Sono Bello Increases Show Rates and Gains $1.5M in Monthly Revenue With Textel

Sono Bello Increases Show Rates and Gains $1.5M in Monthly Revenue With Textel

9% increase
in show rate

$1.5M in new incremental
monthly revenue

$250K in monthly revenue through text marketing campaigns

About Sono Bello
Patient experience is at the center of the Sono Bello brand. As an industry leader in cosmetic surgery, with 60+ locations across the United States, Sono Bello invests considerable resources into ensuring its prospects and patients receive the very best care, customer service, and treatment throughout the patient journey.

Industry: Cosmetic surgery specialists

Location: 60+ locations across the United States

Contact Center Size: 100+ seats

Use Case: Improve low contact rates, speed up agent response time, add text marketing for re-engagement & brand awareness

Problem

Every patient deals with the headache of appointments. Whether a prospective patient needs a consultation, or an existing patient needs to reschedule their check-up, the process of making appointments affects everyone.

In the past, the Sono Bello team relied on phone calls and emails to confirm appointments and to remind patients, make changes, or process cancellations.

Constant No-Shows

Despite sending confirmations and reminders, Sono Bello had an unacceptably high number of patient no-shows. Patients were simply not opening their emails or clicking portal or confirmation links.

With limited staff and time, each missed consultation was a lost opportunity to help someone in need of treatment. “Because our model is based on appointments, it’s critical to communicate easily,” says Tim Surowiecki, Chief Marketing Officer at Sono Bello. “Unfortunately, our patients weren’t picking up the phone or returning calls.”

Plus, phone calls lacked the privacy some patients needed. “Cosmetic surgery is a sensitive topic. Patients don’t want to say their age, weight, and body mass index out loud. They’re in meetings with coworkers. They’re out to lunch with friends. They want a more discreet way to provide this information. Text messages are perfect for that.”

Solution

  • Business texting enabled across all Sono Bello locations
  • Convenient, quick support over SMS, where patients can ask questions, reschedule, cancel, and follow up
  • Text-based marketing campaigns to engage new prospects
  • More efficient, empowering experiences for customer service agents

“We started getting inbound texts before even telling people about SMS support,” says Eric O’Brien, VP of Technology at Sono Bello. “As it turns out, our demographic is texting all the time.”

Today, customers receive appointment confirmations by text, and they can text back to confirm, reschedule, or cancel. Alongside other contact channels such as voice, Sono Bello customer service agents now text one-to-one with patients.

Before, Sono Bello staff could help only one patient at a time. Now, they support multiple customers at once by switching between text conversations. Plus, since SMS isn’t tied to Sono Bello’s open hours, patients can cancel, reschedule, or ask questions whenever they want.

Nothing falls through the cracks, and responsiveness is really great. We have two or three people available that can respond to patients quickly. If we leave our patients a voicemail, we might never hear back from them at all. Textel is a game-changer.

Eric O’Brien, Sono Bello

Result: More Patients & More Revenue

Many Sono Bello patients begin their journey by filling out a web form to get further information or schedule a consultation. From there, the Sono Bello team uses Textel to automatically initiate personalized drip campaigns via text that patients can respond to.

Sono Bello also launched a same-day text confirmation program for current patients. “We always had email reminders a couple of days out. But we felt like a simple day-of reminder would be helpful for patients,” says O’Brien.

As a result, show rates increased by a dramatic 9%, leading to 500 more “patient shows” per month and a $1.5 million increase in monthly incremental revenue. Similarly, Textel-enabled engagement campaigns generate $250K in incremental revenue per month.

“Nothing falls through the cracks, and responsiveness is really great. We have two or three people available that can respond to patients quickly. If we leave our patients a voicemail, we might never hear back from them at all. Textel is a game-changer,” says O’Brien.

About Sono Bello
Patient experience is at the center of the Sono Bello brand. As an industry leader in cosmetic surgery, with 60+ locations across the United States, Sono Bello invests considerable resources into ensuring its prospects and patients receive the very best care, customer service, and treatment throughout the patient journey.

