Use Square to Create a Text Message Marketing Campaign: A Short Guide

[Helen]

Square Text Message Marketing is a tool to help you connect with customers and share your latest offers quickly.

In this “crash course,” you’ll learn about pricing, sending a text message, and viewing the performance of your text messaging campaign. 

What is Square Text Message Marketing?

Square Text Message Marketing is a tool to help you reach your customers with personal messages. You can send texts to let customers know about new items and seasonal offers, and you can share coupons too.

How it works: Your customers can opt in to join your marketing list and receive texts when they check out from your point of sale or use a unique phone number they can text. You draft and send text messages from your online Square Dashboard — send a message right away or schedule it for a later date. 

Watch this video for an overview of Square Text Message Marketing.

 

Read up on pricing. 

With Square Text Message Marketing, you pay a monthly fee plus the cost of the number of texts you send. Learn more about pricing in our Support Center Square Text Message Marketing FAQ. 

A 30-day free trial for Square Text Message Marketing is available if you want to try it before subscribing.

Get set up and build your campaign.

Before you can send your first text message campaign, you need to set your business name. Then, set up and save a coupon that encourages customers to enroll in text message marketing.

To set up a text message campaign:

1. Go to Customers > Marketing in your online Square Dashboard.
2. Click Create Campaign and select Text Message.
3. Select Get Started and enter your identifying business name.
4. Select and save the details of the coupon that customers get when they opt in.

Once you’ve completed the steps above, you’ll see the option to build a text message campaign from the Marketing section of your online Square Dashboard. 

To send a text message campaign:

1. Visit Customers > Marketing in your online Square Dashboard.
2. Click Create Campaign and select Text Message.
3. Select the blast or automated campaign objective.
4. Edit the message and set the details of the coupon you wish to send. A coupon is required at this time.
5. Select Send Now or Schedule to send a (blast) text at a later time. For an automated campaign, click Activate Now.

Note: You can only send texts between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time for legal reasons to ensure your customers aren’t disturbed outside of standard business hours.

View your campaign performance.

Review your campaign to see how many text messages were sent, how many people clicked on the link in the text, and how many customers made purchases as a result of your campaign. To view a report:

1. Navigate to Customers > Marketing in your online Square Dashboard.
2. Select Campaigns. By default, all of your campaigns will be shown. To filter by campaign type, click Campaign Type.

Next steps

Read the FAQ to learn more about Square Text Message Marketing and check out our Live Q&A: Ask us anything about Text Message Marketing!

[JUYBoutique20]

I love the text message marketing.  I find that most of my customer would rather receive my notifications about specials this way...

[Helen]

Thanks @JUYBoutique20! It's become so popular. Have your customers shared why they prefer text messages? 

[DLRosenberg]

We use text marketing weekly- our customers look forward to the announcements and the specials.  

[TheSPAaaht]

I would vey much like to use this feature but it’s limiting in that I can not customize my offer. It is always a “discount” or only a percentage off. Is there a way to offer a value add from my existing services as to offering just a discount on pricing? This is the main reason I have not implemented this feature. 

[QuokkaCoffee]

Hello, @Helen--looking forward to when this feature gets rolled out in AU! Any chance you could point me in the direction of an active beta group/can I help whoever is working on this? Thank you! 🙏🏽

[Helen]

Hello! Sorry for the late reply, I have been on holidays! Let me see what I can find out for you and I'll follow up as soon as I can.

[Stacelyn24]

I've recently started using text message marketing.  We offer those who sign up additional discounts and promotions then over the ones who just sign up for email notifications.  They may receive coupon codes throughout the week which encourages people to book to fill up some openings 🙂

I do like that we can attach pictures now which makes the SMS pop just a little more 🙂