Retailers Build Better Customer Engagement With Text Messaging

The most popular way is text messaging. In fact, 90% of customers say they prefer text messaging for business communications. 

That most likely involves your retail operation

Text messaging may be useful for retail in a variety of ways. It is not only probably the preferred way of contact for your clients, but it is also a quick, dependable, and loyalty-boosting route. Consider the following as more evidence: SMS is already used by 50% of the top 1,000 internet businesses to engage with their consumers. So why not do it? 

Here are a few strategies shops may use to their advantage when using text messaging:

To attract new clients

Getting in touch with potential clients is the first step in attracting their attention. Using a form of communication that they’ll really read is one of the finest methods to do this for a retail firm.

This gives text messaging a clear edge over email and other marketing methods. Emails are only read 20% of the time compared to texts, which are 98% read. Texting clients implies improving the likelihood that your message will be read and attempting to maintain the highest level of engagement.

Compared to email, which has a conversion rate of less than 4%, SMS marketing has a conversion rate of 14%. SMS marketing often converts better than web ads do. Google advertisements often convert at a rate of 3%, but Facebook ads typically convert at a rate of 10%.

What does it entail for you, then? A retail company that texts its audience is more likely to succeed in gaining their patronage. 

Of course, you’ll first need your audience to choose to receive your text messaging. There are several efficient methods to accomplish it. 

• One of the finest methods is to give an incentive for opting in via a special offer or promotion. This opens the door for your contact and rewards them with something worthwhile.
• You have three options for promoting your sale: online, through email, and through advertisements. Whichever approach you decide to use, make sure to include a phrase that your audience may text to you when they sign up so that you can track the campaign and automatically.
• Retailers may also encourage customers to join their text message list by offering them the opportunity to opt in and enter their phone number while they are checking out.
• Sending special deals to existing clients may further engage them, which is a terrific technique for businesses trying to engage their current clientele. If you promise them incentives and exclusive offerings in exchange (and keep your word! ), it may work both online and in-person. If you choose to take this course, you are giving the consumer the choice to text you first. You must always send an opt-in message as a follow-up to obtain their express approval. The tone of this message can be conversational, but before you can move the conversation forward, you must have specific consent.

To maintain current clients

By communicating with your clients and preventing them from forgetting about your business, SMS may help you develop customer loyalty. More significantly, though, text messaging gives you a method to thank your clients for their loyalty by sending them special offers and incentives.

Your campaign is more likely to be seen by them and result in repeat business because sending a text message is one of the finest methods to get in touch with clients and has the highest read and response rate.

When your team uses the proper text messaging software, it is possible to respond to client inquiries promptly and effectively. Create a shared inbox so that you may react to text messages from clients who want to know specifics like your hours or if you have a certain item in stock.

text messages from clients

• Customize your text message blasts to make them more distinctive. Use text messaging to reach more people and obtain a higher percentage of interaction, whether you want to promote the most recent bargain or announce your grand opening.
• To improve the experience and make every client feel special, you may use their name and any other personal information you’ve gathered from your SMS programm.
• Text messages are a fantastic tool for motivating clients at every step of the road, from signing up for your SMS notifications to making recurring in-person or online purchases that grow in value over time.
• Targeting the proper audience through personalization, time-sensitive incentives, and compelling calls to action is the key to effective SMS marketing. Retailers who successfully complete all of those tasks may raise their conversion rate to 23%.

To oversee Internal processes

Texting is useful for more than simply sales and marketing. With the appropriate text messaging software, it may also be a fantastic organizing tool in the background. Text messaging might be a retailer’s greatest friend when it comes to scheduling appointments and managing shift employees.

Perhaps your team occasionally needs help remembering when their shifts are, or you’re having trouble at work with no-shows. You may quickly and simply remind staff when their shifts are without forgetting anyone by using text message.

Text messaging contributes to the improvement of the speed and directness of the scheduling process in contrast to email. Which can frequently go unread, and phone conversations. Which are ignored and result in much more time on the phone for you or your shift manager.

It gets rid of the frustrations brought on by inadequate communication. Additionally, it allows your staff a quick and simple option to get in touch with you if they have inquiries regarding their shift or job.

Getting the point 

To actively engage with their customers, retailers may start using SMS, or text messaging, into their communications and engagement initiatives. 

These are customers who, in order to get the best possible business outcomes, instinctively resort to the text messages on their smartphone. After all, everyone is asking for it. 

Let’s concentrate more on the “why” before delving into the “how.” Can that many stores truly be missing the market when mobile is so pervasive? 

Let’s examine the statistics. 

The results of Internet Retailer’s industry study showed that SMS was one of the least-used ways of communication merchants employ to contact their customers, despite 83 percent of SMS messages being opened within 90 seconds.

Despite the fact that 83 percent of SMS messages are opened in under 90 seconds, according to Internet Retailer’s industry survey, SMS is still one of the least-used methods of communication retailers use to connect with their customers. This is true even though a few major global brands rely on SMS to connect with their target market and even though 80 percent of customers say they receive text messages from businesses they do business with. 

In this regard, the best-kept secret of those businesses are the performance measures of SMS, such as its high ROI.

However, according to the same poll, merchants claim a genuine interest in attempting novel and creative strategies to increase sales. And more than half of them, or 69 percent, said they would be forced to try SMS gateway in particular if they had the chance to increase sales or enhance customer service. 

These kinds of polls should be sufficient to persuade in this situation. Such obvious figures cannot be disregarded by a numbers-driven industry.

By incorporating SMS into their current workflows and communication strategies. Retailers may roll out a variety of effective SMS use cases throughout their enterprises.