ISSUE:

Pushing the Envelope, Inc. (PTE) began providing mobile communication service (texting) to Sloan’s Motorcycles and ATV (Sloan’s), a Power Sports Business Power 50 motorsport dealer in Murfreesboro, TN. Sloan’s had previously employed texting with a different vendor (only as a sales/marketing tool), however, stopped due to a very low return on investment. After meeting with PTE to discuss goals and expectations, Sloan’s opted to reinstate texting with PTE as a communication tool on a trial basis to accompany existing marketing initiatives.

OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY:

• Increase text audience by 150 subscribers quarter over quarter for a total of 550 since messaging started
• Generate at least 1,500 leads to Sloan’s website (acting on calls to action based on initiatives) from mobile subscribers quarter over quarter for a total of 5,500 since messaging started
• Average a click-through rate of 15% per message based on SMS performance averages and list dormancy.

After coordination with mobile service company 7 Media Group (7MG) and the owner of Sloan’s, PTE created a text launch strategy which outlined communication to internal staff about the program and their role, promotion tactics to integrate the text program with existing communication and marketing initiatives, an initial timeline for messaging, and ideas for the future.

PTE established the opt-in portion of the campaign to reengage dormant contacts in the monthly messaging, then uploaded and segmented new customer contact data into targeted lists. After scheduling the approved opt-in and initial campaign messages for delivery, PTE continued to meet monthly with Sloan’s to review performance to date and determine future messaging focuses.

Monthly, PTE gathered and analyzed performance data to evaluate message success and distribution timing. By monitoring user behavior and tracking measurable outcomes, PTE transformed texting into the top performing communication strategy for Sloan’s.

RESULTS: All goals were exceeded

• Subscribers increased by 1,109 (+199.8%) in the first quarter (due to the initial opt-in), 67 (+3.9%) in the second quarter, 50 (2.8%) in the third quarter, and 451 (24.8%) in the fourth quarter. In total, Sloan’s text audience grew by 1,677 subscribers net (279.5%), more than 3 times the goal.
• Text messages generated 2,900 leads to Sloan’s website in the first quarter, 2,174 leads in the second quarter, 3,055 leads in the third quarter, and 7,826 leads in the fourth quarter. In total, text messages generated 15,955 leads, nearly 3 times the goal.
• Message click rates ranged from 18% to 94%, generally exceeding the 15% click-through objective.
• An added bonus, Sloan’s enjoyed 77 new submissions in their “New Year, New Ride Party” contest entry within 16 hours of PTE delivering a related text message, increasing their email marketing subscriber count and sparking interest at a time of year where sales and engagement are historically low.