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Auto Reply Text Message Examples That Will Make You More Money

Learn what types of auto reply text messages you can send that will help you win more sales, increase donations, and more

Illustration of a phone with a text “...” and an auto reply text message
January 9, 2024
Kathleen Crampton
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Reading time about 11 min

When your day-to-day is filled with meetings, appointments, employee management, or whatever else your business requires, finding time to send texts to your audience might not be your first priority. Good thing we’re in the business of saving you time and effort. With these automatic reply examples, you’ll be able to easily communicate with and engage your current and potential customers and make more money while you’re at it.

Now, you’re probably wondering, “What is an auto reply message?” An auto reply message is an SMS text sent to a contact when they take a specific action. The message differs depending on the type of action.

Auto reply text messages fall into two categories: those sent more for informational purposes (like providing business hours or replying to a direct inquiry) and those sent with sales and marketing in mind. Here, we’ll focus on the latter: SMS texts intended to increase sales or donations. After all, that’s what you’re here for — to learn the types of automatic text replies that can help you boost your biz.

How Can Auto Reply Text Messages Help Me Make More Money?

Auto reply text messages can help you make more money by motivating or reminding customers to complete an action that will eventually lead to more sales (or more donations, in the case of nonprofits).

What are some examples of auto reply text messages that can help you make more money? We include some examples of auto reply text messages that can help you make more money in the following sections. As you’ll see, auto response texts can boost business by providing special offers, promotions, and discounts; sending post-donation or post-purchase messages; sharing appointment and reservation reminders; and more.

 

Ecommerce: Automatic Reply Examples

In the wide world of ecommerce, your business needs to stand out from competitors. Consumers are constantly bombarded by many sales and marketing messages, so to have a leg up in the ecommerce space, look at these automatic reply examples.

 

Abandoned Cart

Sample Text Message

Sending an abandoned cart automatic text reply reminds potential customers of their purchase-to-be. People tend to shop around for the best deal before committing to a product and add items to various carts. Boost your chances of making a sale by creating a sense of urgency about your cart, as this example does here.

And if you want to sweeten the deal, consider sharing a discount for them to complete their purchase. Learn more about crafting abandoned cart messages.

 

Post-Purchase Message

Sample Text Message

Sending a post-purchase message is always a nice touch, whether you’re including an order number, dropping shipping info, or just saying thanks. While these messages don’t necessarily directly link to more sales, they do provide a seamless and enjoyable post-purchase experience for the customer.

Think about when you place an online order. The companies that are super communicative from purchase to delivery — and beyond — are the ones that stick out in your mind and you want to buy from again.

All your business has to do is set up auto replies for every step in the order process. Your customers will thank you with more future purchases.

 

Post Order Delivery Message

Sample Text Message

This example illustrates cross-selling or promoting a complementary product. It’s an effective way to persuade customers to make another purchase because you give them more value. Schedule an automatic reply once the customer’s order is delivered. They’ll be delighted by their new package and a great recommendation.

 

One-Time Promo Code Message

Sample Text Message

When people send a text with a keyword to your business’s dedicated number, they’ll receive an automated text response with a version of the message shown here. This is an example of an auto reply for lead generation — with a one-time new customer discount, they’re more likely to make their first purchase and remain in your contact list.

Real Estate: Automatic Reply Examples

Personal communication is necessary in real estate, and SMS marketing is the preferred method with clients on the go. Tailored auto response texts can help agents generate more leads, share more properties, and win more sales.

 

Open House Follow-Up Message

Sample Text Message

It’s no secret that hosting open houses generates more leads, but what if you followed up via SMS text instead of manually making phone calls or sending emails? Text messages are opened by recipients faster, and timing is everything in the real estate market.

A follow-up SMS auto reply for someone who checked into your open house gives them a way to act fast, potentially bringing in a sale more quickly.

Nonprofits: Automatic Reply Examples

If you lead a nonprofit organization, learn how an automatic reply can help make donors feel valued and more willing to donate to your cause in the future.

 

Post-Donation Thank you

Sample Text Message

While sending a post-donation thank you doesn’t necessarily directly increase donations, it does help to make the person feel valued and, therefore, more likely to donate in the future. Plus, this can also be your chance to share information about automatic recurring donations, allowing them to donate more frequently.

Learn other ways to increase donations with SMS fundraising.

Service Industry: Automatic Reply Examples

Whether you run a restaurant, bar, hotel, or coffee shop, you want to ensure that people frequent your business. One way to do that is using SMS auto reply for reservation reminders and reward programs.

 

Sample Text Message

Reservation Reminder

People are busy, and it's not enough for businesses in the service industry to assume that they’ve got you on their calendar. Sending automatic reminders for reservations reduces no-shows, ensuring you’re keeping your calendar full.

 

Loyalty Program Message

Sample Text Message

Introducing a loyalty program for your small business is a great way to set yourself apart from competitors, increase customer retention, and boost sales. In this example, when customers sign up for texts, they automatically enroll in your loyalty program, earning a star with every purchase. That means that they need to keep coming back to earn their reward. It’s a win-win for both parties.

