Introduction – Case Study: ReplyBuy Review & Text Message Marketing for Contractors
In this article, I’m going to explain my hands-on, in-the-trenches experience with ReplyBuy Text Message marketing.
The results were extraordinary.
First, let me introduce myself. I’m Ed Winslow, owner of NicheQuest.com. We specialize in lead generation for small to mid-sized businesses. Our strategy, as the company name implies, is to find and promote niche markets within an industry and create profits for them.
For this Replybuy review, the campaign I’m going to discuss is for Parker Smith, who has built a thriving 7-figure painting and concrete epoxy flooring company in McMinnville, Oregon – Smith and Company Painting. Google search, Facebook ads, and word of mouth referrals are a big part of their new customer growth.
ReplyBuy Review Case Study
My Experience – I never heard of ReplyBuy until this first campaign and never did text message advertising.
Customer Service – Amazing. Armando Spataro, the Senior Director of Client Services, educated Parker and me through every step of the process. He took an excel spreadsheet with names and phone numbers, uploaded to the ReplyBuy Dashboard; then mobile verified all the phone numbers. We ended up with 2,700 mobile verified numbers out of 3,000. Armando worked with us to craft a custom message with an automated response.
After the campaign started, I adjusted the message and automated response based on customer feedback. I found this to be an essential part of text message marketing.
Our Goal –The winter season for Smith and Company is typically slow and stressful. The challenge is to keep busy with projects, so Parker doesn’t lose their trained crew. When we started the campaign in late October, the schedule from November – March was thin.
The Result – Now, the schedule is full through Mid-February after only 1,200 of 2,700 messages sent. Not only is the schedule booked for the winter, but many responses from the text messages are also for spring and summer projects. Parker is already starting to book residential and commercial projects well into next year.
Our Text Message – You can personalize each message by first name or last name. First name messages are amazing. The receiver responds because the message is personally crafted just for them. It does not appear to be a mass marketing message. It Reads – Hi {Jill} It’s Parker from Smith & Co. We’re running Winter specials for painting and garage floor epoxy. Do you have an interest?
You can set automated responses based on keywords or their comments so that the person may respond with yes, I’m interested or no, not interested.
Amount of Text Messages Sent – My first thought was to send 250 text messages per day. That would mean contacting all 2700 numbers in 11 days.
Response – After two days, Parker said STOP. There were too many leads coming in. Parker wanted to stop so he could catch up completely. I said, let’s reduce to 70 per day. My goal was to test the best times and days to send. We cut to 70 text messages per day. Every text message produced 5 to 8 leads, about 7 to 10 percent. Think about that. Just five leads per day bring the total to 100 per month. That’s on top of leads coming in from Facebook ads and Google Search.
Hot leads started coming in within 30 seconds.
We had to stop again, which we did for about ten days so Parker could catch up. There were too many leads. Keep in mind this was during the slow season when, typically, it’s hard to get new business — text messaging solves that problem.
Quality of Leads – These leads are hot. As internet marketers, we refer to prospects as cold and warm. Cold traffic means those people who have never heard of you while warm traffic is those who have seen you a few times. These leads were a completely different level.
The database was previous customers, those who received a quote or inquired from a Google search or Facebook ad.
Those who responded wanted a quote for an immediate requirement. These prospects already knew and trusted Parker and the Smith & Co team.
Those who didn’t respond politely said, “no thanks.” Some said, “Thanks Parker, nothing at this time, have a great holiday.” Many appreciated the message. About 5% said they moved, and just a few said take me off your list. Removing someone requires a simple click.
It became fun to send out the text messages. It was like playing a slot machine and winning every time.
Note – Parker invests in his digital marketing and building his reputation. His Google SEO is healthy, and the company has exceptionally active Facebook Ad campaigns along with many positive reviews. He’s not a stranger to his text message audience.
Using Keywords in The Message – Parker does interior and exterior painting. He also resurfaces commercial and residential concrete floors with epoxy. The first 500 messages sent were for painting services. Then I included “Winter specials for painting and garage floor epoxy.” Adding garage floor epoxy to the messaging brought in garage floor leads along with commercial floor leads. Key take away – Be specific with your message, use keywords.
How to Send the Text Message – Armando from ReplyBuy told me to send each message manually. My first thought was “I have to send out 2,700 messages one at a time, that’s a job”. There is not a 1-click automated solution. I think it has to do with the phone carriers. If the phone carriers see 2,700 messages going out at once, they will flag the campaign as spam and block the number.
Manual sending is not an issue. I was able to position my mouse cursor in one spot then start clicking. I was able to send 70 messages in less than 30 seconds.
Consumer Response – Sending text messages is personal. I found that a customized response, whether interested or not, improved the customer experience. A simple “Thanks” goes a long way. Everyone on the list is a potential customer at some time. They might respond later or be a referral source.
Could I hire a low-cost Virtual Assistant to run the campaigns? Possibly after I’ve mastered the process. In this case, the hands-on, personal touch with a quick response was valuable. It’s a form of sales. In Parker’s case, painting and garage floor coatings are worth $2,500 – $50,000. Each response and referral are valuable. For now, I’m going to be hands-on. The upside is that profit potential is substantial.
Frequency of Sending Messages – My experience is that every business is unique. Sending 50 to 70 messages per day during the slowest time of year produced extraordinary results for Parker. During the busiest time of year, ten per day might be too much. 250 per day for Parkers business was too many. Understanding your audience is critical. Communication with Parker’s audience requires finesse. At this time, I don’t think we should run text marketing campaigns to Parker’s audience more than twice per year.
ReplyBuy Review – My Key Takeaways
Quick, Profitable Results – ReplyBuy Text Message Marketing is the quickest and highest converting sales tool I’ve ever experienced. Hot, profitable leads can come in within 30 seconds.
How to Get a Database – Build a real database. Do not buy a list and think you can just send text messages to make money. There are legal issues that could get you in trouble. I’m not an expert on this topic. I’d look into it first.
I’d suggest a Google or Facebook Campaign with a lead capture system for name and phone number, and then use text messaging for follow up.
What Businesses Can Profit from Text Message Marketing
My experience is just about every business on the planet can benefit hugely.
You don’t want to implement a bull-in-the China-shop strategy. Start slow and figure out your unique strategy first. See how your consumer responds.
In Parker’s case, I would only contact his database twice per year. I might even reach out to his customer base once per year and an email newsletter a few times per year.
Summary -ReplyBuy Review
My ReplyBuy review in summary? I highly recommend ReplyBuy. Their customer support is fantastic. Their system is easy to use and very profitable.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at 203-762-1366 or fill out our contact form.
You can also contact Armando at ReplyBuy directly.