Industry: Cosmetic surgery specialists

Location: 60+ locations across the United States

Contact Center Size: 100+ seats

Use Case: Improve low contact rates, speed up agent response time, add text marketing for re-engagement & brand awareness

HeartLine Spreads Awareness and Gains 20,000 Text Subscribers With Textel

HeartLine Spreads Awareness and Gains 20,000 Text Subscribers With Textel

Text subscribers gained

%

Text unsubscription rate

Streamlined operations and demographic data collection

About HeartLine
HeartLine is a non-profit service that connects Oklahomans to essential resources. With a database of 1,141 provider agencies representing 9,864 vetted services across 37 counties, HeartLine’s resource specialists connect community members in need to the help they need at any hour of the day. In the event of emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, HeartLine is available 24/7, 365 days a year, to offer specialized triage and screening services. They also provide an online Community Needs Dashboard that serves as a tool for provider agencies and community leaders to identify trends, needs, and gaps in services.

Industry: Non-profit social services

Location: Tulsa, OK

Contact Center Size: 65-70 seats

Use Case: Increase brand awareness, streamline operations, compliant communications

Product: Textel Conversations integration with NICE CXone

The Problem: HeartLine Needed a Channel to Proactively Share Services and Resources With Their Community

In February of 2020, Eastern Oklahoma, still thawing from a debilitating winter storm that left thousands without water in Tulsa, faced mass shutdowns. Along with the rest of the country, Oklahoma was navigating the unknowns of the early COVID-19 pandemic and an ensuing uptick in unemployment.

More than 100,000 people reached out to HeartLine for help in those first few weeks. Some needed assistance with utilities, and others with rent. And still more needed help accessing medical care.

Michael Coonfield, Director of Strategic Operations, and Ashlie Casey, Program Director for HeartLine, knew they needed to be more proactive in supporting and educating residents about the services that were most relevant to them.

“It’s those instances where we want to notify them of disaster relief resources immediately,” Casey explained.

They needed a way to promote their brand and to get information out to their community through a channel that would actually reach them — via text. And ideally, they were looking for a texting solution that would be able to extend the functionality of their existing contact center platform NICE CXone. They needed to simply add to the workflow they had in their contact center. And as luck would have it, the Textel integration with NICE CXone came to the rescue.

The Solution: With Textel, HeartLine was Able to Spread Brand Recognition While Supporting Their Workflow

Once Textel was implemented, HeartLine began building a texting contact list. They promoted texting at every touchpoint with their customers — on their website, in video, in their IVR messages, and with every caller. They saw immediate results, adding over 20,000 users to their text subscription list and retaining nearly all of them.

“Out of the 20,000 subscribers we send text messages to, we may get 40-50 people unsubscribe each month,” Coonfield said. “That’s only a 0.2% unsubscribe rate, which is fantastic for us. And we still have a whole lot more people sign up to replace the customers we’ve lost.”

To measure the impact of their texts, HeartLine would include unique links for each text message. This helped them know which messages make a difference. Texting their customers was working. They found that anytime they sent out a text message, they would quickly see a spike in web traffic and an increase in call volume. The word was getting out!

“We gained a lot of brand recognition when we added texting,” Coonfield said. “We could send our logo and social media links within a message, so our customers always associated our texts with our logo.”

Textel has allowed us to reach people instantly with information that can positively change their lives.

Ashlie Casey, HeartLine

And with greater recognition, their customers were noticing the wealth of information that HeartLine offered.

“There are a lot of customers subscribing to texts and engaging with our agents more than ever before,” Casey added. “Textel has allowed us to reach people instantly with information that can positively change their lives.”

Textel Helped HeartLine Streamline Their Operations

With the Textel Text Bot integrated in NICE CXone, HeartLine could speed up their processes as agents managed inbound texts. When a customer texts in, the Text Bot gathers the necessary customer demographic information, then routes the text to an agent to help with referrals, making for a smoother, streamlined operation.

“With the integration between NICE CXone and Textel, our contact center agents can easily manage texts in the same window they use for chats,” Coonfield explained. “So, they see no difference between the two skills. It fits right into our workflow!”

According to Coonfield, this lets them also be more strategic with their texts. If agents are slammed with incoming calls, texts can help to drive incoming traffic to the website or relieve agents of the monotony on the phone.

