Connecting with customers quickly and personally can make or break your business. But doing so is quite a challenge. After all, your customers’ email inboxes are overflowing. Their social media feeds are cluttered with thousands of ads. And many find phone calls intrusive.
So, what’s the secret weapon left in the arsenal? An SMS service for businesses. It’s a great way to stay connected with customers and grow your business simultaneously.
And we’re going to show you why you should choose an SMS Service for your Business.
The Power of SMS Service for Business Growth
Before diving into how to use SMS, we will talk about why it can help you grow. Here are a few ways SMS can support your growth today and in the future.
Get Seen and Heard with Unmatched Open Rates
With SMS, 98 percent of the messages you send are opened and read by your customers. Unlike email, which struggles to get around filters or crowded inboxes, SMS puts your message directly in your customers’ hands for them to see and read. And read, they will! After all, Americans check their phones over 144 times a day. Email? Not so much.
This high visibility means more opportunities to engage customers with your messages (updates, promotions, etc.). More engagement can lead to more sales and a healthier bottom line.
Connect Better with Customers Thanks to Higher Engagement Rates
Not only are SMS messages opened more frequently, but they also enjoy higher response rates compared to email (15 to 25 percent on a good day) and sometimes even social. Because texting is both personal and direct. When you send a text to a customer, you’re:
- Engaging with them one-on-one
- Giving them the ability to respond when they’re able
- Not interrupting their activities
All of these are things customers appreciate in a business. So, whether you’re asking for feedback, sharing deals, or just checking in, SMS makes conversation quick, easy, and engaging for customers. The easier it is to communicate with you, the more your customers will trust – and remain loyal to – your brand.
DID YOU KNOW? The average response rate for a text is 90 seconds, while email responses typically take a few days.
Delight Customers with Personal and Instant Communication
Instant gratification is the rule, not the exception, in modern business. SMS delivers on the front in big ways. It allows you to send important updates, messages, and alerts to their pockets, purses, and bags, giving them the information they need precisely when needed.
Plus, it feels far more personal than generic emails or automated outreach calls. By providing instant and relevant information through SMS communication, you establish yourself as a brand that knows your customers and doesn’t waste their time. And that’s the kind of company they’d recommend to their friends and colleagues, which is quite helpful for growth. Why? Because over 80 percent of consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations more than they do traditional marketing channels.
DID YOU KNOW? Consumers will pay almost 20 percent more for speedy communication from a business, i.e., “always immediate support.”
3 Quick Use Cases: The Positive Impact of an SMS Service for Businesses
Now that we know the basic benefits of SMS service for businesses, it’s time to see them in action. Here are three common examples that can help you grow:
Appointment Reminders
Picture a bustling dentist’s office that’s growing at an incredible rate. It’s even becoming tough for them to keep track of all the new appointments. However, if they have an SMS service for businesses, they can send a friendly text reminder to patients a day or two before their appointment.
It’s quick, easy, and reduces no-shows in the long run. Patients love the convenience, and the appointment schedule stays full. It’s quite a win-win.
DID YOU KNOW? Almost 65 percent of consumers say that appointment reminders are the most valuable kind of message a company can send.
Order Updates
Say you’re the owner of a clothing boutique whose recent social media posts have gone viral. You’ve got tons of customers ordering shirts, skirts, and shoes, and all of them want to know when their orders are arriving. Using an SMS service for business allows you to send timely updates about when the order has been packaged, shipped, and delivered.
This makes them feel seen and cared for, strengthening their perception of your brand and making it more likely that they’ll shop with you again.
Loyalty Building
Finally, picture yourself as the owner of a local bakery. And you’ve got a flock of loyal customers you want to reward for being with you from the start. With an SMS service for businesses, you can! You can shoot them a quick text that says, “Show this message for a free cookie with your next purchase,” or offer exclusive discounts based on how often they visit.
Customers will love getting these discounts right on their phones, and it encourages them to share the sweet savings with others! It’s a great way to boost sales and build stronger relationships with your community.
Support Your Growth with Centratel’s SMS Enablement
Incorporating SMS into your communication strategy is a great way to not just communicate better but grow better, too. And Centratel has an SMS service for businesses looking to do just that. We’ll help you text-enable your current numbers and even give you a platform to receive, review, and send them on!
Reach out to us to see it in action yourself or with any questions you’ve got. We’ll get them answered in no time.