As technology spreads rapidly, businesses need to know how to connect with audiences and customers with the best available channels, and at the same time, business owners need to understand the audience’s way of connecting with the brands. Generally, communication is done through messaging in any part of the world as text messaging is much easier and delivers instantly. As technology started to spread widely more and more communication channels started to rise. But SMS messaging is the best and smart marketing tool that is being used to date and has spread its wings all over the world.
Knowing SMS messaging is not enough for business owners to know how to interact with customers with the help of SMS. Here are a few tips to know some of the best practices for customer communication using SMS.
Permission:
Whenever you are trying to start a conversation or trying to interact with customers to promote your business make sure to get the audience’s permission. This is important because audiences are more cautious about their privacy and one should not disturb their privacy without their consent. With the help of SMS messaging audiences’, permission can be taken to send messages about the business. This can be done by sending signup messages with exclusive offer prices, and discounts.
Clear and transparent:
Transparency is very important for a business. SMS messaging has a character limit of 160 words so try to be clear and concise with the customers. Attracting customers is required for a business and this can be done by sending short and clear content messages.
Make use of emojis:
Emojis are expressions of the sender. These are real and add some value to the messages. Adding emojis gives unique content to a customer who feels this is real. People are more attracted to pictures rather than written messages. So adding emojis makes the conversation fun and builds interaction with customers.
Templated messages:
Try to take advantage of templated messages. Many SMS gateway providers have templates and these can be used without working extra on creating attractive messages. There is much different software that develops SMS marketing and with these templates, messages can be sent which are faster and more efficient.
Surveys and feedback forms:
These help businesses communicate with customers and get to know their choices and preferences. With the help of text messaging a business can send surveys to the audience to know their opinions, choices, and needs. These survey responses help business owners to develop their businesses according to customer needs.
Personalized messages:
Businesses should try to be friendly with their customers. This builds interaction with the customers. Send personalized text messages to the customers to make them feel special and very personal to the business. Innovative and creative messages which are very personal to the customers. Try to nurture personal connections.
Be mindful of frequency:
SMS is a communication channel to communicate with customers. But customers should not be spammed with messages. Try to maintain a frequency of messages by sending messages per week or occasional messages only.
Right message to the right people:
Texting is all about communicating value to the customers. Send clear messages by adding the right message to the right people. The messages should add more customers rather than unsubscribing or disconnecting from the brand. Interact with the customers by using good content.
Add curiosity:
Customers should always be curious to open the messages and should have an opinion as to what’s in it for them. Use SMS messages to promote your business with curious content that always benefits the customers. Add benefits in a message as exciting offers or discounts. This makes the customer choose your business rather than your competitors.
Define your objectives:
Setting up a goal doesn’t complete the process. You have to define your objectives and abide by them. These should be achieved along the way to reach the aim. The objectives should be more specific, relevant, timely, and measurable. The objectives are part of setting up a business and one should assign objectives to act strongly in running the business.
Short and sweet:
Adding simplicity gives more attention to the business. SMS or short service messaging is all about sending short messages that deliver only the content that has to reach the customers. So make the text messages short and sweet. Adding lengthy messages leads to unsubscribing the business.
Call to Action:
Customers do have queries about their purchases or products. Add a call to action button that offers an immediate call to the customers and they can solve their doubts or problems with just one call only. This builds personal engagement with the customers.
Use text to be responsible:
Texting is sending and receiving messages or communicating between two people. Messages should be in such a way that customers should respond to them rather than leave them without reading them. Try to grab customers’ attention and make the messages accessible to everyone.
Account alerts:
Using SMS sending software automated messages can be sent to the customers. There are some messages such as OTPs, and login authentications. Send automated SMS alerts to receive immediate account confirmations or signup notifications. This type of software is of great help to businesses as SMS-sending soft software has many unique features such as automated alert messages.
Updates and Reminders:
Customer communication can be improved with SMS by sending reminder messages or order updates to the customers. Many people tend to forget their daily activities and when it comes to their purchases or appointments text messages can be sent to remind them of their appointments or order updates, and package tracking updates.
Conclusion:
These are the major fundamentals to be taken care of to master SMS customer engagement. Customers are the biggest tool for any business and to grow the business, the brands should comfort the customer accordingly. SMS helps to boost customer retention and builds customer engagement with the brand.
