Win big with this best SMS support practice

Customer service is crucial for brands, and providing it through as many communication channels as possible is excellent business practice. Because it is convenient and immediate, text messaging, or SMS, is a good medium for customers.

Best SMS support practises

There are a few elements that all great SMS marketing strategies have in common.

The most successful SMS marketing techniques have eleven things in common.

1. Be Consistent With the Number of Texts You Send

When it comes to SMS, one of the most common mistakes organisations do is not sending messages on a regular basis.

Their logic is sound: they don’t want to spam their customers.

Sending too few communications, on the other hand, causes people to forget why they signed up in the first place. When they do hear from you, it will be unexpected and possibly undesired.

Consistent messaging is favourably received by customers. Successful text campaigns follow a constant and regular timetable, just like a solid social media plan.

2. Consider Adding an Element of Exclusivity

It’s worth thinking about what it implies when someone signs up to receive your SMS when determining what kind of texts to send.When a customer signs up for a subscription it is transparent that they might be looking for some benefit by doing so. This should be kept in mind while deciding what kind of text to be sent.

Here’s a hint: they’re allowing you to contact them in the most direct and intimate way possible. As a result, successful campaigns provide value to their subscribers.

You’re giving customers less of a reason to join up if you include the same promotions in your email, Instagram posts, and SMS blasts.

That means avoiding social media or other channels’ rehashed information or offers. Everything you text should be relevant to your SMS list and only be sent to that list.

SMS subscribers demand first dibs on flash sales or promotions, according to our 2020 Text Marketing Report. With that in mind, you might consider giving customers early access to new promotions.

3. Make Sure You’re Responsive

By providing a text messaging service, you’re committed to a communication network that delivers messages immediately; 90% of messages are read within five minutes of delivery.

You may set aside a certain amount of hours each week to observe how you and your team handle it. You can then increase the number of hours you offer. To put it another way, it’s never a good idea to over-commit and risk disappointing your consumers.

4. Incorporate Personalization Into Your Strategy

SMS marketing is unusual in that it combines the convenience of a large marketing campaign with the intimacy of one-on-one communication.

This is something that successful text marketing strategies take advantage of. To send smarter and more relevant SMS to their prized subscribers, they use capabilities like custom fields and segments.

You may further strengthen your campaigns by integrating your existing software with your text marketing efforts utilising our SMS integrations. This allows you to send text notifications about everything from abandoned carts to delivery information.

5. You Need to Obtain Consent

Obtaining specific written agreement is the first and most important stage in any text message marketing campaign. Consent in the SMS world simply means that someone has knowingly accepted to receive promotional texts from your company.

You can get agreement from your subscribers in a few different methods. Keywords are one of the most straightforward means of acquiring consent. Customers can subscribe to future messages by texting a word or phrase to your phone number.

6. Watch the Frequency of Your Texts

While some may advise against texting “too much,” we recommend that you avoid messaging more frequently than your subscribers expect.

As a subscriber, being over-textually bombarded is like looking forward to eating your leftovers from last night only to discover they’ve already been devoured. You’re frustrated because your expectations were crushed (and hungry).

While sending 2-4 SMS every month is recommended, your company may send many texts weekly or even daily.

For example, a church’s SMS marketing plan might send weekly reminders of when their services are held. The most crucial thing is that you tell your subscribers how frequently you will SMS them. Then stick to it.

We make it simple to specify a frequency directly in your autoresponse, so customers know when they’ve signed up.

7. Add in Necessary Disclaimers

The threat of “text message and data fees may apply” was all too real in the days before smartphones. Your subscribers are unlikely to ever be charged for your SMS because there are so many unlimited data and messaging plans available now.

We understand that including that caution is akin to being offered a cup of coffee and being told, “Warning, contents are hot.” It is, however, both recommended practise and, more importantly, a legal necessity.

You must include the following information to comply with industry regulations:

How often you plan to text subscribers (e.g., You may receive up to 4msgs/month.)

Msg & Data rates may apply

A link to your terms and conditions as well as your privacy policy

Information about how to unsubscribe (Reply STOP to end or HELP for help.)

For more information, consult the CTIA’s Short Code Monitoring Handbook and Messaging Principles and Best Practices. These tools are a great way to learn about the laws and regulations that apply to you. If you’re unsure about the criteria, though, you should always speak with a legal specialist.

8. Provide Subscribers With a Clear Way to Opt-Out

We believe that all of your text messages will be excellent, but we cannot guarantee that everyone will agree. You must inform your subscribers that they can unsubscribe at any time if they are unhappy with your brand.

This information is automatically included in the auto-confirmation message by SimpleTexting. Nonetheless, as per text message marketing best practises, all adverts should include instructions.

It’s as simple as promoting your text campaign with the phrase “Text STOP to unsubscribe.” You establish confidence and reliability by informing your clients that they can opt out of receiving messages at any moment.

9. Get Your Timing Right

Consider this scenario: it’s 9 p.m., you’re cuddled up in your sweatpants with an ice cream cone and every bingeable Netflix series imaginable queued up. You don’t want your phone to ring with a text message promoting a discount on vehicle insurance costs.

To prevent bothering someone, it’s typically best practise to keep your texts during reasonable working hours, assuming conformity with subscriber expectations.

Furthermore, texting your customers when they are unable to act or respond to you and your offer makes little sense. So, for the sake of respect and common sense, plan your marketing messages at sensible times.

10. Watch Your Language

In a regular SMS message, you’ll have roughly 160 characters to work with. To save space, you might feel compelled to truncate some terms or use “textese.”

While you may save space, you frequently forfeit clarity and professionalism.

For example, let’s compare these two text messages:

– Go2 Joes 2day 4 a gr8 deal! 20% off 1 slice wen u sho this text

– Visit Joe’s today for a great deal! 20% off any slice when you show this text.

Character limits can be annoying at times, but they’re a great way to focus your message. When it comes down to it, MMS allows you to send messages with up to 1,600 characters!

11. Focus on Bringing Value to the Table

The concept of exclusivity was mentioned earlier as one of the keys to success. The principle that every text must be worthwhile expands on this concept.

Focus on “SMART” marketing instead of hitting your subscribers with the same imprecise ad every week. Examine each offer or announcement to see if it is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timely).

Discounts, special offers, important announcements, event notifications, and relevant information are all valuable assets to provide with your customers. To broaden and engage your audience, consider layering in some rich material, such as photos or movies.

Your clients’ chances of unsubscribing increase drastically if you don’t provide value. To get you started, here are six discount message samples.

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