To Txt Speak, or NTTS. TITQ.
So you got that right? The headline to this blog post is perfectly clear isn’t it?
Shakespeare fans may have cringed when reading the headline to this post. But many say language, at least the written word, will soon consist of the sometimes cryptic acronyms frequently used in instant messaging systems.
“NTTS” is “not to txt speak”.
“TITQ” is, of course, “That is the Question”. Not very clever really given the rest of the headline but it probably made more than a few of you pause.
And for many that’s what “text speak” does. It makes us pause while our brains interpret what is being said. When it comes to marketing, that pause can mean the difference between a successful campaign and one that frustrates the customers.
SMS marketing is a balancing act when it comes to using text speak. With a limit of 160 characters in a standard message, you’re bound to need some abbreviations. But how much can you, and should you get away with? Let me share a recent example of a message I received from a local venue (I’ve blanked out the important info with *s!):
Depending on your generation, or how tuned in you are to the instant message and texting world, the above is either quaint, or you had to read it twice. In reality it isn’t too bad as far as text speak goes. There are no unknown acronyms, just shortened words and numbers in place of common words like to and for.
Honestly though, I had to read this one twice. Not so much because of the text speak itself, but because there was so much of it. I get messages from this venue probably two to three times a week. The last two and a half lines are always there, just as you see them. But for this message I guess they just had too much to say and decided to use text speak in a few other places too. Since I didn’t expect it, I needed to read it a couple of times to be sure I understood it.
But I could have decided it didn’t make sense and never look at it again. Maybe I could have decided to look at it later, but then forget after the moment had passed.
If you’re using SMS messaging for marketing, you don’t ever want to have your customers do either. You want them to act in the moment with a clear message and call to action.
Whether or not your message will be clear in text speak depends on your target audience. Do your research, know your customer, and then craft your messages so they will understand, and act, on them quickly.
Related Articles
Personalising Your SMS Marketing
Using people’s names in marketing is great. It does provide a certain level of personalisation that can get people more interested in what you’re sending them. Of course in text messaging, you don’t always have the room for a name, your message, and the required opt out information … usually there just isn’t enough room. So how can you make your marketing messages personal?
3 Ingredients for Successful SMS Marketing
Use All The Data You Can When Personalising Your SMS Messages
It’s said over and over that SMS is one of the most personal forms of communications today. That’s mainly because people guard their mobile numbers and only give them out to those they think worthy of them. So anyone who has opted into your SMS messaging has indeed invited you into their personal world.
SMS Marketing Ideas To Celebrate Wimbledon
3 Common Errors That Will Ruin Your SMS Marketing
You worked hard to get those customers on your SMS marketing list. But now they are unsubscribing like crazy, or maybe just no longer responding to your messages. What happened? Maybe you’ve committed one of the following common, but easy to fix, errors that can completely drive your customers away.
5 Marketing Trends That Matter for SMS in 2018
One Simple Trick Can Boost Your SMS Marketing
SMS marketing offers the ability to send time-sensitive offers to your best customers. But are you missing out on the potential of your own brand in your offers? Read this post to see an example of how a simple trick can potentially boost your results.
Are Emoji the Next Big Thing in SMS Marketing?
One of the best things about instant messaging is the ability to send emoticons and emoji to convey a feeling with just one image. Many companies are trying to use them in their SMS marketing. There are technical issues with using them though, as well as questions on whether it’s good marketing practice.