Textel Helped HeartLine Communicate Freely and Stay Compliant

HeartLine found ways to strategize their SMS campaigns. With Textel, they worked out a calendar to send blast text notifications so they could strategically reach their users during the busiest seasons.

By segmenting lists for outbound Blast texts, they can target a specific segment of their users, like a specific county, to communicate needs that are relevant to that region.

Then, depending on the text’s importance, HeartLine coordinates their social media marketing (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), newspapers, and news channels to align with the text notification, ensuring customers get the same information on all fronts.

In the meantime, HeartLine could trust that they were staying within TCPA compliance using Textel’s opt-in/opt-out management tools. When a user unsubscribes, Textel automatically removes those customers from the master list, keeping HeartLine legally in the clear.

The Result: With Textel, HeartLine Expanded Brand Awareness and Text Adoption

Gained 20,000 text subscribers.

After they added texting, HeartLine saw their contact list grow exponentially, gaining 20,000 text subscribers. This let them expand their outreach, offering more essential resources and information to their community.

Lowered unsubscription rate to 0.2%.

HeartLine noticed the popularity of texting with their customers, seeing only a 0.2% unsubscription rate with their texting list. Using Textel, it was easier for them to offer value to their customers, reaching customers in their preferred channel of communication.

Streamlined operations and demographic data collection.

With the help of the Textel Text Bot integration in NICE CXone, HeartLine could rely on automations to gather essential customer data before routing the customer to a live agent. They were also able to stay compliant using opt-in/opt-out tools to manage their subscription list.

About HeartLine
HeartLine is a non-profit service that connects Oklahomans to essential resources. With a database of 1,141 provider agencies representing 9,864 vetted services across 37 counties, HeartLine’s resource specialists connect community members in need to the help they need at any hour of the day. In the event of emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, HeartLine is available 24/7, 365 days a year, to offer specialized triage and screening services. They also provide an online Community Needs Dashboard that serves as a tool for provider agencies and community leaders to identify trends, needs, and gaps in services.

Industry: Non-profit social services

Location: Tulsa, OK

Contact Center Size: 65-70 seats

Use Case: Increase brand awareness, streamline operations, compliant communications

Product: Textel Conversations integration with NICE CXone

Valvoline Drives Revenue and Increases Coupon Send Rate by 76% With Textel

Valvoline Drives Revenue and Increases Coupon Send Rate by 76% With Textel

%

Increase in coupon send rate

%

Increase in coupon redemption rate

Decrease in average handle time (AHT)

About Valvoline
Operating for over 150 years, Valvoline is a global marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services. Ranked as the third best passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market, Valvoline has powerful brand recognition, notable for its exceptional service and innovative motor oil technology. Valvoline’s operations are extensive, with approximately 1,400 quick-lube locations and with the second largest retail brand by number of stores in the United States. In addition to the services they provide in store, Valvoline also markets its own brands of lubricants and automotive chemicals.

Industry: Premium automotive lubricants and services brand

Location: 1,200+ locations across the United States

Contact Center Size: 230+ contact center agents

Use Case: Decrease AHT, increase customer engagement

Product: Textel Conversations integration with NICE CXone

The Problem: With a Struggling Coupon Program, Valvoline Needed a More Efficient Channel to Send Promos to Customers

Valvoline’s contact center agents have plenty on their plate. On top of answering questions and fielding customer inquiries, they’re responsible for building up Valvoline’s customer experience in some critical ways.

Through the company’s coupon program, their contact center helps customers save money by sending coupons based on a customer’s service needs, automobile type, and more. These can then be redeemed the next time a customer brings their car to a Valvoline retail location. The coupon program has supported the brand’s customer loyalty, providing value straight to its customers.

What’s more, it helps drive direct revenue. But their contact centers were struggling to get the coupons sent out efficiently using only email. With email, agents could only opt customers in for coupons using an integrated page pop-up on their CCaaS platform. Send rates were low at only 17%, and redemption rates hovered at a mere 8%.

“We were emailing all our discounts to customers,” Valvoline’s Joseph Patrick said. “Getting email addresses over the phone left a lot of room for agent error and bounce back, which hurt our redemption rate.” Patrick, the company’s technology manager over customer support at the time, said the inefficiencies and error rates were too great to ignore. So, they turned to Textel.

