The entertainment industry relies on getting people interested enough to hand over their hard earned money. That’s why in order to generate revenue, those in the industry work so hard to create events that go above and beyond all of the free entertainment out there and look to create real events that will get people in those seats.

To be in the industry you have to have a creative spark, but nowadays you also need to be knowledgeable about technology too. Whether it’s a concert venue, a theater, or a bar or club, traditional methods like billboards or email lists just don't cut it anymore. That's why more and more people in the industry are flocking to text messaging, and they are seeing amazing results. Whether it’s for event promotion or customer engagement, text messaging is the best possible channel to communicate with customers on the go or at home.

Here are a few ways that SMS messaging can be used to cast a wide net and get customers to your events in droves!

1. Harness Your Social Media Following

Jump A Roos, an indoor Family Entertainment Center, used texting and social media announcements to set a record attendance day that topped the previous record admission figures by a whopping 83%. When you run an entertainment company nowadays, you are only as powerful as your social media following. That’s why SMS is so effective at driving traffic to your website or social media pages, as you can display things like Mobile Keywords (short words customers text in to get more information) across social media and on your website, and this allows you to grow your list of contacts so that you can send them better and more targeted promotions in the future.

2. Keep Customers In The Loop With Texting

With SMS messaging you can send your customers updates about any upcoming projects your company is working on. Whether it’s updates about new events, promotions, or signings, SMS is the best way to broadcast information to your customers. The 87th Force Support Squadron (87FSS) uses mass texting and multiple keywords to boost event attendance, and keep their audience informed about events they’re interested in. When you choose an intelligent SMS solution like Trumpia, you can target your customers based on things like their interests or location.

3. Use SMS Marketing to Send Better Promotions

As an entertainment company, you have to be able to offer relevant promotions to your customers in order to draw interest. When you run campaigns like two tickets for the price of one, you can get more customers interested, increasing the likelihood that they buy something. Mobile coupons are redeemed 10x more than paper ones, so you will see a dramatic uptick in sales if you send the right promotions to your customers. New customers can be given a special offer to signup to receive your updates, and then you can leverage these customers and send them information about new sales.

4. Promote New Shows

With text marketing, you can easily send your audience information about upcoming shows and where they can be seen. People are busy, so sending them updates when they are on-the-go is a great way to promote your content and get as many eyes as possible on it when it is live. Plus when you send them updates about shows they are interested in, they are more likely to check out your new ones in the future, a win-win for both you and your customer.

5. Provide Exceptional Customer Service With Text Messaging

In the entertainment industry, customer loyalty is vital to building your brand and boosting your revenue. One of the best ways to do this is to listen to your audience, and to give them the best possible service, quickly. With SMS you can answer questions and address complaints nearly instantly, and your customers will appreciate how available your team is and how quickly you care about their feedback. Whether it’s sending them your venue’s schedule or just giving directions to the venue, SMS is the most effective way to build customer loyalty.

6. Use SMS Messaging to Communicate With Talent

SMS is perfect for talking to customers, but it’s also a valuable way to talk to talent and make sure all of your internal operations are running smoothly. Whether it’s sending schedule updates, managing employee shifts, or just asking for feedback after a show, SMS is the perfect way to make sure everyone is on the same page. You can also do things like filling empty spots on your schedule by texting talent or their management and seeing if they are available to cover for someone who has dropped out. With 90% of texts being seen within 3 minutes of delivery, you’ll be able to quickly fill the spot so you can focus on the show.

7. SMS Surveys Actually Work

Getting feedback about your programs and events is crucial. Don't spend time sending out paper surveys, or wasting money on costly focus groups. Send SMS surveys instead, as they have ten times the response rate of paper ones, and are far more interactive. If you choose a provider like Trumpia, you can send branching automated surveys that can get you feedback from customers in interesting and actionable ways, meaning you have a better idea of what your customers are willing to spend their hard earned money on.

8. Send Info About Upcoming Sales

While you might have a killer event nearly full, selling those last few hundred tickets can be the difference between coming out even or turning a good profit. Jack’s Surfboards used a multi-channel marketing technology to drive a customers to a special event that resulted in $6,000 in sales within just 5 hours. SMS marketing is perfect for sending last minute reminders for ticket sales, as 98% of texts get read. So if you send your customers these promotions that they will actually get seen and are more likely to be redeemed. If you use SMS promotions correctly, you may never have less than a full house ever again!

These are just a few of the ways companies have used text message marketing to boost their sales and improve engagement with customers. No matter what side of the business you are on, integrating text messaging into you communication or text marketing strategies is the most cost effective and engaging way to talk to your customers and increase your company's bottom line.

Are you in the entertainment business and looking to integrate SMS into your marketing strategy? Contact us today to learn more!