Texting for your business allows you direct access to your customers like never before. You can bring a level of personalization and care that other mediums don’t have. This year, an astonishing $327.1 billion will be allocated for SMS marketing globally. A level of responsiveness is ingrained in people who use text. For example, according to G2, the SMS marketing response rate sits at 45 percent, whereas the email response rate is eight percent. The attention is there, so make the most of your SMS success opportunity.
What are the Business Benefits of Using Texting
It’s incredible to think that 20 years ago, the Toys R Us Holiday Gift Book was the primary way people knew what toys and promotions were planned for the holidays. Now, you can instantly send marketing materials, new product releases, and even appointment reminders to people’s phones. For example, in telehealth, patient satisfaction increased between 77 and 96 percent when messaging was implemented, according to PCMag. You are staying in front of your customers with relevant info that they actually want to receive.
What are the Best Ways to Implement Texting
It’s important to remember that having direct access to someone’s phone is a luxury. In the US, smartphone users hit 251.7 million people, or 77 percent penetration rate, from BankMyCell, meaning investing in SMS success is definitely something to consider. So, before sending messages, you must have a comprehensive plan for each planned outreach. Here, we will discuss some of the best ways to make texting the right move for your business.
1. Flash Sales Alerts
You know what your customers have purchased, so alerting them to similar items on a flash sale could prompt them to buy something new. Be aware of how often you are using this tactic, or you could see people opt out, and your chance at SMS success may be gone.
2. New Product Announcements
Your new product is fantastic, and having access to warm leads from previous customers is a privilege. You get a jump on getting the word out on a new product to get the word-of-mouth momentum.
3. Event Promotions
Getting people to know about live events or sales can be challenging, but texting allows you to cut through social media noise and get in front of your customers before the event happens.
4. Loyalty Program Updates
Most businesses incorporate loyalty programs of some kind. One of the most popular programs out there is the Starbucks Rewards program. They offer incentives for special purchases on specific days, which could be a model for how you can promote loyalty for your brand. Starbucks has amassed over 30 million active users, and their purchases account for about 60 percent of their revenue. Talk about an SMS success story for the ages.
5. Seasonal Campaigns
Businesses often make their mark through promotions or campaigns focused on seasonal changes or school events. Highlighting a local event or counting down to a birthday/anniversary through text marketing is a different way of letting your customers know you care.
6. Order Status Updates
Automatic order updates through SMS are a great way to save time from answering calls or emails and wasting your customers’ time. It might sound harsh, but giving proactive updates gives a sense that you respect people’s time and care about them.
7. Appointment Reminders
If you want to talk about the cherry on top of SMS success, it’s appointment reminders. Having text reminders set up will save time and money from appointments that are mistakenly forgotten. If you have effective reminders set up, you will end up doing more business in less time. Goodbye last-second rescheduling and say hello to services that are completed and paid for.
8. Customer Surveys
Getting valuable feedback about an interaction or satisfaction level can be tricky. Still, with simple text responses, your customer can give you insights more often, giving you better data to work with.
9. Requesting Reviews
Business reviews are so critical, especially for local search engine optimization (SEO), that getting people to take the time to do them can seem like an impossibility. Luckily, with business texting, you could ask or even incentivize through a raffle for reviews. What’s better is that you can remind them three days after the visit instead of just a sign at the front desk, which they may forget about.
10. Support Chat
Depending on your business, you could offer support chat through texting to connect with customers on a more human level. You could use text as Tier 1 and help diagnose an issue, and if they need more assistance, you could direct them to the next best possible steps.
Embrace Your Customers Needs with Business Texting Using RyText
Business texting is here and ready to take your business to new heights. Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with your customers and let them see you and your brand as more than just a place they purchased something from that one time. Contact RyText today to start your SMS success story.
