It's clear we believe in the power of nurturing the audience relationship with SMS subscriptions or text memberships here at Subflow—however, no tool is a good tool if it never gets used! Therefore, you will need to promote your Subflow products to gain the ultimate satisfaction of an engaged audience and recurring revenue streams. 

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Don't fret! Use this quick list of the best places to link or promote your SMS subscription product, and you will have your bases covered for ensuring that your SMS offering is readily accessible to your audience. 

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Remember—the harder it is for someone to access or subscribe to your product or service (regardless of industry or offering), the less likely they will be to subscribe. Consider the visibility of your SMS products across the web, the number of clicks it takes to subscribe to your membership, and the product's value proposition clarity when launching or trying to ramp up subscriptions.

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1. Promote Your SMS Membership on Your Social Media Accounts
   
   Promote your subscription in the form of a call-to-action, paired with a link to your product listing page. When you post about your SMS content membership, a good strategy is to inform your target audience as to what they should expect to receive. Let them know what information they will receive, how often, and that they should expect to receive content via text messages. 
   
   For example, let's say you're a coach releasing a new retirement planning e-book. You may want to pair your self-led e-book with an SMS content membership offering, where you send daily excerpts from your e-book to your subscribers. To promote this, you would post on your social media saying, "My new retirement planning e-book just launched! Subscribe now to my membership, where I send daily tips helping you put this information into action." Make sure to link directly to your product listing page so subscribers can sign up quickly from their phones.
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   ‍Here is a list of social media platforms you may be active on: 
   
   1. Facebook
   
   2. Twitter
   
   3. Instagram
   
   4. Snapchat
   
   5. Pinterest
   
   6. LinkedIn
   
   7. Tumblr
   
   8. Google+
   
   9. Reddit
   
   10. Quora
   
   When you promote your text subscription service on your social media channels, it's essential to consider the type of content that does well on those channels. Optimizing your promotional content for its intended channel will help it perform.
   
   For example, on Facebook, there is more emphasis on community. In this instance, consider joining a retirement planning Facebook group. Once in this group, make a post offering to answer some of the community's questions surrounding your area of expertise. Throughout your responses to their inquiries, let people know they can join your membership and continue to work with you there.
   
   The Instagram platform is known for inspirational imagery performing best. To promote your SMS content membership here, you may consider posting a visual image that reflects what someone's lifestyle would look like AFTER having taken advantage of all your tips or subscribed to your membership. Perhaps it's a man golfing at an idyllic course with a big grin on his face or a couple traveling to a luxury vacation destination.
   
   No matter which social media platform you promote your SMS content membership product, customize that message to the content type that works best on that specific platform.

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2. Create a LinkTree to House all of Your SMS Product Offerings
   
   Now that you have posted on social media to promote your product, you want to take the additional step of making that product listing page always easily accessible. Unfortunately, many social media platforms only allow you to list one link in your profile or bio.
   
   LinkTree is a service that gives you one link that houses all of your other connections. Use this to market your SMS content membership products because you can list each opt-in form or subscription listing page as its link.
   
   Your LinkTree should also be where you list your website, other social media profiles, platforms, and a simple way for your audience to contact you.

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3. Link Your Highest Value SMS Membership in all of Your Digital Bios
   
   ‍LinkTree is an excellent option if you promote your SMS Content Membership alongside your other product and service offerings. However, suppose your SMS Content Membership is your singular product or service that you would like to drive all of your audience to. In that case, you may consider making it the only link available in your digital bios.
   
   Bios are the perfect destination for promoting a specific SMS content subscription product. Regardless of the platform, digital bios are the first (and sometimes only) place visiting internet users will look at a brand or personal account profile. By linking only your listing page for your SMS content subscription in your bio, you can be sure that your audience will likely see that link, even if they don't venture further into your content.

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4. Link Your Text Offerings with Value Propositions on Your Website
   
   Your website offers many avenues for promoting your text message subscription; consider using more than one method throughout your website. 
   
   ‍Here are some places on your website you can promote your SMS messages subscription:‍

• On the sidebar
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• In the footer
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• In the header navigation
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• Within blog posts (inline links)
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• On your About page
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• On your Contact page
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• In your resource library
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• As a pop-up
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• As an offering on your product/service page
  
  You shouldn't be concerned about overwhelming your website visitors if you place your product in multiple locations. Remember, most website visitors are scanning and not reading word-for-word. So, the more places you put your SMS subscription, the better! When it comes to what to say about your text message service, keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
  
  Using your website is an excellent way for you to get people on board with the idea of signing up for a free trial or purchasing one of your paid subscriptions. It's also an opportunity for you to showcase the content they will receive in each subscription.
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5. Video Descriptions
   
   If you have any YouTube or Vimeo channels with videos, make sure to include a link to subscribe via text marketing messages in the description under each video. In addition, Youtube descriptions are searchable - which means if someone is on youtube searching for "health coach," and your Youtube Video description includes those keywords, your video will appear in the search results. So not only will they see your video, but they may see your SMS content subscription that they can join.
   
