5 Ways Texting Increases Customer Loyalty

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Customers spend their money on businesses that give them the value and attention they need. Satisfied customers are the cornerstone of repeat business, and one key to keep them coming back is maintaining regular communication.

You’ve got to stay top of mind, and build that relationship.

Texting offers an easy approach to fostering customer relationships and building loyalty, since it’s the number one way they prefer to communicate with businesses. Here are five texting tactics that your business can use to increase customer loyalty, no matter what industry you’re in.

1. Build an SMS subscriber list.

Engaging with your customers directly is the first step to building a lasting relationship with them. That’s why building an SMS subscriber list is a great way to stay in touch with customers, especially when you send them updates they want to receive.

Texting offers an excellent opportunity to build that bridge, but you’ll need to get your customers to opt in to receive texts from you first.

It’s as simple as having them text a keyword such as ‘SALE’ to subscribe to your sale announcements, or ‘WIN’ to subscribe to contest promotions. Let customers know they can text in these keywords by advertising them on your social media, newsletters, or in-store signage.

From there, texting helps increase engagement with opted-in customers through different channels like:

  • Promoting ongoing sales and discount codes: Texting about ongoing sales and important updates is a great way to give customers a reason to come back to your business.
  • Boosting your social media presence: Encourage customers to like, share, or comment on your posts by texting them a direct link.
  • Running contests and giveaways: Allow your customers to participate in ongoing contests and giveaways by texting in their entries.
  • Linking to helpful resources and content: Showcase your content by texting a link to your resources page, while keeping customers informed.

These examples are a great way to build trust over time, and ultimately drive more business.

Note: When it comes to figuring out what kind of updates your customers want to receive, try promoting a few keywords or types of content through existing marketing channels such as social media or email newsletters to see what gains the most traction. And then you can go from there.

2. Personalize your SMS subscribers’ experience.

Personalization is a marketing tactic that engages customers directly by doing things like addressing them by their name, or sending them content that’s specifically catered to their individual needs.

When customers notice that a business is paying attention to them, they’ll be more likely to interact. That’s why personalizing texts for your SMS subscribers goes a long way, and helps solidify customer loyalty over time.

So how can you start?

  • Address subscribers by their name to make them feel valued.
  • Group subscribers based on common preferences, behavior, or demographics to tailor messages to each subscriber’s interests and needs.
  • Leave notes on a contact so you can remember specific details about them, such as a recent purchase or an anniversary.
  • Send personalized recommendations and upsells.

The steps above can help you build stronger relationships with your customers and encourage repeat business. Sending out texts like these will start conversations too—and when your customers know that they can engage in two-way conversations, it opens up room for more personalized and profitable interactions.

3. Use text payments to create a convenient customer experience.

The easier you make the payment process, the more your customers will love you for it. In fact, 69% of consumers want to receive texts related to making payments. Customers can use texting to pay on the go, and it can all be done from their phones without having to download an app, or a physical payment method like a credit card.

After a transaction or a service, all you’ll need to do is text your customers a receipt with a link to pay. From there, they can follow it and securely pay via a third party payment processor, which is connected to your business’s bank account.

You can also send a payment request via text if a customer isn’t standing in front of you after the service, or when you’re trying to enable contactless interactions.

Another way to deepen your relationship is by offering loyalty rewards. For example, customers who make a certain number of text payments could be eligible to receive a discount or another special offer, which incentivizes even more customers to use text payments.

4. Enhance your customer service with SMS Chat.

Build trust by giving customers the option to text you for customer service, so their questions are seen and answered quickly. Consider adding SMS chat, a live chat widget for texting, to your homepage so that customers can easily reach you and ask questions.

How does it work? Customers can start a conversation with you via SMS chat on your website, and from there, they can carry the text conversation to their phone

Even after business hours, anyone can text in and expect an immediate response when you have autoresponses set up. Depending on what time and day it is, an autoresponse can let customers know their message was received and will be addressed first thing in the morning.

sms-chat-example-text-request
Example of how SMS Chat and Autoresponses work

In a B2C setting, people are more likely to browse your products during their off time, which is typically in the evenings, when they’re off work. Customers will appreciate knowing that their needs are being addressed around the clock.

5. Gather customer feedback with text polls and surveys.

Show your customers that their opinions matter by asking for their feedback via text. Texting a link to polls and surveys doesn’t take long to answer, plus, customers like to be involved.

Use their responses to create content that resonates with their interests, or use it to improve your brand from a variety of angles.

Ask things like:

  • How satisfied are you with the service they received?
  • How likely are you to recommend your business to someone else?
  • What kind of feature or product you’re wanting to see next?
  • What you liked or didn’t like about a feature or product?
  • If our promotional strategies are effective and easy to understand?

Polls and surveys help you build a loyal customer base over time, especially you’ll be able to make informed decisions based on their feedback that will ultimately drive growth and success.
You don’t have to use a link or formal survey to see success with this. You can just ask a question via text – whatever works best for you and your customers.

Use texting to leave a lasting impression.

Text messaging is an effective tool to add to your existing marketing and customer engagement strategies, helping you create a more cohesive approach to customer communications and gaining their loyalty in turn. Ready to engage customers with SMS? Find a business texting software that’s right for you.

Jessica Ayre
Jessica Ayre is a content marketing specialist at Text Request, a Chattanooga-based business texting solution.

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