Text Messaging + Automation - The Formula for Success

As technology advances and attention spans decline, today’s customers demand solutions that both enhance their connections and deliver immediate results. In response, businesses must focus their strategies on delivering personalized communication in an automated way. 

Consider this: 46% of consumers check their mobile phones before leaving bed each morning. With an average person checking their phone 160 times a day and text messages boasting a 98% open rate (dwarfing email's 20%), the case for communicating via SMS is undeniable. 

Let’s unravel how text messaging, when smartly automated, can support business success by nurturing customer relationships, building customer loyalty, and driving revenue.

Increase Productivity by Integrating Automation to Text Messaging Marketing, and more!

Connection is everything! Text messaging offers opportunities to amplify reach, enhance engagement, and streamline operations in previously unimaginable ways. Let’s explore some of the top benefits companies see by integrating automated text messaging into their communication strategies.

Benefits:

1. Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Automation frees businesses from time-consuming and repetitive tasks, better allocating employee resources. Automating helps you to scale your business, and increases efficiency.
2. Cost Reduction: The time savings creates a very direct dollar savings. Automation saves money. So much so that 78% of business leaders thought that they could save 3 hours a day with automation.
3. Improved Accuracy and Consistency: Automated systems minimize the margin for human error, ensuring reliable communication and increasing trust in your brand.
4. Better Customer Experience: Automation meets customer expectations by delivering timely and relevant messages to your audience. You can even use AI to adjust your messages based on your audience's response.
5. Data Collection and Analysis: The insights into customer behavior from automated systems are invaluable in guiding your strategies. The data you collect can help you to identify which areas are doing better, so you can channel your efforts there. 
6. Innovation: A culture of automation fosters an agile, innovative approach to marketing. This culture allows your business to adapt quickly to market changes. This can also lead to an edge over competitors as you consistently strive to improve.
7. Employee Satisfaction: Automation alleviates the burden of monotonous tasks, allowing staff to focus on more fulfilling, impactful work. These changes enhance job satisfaction. Also, as employees focus on more strategic work, the quality of all tasks improves. Manual tasks are taken care of perfectly by an automated system. And employees have more time to consider and make changes to tasks that impact the business.
8. Improved Decision-Making: Using real-time data and analytics, decision-makers can guide their strategies based on practical insights, ensuring agility and precision. These precise decisions help you to respond to market changes, staying ahead of the curve. And by using data to make transparent decisions as a team, you improve collaboration.

For example, a study at Penn Medicine demonstrated that when a hospital communicated via automated texts with patients post-discharge, there was a significant reduction in the use of acute care resources. The automated messages were delivered from their primary care practice 30 days after discharge. In conjunction with an electronic medical record inbox, the automated messaging platform escalated any need for staff follow-up. The campaign’s high degree of automation required minimal effort from staff beyond usual care. 

The results were impactful: patients who received the message had a significant 41% lower odds of 30-day use of acute care resources. The study led to a marked reduction in readmissions, underscoring the profound impact of a well-executed text messaging automation strategy.

Automating text messaging is about more than just efficiency; it’s a way to deliver customized interactions that drive significant results. 

Explore our previous post, What is SMS Marketing and How to Get Started, for a deeper understanding of how SMS marketing automation can further benefit your business.

Simple, Mighty, Speedy SMSs

A recent study showed that Americans send and receive, on average, 40 texts daily. Text messaging stands out as a powerful tool for digital marketing due to its unique advantages:

Simple

Texting is by nature to the point. You have a limited number of characters, so communication is accessible and direct. You can easily reach your leads and customers, avoiding the complexity of other channels.

Text messages can also be easily automated. This allows for scheduled messages that maintain consistent contact without continuous manual input.

Mighty

SMS messages enjoy near-universal open rates, far eclipsing those of emails. This ensures your messages are not just sent but seen. You can also send them worldwide, reaching audiences both globally and locally.

Sending a personalized, instant text message increases customer engagement significantly. Strengthening relationships and boosting conversion rates.

Speedy

Texts are typically read within minutes, making them perfect for timely announcements and offers. This contrasts with the delayed engagement seen with emails.

Using SMS you can reach your audience fast, using a powerful yet simple tool.

