Marketers looking to connect with customers and prospects have been hitting send on short message service (SMS) for more than a decade now. In nearly all industries, text messaging has become a powerful medium for quick, effective communication, and many marketers lean on texting as reliably as they do email. Yet, when it comes to the content within the texts, more can be done to tailor messages, engage new audiences and make a larger impact. Simply put, many business marketers don’t realize the reach texting has beyond appointment reminders.
Doctor’s offices, banks, hair salons and more are using texts to remind people of appointments to help avoid no-shows. Of course quick appointment confirmations are incredibly valuable, but they are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities text messages provide. For just a few pennies, you can engage customers, from the c-suite to the warehouse. More and more people prefer text messages to emails or phone calls, so take advantage of it.
We have a few suggestions that can make the difference in your bottom line without costing you as much as traditional advertising.
Solicit Feedback
Client feedback is valuable data business leaders can use to make improvements to the products and services they offer. Sending a text message with a link to a survey is a great way to solicit feedback. If the survey results are positive, an automatic follow up text could be sent requesting a Google business review. The positive feedback then becomes public, boosting brand reputation.
Provide Updates
Sending texts to update customers about shipping statuses or to remind them about upcoming renewal dates is customer service at its finest. And, by sending these types of messages via text, the likelihood that the message is both received and read is high, leading to a memorable customer experience.
Boost Brand Awareness
Content marketing initiatives are typically shared on company websites and in company newsletters, but there is no rule that says they cannot be shared through SMS. Businesses can text out links to important blog posts and product updates.
Keep in mind that not all customers will click these links as much as other SMS messages. Analyze results after a content marketing text. Did people click through on the link to a website landing page, or did they unsubscribe? This analysis is incredibly valuable to know if you need to send less often, change the verbiage or split your audience into different texting lists. Just make sure you have permission to send to the recipient with an opt-in process.
Offer Customer Service
Did someone just receive a product in the mail? Did a service provider from your company just leave their home? A text message can be sent to make sure the new product arrived as expected or the service provided met expectations. Make sure to have someone ready to promptly respond to text messages so your customers feel heard. Auto responses should be set for afterhours so they know you received the message and will take action when the office opens in the morning. Positive customer service experiences using text support will bring customers back time and again.
Make an Exclusive Offer
People love to feel like they are receiving a special deal. Use text messages to reward either a select group of or your entire list of subscribers with an exclusive deal available only through text messages. Whether it’s a product discount or coupon code, offering a deal like this can increase the effectiveness of future texts, too, because they’ll remember that sweet deal a previous text provided and will be more likely to open, read and click through future messages. In this way, exclusive offers are a great way to warm up leads that have gone cold over time.
Remember, not all text messages need to have the same goal. Not every text may result in a sale, for example. But texts can be used to build stronger relationships, extend marketing messages that are resonating on other channels, improve engagement and boost brand awareness and loyalty through personalized, timely communication. Never let text messages’ limited characters limit their possibilities for your company.
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