Did you know that text messages have a 98% open rate? That means you can pretty much guarantee almost every single text message you send will be read. It will no doubt grab the attention of your customer, but realize the time they spend with your text is extremely valuable. Send a couple un-useful texts or fail to write a professional text message and you could lose that customer forever.
Over 2.27 trillion messages are sent annually in the United States.
Believe it or not, there really is an art to crafting a useful text to obtain a desired result. Here is a five-item checklist to increase those chances of getting exactly what you want out of business texting. Answer these questions to write a professional text message that’s still personal.
1. Is Your Content Customized?
Want to see your conversation rates soar? Personalize the content of your text with information you already know about your customer or from information stored within your CRM (Customer Relationship Management). With information like purchase details, zip code, last check-in date, or even a spouse’s or pet’s name, you are speaking to the individual and not the masses. Those subtle personal touches make a huge difference. Sixty-six percent of consumers say they are likely to switch brands if they are treated like a number instead of an individual.
You can manually personalize each text, or you can automate it with a tool like Custom Fields when using Skipio. Custom Fields will take information stored within your Contact’s Form and put it into your messages when they are being sent in bulk.
Here is an example of how one gym owner used Custom Fields with a member:
“Hey [First Name] glad to see that you came to workout on [Last Visit]! How did your workout go? Keep it up! You’re well on your way to losing that [Goal]! *flex emoji*”
Just a little bit of personalization goes a long way. Sixty-six percent more of the way!
2. Is it Short and Sweet?
Texting holds a sacred place in our lives — we know that when we hear that ping, we can immediately read that message in one glance. Immediately is the key word here. The brief nature of text messaging is exactly why this medium has a 98% open rate.
Skipio has a 320 character limit, and while that may seem like a lot, people are asking us for more! The reality is, once our industry starts expanding that limit, texting will lose its biggest value – that 98% open rate. If you want your text read, keep it short and sweet.
3. Did You Ask a Question?
In a recent Skipio study, we sent one text every day, for 30 days, in which we asked clients to respond with a simple word. The texts that contained a personalized question received 25% more responses than those with just a statement. According to Neuroscience Marketing, “Questions in tweets can get more than double the amount of clicks and will boost your persuasiveness.” Questions make your readers think – they process your words more intensely and become invested in the message.
For example:
- Statement text: I hope you got your exercise in last week. It doesn’t matter if it was one hour or six, let’s make this week even better! Today’s workout time is 20 minutes. Make sure to text me when you are done!
- Question text: How many days did you exercise last week? I would love an update and then let’s make a goal to increase your workout time this week! The plan for today is 20 minutes. Make sure to let me know when you are done.
Do you want to see that 45% response rate increase to 70%? Ask a question!
Questions in tweets can get more than double the amount of clicks and will boost your persuasiveness.
4. Did You Start With “I”?
Loews Hotels chairman and CEO Jonathan Tisch advises to not start sentences with the word “I.” Make the text about the customer, not you. Don’t send the message that you are more important than the person you are communicating with. Show them that you are thinking about them and it will make that recipient more inclined to listen.
5. How Is Your Tone?
Just because you write your text a certain way, that doesn’t mean it is interpreted in the same way. We will call it a casualty of the texting game. Without the benefit of facial expressions or vocal inflections, emoticons and exclamation points can only do so much! To avoid a communication disaster, read, reread, and then read the text out loud to analyze your tone. Then, imagine the person on the other end of the text and how they may be receiving it.
For example:
- What was written: That’s not what we agreed to when we spoke.
- Tone interpretation: I know you weren’t really listening and you’re trying change the agreement, so let me set you straight.
- What could have been written: In taking a look at my notes, I may have misunderstood. Do you have a few minutes to talk on the phone today? Thanks!
To write a professional text message, minimize the possibility of your words being taken the wrong way. That means being very aware of your tone while texting. If you take the time to think about how your texts may come off, your recipients will be much more open to what you have to say.
Start your texting journey
Texts are meant to be personal and are a reflection of you and your company. Every single text sent is an opportunity for that customer to decide if you are worth their time. Never take those high open and response rates for granted. Keep it personal, and if you remember that every text you send will actually be seen by an individual, you will see your conversion rates soar.
Start with Skipio now to bring this personal touch to your professional spaces.
