13 TIMES CUSTOMERS SUPER APPRECIATE BEING SENT AN SMS

It’s no secret: businesses can be leery of using SMS messaging to reach customers. Texts can come across as salesy or spammy if not executed properly, so it’s time to drop the advertising speak in these micro messages and provide information your customers appreciate.

Knowing your hot, gooey pizza will arrive in less than 10 minutes is exciting, right? That’s the type of real-time communication your customer craves. Updates. Notifications. Reminders. Crafting helpful and personalized messages makes your customers glad to get an SMS from your business.

Benefits of SMS Messaging

The fastest way to get through to your customers is through SMS messaging. Over 90% of recipients read a text within the first minute. That’s almost an instantaneous delivery and receipt rate, especially when compared to emails, in which the average open rate hovers around 20 percent.

SMS messages don’t get caught in spam filters or lost in overcrowded inboxes, which makes them incredibly reliable. We all can agree we receive fewer texts than emails each day, which makes these short messages easier for users to manage.

Plus, customers trust a personalized real-time messaging approach. Texts feel intimate and targeted to the opener as an individual, which means the words carry more weight and influence.

Text Messages That Get Read

Ding! Each time a text message alert sounds, we reach for our phones with excitement to see who’s thinking of us. Why can’t it be your business? Customers love to see these types of messages pop up in their notifications, and we’ve learned that the following types of messages are among those that perform best.

1. Appointment Reminders: Days are hectic. Make your customers feel on top of their schedule by sending gentle reminders of upcoming visits so they never miss another appointment.

2. Ride Sharing Arrival Notifications: From ride shares, to taxis, to senior citizen bus transportation, letting customers know their ride will be showing up shortly is helpful to your customers and your employees. Don’t leave your customers standing out in the rain and heat, and don’t leave your driver waiting for your customers in the street.

3. Food Delivery Alerts: Keep drivers buzzing along by sending updates on the progress of take-out food and online grocery orders. You can bet customers will be ready and waiting at the door, especially if sweet and sour chicken, a gallon of ice cream or super subs are coming!

4. Billing Update Notifications: So many accounts-due notices flow into inboxes and mailboxes. Make the current or past due notice from your business top-of-mind and easy to find by sending it as a text message.

5. Unusual Activity Alerts: Security breaches are a hot topic and prime concern. Take a cue from the PR department and stay ahead of any issues related to important accounts by talking directly to your customers in real-time. You want to reach them before they see friends chatting about the concern on social media.

6. Tickets Purchased Notifications: Double your customers’ pleasure by sending them a quick thank you and confirmation for tickets purchased to an upcoming event. Earn bonus loyalty by linking to an event page where the buyer can get more details about the upcoming show!

7. Restaurant Reservation Reminders: Your customers’ time is valuable. Send a table confirmation and estimated seating time so your customers don’t have to linger in the lobby until it’s time to eat.

8. Shipping Notifications: Create smiles by letting excited buyers know their online or in-store product purchase has been packaged, shipped and delivered securely to their residence.

9. Travel Alert Updates: We all know boarding gates change, flights get delayed and cancellations are part of travel. Let your customers know ASAP about any travel changes by sending a message to their phone.

10. Awareness Announcements: Keep community members informed of neighborhood, school, or city concerns including inclement weather, safety drills and travel delays.

11. Service Installation Updates: Share a shorter than expected window of time for cable and Internet installation or maintenance appointments.

12. Phone Usage Notifications: Let smartphone subscribers know when they’re reaching monthly allotted data, text, or talk minutes before they rack up overage fees.