Messages like booking reminders and order confirmations often fall into the ‘boring’ trap. But don’t worry, there’s a simple way out! Ditch the blunt language and double down on creating functional-but-fun content to build rapport with customers. See our top content tips below.
Introduce yourself
What about including a first name? This can help break down the barrier between you and your recipient, like you’re talking to them directly. It makes it feel personal. It also creates a memorable experience for them, as you build rapport and stand out versus your robotic competitors out there.
If it adds to the customer experience, upsell
This applies to any kind of message you might be sending: a booking reminder, a delivery update or a tax return.
You can stick to the essential info, such as the dates and times, or you can add a little extra. No matter your industry, there’s always an opportunity to upsell with an approachable, positive and empathetic tone. For example, if someone makes a spa booking, why not add to their chill, relaxing experience by highlighting the luxury fizz they could receive on arrival?
Steer away from including ‘do not reply to this message’
If a customer can’t reply to your message because you’re sending it from your brand name, you have lots of different options. We’d encourage you to include a call to action, such as a phone number, an email address or a relevant link, e.g. to a web form. We also offer the option for you to send messages from a reply number, which allows your customers to respond to your message if you wish.
By adding a point of contact, you become approachable to the customer and save yourself more time in the long run, as they can easily contact you to action what you need, or to reschedule or cancel an appointment.
Here’s an example we created especially for our case study with CKW Chartered Certified Accountants:
Be functional but fun
No matter how ‘transactional’ you consider the message to be, there’s also a chance to jazz up the experience. Take this ‘house viewing reminder’ content, as seen in our ultimate guide to transactional SMS:
This message creates just the right amount of anticipation. It strikes the balance of being informative and friendly (‘exciting news’), and goes above and beyond to create a positive experience for the house viewers – including directions and contact details. Importantly, the message is coming straight from the agent who is going to greet you, making it feel extra exclusive.
Include a clear call to action
The vital part of any message. Whether you’re including a link or contact details, try and use action-based words, such as ‘call us’, ‘check it out’ or ‘click here’. These create more urgency to act. There are also specific tools, like the option to include a branded URL, to help increase click-through rates by providing a trustworthy, branded link.
This tool transforms your link into something like: sms.yourbrand.com/ABC123. See the example below:
Check out awesome guide on how to transform your texts: sms.firetext.co.uk/ABC123
Don’t forget your brand’s tone of voice
You don’t want to go off-piste when it comes to how you usually talk to your customers. Only you know what your tone is, and what works for your audience. SMS is a personal and direct channel to get your message across, so it’s great to bear this in mind too. Think of of it like chatting to your customer face to face: How would you greet them? What’s your tone of voice? Then apply this to your message.
Provide an opt-out option
By providing an opt-out in your messages, you give people the option to unsubscribe from any further SMS communications from you. This means that while some recipients will opt-out, you’ll be sending SMS messages you know your recipients will want to engage with.
We can provide you with a URL opt-out to include in your messages. This is where we create you a branded landing page. Your recipients simply click on a link to go through to a page and from there, they can opt-out.
Once set up, you would include it within your message content – like the example below 👇
Opt-Out? www.sto.pm/[Your Custom Opt-out]
And transform your messages…
Using everything we’ve learnt, here’s an example of how you can transform a message from blunt to brilliant. And remember, regardless of your industry, there’s also a chance to evolve your messages.
Before
After
Voila! You’ve introduced yourself, built rapport, and offered the chance to make their time even better – creating a memorable experience before the customer has even arrived for the same cost as the ‘before’ message. Now it’s simple, try this on your content!
We help you transform your messages
Regardless of your industry, there’s also a chance to evolve your messages. We’re experts at exactly that. Email us at hello@firetext.co.uk and one of our lovely account managers will give you 1:1 content guidance.
