It comes as no surprise that email campaigns are becoming less and less effective. Most inboxes filter promotions into a separate folder. That means targeted customers often don’t even see the subject lines of the emails you send them, which ultimately results in wasted marketing efforts.
But fret not!
An increasing amount of customers actually prefer to receive text messages from businesses because they are quick and to-the-point.
Businesses should consider this communication channel more seriously because, as mentioned above, their email marketing may no longer be as effective. Only 20% of emails are opened as consumers ignore most retail emails due to inbox overload and the irrelevance of the product recommendations. In comparison, a whopping 98% of all text messages are opened.
If you’ve decided to use business text messaging as a more effective way to connect with your customers, here are 3 business strategies you can implement to convert prospects, upsell post-conversion, and, most importantly, retain your customers.There are tons of great text messaging examples, but let’s run through a few strategies first!
Converting Prospects
To increase your conversion rate, sending CTAs that are time-sensitive will create a sense of urgency and compel your prospects to take immediate action. This way, in-store sales, promotions, and discounts will more likely to be claimed.
Types of texts you can send include:
Flash Sales: these typically last 24hours and create the most urgency for prospects to make a move. This is great for a quick boost in sales or service bookings if you’re slightly shy of your target.
Example:
FLASH SALE: Check-out your cart within the next 24h for an extra 20% off your entire order! [link]
Discounts and Promotions: these campaigns can run for around a week and give customers more time to claim the offer—especially for those that need to be claimed in-store. You can send a QR code after they respond to the text so that they can immediately scan their offer upon arrival.
Example:
Buy 1 Get 1 Free for any boba tea from Nov 1-7. Reply ‘BOBA’ for the QR code.
Product Launch
Keep your mailing list subscribers up-to-date with your brand’s newest items by sending them an exclusive invitation to try new products in-store or browse them online. You can also entice them to make a purchase with a pre-launch offer.
Example:
Psst! We’ve got something new and we want you to see it first! RSVP with ‘NEWNEW’ to get on the guestlist. [link]
Post-Conversion Upselling
The best time to upsell is right after your prospect converts and takes action (i.e. clicks through to the link and adds items to their cart). Your customer already has the intention to make a purchase, so giving them a few prompts can lead to a higher sales volume. Types of post-conversion upselling texts you can send are:
Abandoned Cart Reminder: sometimes your customers start browsing but get distracted and forget to follow through with the purchase. Reminding them of their cart and offering an extra discount can bring them back to complete their transaction.
Example:
Your cart misses you. Come back and check out within the next 24h and get an extra 10% off! [link]
Post-Check-Out Discount: on top of confirming your customer’s order via text, you can also encourage your customers to return by including a discount code for their next purchase.
Example:
Thank you for ordering with us! Enjoy a 15% discount on your next purchase with the code ‘THANKS’ (expiry 11:59 pm 9/10/19) [link]
Tips and Tricks: add value to your customer’s order by sending follow-up tips and tricks related to their purchased items. You can also suggest complementary products they should consider during their next shopping spree.
Example:
Did you know fertilizing your plants once a month will help them grow more abundantly? Purchase your fertilizer today for an extra 10% off with code ‘PLANTGROWTH’ [link]
Customer Retention
Your customers are one of your company’s most valuable assets, so you should take the time to make them feel appreciated and reward them for their loyalty. Here are some ways you can do so:
Loyalty Promotions and Rewards: set up loyalty promotions to be sent out when certain milestones are reached e.g. membership anniversary, a certain amount of spending, etc.
Example:
It’s already been a year since you’ve been with us! Enjoy this 30% off on your next purchase with the code ‘ANNIVERSARY’ (expiry 11:59 pm 9/10/19) [link]
If you have a loyalty program in place, you can remind your customers to spend their reward before it expires.
Example:
Congrats! You’ve earned $15 off for your next purchase. Spend your reward before it expires 11:59 pm 9/10/19 [link]
Birthday Promotions: make your customers feel special by sending them a personalized birthday text with a gift redemption or discount code. This will encourage them to swing by the store and potentially make more purchases.
Example:
Sandra, it’s your birthday and we want to celebrate with you! Show us this text for a free slice of cake!
Appointment Confirmation: sending appointment confirmations to your clients can increase your show-up rates significantly. It’s easy to forget an appointment, especially if it’s made months ahead. You should also include the option to change the time of their appointment.
Example:
You have an appointment coming up with us on 9/10/19 at 4 pm! Reply ‘YES’ to confirm or ‘REBOOK’ to change the date and we’ll call you back.
With these 3 business strategies for text messaging, you’ll be able to optimize the communication with your customers and increase your conversion rates and sales. If you have a large mailing list, consider subscribing to a text messaging management platform to make scheduling personalized texts less stressful. If you want more ideas on how to write your messages, check out some business text messaging templates to get inspired.