   ‍Bonus Tip: The description of a YouTube video gets cut off around the third line, so be sure to put the link at the top of the video description.
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6. Physical Locations
   
   Do you have a brick-and-mortar store? Or is part of your product or service offering relevant to a set or series of physical locations? Then, don't overlook this opportunity! While online advertising and marketing are essential to reach a broad audience, there's still something to be said for good old-fashioned offline marketing.
   
   Create SMS membership by placing signage, brochures, or flyers in strategic locations. You could put a small decal on your front door or window or something more elaborate like a freestanding sign or banner.
   
   While locations that receive high traffic are significant considerations, so too can be low traffic locations - where the demographic of people frequenting those locations stands to benefit from the value of your subscription membership.
   
   Three great examples of places to advertise offline are:
   
   - In the office or waiting room of any business whose services or products are complementary to yours - think businesses like salons, health clubs, dry cleaners, etc.
   
   - High foot traffic areas in your neighborhood or town center.
   
   - Local community bulletin boards where people frequently post flyers for upcoming events
   
   
   ‍BONUS TIP: Rather than print our flyers or signs with your listing page URL written out, consider using a FREE QR code generator to generate a QR code that links to your listing page when used. Print the QR code on your materials, making it even easier for someone to pull out their cell phone and visit the listing page!

7. Link Your Text Memberships on Your Podcast Page
   
   Plugging your SMS offerings on your podcast is an excellent opportunity to remind your listeners that they can continue to engage in the content they like to receive from you outside of listening. It's also a chance to let them know about any additional benefits they could receive by subscribing, such as written short and long-form information, appointment reminders, information about your other content offerings, and more. Your podcast description is a great way to convert your free podcast listeners to paying subscribers. 
   
   Ensure links to your memberships accessible for your listeners in areas such as the show notes or description. You should link your memberships in more than one area if possible to ensure potential leads don't miss them. 
   
   ‍BONUS TIP: When taping any podcast, mention your SMS content membership and remind listeners that within your membership is a great place to receive more information, just like what they are listening to now. 

8. Notify Your Email List of Your SMS Membership Options & Highlight the Value of Text Over Email
   
   Send out an email or newsletter to let your audience know. Converting your engaged email list into SMS membership subscribers is the perfect way to boost your open and click-through rates. If you intend to move away from email communication and switch to SMS and send sms messages and receive sms messages, highlight to your subscribers the benefits to them: shorter - less fluff-filled communication, only the good stuff, and a less crowded inbox.
   
   Send an email that announces the new subscription option and invites your audience to subscribe. Doing this is especially effective if you send it out right at the start of your campaign, so your email subscribers will be ready when you announce it on social media or elsewhere. 
   
   ‍BONUS TIP: When sending critical information via email, follow your mailing up with a second or third send. A day or two after your first mailing, take anyone from the mailing list who didn't open the email and send it again. Repeat this strategy a third time, following another 24-48hr wait time. 
   
   ‍People will often worry that one email is sufficient, and anyone who didn't open the email likely wasn't interested. However, the average inbox receives around 121 emails per day. As a result, it's not uncommon for people to get distracted or side-tracked and forget to open certain emails. By sending a follow-up email, you're increasing your audience's likelihood of receiving your incoming messages. 

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9. Email Signatures or Branded Email Footer
   
   Like digital bios, email signatures and footers are prime real estate to link an SMS subscription product you would like to promote. Adding your product listing page link into your signature is a great set it and forget it technique. Before you know it, you will have several new subscribers coming in from email communications. 
   
   By placing a subscription sign-up link in your email signature, you can be sure that your membership product is getting exposure as long as you are sending emails. 
   
   ‍BONUS TIP: As you spread your product listing page link far and wide, you will want to ensure that you enable some tracking system. With a tracking system, you can identify where your most valuable subscribers originate. 
   
   ‍There are many great options for link tracking. Here are a few free link tracking programs and software to consider: Bitly, Google Analytics, Rebrandly 

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10. Online Ads (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.)
    
    Targeted ads are a great way to go if you're looking to expand past your current audience and gain subscribers from a specific audience. However, be cautious as most paid advertising requires a modest upfront investment in the form of a daily spend and will take 2-4 weeks of running consistent sms marketing campaigns for your campaigns to optimize against your conversion goals. 
    
    The most popular places for online ads include:
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• Google Ads
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• Facebook Ads
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• LinkedIn Ads
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• Twitter Ads
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• Instagram Ads
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• YouTube Ads
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• Pinterest Ads
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• Reddit Ads

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Prepare to Promote: Create a Subflow text message subscription service in as Little as 10 Minutes!

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With Subflow, you can increase revenue potential and keep your audience engaged so that they return. Here's how it works:
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• Create an account (it requires just a few minutes)
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• Log in to our easy-to-use web platform
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• Create your first SMS subscription product
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• Copy your subscribe link & get to posting!

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Now with these ten tips in hand, you're ready to get started with SMS marketing and see some serious results! If you felt this article was helpful, spread the word - share this information with friends and colleagues. For more information just like this, subscribe to our Subflow Experience SMS membership, where we give you the white glove experience of launching your SMS content membership.