The Solution: Valvoline Added Texting to Their CXone Workflow, Boosting Revenue, Customer Engagement and Efficiency

Valvoline already used the NICE CXone platform to streamline its IVR and track its customer experience metrics. So, Patrick pulled the data to see if there were any trends in customer preferences. Reports revealed huge clusters of customer phrases like, “Can you text it to me,” and “Text me my coupon.” This, he said, proved the demand for texting options.

After we analyzed our call transcripts, we saw an opportunity to send out coupons to our customers via SMS text instead of just email.

Joseph Patrick, Valvoline

“After we analyzed our call transcripts, we saw an opportunity to send out coupons to our customers via SMS text instead of just email,” Patrick explained.

But, with such a massive volume, +4.5 million estimated customer interactions annually, Patrick wanted a solution that would integrate right into their existing technology, ideally connecting with the contact center platform they already used.

On a recommendation from NICE, Textel provided a quick, easy and trusted text messaging experience for Valvoline’s discount coupon program. And, we connected into their CXone system. Textel worked alongside Patrick’s team to enable business texting at all of their contact center locations, then decided to tackle the issues with the coupon program. In just four weeks time, Valvoline had launched their text messaging solution and started to see results.

Using MMS, Textel Helped Valvoline Streamline the Coupon Program

MMS messaging opened the door for a new solution to Patrick’s problem, giving agents a way to text picture coupons to customers. “Now, they can send picture coupons by text message in the same page pop flow they’re already familiar with,” he said.

To implement this, Patrick’s team used the existing pop-up page agents were previously using to send coupons over email and included a new option for MMS text messaging in the drop-down menu. Pulling in available customer data, the text creates a custom coupon that agents can send to the customer’s cell phone on record. And to cut down on wasted time, Patrick’s team set it so that the customer’s phone number was pre-populated, making it quick for the agent to send the coupon over.

Now, agents are texting location-specific coupons tailored to fit their customers’ profiles with just a couple of clicks. The results are both impressive and unexpected. According to Patrick, they noticed their first positive ROI on the project cost in just two weeks from the launch date.

First, they saw the coupon send rate increase 76%, while coupon redemption has also increased at Valvoline Instant Oil Change stores. The integrated SMS capability also led to some additional efficiencies in the Valvoline contact center. Their average handle time (AHT) decreased by 20 seconds since deploying SMS, accompanied by a 10-second decrease in holding queue time.

“When you’re answering 200,000 calls a month, a 20-second improvement in AHT is very significant,” Patrick said.

With a 90% swing to prefer SMS over email, Valvoline customers have shown they’ll use texted coupons when given a chance. “At the end of the day, it’s about making each contact center interaction better,” Patrick added. “It’s clear that the text option for discount coupons meets our customer’s preference for SMS. Overall, business texting has improved agent efficiency and service level, further enhancing our customer experience.”

The Result: With Textel, Valvoline Improved Customer Engagement & Operational Efficiency

76% increase in coupon send rate.

After adding the option for SMS coupons within their coupon program, Valvoline was able to make their program more efficient and saw a dramatic increase in the number of coupons sent to customers.

20-second decrease in average handle time (AHT).

Once they added texting, Valvoline’s average handle time for customer interactions decreased by 20 seconds. Their holding queue time also decreased by 10 seconds. The improvement of both metrics saved them time, allowing them to connect with customers faster and more efficiently.

8% increase in coupon redemption rate.

With more coupons being sent to their customer base, Valvoline was able to increase revenue in their contact center. Within just the first few weeks of adding texting, they saw an 8% increase in the number of coupons redeemed by customers.

About Valvoline
Operating for over 150 years, Valvoline is a global marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services. Ranked as the third best passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market, Valvoline has powerful brand recognition, notable for its exceptional service and innovative motor oil technology. Valvoline’s operations are extensive, with approximately 1,400 quick-lube locations and with the second largest retail brand by number of stores in the United States. In addition to the services they provide in store, Valvoline also markets its own brands of lubricants and automotive chemicals.

