His first texts made me laugh out loud.
“Morning.. when you wake, do birds sing, wolves howl and cows moo like a Disney movie?”
I didn’t know him very well, but this is how I got to know him.
And eventually I figured out that this text was pretty typical for him, a sweet, slightly kooky oddball whose silly messages I looked forward to.
That’s an ideal situation, right? I gave him my number with superficial knowledge of who he was. And he also knew little to nothing about me. But he was himself and it turned out to be fun, funny, and eventually led to a real relationship.
Around this time last year I also gave my number to hundreds of brands that I also knew superficially. Now consider my beau was an amateur, and these were professional texters. Why then were most of their texts so decidedly unfun?
You know the messages I’m talking about. The Don’t miss out. Claim your 15% off now with this code and the add our contact card so you don’t miss out on new arrivals, exclusive discounts and … zzzzzzzz
Why do most brands, even playful brands, play it so safe on text? Their social channels are a platform for bonkers creativity but their texts are humorless and utilitarian. If this is you, most likely your texts are boring as toast because you believe you are optimizing for conversion. But I have to tell you there are brands out there that are generating purchases and having a lot more fun on text than you are. Here are some of the brands that are making texting fun.
Shinesty
All the marketing for the Shinesty brand is solidly tongue in cheek, and it is satisfying to see that fully applies to SMS as well. No AI generated text here. Just clever, silly messages that keep readers subscribed and engaged.
McDonald’s
For the most part McDonald’s takes a light-handed approach to texting, sending messages infrequently. But when they do send a message it is usually concise, clever and on brand. McDonald’s is one of our favorites from the fast food genre, though there are others. See our love letter to Slutty Vegan here.
Now McDonald’s and the aforementioned Slutty Vegan both use Community as their texting platform. And I think with that comes much more focus on engagement and less focus on direct response. As a result, there are lots of engaging texters on Community. See also the Golden State Warriors.
Fashion Nova
I have often talked about Fashion Nova’s maniacal, ALL CAPS, expletive-filled texting. Their texts DEMAND attention and are much more amusing than their competitors‘. Note it’s not just the language but the approach to promotions that adds to the excitement. They hide easter eggs throughout the site and offer rebates, both of which give them something out of the ordinary to text about.
Every brand can make their approach to texting a little more fun to keep their subscribers engaged. Even political candidates, like U.S. Senator Jon Tester, who famously lost fingers in a farming accident, and Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks, who loves a cheesy pun, have found ways to put their own personal spin on otherwise tedious texts. Your brand can too.
Watch this space as we add more top of the line texters to inspire your own program.