In an age where almost everyone has a smartphone, it doesn't make sense not to use this tool to reach your customers. Especially since text messaging is the most used feature on the 400 million cell phones in Canada and the United States, there is no reason not to use this valuable communication tool. Until recently, text messaging was only available to family and friends, but now it's available to businesses, who are increasingly using it to reach their customers. Here are 5 good reasons why you should do the same.
Did you know that only 20% of emails are read compared to 99% of text messages? No wonder your dentist, doctor or hairdresser is now sending you appointment reminders via text message. Not only are text messages read, they are opened in less than 3 minutes on average. 83% of millennials check them in less than 90 seconds! Moral of the story: want to make sure the message gets through? Text!
When you consider that emails are opened 20% of the time and get lost in a jungle of solicitations, using text messaging is very effective in targeting customers. In fact, more and more text messaging marketing campaigns are being created. Customers subscribe to text message mailing lists to join loyalty clubs that allow them to benefit from exclusive promotional offers. Combined with emails to convey more information, these text message advertising efforts bring surprisingly inexpensive results.
While companies can spend astronomical amounts of money to reach their thousands of followers on social networks, a simple call to join a club by text with an irresistible offer helps target their customers more easily. A few automated text questions can segment contacts by interest, so that communications sent to them are targeted specifically to them. What could be more winning than the right message, sent to the right person at the right time?
If, like many companies, your call center is not running smoothly, you may have already implemented online chat to respond to customer requests. This is already a big step in the right direction. However, while online direct messaging brings many benefits, it has its limitations; namely, losing conversations when customers have to leave the website or responding to them automatically with a chatbot.
Imagine if your subscribers to your promotional text offer list had the ability to text questions to your sales and customer service teams at your business number, which would be answered in unparalleled time. Now imagine if they could have real text message conversations with your company representatives. Do you think it would improve the customer experience? No doubt it would, considering that 9 out of 10 consumers would like to be able to reach sales and customer service departments by text!
From now on, customers can not only receive text messages from their favorite companies, but also text them back to their business number. Texting conversations were once reserved for family and friends, but are now available to the business community to deepen their relationship with their customers. What could be more friendly, personal, direct and effective than a good old-fashioned text message with emoticons? Consumers who are able to communicate with their favorite brands in this way feel so privileged that they become fans! Want to expand your fan base? You know what to do!
90% of consumers who join loyalty clubs via text feel they benefit from these programs. And the more they feel they can take advantage of exclusive offers, the more their satisfaction will encourage them to leave 5* reviews of your company. Of course, texting can also be used to make it easier for them to leave a post-purchase review and direct them to your Google review page and your Facebook review page. All of which can be created automatically for you. Isn't that great? What are you waiting for to be part of the new era in communication and marketing for your business? Switch to texting!
