5 steps to refine your business texting

Tips, tricks & hacks 3 min read Feb 2022 |   Author: Sinch MessageMedia

Already using SMS to communicate with your customers? Or are you new to the game? We know that text messages are the best way to reach your customer base. So make sure those characters count and click through to conversions with our top tips for refining your business texting.

First, why bother with SMS? 68% of customers are more likely to buy from you if you offer convenient communications, and chat and messaging are growing in popularity, particularly with younger customers. 

To tap into trends like these and set yourself up for texting success in 2022, read on.

1. Do you have message templates set up?

Find yourself lost for words when you go to write an SMS? Stay on-brand and tonally consistent by using text message templates. Templates help simplify the process of crafting your SMS and save time by taking the guesswork out of writing recurring messages. With templates, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

Already have SMS templates set up? Now is the time to give them a good polish to help your message shine.

And remember, follow this simple formula for SMS success. Keep it short, sweet, and personalised. Take our quick refresher on text messaging etiquette to make sure you’re hitting the right spot.

2. Is your data up-to-date and tidy?

Once you’ve Marie-Kondo’d your desk and dusted the office pot plants, it’s time to tackle your database. Those mobile numbers aren’t helping your business grow if your messages aren’t being read.

Take a good look at your contact groups. Delete any duplicate contacts: nobody wants to receive text messages twice. In fact, it could turn off existing customers.

TIP: Sometimes it helps to have a contact listed twice. For example, if you are a school that needs to message a parent or guardian regarding multiple children separately. Learn how to turn this feature on or off here.

Cull any dead numbers and brush up on the best way to manage contacts to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck when you hit ‘send’. If you’ve got a large database, taking the time to validate it can deliver huge savings on your marketing spend. 

You can use delivery reports or home location register (HLR) lookups to see which messages are not getting delivered, and which numbers are inactive. Our HLR lookups are much cheaper than an SMS. We’ll get Optus, Vodafone or Telstra to confirm the status of a number — it’s normally very fast and we email you a spreadsheet with results. Easy.

3. Have you set up automations?

Save time, money, and hassle with automated text messages — automation really will make your life easier. Use keyword triggers, auto-replies, and simple if/then logic so you’re not tied to your desk managing two-way conversations. 

From scheduled text reminders and confirmations to opt-in campaigns and out-of-office auto-replies, automations will change the way you do business — and deliver a great customer experience at the same time.

Don’t forget, you can easily manage unsubscribes/opt-outs to stay compliant by using shortened URLs or keywords (i.e. STOP to opt-out).

RECOMMENDED READING: Examples of automated text messages (and how they work)

4. Can you integrate text messaging into your existing tools?

Already using Salesforce, Shopify, or HubSpot for your business? Add another layer to your marketing tool-kit with SMS campaigns seamlessly linked to your preferred CRM or CMS.

MessageMedia natively integrates with all the leading platforms, helping you get more bang for your buck with the tools you already use. You can easily add SMS to platforms your team members are already familiar with, so there’s no need to familiarise yourself with a new platform.

EXPLORE: Connect your current tools and software to MessageMedia’s SMS service. See what’s available in our integrations marketplace.

5. Have you tried something new recently?

Try something brave and new this year. Catch your customer’s eye with a creative and dynamic Mobile Landing Page. From marketing campaigns to surveys and vouchers, chances are there’s a template to fit your business needs. Simply add your own branding and you’re ready to go.

TIP: Test the waters with mobile landing pages by sending customers one to get them to update their details. You can pre-fill the page with their personal details so they don’t need to dig up passwords, making it super easy for them to complete. Even better, you’re ticking off on #2 in our checklist above at the same time!

RELATED: 10 great use cases for SMS mobile landing pages

We’re here to help you get the most from business text messaging in 2022. For questions or support, get in touch today.