How Conversational SMS Can Drive Engagement and Create Long-term Value
Use cases for two-way SMS marketing demonstrating that conversational SMS marketing achieves wider reach, even in the corporate world.
For years, text messages have been a major tool used by businesses to interact with customers and drive sales. However, like every marketing tool, it evolved into a new way of interacting with consumers: conversational SMS marketing, which involves two-way text messaging between businesses and customers.
According to recent studies, SMS campaigns have reached 62% of customers, with 43% being subscribed to multiple one. Here lies the power of conversational SMS.
This turns conversational SMS into a mega tool that can help your business grow, improving customer experience and increasing conversions in the process. The following sections will give you a clearer perspective and in-depth insights to improve your SMS marketing campaigns.
1. Diving into Conversational Texting
The main component of Conversational SMS is the artificial intelligence (AI) factor, which is essential to create two-way SMS communication using conversations that give the feeling of genuineness between customers and businesses. In addition to that, live agents are needed to keep the customers engaged in case the AI chatbot is unable to respond.
As someone promoting their business, you can obtain the ability to keep your customers engaged by chatting with them in real time, so you can catch those who are busy all day long at their convenience. This renders SMS marketing a successful tool that consistently holds its own alongside apps like WhatsApp and Viber. If used right, it is an outstanding and dependable marketing tool for your business.
In a nutshell, Conversational SMS creates honest, meaningful connections with your customers, expands your reach by helping you stretch across multiple marketing channels, and is a relatively low investment for the benefits it offers.
2. A showdown of One-way and Conversational SMS
What holiday greetings would you prefer, an impersonal broadcast or a heartfelt message to which you can reply and strengthen a bond? The answer seems quite easy. Same applies to your business.
Now let’s go deeper and discover the real difference between one-way texting and conversational SMS.
Most businesses already use one-way text messages, with campaigns that are straightforward and get almost zero replies. This barely requires any effort from your business, and barely costs anything. Don’t get us wrong, one-way text messages has its uses for a wide range of marketing campaigns which require little engagement and lean towards awareness like:
- Promotional offers
- Updates and alerts
- Order and payment notifications
- Reminders
- Two-factor authentication
- Bulk SMS and business broadcasts
All the above do not require customer engagement. However, if it is what you’re seeking, then one-way SMS is not what you should go for. Now you might ask why, and here’s the answer:
- Not enough information
Your customers need all the information they can get about your products before making a decision, and sometimes parts of the messages do not get delivered, it also leaves no room to help customers in case they are facing challenges.
One-way SMS messages are one-sided after all, leaving customers on their own and leading to dissatisfaction as your communication becomes cold and non-relatable.
- Lost Potential
When it comes to your ability to measure engagement and conversion rates, one-way text messages will offer you no help as there is no way you can scale the number of users who opened your text or heeded your call to action. Therefore, the potential buyers are missed, and proper feedback never gets through.
- Could be regarded as SPAM
That is every business owner’s nightmare, as text messages from unknown numbers are usually suspicious, especially when they are not asked for. Except of course when it’s a trusted brand or has a bit of personalization in it, customers might simply trash it into spam or junk.
Benefits of Conversational SMS
- Maximized Revenues and Bigger ROI
95% of phone users usually read and respond to text messages within 3 minutes, thus creating immediate results to your campaign. So, if you want to increase your sales and maximize your revenue, Conversational SMS is the way to go.
- Customers Will Relate
One thing you cannot control in customers, is the level of awareness, and the number of inquiries they will have about your services or products. Consequently, they will ask questions and proactively test your business and request help when needed. Through Conversational SMS, you give them exactly what they need by simply replying to their queries, thus enhancing customer experience and increasing customer retention and satisfaction.
- Gives Human Value
We already live in a world where everyone feels like a number, and everything happens through consumerism. Hence, a more personalized and human communication plays a huge role in gaining customer loyalty. Customers will feel like they are talking to a real person, and more importantly, will get tailored answers to their specific queries.
- Leads to Faster Response Rates
Conversational SMS marketing is the ultimate way to increase customer engagement, since SMS messaging has a 98% open rate, a percentage much higher than any other media form including emails.
This gives Conversational SMS an edge over any other platform, as it enhances customer relationships with your brand, increases your brand loyalty and helps you achieve your primary goals.
3. Use Cases of Conversational SMS
How are Conversational SMS marketing campaigns used? Here are a few popular ways:
- Answering customer queries:
Practically the simplest and easiest way to answer your customer’s most pressing matters, such as:
- Troubleshoot and different account problems
- Enquiries about new or existing products
- Live chat support on your website to convert potential customers
- Clarifying changes in product description or price
- eCommerce
This comes as a given, as eCommerce stores that sell services or products can monetize this service to:
- Market new services or products
- Redirect customers who did not complete a purchase to go back and finish the payment
- Answer queries about pricing including discounts or sales
- Private Updates
Conversational emails or SMS are sure to increase customer engagement during special events, promotions or holidays.
- Special discounts on customer birthdays
- Holiday Sales or black Fridays
- New products or services
- Shipping queries
Probably the scariest part of shopping, after making a purchase, it is nice to make customers feel like they are valued and they are valued for their loyalty, not just their money. You can:
- Inform them once the order is shipped, or about the time of the shipment and give them more info about the shipment method.
- Follow up with them on returns or ask for feedback once their order is delivered.
4. Start Using Conversational Text Messages Now
As a marketing strategy, Conversational SMS messages are a great way to ensure your customers are satisfied and gain their loyalty. This method has been receiving great acclaim from businesses and has proven to be one of the most effective ways to increase customer engagement, drive sales, and increase brand awareness. Many potential customers will be converted to your business if there is a reassuring method that will answer to their concerns and value their engagement.
Monty Communication Platform allows your business to offer your customers a seamless experience across all channels and be next to them in their shopping journey.