In this post, we’ll show you how to use SMS and best practices for SMS communications to boost customer engagement. Learn how a straightforward communication channel can spark several potent customer engagement initiatives.

You are aware, as a business leader, that each client engages with your company on various occasions for their relationship with you. Each of these touchpoints offers an opportunity to interact positively with your customers, engage them in conversation, and advance them to the next stage while enhancing their overall experience.

One of the hardest challenges your business will face is figuring out how to interact with your audience. The secret is to engage with your customers on a genuine level, share the news with them, tell them a story, listen to them, thank and surprise them, and keep them coming back for more.

Before we get started, let’s address a crucial question.

Why use SMS to engage customers?

Due to its widespread use and popularity, SMS messaging has established itself as a potent and effective tool in the customer engagement and marketing strategy of many top companies. Text messaging, which is used frequently by 97% of smartphone users, is without a doubt the most popular feature or app. With an average click-through rate of 35%, SMS messages are over ten times more effective than emails at reaching current and potential clients.

More importantly, SMS is the preferred method of communication for customers. Which means more texting than emailing or calling. 75% of customers want to receive offers via SMS, according to the digital marketing magazine. Customers have more control when they text. Customers who are empowered are more likely to be content, involved, and devoted.

Boost Customer Engagement Using SMS

• Get to know your target audience

Customer engagement goes beyond simply gaining value from your relationships with customers and instead focuses on the value you can provide to them. By gathering information about your customers’ needs, preferences, and purchasing habits, you can help them form an emotional bond with your business. Go above and beyond to truly understand your customers, whether it be through SMS gateway, surveys, or questionnaires.

• Personalize and Target

Customers want to interact with companies that use their data to offer them more personalized shopping experiences. Statistics also show that 73% of consumers according to 73% of consumers. It could be as easy as thanking a customer for a recent purchase, pointing them toward another product they might be interested in, or even reminding them to purchase something they’ve already purchased.

Depending on their recent behavior, you could use segmentation to send them personalized SMS messages. For instance, you could use a customized offer or a discount to entice a customer who hasn’t made a purchase recently.

Additionally, you can make personal discount codes and URLs for their contacts so that whenever a user of the code or link takes action, you can monitor their behavior and suggest the best course of action. For instance, offering related products and using a personal discount code when making a purchase that results in a personalized follow-up thank-you message.

This strategy is effective because it cuts costs on “blanket” marketing campaigns that, at best, have moderate success while also increasing customer loyalty and retention by providing customers with valuable products and services.

• Conduct Polls and Surveys

Use SMS polls to interact with your customers by giving them a forum where they feel free to express their true opinions. Additionally, it communicates to clients that you value their feedback and that your company is here to assist them. Additionally, you can use SMS to integrate Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys to learn what your customers think of your company.

• Remind people of upcoming activities, appointments, or purchases

Use SMS to advertise events so that people receive the news quickly. SMS is perfect for advertising time-sensitive events because of its immediate nature. Additionally, SMS can be used to remind clients of crucial appointments, upcoming purchases, or their shopping carts. It might only take this thoughtful action to prompt your customer to continue interacting with you.

• Offer Tips and Guidance

With this SMS content marketing exercise, you can use customer information to delight them with timely advice and considerate tips that will help you form an emotional connection with them and demonstrate your concern, while also letting the personality of your brand permeate everything you do.

• Update clients on your progress

This one should be obvious. Use SMS to communicate with customers regularly about something that matters to them. When used properly, getting the right information to them at the right time and place can be a very pleasant surprise.

• Add SMS to your outbound marketing and advertising campaigns.

To unlock coupon codes, exclusive deals, and event invitations in response to an offline campaign, having customers text in an “SMS keyword” could increase engagement and lead conversion in an omnichannel environment.

• Send SMS-based targeted marketing offers.

SMS is a potent medium for delivering targeted marketing promotions. You can plan text updates announcing upcoming sales as well as discount codes or vouchers based on customer preferences and purchase history. Given that numerous studies have shown that in-store offers are frequently redeemed, geo-location tools can also be used to send promotions to customers while they are present in a store.

• Boost Customer Service

SMS is a very intimate form of communication, which makes it perfect for customer support. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that 64% of customers, given the option, prefer SMS to voice. SMS allows you to communicate with your customers directly, creating a safe, private environment where they can freely share their opinions and grievances.

In contrast to voice calls, where the recorded conversations are only available to the agents, texting provides the customer with a record of the conversation. Customers will feel more empowered and engaged as a result of this return of power to the consumer.

• Loyalty Clubs for VIPs

People enjoy having an exclusive feeling. Create VIP and loyalty clubs based on customers’ purchasing patterns, preferences, demographics, geographic locations, and other identifying details to increase customer investment and loyalty. Send them messages that make them feel special and appreciated for their loyalty, such as early access to events, exclusive deals, and other messages.

Bonus suggestions to remember!

Combining relevance, timing, and a clear call to action is the key to creating a successful SMS campaign.

• Make your point pertinent:

  A properly implemented customer engagement strategy gives you access to information and insights that genuinely benefit the client. Make sure your SMS communications are clear, understandable, current, and pertinent.

• Timing is Everything:

  When developing your campaign, consider your target audience and how their day is structured to ensure that you are engaging them at the appropriate time. Keep in mind that your clients have given you access to this information, so you must use it wisely and sensibly.

• Make it simple for people to respond to your message:

  One of the main advantages of SMS messaging is the speed of delivery and response. Outline what they can do and how long it will take them in detail. Your clients will respect you for it.