To stand out from the competition, it is important to create a positive customer experience. Many customers now choose which business to patronize based on emotion rather than solely on price and other logical factors. There are many components that help facilitate the overall customer experience, but SMS marketing is a key tool that helps you to boost your business. If you are unsure how to leverage your texting campaign to create a better experience for your customers, then try one of the following.
Targeted Messages
SMS marketing makes it easy to create targeted messages for your customers based on their demographics, behavior patterns, like and dislikes, and other collected data. When you create personalized messages, it enhances the value of the message for the customer by reducing the number of messages that do not apply to them. If every message contains some value, then the customer will continue to have a positive impression of your texting campaign which, in turn, leads to a positive experience with your company. The right messages work to improve your customers' experience because they appreciate the extra effort that companies put in to send personalized messages.
Provide Customer Service
SMS marketing is not just about sending messages out to your customers; it is also a great channel for receiving messages. By implementing incoming, you can enhance your customer service. A majority of people prefer to use text messaging for customer service inquiries and comments. It is quick and easy, can be done from anywhere. By offering this as part of a multi-channel customer service initiative, you make it easier for people to contact you with any questions or potential problems. This reduces the amount of time it takes to resolve an issue to the satisfaction of the customer, which helps you to retain a positive relationship even when something goes wrong.
Give Them What They Want
Customers like it when businesses provide them with the goods and services for which they ask. With SMS marketing, you can do this, and even take it a step further, to provide them with things they never even knew they needed. It is possible to take the information from your metrics and other market research to create a marketing campaign that better meets the expectations and desires of your customers. You can send out surveys and polls to ensure that you are on the right track with your programs, goods, and services.
Avoid Creating a Negative Experience
Although your SMS marketing campaign has the capacity to improve the customer experience, it does have the capability to create a negative one. One way that it can lead to annoyed or frustrated customers is if you text them when they have not signed up for the program or have already opted out. It is important that you text only those who opt in and that you honor the choice of those who opt out. You should be very clear about the parameters of your program when people sign up. Not only is this important for a positive customer experience, but it is also the law.
Another potential way that your SMS marketing program can go from helpful to harmful is if you text at the wrong time or with too much frequency. You want to be a positive interruption that provides value and occurs at a convenient time for your customers. It is best to not text too early or too late, and avoid rush hour and other times that may be inconvenient for many. If your business serves people in various time zones, make sure that you send the texts out at an appropriate time for each time zone. Don't send messages to your clients too often, as they may get tired of the constant disruption. Aim for texting about two to four times per month.
SMS marketing provides a convenient way to communicate with your customers that also improves their experience of shopping at your location or using your services. You can enhance this experience by always providing something of value. With the enhanced customer experience you provide, you can help to build your brand reputation and increase your business, especially the all-important repeat business.
Contact us to learn more about how a text message program can help to improve your customers' experience.