Industry: Premium automotive lubricants and services brand

Location: 1,200+ locations across the United States

Contact Center Size: 230+ contact center agents

Use Case: Decrease AHT, increase customer engagement

Product: Textel Conversations integration with NICE CXone

Making the Most of Each Message: 6 Tips to Writing a More Effective SMS Message that Catch Your Customers’ Eye

Making the Most of Each Message: 6 Tips to Writing a More Effective SMS Message that Catch Your Customers’ Eye

Let’s take a walk down memory lane back to high school. You’re writing an essay for your English class and remember what your teacher had said about the introduction paragraph — it has to have a “hook.” Something needs to grab your reader’s attention or they won’t have a reason to keep reading. 

Ok, so you’re not in high school English classes anymore (thank goodness!), but I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t abandon that advice from your teacher. When you’re communicating with any audience, you want to make an impression. Especially when you’re trying to engage your customers, your writing needs to catch their attention and hold it. 

This concept is especially important when you’re writing an SMS message to send to your customers. While SMS is a great channel in terms of reaching customers with speed and flexibility, you only have a handful of words to make the message truly worthwhile. With 160 characters or so to capture your customer’s eye, you have to make deliberate choices to make the writing effective. We’ve put together a list of six helpful tips to writing a more effective SMS message to make the most of each text sent. 

>>Read Next: SMS Message Examples from the Employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company

6 Tips for an Effective SMS Message

1. Treat your first few words like a subject line.

When a text pops up on my phone, I can’t avoid the impulse to glance down and skim the first few words of the message. In just that glance, I can sense the tone and can decide whether I want to open that text right away or if it can wait.  Is a friend in need? Does my sister need me to babysit again? 

When you send an SMS message to your customers, always consider what they will see as the preview in their message inbox or on their notification screen. Treat the first few words as you would an email subject line: it’s the customer’s first impression before they open the text. Intentionally use powerful words (e.g., “explore,” “start,” “level up,” etc.), short sentences, or the customer’s first name through dynamic parameters to catch attention.

>> Read Next: 6 Tips to Harnessing the Power and Potential of Your SMS Marketing Services

2. Avoid confusing words and stay concise.

Just this morning I had a promotional SMS message from a politician pop up on my Apple Watch. The copy was wordy and the text was long. I don’t have time for that! Without a thought, I opened my phone and immediately deleted it. Attention spans are short, so when you send a text to your customers, get to the point quickly to ensure you capture their attention. 

In general, the shorter the text, the better. That rule is especially when you’re sending a proactive text to your customers. Keep the copy between 75-115 characters, or 3-4 lines long. Make sure your texts still look professional and are easy to understand by all age groups. Once you use big complicated words, long sentences or unnecessarily abbreviate words, you’ll lose your audience. 

3. Use visuals.

If the goal is to catch the eye of your customers, add in visuals where you can. MMS messaging makes texting customers much more interesting. Add in multimedia like images, GIFs, video, and audio to make your messages pop. Images are a fun way to give your messaging personality and flair. 

SMS message with graphic

 

Create attractive graphics that catch your customers’ eyes if they’re quickly scanning a text. 

Graphics can be used to communicate important information like discount codes or upcoming sales. When you add movement to an image — like as a GIF — this too will make your text stand out.

4. Express gratitude.

The customers on your opt-in list are likely to be some of your most loyal. And your loyal customers want to feel valued and cared for. So why not use every opportunity you can to express your thanks to them? 

When you send a text out, make sure your customers feel appreciated. Use expressions of gratitude in your text copy to build a connection with your customer base, even when you’re just sending an appointment reminder or a discount code. Add in phrases like “you’re the best, we appreciate you, your loyalty has paid off, thanks for being our customer” to boost engagement and interest in your brand and in your SMS message.

>> Read Next: The 5 Best Practices for Texting Customers (Without Spamming Them)

5. Use timely language.

Part of capturing your customers’ attention is to use some urgency in your writing. Powerful, emotional words and short sentences can effectively communicate when there is a time-sensitive event like a sale or low-inventory. Plus, most of your customers are going to be on the go when they receive your message. To add timely language in, use phrases like “this weekend, starting now, almost over, today only” so your customers want to open and read your text right when it shows up on their phone.

