Text messages are some of the most immediate and effective ways to reach customers. Here, Jeff Winaker, founder and chief executive officer, NorthText—which offers SMS text message marketing for businesses in the U.S. and Canada—shares how to make the most of your text-messaging marketing plans.

1. What are the read rates of SMS, and how does it compare to email?

Email read rates are about 15%, while SMS read rates are almost 98%. Not only are read rates six times higher with SMS, but 90% of messages are read within three minutes. Seventy-five percent of Americans rarely have their phone more than 3 feet from them, and this makes SMS the first choice for marketing—even ahead of social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook—when a business is trying to get a call to action to its clients or customers.

2. What are some features one should look for when shopping for an SMS service?

Remember when Twitter increased its maximum message length from 140 characters to 280? Having more space to convey your message is important. When comparing SMS services, make sure to check what the maximum character length of an allowed message is. Many services will allow you to create a message longer than 160 characters—which is standard SMS length—but will charge you for another message segment after 160 characters. Some innovative services give you longer messages—up to 240 characters, in fact. The user interface should be simple to use, but also allow for two-way communication, attaching images and the ability to forward responses from customers to another phone number or email address. Also, SMS software should make it easy to export text conversations to your POS or CRM system.

3. What else can one do with SMS, other than send plain text?

The fastest-growing marketing tool in cannabis is the use of images within a text message (referred to as multimedia message segment, or MMS). Recipients are 3x more likely to engage with a retailer who uses images in their marketing, instead of just plain text. QR codes, bar codes and links can be sent in a message, along with a branding image, to enhance response rates further for a specific call to action.

4. What are best practices for managing an SMS program?

First, always, always, always include your business’ name, address—and website, where applicable—hours of operation, and phone number. It is essential for consistent branding and clear and effective communication with your customers. Spacing within a message is also very important. The less cluttered the message, the more effective and impactful it will be. Second, monitor your text inbox. People will text you, and you need to text them back to get their business.

5. What sort of technical support should one expect from an SMS software provider?

Ask for live support as part of any agreement for SMS services. Some SMS vendors offer it as part of their included service, some won’t offer it at all without a minimum volume commitment, and for some, it will require negotiation. While SMS marketing software should not be complicated, at some point you will need assistance. The urgency of texting as a method of communicating also leads us to expect immediate customer support.

For more information, visit northtext.com

The vape industry has a responsibility to help customers understand the need to purchase vape products from licensed retailers to ensure safety and quality. Here, Greentank Technologies founder and CEO Dustin Koffler discusses how retailers can increase consumer confidence and provide them with high-quality vape products.

1. How can the cannabis vape industry bring consumers back to the space following last year’s vape scare?

In the U.S., there are no national regulatory bodies that oversee compliance within the cannabis vape sector. The onus is on vape manufacturers and oil producers to not only create safe products that have been through testing, but also to release the test and ingredient lists to the public. In Canada, stricter regulations and higher-quality manufacturing have already proven to be beneficial to consumer safety.

2. What are the disadvantages of purchasing cannabis vape hardware from direct overseas manufacturers?

More often than not, direct overseas manufacturers are more interested in selling you hardware than being your partner. Greentank has complete control over the entire supply chain as a way to guarantee that every material that goes into your hardware exceeds industry standards.

Not all manufacturers prioritize sourcing food-grade stainless-steel, high-caliber glass, and premium ceramic formulations that won’t leach heavy metals into the final product. Only those truly committed to the future of the cannabis marketplace are partners at our table.

3. What is the biggest mistake that cannabis vape manufacturers are making today?

The biggest mistake is relying on outdated technology, and those that are not leading in customization will be left behind. This is because no two concentrate formulations are exactly the same. Manufacturers need to be adapting their hardware to the needs of clients, moving past a one-size-fits-all approach. Our CTO, Pete Duckett, formally chief engineer at Dyson, is leading the way for us here at Greentank. The difference between hardware that performs on an elite level and hardware that leaves customers unsatisfied is all in the details. Adjusting heating elements, heat settings, airflow resistances, intake hole sizes or all of the above delivers a superior experience.

4. Why do a lot of cannabis vape companies utilize ceramics to heat concentrates?

Ceramic technologies provide far superior temperature control than many of the outdated vapes out there built off the back of wick-based e-cigarette technology. Generally speaking, ceramic heating leads to higher-quality vapor and elevated flavor profiles. Greentank is leading the way with several unique proprietary ceramic formulations that set us apart from the competition and deliver unprecedented taste profiles.

5. What does the future of cannabis vape technology look like?

The future of cannabis vape technology is being propelled forward by those taking the lead.

Every day, we strive to do better than yesterday as we uncover the full potential of the industry. Standardized safety measures, more accurate dose-control features and more transparency relating to ingredients and materials are game-changers. That’s why we have a new in-house, state-of-the-art device lab. As we all build toward the future, we identified the need to look at producing technologies that will take the user experience to the next level.

For more information, visit greentanktech.com