7 Types of Text Message to Send Your Clients

If you haven't heard, text message marketing adds value to your business and can enhance the overall client experience. A better client experience often leads to an increase in positive word-of-mouth marketing, which can help you connect with new customers. To get the most out of this channel, it's important to be aware of the many different types of messages you can send to your clients.

1. Appointment Reminders

Reduce no-shows by implementing text message appointment reminders. 

If your business offers services to clients, it is likely that you have some type of appointment setup. Although appointments help you structure your schedule so that each client has sufficient time with your staff members, appointments also mean that you are left without business when clients don't show up. Appointment reminders reduce the number of no-shows, especially if you use the right communication channels. 

Text messages have a high open rate and are often opened within a few seconds of receipt. This makes them perfect for sharing appointment reminders. You can send your reminders within 24 hours of client appointments, reducing the chance that someone's schedule will change or they will forget. You can also feel confident that your client will see your message. Text message appointment reminders can help you reduce your number of no-shows.

2. Helpful Tips

A good customer experience is a key component of your service business. Every interaction your business has with customers should help them in some way. Consider using your texting campaign to send out helpful tips that ultimately improve your customer service capabilities. 

The content you share will differ depending on your type of business, but it might include information about your sales, service hours, appointment availability, and other aspects of your business. You can also simply send out helpful hints or tips. For example, salons may share beauty tips and mechanics may share auto maintenance tips.

3. Offers and deals

Offers and deals are often the first message type that businesses consider when developing a texting campaign. You definitely want to include them in your cache of message types, since 9 out of 10 mobile coupon users redeem their offers. Plus, offers are always a great way to boost business, since people are always looking for a deal. 

Just be careful not to send out too many offers and deals. This may reduce the impact of your offers, since people will simply wait to use the next one, or the one after that. Find a balance between too many offers and not enough offers.

4. Event Information

Your texting campaign can be used as a way to send basic information to your clients, especially about any events you might be hosting or changes to your business. These might include: 

• Sales
• Exclusive access
• New staff members
• Change in hours
• Opening a new location 
• A fundraiser for a charity
• A community event in which you are participating 
• Customer appreciation party
• A holiday party or other event
   

5. Contests

You can also consider developing a text-to-win contest for your clients. Simply choose a short code or long code and some contest keywords. Your clients can then send a keyword to your short code or long code to sign up to win something. At the end of the run, you randomly select a winner. For added impact, give everyone some reward for signing up, such as a discount on services or a small free gift.

6. Polls and Surveys

Text messages are a two-way communication channel, and it is important that you take advantage of that with your texting campaign. This is where polls and surveys come into play. It is easy to run a texting poll. You simply need to send out a question and a list of potential answers. These are keywords that your clients text back to submit their vote. Then, you see which word had the greatest response. 

You can use polls as a guide to make changes in your business, or you can simply engage with customers with a fun poll. For times where you need more in-depth answers, it is possible to send out a link to an online survey for your customers to fill out. Just make sure it is mobile friendly.

7. Customer Service 

Let your customers text you with problems or questions to improve your customer service. 

Another way to take advantage of the two-way communication component of texting is to use it as a way to handle customer service inquiries. Often, customers prefer to ask questions via text message because it's convenient. Providing this communication option is a proactive way of creating a more positive experience for your customers. This increases the chance of a successful resolution of any issues. 

Use these message types to create value for your clients. By doing this, you will create a program that improves the customer experience. Ready to get started? Sign up for free and try out one or more of these type of messages for your texting campaign.