Best practices for SMS texting in business + 10 templates you won't get enough of
2 min
Are you looking to generate leads and gain extra business for your organization? SMS texting could be the way to go.
- To demonstrate the point, here are a few startling statistics on how SMS Business Texting can take companies to new heights.
- 88% of people prefer to receive appointment scheduling texts from businesses
- 77% of people like to use text messages to access customer service
- 70% of people say texting is the fastest way to reach them
- 67% of businesses have recently started texting to get faster responses.
Originally, texting was used as a way for friends and family to communicate without the need for a long and drawn-out conversation. Still today, SMS texts are typically used for short and precise instructions that can be read on the go. They contain little emotional impact and avoid long elaborate sentences.
More recently, SMS texts have been used by doctors and dentists to confirm appointments, a practice that has now become commonplace. They serve as good reminders for patients to attend appointments ahead of time. SMS texts have evolved to where we are today with businesses sending out real-time information on the latest products, details of discounted deals straight to your phone, and other marketing messages that can be consumed at leisure without having to answer phone calls.
SMS texts are immediate and simple to read, with direct messages that are to the point. That’s why businesses are eager to use SMS texting as a way to increase brand awareness and communicate directly with their customer base.
How to improve your business SMS texting
1. Be concise, be relevant, be on time, and be believable.
If you want to successfully implement SMS text marketing and messaging for your business, you need to be disciplined and plan your campaigns ahead of time. Set out a clear strategy on how to keep your text messages short, clear and relevant, so you don’t come across as a spammer.
2. Personalize your SMS messages
Personalizing your messages makes them more appealing than using a generic mass market message. You can also try to make the messages fun and engaging to stand out from your competition.
For example, if you’re introducing your newest product, you can make them “an offer they can’t refuse” (we hope you’re imagining Marlon Brando saying that line!).
Make sure that whatever you’re offering speaks to them personally. Examples could include: wishing them a happy birthday, using their first name, mentioning items that they left in their shopping basket, or including items they have shown interest in previously.
3. Timing is key
Sending an SMS text at midnight or during the early hours when everyone is bed can be a little annoying, especially for people who have forgotten to put their phone on silent! When planning an SMS campaign, timing is key to ensure you get the maximum number of eyes on your key messages.
The majority of people commute to work between the hours of 7.30am and 8.45am and return between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. It’s a good idea to send out your messages to them before work, or just before they get home. For people who commute on public transport, checking their phones helps them to pass the time, so you’re likely to get more eyes on your message.Weekends may also be a good time to send SMS texts, as customers have more opportunity to check out your business website and services during their leisure time.
Whatever you decide, here’s an amazing statistic on how effective the reach of SMS Text marketing can be:
Over 90% of SMS Text messages are seen and read within 3 minutes of being sent, with a 99% open rate overall. Compare this to typical business email marketing open rates of 21% and you can see how effective SMS texting can be.
4. Don’t be pushy
Once you have decided on your key messages, always make sure to provide an opt-out option so you don’t lose potential customers.
Give clear instructions on how to opt out. You can give the customer the option to stop receiving all communications, or better yet – offer a pause or reduction in the amount of SMS texts they get from your business. Make sure not to retarget people who have already opted out, whatever you do, as this can do some serious damage to your business reputation.
Some other things to avoid are giving too much information and including details of irrelevant products and services. This kind of thing can be super-annoying to some folk. You don’t want lots of angry customers venting their anger on social media and calling you a spammer.
5. Be consistent
SMS Text marketing can be an excellent brand builder, but only if the marketing is consistent and engaging.
Sending out promotional texts at key times of the year, or just after pay day at the end of the month, can reap huge rewards. For instance, key sale events like Black Friday and Valentine's Day can provide big boosts for your brand when done right. Most customers are looking for deals during those key times, so SMS texts can help to win repeat business, as well as attract new customers.
Whatever the reason for sending them a message, always make sure to have a call to action for them to request more information, visit, subscribe, or most importantly – to buy something from you.
6. Do all the texting from Salesforce
If your company uses Salesforce to boost customer experience and build stronger relationships with your customers, you should definitely consider sending SMS messages through Salesforce. SMS messages are a great way to gather insights about your customers' preferences and behaviors, which you can use to improve your marketing efforts and drive sales.
Using Salesforce for sms messaging can be a game-changer for your customer engagement strategy.In conclusion, SMS messaging is a powerful tool for businesses looking to improve their customer experience and drive sales. With a high response rate and a strong preference among consumers, SMS is an effective way to communicate with customers and build stronger relationships.
By integrating SMS messaging into their business strategy, businesses can improve efficiency, reach a wider audience, and gather important insights about their customers' preferences and behaviors.
10 of the best business SMS text templates
Opt In
{business name} would like to keep you informed of your order updates, delivery, future offers, and promotions please text YES to receive this or text NO to opt out.
Opt Out
Thank you so much for your purchase from {business name} - please Text IN to receive order updates and future promotions, discounts and offers, or Text Out if you wish to opt out.
Sale
{business name} is having a flash sale, with {%} OFF {product / service} this {day/month}. Visit {business website} for more details and type {CODE} to receive your discount at checkout.
Reward or offer
Interested in {product}? TEXT {business telephone number} to get {%discount} off your next order – {Business Name} Reply UNSUB to stop getting messages from us.
New website or new business launch
Hi {name of customer}, we’re going mobile! Get your favorite {products} here and the best deals with {% discount off}. Don’t delay, visit our new website www.{companyname}.com/co.uk as the offer is only valid for the next {number} days.
Invitation to get new subscribers
Get on board with our latest offers! Be the first to know about new products from {business name}. Here’s a link to subscribe and become our VIP guest: www.{companyname}.com/co.uk
Scheduling a call with your customers
Informal:
Hi / Hey {customer name}, we’ve noticed that you’re looking at our {services/products}. Can we schedule a call at {call time} to see how we can help?
More formal:
Dear {customer name} would you be free at {call time} to schedule a call to discuss {business service/product}?
After-hours service help
Thanks for getting in touch with {business name}. Sorry, but we’re closed right now. Our business hours are {opening times} and we’ll get back to you asap.
Handover to personal account manager
Hello {customer name}, thanks for joining our family at {business name}. {team member name} will be in touch shortly to help you further, who will be your personal account manager moving forwards.
Redirecting to internal departments.
Dear {customer name}, to help you with this matter, I’m going to redirect this to {internal department name} as they will be best placed to help you out.
