5 top tips that’ll have you communicating like a pro

Getting the most out of business SMS 

1. Less is more

We all spend too much time cleaning our inboxes and removing spam emails as it is. With a flood of emails, it can also be tricky to distinguish between the useful and the downright useless.

SMS is a person-focused channel, which makes most businesses think twice before sending a flurry of messages. Send the right message at the right time – and the one’s consumers appreciate receiving – think about exclusive offers, order confirmations, back-in-stock alerts and appointment reminders.

2. Short is best

Not only does a large proportion of the population own a mobile phone, but the majority of consumers keep them close at hand at all times. As we are all busy multi-tasking and you have just 160 plain text characters to play with, it’s important that messages are concise and engaging.

3. Make it relevant

Text marketing is opt-in only. This means that your customers are already interested in what you do and want to receive your messages. This gives you a winning edge as it’s easier to create targeted messages based on the behaviour and demographics of your audience.

Adding personalisation to your message, allows you to tune into customers, and reduces the likelihood that they’ll view your message as spam.

4. Get interactive

Text messages aren’t just one-way. Your mobile customers want to be able to contact you in the same way too.

There are several types of interactive options that range from landing pages and surveys to questionnaires, and polls. With the right bulk SMS platform, this needn’t be an administrative headache and you can easily manage responses.

SMS is also an important customer service channel. It allows your customers to reach out to you even when they’re on the go. They don’t need to wait on hold or worry about a chat timing out if they don’t reply within a certain amount of time.

The beauty of a channel like SMS is that your customers can reply when it suits them and still receive a personal and conversational experience.

5. Be helpful and informative

The non-intrusive and convenient nature of SMS makes this channel ideal for sending quick notifications – for example, appointment reminders, delivery updates and weather alerts. This can benefit both your customers and your business.

Appointment reminders, for instance, can do more than remind your patients/customers about upcoming booking. You can also provide options to reschedule appointments, which can help reduce no-shows.

And finally, don’t forget about other useful kinds of SMS notifications, such as emergency or public order alerts, helpful seasonal tips from your car mechanic, or healthcare suggestions from GPs that can bolster both customer engagement levels and ongoing loyalty.