Written by This is a guest post provided by Kristin Savage.
Modern service businesses go digital. They try to use new advanced technologies wherever possible, and they tend to undervalue traditional SMS (text message) marketing.
But the truth is that text messaging remains one of the most effective communication tools. According to statistics, SMS messages have a 98% open rate and generate a 209% higher response rate than phone calls, emails, and messages on Facebook.
If you want to know how text messaging may benefit your service business, read this article. Here you will find ten reasons that will encourage you to start using text messaging as a part of your customer communication strategy.
1. Reach each and every customer
In 2019, every customer has a cell phone, but not every customer can access the mobile internet. Statistics say that there are 5 billion cell phone users in the world, who can send and receive SMS messages. And there are only 2.18 billion users, who can exchange text messages via mobile apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
So if you are not sure whether all of your customers use Facebook and WhatsApp on a regular basis, it’s better to send messages via SMS. It will help you to stay connected with each and every customer.
2. Reach customers instantly
According to statistics, 90% of SMS messages get read within 3 minutes of delivery, while most emails get read within an hour. So if you need to let your customer know you’re running late, or provide any other urgent information, you should send a text message.
According to the Global Mobile Consumer Survey from Deloitte, Americans check their smartphones an average of 52 times a day. And as you know, notification of unread text messages is the first thing that the user sees, when checking his phone. This is a reason why text messaging one of the simplest, yet the most effective way to keep your customers up-to-date on the status of their order.
3. Avoid being flagged as spam
Another interesting fact is that only 10% of SMS marketing messages are considered spam. It’s a low rate in comparison to emails, where every second letter is seen as spam. You should take it into account when building your customer communication strategy.
Modern customers receive dozens of emails daily but read just a few of them. They have too busy lives to check every letter. For this reason, they delete all marketing emails that look like spam.
Marie Fincher, a writer for Studicus and TrustMyPaper, says: “If you use email marketing, but do not achieve expected results, it’s time to change your strategy. Try to send text messages instead of emails to grow your service business.”
4. Protect customer privacy
Another reason why people do not like to open email is because they have concerns about data privacy and security. Customers are aware that companies and third parties can collect and use their personal data for multiple purposes. And they know that companies track their every action once an email is open.
To protect their data, customers avoid reading emails from unknown senders, and they also do not open emails that seem to be spam.
What about text messages? Customers don’t have as much concern about the security of this communication channel. They open almost every SMS they receive and do it without hesitation. This is why text messaging works for a service business.
5. Save money
If you own a small cleaning or plumbing company, chances are you have a low marketing budget. To keep your service business in a good place, you should use the most affordable marketing technique.
Text messaging is one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise the business and provide customer support. The cost of one SMS sent is much lower than the cost of email or call. There are also text messaging services that you can use for free or for a low price.
6. Be one step ahead of the competition
How many of your competitors use email marketing? How many companies provide similar services to you try to reach customers by phone? Almost every service business does it.
Now think about how many of your competitors use text messaging? Chances are it’s only one or two, and maybe even none. This means that if you start using text messaging, your business will be able to stand out from the crowd. Your customers will likely recognize you for your responsiveness.
7. Be accessible to your customers
According to 2019 State of Texting Report, more than 50% of consumers have tried to reply to a missed call via text. But, unfortunately, for companies that are not text-enabled, which means those texts remain unreceived. Companies lose an opportunity to continue communication and convince customers to make a purchase.
It’s highly likely that your customers also send you dozens of text messages every day. To be able to receive these, you should incorporate text messaging in your marketing mix.
8. How to use text messaging?
Now let’s talk about how to use text messaging to benefit your company. There are a few rules you should follow to achieve the best results.
First provide customers only with relevant, valuable information. Don’t send useless text messages because they will irritate the recipients.
- Keep sentences short and concise. Exclude unnecessary words.
- Send marketing SMS during office hours only. Don’t disturb your customers early in the morning or late at night.
- Proofread every text message. Be attentive because a typo or spelling error may ruin everything.
- Send marketing SMS not more often than twice a week.
- Don’t make your text messages look spammy.
- Do not use slang words, technical terms, internet acronyms, and shortened words. Use only those words that every customer can understand.
- If you can, personalize your text messages with the customer’s name.
In conclusion
Text managing may benefit your service company in many ways. It may help you to build strong customer relations, boost sales, and keep your business growing constantly. Don’t waste any more your time. Consider adding text messaging in your communication and marketing plans.
Kristin Savage has devoted her whole life to writing. She finished a master’s degree in Creative Writing, and now she is a writer for WowGrade and editor for BestEssay.Education. Currently, she is pursuing a degree in Communication and Public Relations. Apart from work and studying, she enjoys reading, hiking, and parasailing. You can find her on Facebook.
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Last modified: September 24, 2019
