easier to understand.
Use time-sensitive terms
If it is a time-sensitive message that you want a response to as quickly as possible, you should use these terms in the text. Terms such as ”this weekend, starting now, still time, today only, ending soon” will catch the recipient's attention and create a sense of urgency.
Address in the first person
When writing a message, it's a good idea to think of the recipient as a friend, while keeping in mind the nature of the message. Is the purpose to inform about something important or to get the customer to react to the message? Speaking in the first person makes the message feel more personal and using a first name adds to this feeling.
Check and test
How frustrating it is to discover after sending a message that it contains a typo or a wrong link. So it's worth sending a message to yourself and even to a friend to make sure it's spelled correctly and the links point to the right place.
Remember the Framework for Action or CTA
End your message with a strong and clear call-to-action (CTA), telling the recipient what to do next - whether it's taking advantage of a discount or signing up for a loyalty programme. This will ensure that as many people as possible act on the message. Read more in our article ”Links in text messages - take these things into account”.
Our final tip for writing a good text message is to ask yourself, "Is your text the kind of text you want to receive? It's also worth testing different versions to see what works and what doesn't.
Would you like to know more or is there something you're still wondering about? Contact us, we are happy to help you with all your text messaging needs. If you have not yet tried text messaging, you can try Quriiria free of charge right now.
