My phone rings, it’s my Millennial son calling me! My heart starts to palpitate. I start to sweat. I answer with trembling fingers and say, “what happened,” “are you OK,” “did you have an accident.” He replies, “No Dad, just wanted to talk and see how you’re doing.” My jaw dropped…amazing.
Texting has definitely turned into a primary method of communication while phone calls are becoming more and more rare and email inboxes are overloaded and unopened. For your business, it’s become an unparalleled opportunity to engage your customers on a very personal level and place your brand literally in the palm of their hand.
It often takes several touch points to get your customers to take action. You’ve probably left multiple voicemails for people to call you back or sent several emails before someone clicked on a link. You might have to show people ads for services they’ve already viewed for weeks before they act on it, if they do at all. But for the average person, texting is one of the more personal things we do every day. And one of the big benefits of texting is that it places your business on the same level as your customers’ closest friends and family…That’s powerful!
Texting is the ultimate wingman for business. Texting helps your brand be preferred. You want customers to prefer you, or some aspect of your business, over your competitors. It meets people where they are with what they want and directs them to you. To stand out, you must be different. If you’re the same as everyone else, there’s no reason for customers to choose you! There are plenty of ways to differentiate yourself. You can offer somewhat different services. You can market differently, or brand yourself differently. Maybe you want to create an entirely different experience for customers! One simple way to stand out from your competitors is to communicate differently. 2-way text conversations between customers and your business will help you stand out from your competitors. Texting for business is something different that can give you the edge.
Mobile usage isn’t limited to one generation, or to one purpose, for that matter. Mobile has created a massive cultural shift! Maybe you think, “Well, a lot of businesses work with older demographics, so it doesn’t really apply there.” That’s just not true. Texting’s the most common way for anyone under 50 to communicate, but even 80% of seniors own a smart phone! And they spend more than 42 hours a month on apps alone. So, how’s your business responding?
As my friend Jason Loeb of Sudsies in Miami always touts, “We’re in the people business not dry cleaning.” Businesses build brand loyalty today not by providing the best product, but by offering the best experience. Offer me a better experience than your competitor, and I’ll buy from you. Texting is the most efficient way to give your customers the experience they demand. No one has to worry about waiting on hold or wonder if an email was received. Texting is quick and convenient – just what consumers want.
Statistics have shown that 98% of all text messages are opened, and 95% of text messages are opened and responded to within 3 minutes of being delivered. These figures speak for themselves, especially in comparison to emails, which only have a 20% open rate.
Think about it this way – Did you send or receive a text message today? In most cases, the answer is probably yes. And no, I’m no mind reader, I just know like 98% of adults in the US, you have access to mobile device with text messaging services. This just shows the widespread adoption of mobile technologies.
Today’s customers are both as smart and cynical as ever, having the availability of world-wide information at their fingertips. Therefore, communicating to them correctly is pivotal for any good business to thrive.
With the rise of social media, instant messaging, chatbots and email marketing, it’s easy to overlook text messaging as a powerful form of communication for businesses in 2020.
It has also been reported by eWEEK, customers are 64% more likely to perceive a business in a positive light when they have directly communicated with them. What you’re probably thinking now is, aren’t phone calls the best, most personal way to communicate with customers one-on-one? To put it quite frankly, phone calls are becoming a thing of the past when it comes to business to consumer communication. According to polling, if given the option between the two, over 50% of consumers would prefer text messaging for customer support rather than phone calls. What’s more is that US consumers are 5 times more likely to send and receive text messages than phone calls.
Most of the software vendors in our industry provide you with the basic tools to let your customers know their order is complete and ready for pickup. Want to text birthday wishes, maybe send a picture, video, animated GIF some vendors offer MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) in addition to standard SMS.
Want to remind your Route customers the night before their scheduled delivery day to put out their bag? Or perhaps to inform your route driver to skip a stop tomorrow. There are a few software vendors with this capability. Want to send digital wishes to all your customers celebrating birthdays next month, send that Fall comforter promotion or remind customers of orders they haven’t picked up?
Text messaging has become a go-to strategy for many businesses who understand that consumer preferences have changed drastically over the last few years. The ways businesses are using text messaging to deliver content and promotions are beginning to solidify, but there are always new opportunities out there for imaginative companies.
Don’t be afraid to get creative as you engage your contacts. Give your customers an amazing experience.
