9 Different Ways to Stay in Touch with Your Customers and Prospects by SMS

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According to multiple studies, your customers want you to speak to them via text message. Not only is SMS convenient, but it can give your company a competitive edge. With a 98% open rate and a 45% reply rate, SMS is one of the most powerful marketing tools in your arsenal.

In fact, it’s a good idea to add SMS to your overall marketing plan. By combining text messaging with your email, event, and seminar marketing, you can easily hit your sales goals.

How to Speak to Your Customers and Clients via Text Message

Mobile marketing is a hot topic, and text message is a very effective way to communicate with your prospects all around the world. Here are the best ways to stay in touch with your buyers.

1. Offer Slides from Your Live Presentation

Your prospects want to follow along, and sometimes it’s easier for them to have your slides at their fingertips. If you have an email marketing tool that integrates with SMS, set it up ahead of time, so it automatically sends over your presentation slides after they input a text keyword.

2. Make Phone Number Opt-Ins Mandatory

In the past, prospects were afraid to give over their phone number due to spam. Now, it’s easier than ever to block messages and calls, so your prospects are more willing to offer this information. If you make phone number opt-ins mandatory, explain it’s just for SMS, not calls.

3. Using a VoIP Platform That Offers Texting

By replacing your traditional phone system with a VoIP platform, you can send a text from your computer. By using a business phone system like OpenPhone, you can send auto-replies to texts, integrate with different apps for more customization features, and use text templates.

4. Send over Appointment Details over Text

Whether you’re a doctor, specialist, or public speaker, you can send appointment reminders over text. Some of your prospects will forget to circle back for your meeting, even if they’re excited to speak with you. People get busy, but they’ll always check their text messages.

5. Follow Up Your Leads after Getting their Number

It takes 90 minutes for your prospects to respond to email and only 90 seconds for them to respond to texts. Since text messages come packaged with a sense of urgency, following up with your prospects immediately can encourage them to reply and communicate with you.

6. Give Prospects an Insider’s Look for New Products

Sending a text message a week, 3 days, and a day before your product launches can raise your conversion rate for said products. As stated, your prospects are busy, and they may need to be reminded. If SMS users get exclusive content or information about your products, even better.

7. Try Distributing Coupons and Discounts via Text

Most of your followers want to purchase your products or services, but they may not be able to at full price. By offering exclusive coupons and discounts that are only available to your text message subscribers, you’ll increase mobile opt-ins and loyalty while decreasing opt-outs.

8. Primarily Offer Limited Time Promotions via SMS

Where you could give coupons and discounts to both your email and text message subscribers, consider using text for flash sales. Your prospects may not look at their email daily, but they’ll look at their text messages. To increase sales for your limited-time promotions, use SMS.

9. Assign SMS As Your Customer Service Channel

Your customers prefer to speak to your customer service agents via text message or live chat because it gives them more time to ask questions. Plus, live text-based communication typically prompts a faster response time, which ensures your prospects receive needed answers faster.

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