Boost Revenue with SMS Marketing with our Top 10 Strategies

Businesses are increasingly leveraging SMS marketing automation to drive revenue. With its direct line to customers, text campaigns deliver personalized engagement and timely promotions that significantly boost sales and customer loyalty. Here are some of the top ways they are making an impact on the top line:

1. Sales: You can run a flash sale by instantly notifying your subscriber base of limited-time offers. These time-sensitive offers create a sense of urgency that drives immediate purchases. You can also reward SMS subscribers with exclusive offers, incentivize sign-ups, and foster loyal customer relationships.
2. Cross and up-selling: Following a purchase, suggest related products via SMS. This strategy enhances the customer experience and increases the average order value. You can also recommend premium products or service upgrades to existing customers directly through concise, impactful SMS messages.
3. Abandoned Cart Reminders: Gently remind customers of items left in their online shopping carts with a prompt to complete their purchase, effectively reducing cart abandonment rates.
4. Subscription Services: Encourage customers to sign up for subscription-based products or services through SMS, ensuring a continuous revenue stream.
5. Programs: Use SMS to initiate referral programs where existing customers can refer friends in exchange for rewards, organically broadening your customer base. You could also launch exclusive SMS-based VIP programs that offer special privileges, driving higher spending and customer loyalty.
6. Feedback and Reviews: Post-purchase SMS messages requesting feedback or reviews can significantly enhance your service/product while maintaining customer engagement.
7. Reactivation Campaigns: Target lapsed customers with enticing offers to rekindle their interest and re-engage them with your brand.
8. Product Launches: Build anticipation and early demand by announcing new products or services exclusively through SMS.
9. Survey Participation: Encourage customers to participate in surveys via SMS, offering incentives that drive engagement and yield valuable insights.
10. Service Reminders: For service-oriented businesses, SMS reminders for renewals or bookings ensure consistency in revenue and customer retention.

Start experimenting or expanding your tactics. Don’t be afraid to get creative as you discover the text-based marketing strategies that will best drive your business success.

Integrate Automated Text Messaging into All Departments’ Communication Strategies

Beyond direct marketing, SMS automation seamlessly integrates into other aspects of your business communication, further enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. Here are some powerful examples of what you might do:

Marketing

Marketing can use text messages to send birthday and anniversary messages. Personalizing customer interactions with celebratory messages and offers in honor of their special day.

You can also use the channel to send waiting list updates. Keep customers informed about their product or service waiting list status.

Also, when a new product or line is going to be launched, let people know with a text. It’s immediate and creates excitement. You could send an email announcing the drop, and then send a text just before it goes live.

Finally, send seasonal greetings on holidays and special occasions, fostering community and connection.

Sales

Sales can send an SMS for order confirmations. Offer peace of mind and keep customers informed with automated confirmations and status updates about their orders.

Both sales and customer success can send payment reminders to improve timely payment collection by sending friendly SMS reminders for upcoming or overdue bills.

Finally, sending shipping notifications keeps customers informed and engaged with real-time shipping updates.

Customer Success or Support

Customer support can streamline initial customer inquiries and support through automated SMS, providing quick responses and escalating complex issues when necessary.

Appointment Reminders help to reduce no-shows with timely automated SMS reminders. 

When a client joins sending them onboarding messages facilitates a smooth onboarding process. You should send them essential information to promote engagement.

You can also promote your loyalty program sign-ups via text to drive long-term customer engagement.

Finally, sending policy updates to notify customers about significant policy changes, terms of service, or privacy information increases transparency.

Top 3 Features to Look for in an Automated Text Messaging Platform

Successful SMS marketing automation starts with selecting the right platform. Key features to look for include:

1. Ease of Use: Intuitiveness and user-friendliness for seamless campaign creation and management.
2. Comprehensive Integration: Compatibility with existing CRM and marketing tools for a unified strategy.
3. Robust Analytics: Deep insights into campaign performance and customer engagement metrics for informed decision-making.

Leveraging a platform that embodies these features ensures businesses can execute effective SMS marketing strategies that drive significant revenue growth.

Meet Sakari: A Text Messaging Automation Software Built for Conversions

SMS marketing automation is a pillar for modern digital marketing strategies, improving service and contributing to revenue generation. From personalized promotions to communication initiatives, its impact is far-reaching.

Unlocking the full potential of text messaging and automation requires the right platform. Sakari is the easiest and most versatile platform, delivering text messaging and automation at scale– designed for businesses that want to grow. Sakari supports all the capabilities discussed throughout this article, enabling companies to reach and surpass their business goals. 

Are you looking to transform your communication strategy and drive terrific success? Start a free trial with Sakari and experience how our platform can elevate your text message marketing to new heights!