Texting is becoming an increasingly popular method for businesses to reach and engage with potential customers. It can be annoying, but there is a reason businesses send them. Compared to email or even phone calls, texting offers huge advantages that make it an essential tool for every business – including YOURS.
Texting vs. Email
First, texting has a much higher open rate than email. According to a study by TextRequest, text messages have an open rate of 98%, while the average open rate for emails is just 20%. What’s more is that texting is the number one most commonly used form of communication for Americans under the age of 50, with over 90% of the demographic regularly checking texts. This means that businesses are much more likely to reach and engage with potential customers through texting than through email.
Second, texting is a more immediate form of communication than email. Text messages are typically read and responded to within minutes, while emails can take hours or even days to be read. In fact, 95% of all text messages are read within three minutes of receiving them. When a customer receives a text, their phone will alert them, while an email could very easily go unnoticed. This makes texting an ideal way for businesses to connect with customers in real time, and to respond quickly to any questions or concerns they may have.
Third, texting is a more personal form of communication than email. Text messages are sent directly to a person's phone, making them feel more personal and intimate than an email sent to a generic inbox. A text message sets a professional, yet friendly tone with clients, and with brevity to ensure that your messages are actually being read. This can help businesses build stronger relationships with potential customers and increase their chances of converting them into paying customers.
In addition, texting allows for two-way communication, which allows businesses to collect customer feedback in real time and respond to it quickly. This allows businesses to build trust and establish a personal connection with potential customers.
Texting vs. Phone
Calling a list of clients can take forever. Even if you just want to confirm your appointments for a single day, it could take you an hour of calling. Heaven forbid someone picks up and wants to keep you talking forever.
Texting reminders is fast. In fact, since it’s automated, it doesn’t take you any time at all. And texting your client's appointment reminders - both at the time the appointment is made and again one hour prior to the appointment - will do just as much to reduce no-shows as a phone call would do.
If your time is valuable - and we know that it is - an automatic text message beats a phone call a thousand to one.
Advantages for Businesses
Consider the possibilities that this technology affords to businesses. For one, text messages are perhaps the most effective way to reduce the number of no-shows for appointments. The average no-show rate for businesses is 10-15% which is not only a loss of revenue but also a waste of time. Through a texting service, you can send clients friendly reminders of their appointments in advance and thereby reduce the number of clients who never even walk through the door.
Text messaging is also an easy and effective way to follow up with clients. Part of customer service excellence is taking the initiative to make sure that your customers are satisfied with the service they received from you. By contacting them first, customers will know that their satisfaction matters.
Most customers are also perfectly willing to leave you an honest review, but they might need a gentle push to do so. By texting them a link following their service, you can help your business drum up more reviews. Studies have shown that businesses with a lot of reviews and a star rating of 3.5-4.5 earn more revenue and attract more customers, so it’s in your best interest to gather as many reviews as you possibly can. There’s no better way to attract those reviews than through text messaging.
In conclusion, texting is a faster, more personal, and more effective means of communication than email or phone calls. It has a higher open rate than email, allows for real-time interaction, and is more likely to convert potential customers into paying customers. You don’t have time to call everybody. Therefore, businesses should consider incorporating texting into their marketing strategy to reach and engage with potential customers more effectively.
Talk to your Project Manager today about leveraging the power of text messages to connect you to more customers. When you’re ready to take the next step in generating more revenue and retaining customers, get in touch with us and we will put our expertise to work.