Appointment-Based Businesses: Automatic Reply Examples

Appointment-based businesses, like auto shops, salons, and in-home services, can greatly benefit from automatic text replies to reduce no-shows and late payments. Here are some examples.

 

Appointment Reminder

Sample Text Message

Like restaurant reservation reminders, appointment reminders help your business make more money by reducing no-shows. When clients don’t show, your business loses money on that client and the potential of another client taking their time slot, so keep them in the loop by scheduling text auto replies.

Interested in learning more about how text marketing can drive success for auto repair shops? Check out our guide to all things auto repair marketing SMS.

 

Sample Text Message

Payment Reminder

Many professional in-home services, like cleaning companies, home improvement businesses, and the like, manage payments after each service, not necessarily in person. Payment reminders via text are key to keeping the money rolling in.

What Are Some Best Practices for Creating Effective Auto Reply Text Messages?

Here are some best practices for creating effective auto reply text messages so that you can win over customers and increase sales:

  • Keep your messages short and to the point. SMS messages have a 160-character limit, so you can’t get too wordy. (Though, you can always use MMS texts, which allow for more content.) Plus, your contacts are busy — they only want information that will bring them value quickly.
  • Personalize it. Whenever possible, personalize the message by including the contact’s first name or mentioning specific details (for example, their purchase history or a real estate property they’re interested in).
  • Include a call to action (CTA). Always include a CTA that tells people what to do (like to make a payment or adjust their reservation) or motivates them to take action (like using a discount code or completing their purchase).

Let’s say you’ve followed these best practices. Still, you’re not getting the desired results, like contacts using a promo code, fulfilling their cart purchase, setting up automatic monthly donations, or another one of our automatic reply examples. This is where testing the performance of your messages enters the picture. By tracking the results of your automatic text reply campaign, you’ll be able to see what’s working and what isn’t — and tweak it accordingly.

Now we’ve got you wondering, “How can I track the results of my auto reply text messages?” You can track the results of your auto reply text messages by monitoring conversions and appointments with a customer relationship management (CRM) system and by tracking analytics through your text marketing platform (shameless EZ Texting plug here!).

We go into more detail about measuring the financial success of your texts in our article on SMB sales etiquette.

Common Mistakes to Avoid With Auto Reply Text Messages

What are some common mistakes people make with auto reply text messages? Some common mistakes people make with auto reply text messages include not personalizing them, not writing with their audience in mind, not being compliant, not including a CTA, and not tracking their messages.

Not Personalizing

As you can see in our automatic reply examples, many include personalization, like a first name, purchase history information, an appointment time, etc. Why is personalization important? It not only makes the person feel valued, but it also gives your messages a human touch.

People receive all types of communication throughout the day, from emails to ads and texts. Your organization can stand out from those that seem to regurgitate content across channels by including these personal details. They won’t go unnoticed by your contacts.

Not Writing With the Audience in Mind

Maintaining your brand voice throughout all your marketing campaigns and other types of messaging (like auto reply for customer service) is crucial for creating a consistent experience for your audience. But you also need to write with their preferences in mind. Here are some examples of what we mean to optimize your texts for success:

  • Don’t include technical jargon for a non-technical audience
  • Be careful with generational lingo and emojis because younger audiences use different words and phrases than older audiences
  • Tailor seasonal messaging to different regions

Not Being Compliant

Don’t put your business at risk by not abiding by text marketing laws, like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). What are some legal requirements for using auto reply text messages? Some legal requirements for using auto reply text messages are:

  • Always asking for permission
  • Identifying yourself
  • Providing a disclosure
  • Making it easy to opt-out

Learn more about the TCPA guidelines and how EZ Texting makes it easy for your company to stay compliant with SafeSTOP.

Not Including a CTA

Including an automatic text reply without a CTA is like raising your hand and not asking a question. You’re leaving your audience on the edge of their seats! A stellar CTA is the best way to convert a potentially non-paying customer into a paying one.

Not Tracking Their Messages

Tracking your auto reply text messages is critical for understanding how each auto reply campaign works for your business. By routinely checking in on all the stats, you’ll get a good idea of what might need tweaking (like a CTA) to produce optimal results.

 

Boost Your Business with EZ Texting

Whether you’re running a nonprofit or managing a small biz, getting your auto reply text messages right is crucial for engaging with your audience and prompting them to invest in your organization’s cause, products, or services.

In addition to using these automatic reply examples for inspiration, give EZ Texting a try with a free 14-day trial. We’re your one-stop solution for all things text marketing.

FAQs

How often you should send auto reply text messages will depend on the type of campaign (like an appointment reminder versus a new contact promo code), but the rule of thumb is no more than once a week.

Yes, you can use auto reply text messages for both inbound and outbound marketing. An example of inbound marketing auto reply text messages is sending messages to people who sign up for your text marketing contact list, and an example of auto replies in outbound marketing is sharing info about a loyalty program or sending reservation/appointment reminders.

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