6. Assume your customer knows nothing… but also that they’re not stupid.

There’s a fine line between coming across as helpful to customers and being patronizing. The tone of a message can determine whether your customers stick around or not. Avoid over-explaining and address your customers like they’re adults…because, more than likely, they are! You don’t have to start at square one when explaining your product or a sale to your customers, but keep the language accessible. 

Be mindful when writing copy for your customers to not make them do additional work just to understand what they’re reading. Write instructions and descriptions simply and logically. Then, read and re-read before sending. Send a test text out just to your team internally to make sure the message hits right. Or, test it on a safe outsider to the brand to get their first impression before you blast it to hundreds of your customers.

Your customers want to connect with you. Read more about how to build texting into your customer journey for a long-lasting customer relationship.

12 Stats Proving that Business Texting from a Computer is the Future

12 Stats Proving that Business Texting from a Computer is the Future

Texting has become the most natural form of communication for most of us. Some 5.1 billion people on Earth own a cell phone, but most of us aren’t using them to make phone calls all day. Let’s say I want to reach a group of friends to plan a girl’s trip. Or maybe I need to ask my husband to pick up dinner on his way home from work. I send a text. Why? Because texting is a reliable, convenient, and fast way to reach someone. It doesn’t disrupt life like a phone call and doesn’t require formality like an email. 

Companies are starting to take note of the benefits of using business texting from a computer to reach customers. Sure, you may be feeling some hesitation — is business texting worth the cost? Is texting our customers too invasive? Do our customers actually want to text us? 

We’ve gathered 12 statistics that’ll answer your questions and prove its practicality. We’ll see why it’s actually one of the best ways to reach and engage your customers.

>> Read Next: 5 Ways Business Texting Supports a Better Customer Experience

Business Texting from a Computer Gets More Customer Engagement

1. Text messaging has a click-through rate of 19%, while email has a CTR of 3.2% on average. (CallHub)

2. 78% of US consumers say receiving a text message is the fastest way to reach them for important service updates and purchases. (The Vibe)

3. 82% of text messages are read within 5 minutes, but consumers only open 1 in 4 emails they receive. (Flowroute)

4. Business texting  response rates are 295% higher than responses from phone calls. (99firms)

5. 86% of companies that use business texting say texts engage customers more than email. (G2)

>> Read Next: ​​6 Signs it’s Time to Invest in Text Message Marketing

Customers Prefer to Text Your Business

6. 78% of consumers wish they could have a text conversation with a business. (Text Request)

7. 85% of customers prefer receiving text messages over a phone call or email. (PC Magazine)

8. 91% of customers who opt-in to receive texts from a brand see those messages as “very useful.” (Salesforce)

9. 47% of consumers say that, in general, they prefer texting to talking on the phone. (Nielsen)

10. 60% of consumers say they’d prefer to book their hair care appointments over text. (PR Newswire)

Business Texting Leads to More Conversion

11. Prospects who are sent texts convert at a rate 40% higher than those who don’t receive any text messages. (InsideSales)

12. 72% of customers are more likely to purchase a product from a site while communicating via texting in real-time, with a real employee. (PR Newswire)

>> Read Next: 5 Things to Look for in an Online SMS Tool to Offer an Incredible Customer Experience

This article was originally published on June 27, 2018 and was updated on June 23, 2022.

Your 4-Step Guide to Creating a Strategy for Texting Online to Improve Revenue and Build Loyalty Next Quarter

Your 4-Step Guide to Creating a Strategy for Texting Online to Improve Revenue and Build Loyalty Next Quarter

When your customers feel appreciated, your company reaps real, measurable growth. Growth like a boost to revenue for one. The payoffs for valued, great experiences are tangible. In fact, when you provide stellar CX, customers are willing to pay 16% more on your products and services. And they will be more loyal to you.

What can customer loyalty really do for you?

  • Retain customers. Repeat customers typically spend more than new customers. They already trust your business and its products or services.
  • Boost revenue. Just a 5% increase of customer retention could increase business profits by 25% to 95%.

