Ten ways to improve personalization and the customer journey by incorporating texting into all of your client interactions.
When most business owners consider texting, they envision bulk messages for promotions, automatic delivery updates, and perhaps automated birthday greetings. Incorporating personalised messages into your marketing strategy will yield even greater results than sending out mass messages. Texting allows you to communicate directly with your customers. As an added bonus, you can benefit from text messaging's up to 99 percent open rate. In this article, we will discuss nine different ways that you can use texting to promote your business.
You are aware that reviews are one of the most influential factors for your business. They are the digital equivalent of personal recommendations. Approximately 88 percent of consumers will read reviews prior to making a purchase or using a business's services. And 72 percent of consumers say they have more faith in local businesses with positive reviews. As with survey requests, you will receive a much higher response rate if you send the review request via text message as a personalised request rather than a mass message. To maximise the effectiveness of this texting use case, ensure the messages are direct, clear, and personalised, and include a direct link to the review. You can capitalise on the fact that 45 percent of consumers take the desired action after receiving a text message.
Sending mass promotions via mass text is one thing, but sending personalised promotions via text yields significantly greater results. Personalize the promotion based on what the customer has previously purchased. For instance, a spa salon could text a client on their birthday with information about a special package and discount. The combination of customization and incentive will aid in customer retention.
You likely already offer a contact form or other means of scheduling an appointment on your website, but you can improve the customer experience by adding texting. This provides the same advantages as phone-based appointment scheduling, but with the added convenience of texting. Consider that consumers spend between five and six hours a day on their phones if you're still not convinced of texting's convenience. This exceeds the time spent watching television. Appointment scheduling is simplified through the use of texting. Offer a variety of options and confirm reservations in real time. With immediate confirmation, you maximise your time and the time of your clients. Neither of you is required to await a response.
Every business can benefit from offering and recommending customised products to customers. Unsurprisingly, texting with a personal touch will yield the best results. Yes, sending a mass text message to your subscribers informing them of a new product or section on your website will result in some conversions. However, you will obtain much better results if you customise it. Assume, for instance, that your company provides a service and that, while providing it, you observe that the client could benefit from another service your company provides. Send them a text message mentioning that you've observed this to gauge their interest.
You are aware that collecting feedback is essential for enhancing your business, but mass emails are insufficient. People are less likely to respond because it appears that no one will even read their feedback when they receive mass messages. A better solution is to solicit feedback via text message throughout the customer journey. Texting allows you to make it clear that the feedback request is coming from a real person, thereby increasing the response rate. Customers are much more likely to tell you what they like, dislike, and what you should change. All of this will be a natural part of a text conversation. Text makes it easy to respond immediately to customer feedback, which your customers will appreciate.
Customers enjoy using Webchat to receive answers to their inquiries. However, individuals cannot always remain at their computers indefinitely. Permit them to transfer the conversation to a mobile device if they must leave. Or, if they prefer text over Webchat, they can simply switch to text-only communication. With the proper technology, this transition is seamless, allowing you to easily connect with prospects on the go.
Consider referral requests an extension of review and feedback requests. Another thing you should always request via text for the best results is this. Asking in a one-on-one setting personalises the discussion. When a real person requests a referral, clients are more likely to provide one. Even better, don't just ask for a referral. Offer them something in return, such as a discount or sale. Yes, you could request a referral via email as a follow-up, but only 20% of emails are opened. As previously stated, the open rate for text messages is significantly higher. This alone will increase your referral ability.
Inform customers that you have received their order and are preparing it. In addition, instruct them to contact you if they have any questions. This also facilitates communication in the event that you need to send them updates or they need to send you additional information.
Text prospective clients direct links to your products. You can even offer text-based payment options. You can also capitalise on the fact that fifty percent of consumers will complete a purchase after receiving a branded text.
It's likely that you've already considered using text messages for automated delivery updates, but it can do much more. Use text instead of these automated messages to allow your customers to communicate with the actual person who will be delivering the product. As with the vast majority of the other use cases on this list, human interaction will enhance the customer experience. Text messages from delivery drivers add more than just a personalised touch. Customers are also more likely to believe it because it was written by a human instead of an automated system. This use case is particularly important if you need to provide an update to the customer, such as informing them that the delivery will be ten minutes late. As long as they are informed of the delay, you will likely not observe a decline in customer satisfaction.
Texting should not be limited to general customer service inquiries and mass communications. Texting should be incorporated into all client interactions to enhance personalization and the customer journey. You will see an increase in customer experience, customer loyalty, and conversions.
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