Before implementing text-based communications and using it to boost your marketing and customer management plan, understanding the channel, the customer channel behaviours and the customer journey is key.

With SMS for example, the ‘Text Please’ research by Text4Assist showed that SMS is the single most widely-used digital channel across all age groups- it offers multiple opportunities for organisations to connect their customers with regular low effort two-way communication that builds and reinforces relationships. SMS outperforms just about every other channel in terms of effectiveness with almost 95% being read within 5 seconds of receipt, so knowing the channel and why users like it, is a must.

It is important to analyse things inside out; how products and services are being promoted, as well support systems from customer service point of view. Then look outside in; look at the customer base, reasons for contact, when and how frequently.

Factors to consider and analyse when considering the power of SMS include:

· Number of inbound and outbound contacts across each and every communications channel
· Reason for contact and by language (if applicable)
· Usage statistics of all available FAQ’s or other existing customer knowledge base information
· SMS/Text usage volumes (inbound and outbound) and distribution, if any
· Current self-service application(s) and usage rates
· Number of web/mobile web /app users and their profile
· Services available via any apps

Once channel and consumer activity has been analysed, it is equally important to think about business aims and results in implementing SMS based services. Implemented correctly, it will contribute to successful customer relations and management, resulting in a closer brand-consumer relationship.

Analysis has shown repeatedly that two of the key drivers of improved customer experience and satisfaction are task resolution and customer effort; therefore, providing a low effort channel like SMS that is purely focused on task resolution provides a perfect opportunity to (quickly) deliver higher levels of satisfaction and build potential customer loyalty and advocacy.

When deciding which SMS services to use, it is important to take into account that 2-way SMS services have proven to be very effective in the following areas:

To send customers “push information”: this not only includes marketing campaigns about new products and services but also information about the status of services, such as travel delays, outage information, updates about an ongoing process (a shipment, a payment), or any sort of reminder (a scheduled appointment, an overdue payment).

To solicit feedback from customers: This includes any sort of information collection (addresses, emails), new products and services activation/subscription, and quantitative and qualitative customer feedback surveys.

To provide customers with requested information (in a written format which is easy to store): This includes any sort of customer support, from profiling activities to transactional services (activation, subscription, and so on).

Intelligent use of SMS will generate customer trust which will strengthen and extend relationships between the brand and its consumers. This is why it is important to stick to the core attributes of SMS; don’t overbear consumers with promotional/feedback texts every single day, as it will ruin the consumer-brand relationship that is built around ease and practicality. Provide added value to customers wherever possible, whether informative or financial (coupons/ discounts/incentives), and when it is appropriate to do so, encourage customers to initiate contact through this channel – they really will value this contact option.

Last but not least, the research showed that compared with almost all communication channels - from the phone through to Facebook - SMS is the channel that has been poisoned the least by misuse, abuse, commercialisation and overuse, and this is why it is so popular and effective.

Organisations are starting to make good and appropriate use of text communications. If employed successfully, businesses will be rewarded with increasingly engaged and satisfied customers and, consequentially, higher levels of loyalty and lifetime value.

 

By Daniel Hunter, Text4Assist. 

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