The strategy is simple. To retain customers, spark a relationship. And do that by building experiences that create an emotional connection with your customers. But where do you start? Create a strategy for texting online. As many as 89% of consumers say they prefer texting with businesses over any other mode of communication. So it’s time to build out a strategy to drive your customer loyalty. And make some cash along the way.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Building Out a Strategy for Texting Online to Drive Customer Loyalty (and Revenue)

Step 1: Build Your Opt-in List

To build a relationship with your customers, you have to know who your customers are. Before you can text your customers, get permission to contact them and build an opt-in list. Opt-in lists establish a list of customers who have agreed to receive communications from you. They’ve already signaled that they want to be loyal to your brand. They make it easier for you to know your audience and target personalized content to fit their tastes.

To create your opt-in list, promote opportunities to sign up for texts in their order detail email or during the checkout process. Provide an online form for customers to sign up for emails and texts from your brand. And consider incentivizing customers to sign up with a coupon or exclusive deal. Make your texting opt-in like joining a loyalty club to engage with and create a stronger bond with your customers.

Step 2: Keep your Audience Engaged with Texting Online

After you have your opt-in list, you have to keep that audience engaged in order to retain them. Texting online gives your business a perfect channel to not only acquire customers but to retain them. Harvard Business Review knows that it is anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive to get a new customer than to keep a current customer. So, what touchpoints are you using to keep your customers close?

Here are some ideas that not only engage your customers, but also increase profit:

  • Gift your customers right off the bat. Welcome new subscribers with a discount coupon to use in their first 30 days.
  • Send customers in your opt-in list triggered messages about product updates, exclusive offers, or upcoming deals. Be cautious, though, about not sending these so frequently that they get annoying.
  • Give customers reasons to make repeat purchases by creating a point system and rewards. Just like with a credit card program, reward the more loyal customers with a discount after reaching a set point number or give them free shipping after spending a certain amount of money.
  • Send relevant content that interests your customers. Use MMS messaging to send interesting videos or create a newsletter with helpful product info.

Reportedly, customers like to be part of online texting loyalty programs. As much as 90% of participants in an SMS loyalty program have gained value from being a member. With special loyalty rewards and perks for signing up for SMS, your brand can give members the VIP treatment they expect.

Step 3: Customize and Personalize your Content

Personalization increases customer engagement and revenue. According to CMSWire, Amazon gets 30% of its revenue just from personalized recommendations. Today, personalized recommendations are almost as expected from brands as toilet paper is to bathrooms.

Amazon gets personal(ized) but not with texting online

Image Source

Considering that SMS has a 98% open rate compared to email marketing, texting online gives you a direct way to deliver a personalized experience with the guarantee that your customers will see your messaging.

Send texts that are personalized and ultra-relevant to your customers. Include their name in texts to make them feel known. Keep track of important dates — like their birthday or anniversaries — to send them exclusive offers on those days. Use feedback surveys and track customer purchases to make purchase recommendations or notify customers of specific sales that would pique their interest.

When you give customers a personalized experience, you’re more likely to keep them around and continue increasing revenue.

Step 4: Close Sales and Support Customers With Two-Way Texting

To maintain a relationship with your customers, you have to talk with them. Two-way texting online gives your sales and your customer service team a way to communicate directly with customers in a channel that’s more convenient and flexible than others.

Customer service agents and salespeople spend a lot of time on the phone. Texting online gives your teams a flexible and convenient way to cut back on wasted time (without leaving their CCaaS platform). To help your sales team qualify sales, send a text to the potential customer first. Include  information that will help them decide if they are a good candidate for your services or not. If you use two-way business texting online, you can let your customers make certain selections to get more information.

Provide proactive customer service by sending messages to teach customers how to use the product well. Give customers an easier way to reach you through two-way texting. This way, they can ask a simple question or request information without increasing your call volume. And they won’t spend unnecessary time on hold.

And if that isn’t enough, here’s an added bonus. McKinsey found that companies that elevate their customer service see employee engagement rocket up the charts by 20% on average. Now, literally, everyone is happy. With these added strategies, you’re building a team of engaged employees and customers, while driving revenue along the way.

This post was originally published on November 8, 2018 and was updated on June 16, 2022.