Texting Abbreviations: How Influencers Can Use Them
People love to use texting abbreviations and acronyms when communicating by text message. The practice has become so widespread that schools must correct students to discontinue their use when writing formally.
Corporate offices also deal with the same issue and encourage limited usage of popular acronyms like LOL (Laugh Out Loud) in business communications.
We owe this new style of writing to the development and widespread adaptation of SMS texting, which today is the preferred method of communication for most people.
When formal writing isn’t necessary, texting abbreviations are a great way to communicate with friends, family, businesses, and customers.
What are texting abbreviations?
Text abbreviations are short acronyms for frequently used sayings or phrases. SMH (Shaking My Head), TBH (To Be Honest), LMK (Let Me Know), and IDK (I Don’t Know) are some examples.
One of the best features of texting is its ability to communicate significant points quickly and efficiently. For instance, when you talk with someone in person or over the phone, there is often a lot of pleasantries and fluff woven into the communication.
Even though both parties may know the purpose of the conversation ahead of time, the significant points of the discussion often take a back seat to the common courtesy built into it.
Texting, however, bypasses much of the fluff, gets straight to the point, and in fewer words.
What are the best abbreviation practices for texting?
If you need to confirm a meeting with a client, you can either email, text, or call them. In both the email and the call, you will need to add some conversational fluff to the conversation before asking for confirmation.
However, if you send a text instead, ask in just a few short words to confirm the meeting. Save the fluff for when you connect verbally or in person. Add texting abbreviations, and the conversation becomes even more efficient and direct.
Even when texting, it is crucial not to overuse texting abbreviations as they can come across as immature or lazy when misused or used in abundance.
For example, suppose an entire message consists of acronyms, lingo, and emoticons in a business or marketing text. In that case, the recipient may feel you are immature, lazy, or unprofessional.
The lesson here is that texting abbreviations can be too much. Strike a good balance.
How do texting abbreviations help in influencer marketing?
Social media has given way to a relatively new profession — the influencer. Influencers generate income by building their social media followers, gaining influence, and then promoting products for customers on their social media touchpoints to their followers.
Like any business, influencers benefit from a well-thought-out marketing strategy that leverages technology and popularity to build brand loyalty. SMS marketing and business texting are one way to stand out as an influencer and gain increased product sponsors and revenues.
Texting abbreviations help influencers with their marketing because, in sales, it’s imperative to speak the same language as your customers. Common ground is a great place for connection.
Ask questions. “What do you like that I like?” or “Where have you been that I’ve been?” are designed to find a general connection.
The reason for this is simple. These questions help to build rapport, comfort, and trust between you and your audience.
However, be careful not to overdo it. Don’t assume your audience knows what your acronym or text abbreviation means.
Reducing any phrase or common saying to an acronym is easy, but it doesn’t mean that your followers will understand. And even more tricky is that sometimes one acronym is used as an abbreviation for multiple phrases.
When should influencers use texting abbreviations?
Influencers become influencers because of their popularity and uniqueness. Like with any business, success is dependent upon your understanding of your target audience. In other words, know your followers.
Chances are you know them well because they and you likely share many of the same traits as your audience, or you wouldn’t be an influencer.
Therefore, when using an SMS affiliate program to market brands and products, using texting abbreviations is totally fine, so long as it isn’t overdone.
Another good idea to set yourself apart from the competition is to create simple and professional texting signatures. This helps foster your uniqueness. We don’t think this will be too hard for you because you wouldn’t be an influencer if you weren’t standing out from the crowd.
What are common texting abbreviations?
Now that we’ve talked about how and why to use texting abbreviations, let’s look at some of the most commonly used ones.
Remember to keep your followers in mind. They want and need you to communicate clearly, in your own way of course!
IG
IG is short for Instagram. Instagram is perhaps responsible for the rise of influencers more than any other social media platform. Since its creation, rival social media apps like Snapchat and TikTok have given it a run for its money, but still, IG remains on top.
It’s a solid place for influencers to promote and market brands and products.
