How to Create the Best Outgoing Customer Text Messages
Personalization
In today’s highly-personalized consumer culture, your clients expect personalization. The good news is that technology makes this effortless. The possibilities are endless. Automation gives you the power to customize promotional messages based on online behavior (for example, having certain products in an online shopping cart) and past purchases. You can also retain details such as customer birthdays.
Personalization comes in many forms, for example, where a customer is in their relationship with your business. For our hospitality clients, we personalize messaging based on what point their guests are at in the stay cycle, from booking to pre-arrival to the stay itself. We even use post-stay messaging to gauge customer satisfaction, distribute important information and encourage repeat business.
Keep it Short
No one likes to receive a long SMS. And, although the message may be important, your customers are so busy that it could spark annoyance. Not to mention that, the longer the message, the less likely its recipients will be to retain important information.
To send effective customer messages, you need to pare down your communication. Pick out the truly important points, and keep it short (Under 160 characters is ideal). We recommend using short links and landing pages whenever possible. For instance, you won’t be able to outline every detail of a promotion in a single SMS. Instead, write an eye catching line that sums it up (i.e. “Happy 4th! Get 80% off all denim this weekend with code JULY4. Learn more here: www.company.com/promo.”). You can also use emojis to your advantage here - after all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Always Offer a Human Transfer
Automation can do it all, and most of your customers actually prefer it (LINK). However, there are some exceptions, like older users, and unusual or unprecedented situations that necessitate human assistance. These people can get frustrated if they can’t connect with a person. With automated messaging, it is important to provide either a phone number or the option to send a message or an email to an agent.
Supplement With Other Channels
SMS isn’t the only way to communicate with customers. Give them the option to use another channel when desired. Increasingly, consumers are using alternate methods like social messaging and voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa. Allowing them to continue the conversation across channels, and switch channels at any time, keeps things consistent for you and your customers. With Ameniti’s AI Platform, you’ll be able to view all conversations in the same place.
Even better, integrate channels (LINK) to maximize customer communication potential. For example, with integrated channels, you can send automated text messages to callers while they’re on the phone with your IVR system (LINK). Certain information, like verification and tracking numbers, is better suited to a message. Rather than have a customer copy this information down, it can be sent automatically as an SMS. It’s this type of convenience that will impress your customers, and keep them coming back to your business.