FTW
FTW is a texting abbreviation that means “for the win.” Commonly used as an attribute or internet cheer to express enthusiasm over an accomplishment, new partnership, or milestone. FTW is a great way to express happiness and gratification to your audience.
Your excitement is contagious, and there’s nothing better than being Patient Zero with the happiness virus.
TYSM/THX
TYSM (thank you so much) and THX (thanks) are commonly used texting abbreviations expressing gratitude to followers, friends, sponsors, and family members.
As an influencer, you owe your professional existence to the loyalty of your fans and followers. Therefore, sending a TYSM or THX in an SMS text message is a great way to remind them that you appreciate their role in your success.
ILY
ILY (I love you) is one of the oldest and longest-used acronyms on this list. The abbreviation is so popular that it is also sometimes used as a numerical acronym (143), where each number correlates to the number of letters in each word.
Love is a powerful word you shouldn’t use lightly — if you send ILY to your followers, make sure you mean it.
HMU
HMY (hit me up) is slang for giving me a call or connecting with me. Its uses can mean a multitude of different things. In a text message, you may want your followers to connect with you on your various social media accounts.
For example, sending a text with the message “HMU on Twitter” will direct customers to your Twitter. You can also use these sorts of messages on and for other platforms, where customers can purchase products you promote, which leads to increased revenues for your influencer business.
YOLO
YOLO, short for “you only live once,” was once one of the most used texting abbreviations. While its popularity has declined recently, it remains a cornerstone text acronym used by people of all ages and backgrounds.
The sentiment behind YOLO is that you should live your best life every day because you only get to live once.
Other popular abbreviations and text slang to know
- AFK: Away from keyboard
- AFAIK: As far as I know
- ASAP: As soon as possible
- BFF: Best friends forever
- BRB: Be right back
- BTW: By the way
- CYA: See you
- DIY: Do it yourself
- EOD: End of day
- FWIW: For what it’s worth
- FYI: For your information
- ICYMI: In case you missed it
- IDC: I don’t care
- IMHO: In my humble opinion
- IMO: In my opinion
- IMY: I miss you
- IIRC: If I remember correctly
- IRL: In real life
- MSG: Message
- NBD: No big deal
- NP: No problem
- NVM: Nevermind
- OMW: On my way
- PLS (PLZ): Please
- PPL: People
- ROFL: Rolling on the floor laughing
- SO: Significant other
- TIA: Thanks in advance
- TBA: To be announced
- TMI: Too much information
- TTYL: Talk to you later
- XOXO: Hugs and kisses
How can an influencer better leverage texting?
As an influencer, you operate your brand like a business because it is a business. Even though you post videos wearing or promoting products from other brands, you are a marketing agency for those brands.
To gain more clients, sustainable growth and sales is essential. SMS texting with an online platform such as TextSanity is one way to stand out among the competition and leverage your social skills for success.
Text Marketing Campaigns
Mass text message, or broadcast campaigns, send out one message to your entire audience or a selected audience, whichever you choose.
Unlike group text messages, broadcast campaigns send individual messages to each contact, who then replies only and directly with you rather than the entire group.
Drip campaigns are also helpful as you can set them up to send text messages on a regular basis after a contact has opted-in. They are designed to encourage engagement and direct customers to where you want them to go.
Keyword campaigns, unlike broadcast or drip campaigns, are the first step for followers to begin interacting with you via text message. They are the main way to opt-in followers as contacts on your text marketing list. Without followers on your text marketing list, there’s no one to send broadcasts or drip campaigns to.
Integrations
TextSanity also offers integrations with WordPress and an API for SMS marketing and data collection. The TextSanity WordPress plugin connects your TextSanity account and your website. Essentially it automatically transfers customer-imputed data such as a phone number to your TextSanity account to start a conversation with followers individually.
The bottom line
Being an influencer is remarkable and one of the newest professions in the world. You are one of the very first ever to do it in a digital capacity. How incredible is that?
We want you to be successful, which means staying competitive and leveraging the power of SMS marketing and text messaging to supplement your social media accounts and platforms.
Connect with us today to discover how our online texting platform can help you meet your goals. It’s easy to get your SMS marketing strategy up and running today!
