Month: June 2018

Looking for ways your business can bring in more revenue? The answer may be right under your nose, or at least under your thumbs. The messaging channel, and specifically SMS or text messaging is the hot new communication channel for many companies, and it is one of the most important channels businesses should be focused on. We talk a lot about how companies can use messaging to provide better and more convenient customer service, but what about how messaging can generate new revenue?

Sure, a company could always decide to raise prices to generate new revenue, but there are other ways to skin that top-line cat. At the heart of any new revenue generating strategy is acquiring new customers, or having existing customers spend more and/or more frequently. In this article, we’ll take a look at how text message marketing can generate new revenue by influencing these three levers.

What are the Advantages of SMS Marketing?

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about outbound messaging these days. That’s because outbound SMS messaging is different than other channels for several reasons. By far, the most obvious reason is that smartphones have become ubiquitous. Everyone has a mobile device within reach, almost 24/7, and people primarily use their smartphones for texting. The pervasiveness of mobile technology makes it easy to see why text messaging would be the ideal means to engage with customers.

The second reason is consumers still view the messaging channel as a pure, noise-free way of communicating with friends, family, and even the brands they know and trust. This is evidenced by the incredibly high open rates for SMS (96%) and subsequent response rates (35%) of text messages.

The third reason, and this is probably the most important of them all, is that text messaging fits into the digital-first lifestyle of connected customers. Consumers have to be pulled away from their busy lives to engage with companies via phone or email. With text messaging, the consumer is in control of the pace of the conversation.

Turns out, giving that control back to consumers isn’t a bad thing. In fact, here are three instances when giving control of the conversation back to the consumer encourages them to let their guard down and can even build trust.

1. Getting New Customers

Conversations about mobile marketing will usually conjure images of mass text messages sent to unsuspecting recipients. When we say get new customers, we don’t recommend sending bulk text messages to people who haven’t opted-in to your brand’s communications. There are many examples of Text-2-Join, Text-4-Info, Text-2-Win campaigns, and the like, that have gone sideways. Some consumers actually consider this type of outbound messaging too invasive and will not hesitate to respond with a “STOP” command, severing mobile messaging ties with the company.

When we talk about using business sms messaging to expand the customer base, we’re talking about using messaging as a way to be accessible to your prospective customers, who have opted-in to receive your communications. Influence their decision to buy by being a convenient, timely and trustworthy source of information. A text message to a consumer who may still be in the research phase of their purchase can serve as a welcome mat to ask the questions or receive the information that will get them to a “ready to buy” phase.

At Quiq, we believe companies that are present at the consumers’ moment of need, are the ones that are invited into a deeper relationship with those consumers. One of those critical moments may be right before they actually purchase and when they need guidance on your products or services. Take the pressure off of consumers to engage with you on your timeframe by leveraging the messaging channel. Invite your prospective buyers to engage with you during the pre-sales process to set your brand up as a helpful, accessible advisor.

2. Encouraging Customers to Spend More

You’ve earned the right to call them customers, well, Bob’s your uncle. If they are happy with you, then it should be easy to get them to buy more, right? The problem is, you have to cut through so much noise and clutter to get their attention time and time again. Until now. With today’s technology and Quiq, companies can actually engage with customers on the channel that is most preferred to them.

Remember when we said text messaging is a noise free channel and that text messages have a 96% open rate? Well, we should add that most text messages are read within 3 minutes of receipt with a response rate anywhere from 32% to 45%. Now, you can send a call to action where people actually take action.

With messaging, you can take advantage of cross-selling and encourage customers to purchase complementary products or services. You could make larger sales by bundling products or services or encourage customers to buy a new product or service you offer. The real magic lies in the fact that now, these messages aren’t lost in their inbox, like email.

3. Influence Customers to Spend More Frequently

Given everything that was stated above, the ability to increase repeat business may be an obvious outcome of using outbound SMS to get in front of your customers. But it deserves repeating in this context.

Even if you entice a customer to make a larger purchase once, it doesn’t mean they’ll be back. Mobilizing existing customers to come back may be the key to generating new revenue since returning customers spend 67% more than new customers.

Many a promotion has fallen on deaf ears because it was lost in a stream of emailed offers or thrown away with a stack of direct mail and weekly flyers. Consumers trust that the messages they opted-in to receive from brands are filled with information that can add some value to their busy lives. With Quiq’s outbound SMS, you can create timely and targeted offers and promotions that are viewed as valued communications, and thus, get attention.

Implementing Effective Text Message Marketing Campaigns

Text message marketing is most effective when it’s utilized as part of a greater cross-channel messaging approach. When you give customers the choice to interact with your brand through their preferred messaging channel, they’re more likely to stay engaged with you. Although SMS has the greatest potential reach of any messaging channel (practically everyone can receive and send a text), some customers may prefer to chat over Facebook Messenger or a similar channel. How do you determine which channel is a customer’s favorite? Give them a choice to reach out to you from a range of channels and see which one they pick.

One of the most effective messaging campaign strategies that has emerged recently is the use of questions and polls. Asking for consumer feedback empowers those that want to have their voice heard and shows customers that you care about what they have to say. The brilliance of this strategy lies in the fact that it is not salesy at all, and yet it can build loyalty and drive conversions. Once a consumer has shared some feedback, your business is free to make suggestions of goods and services that could fit their needs.

Realize the Advantages of SMS Marketing

As you can see, the advantages of SMS marketing are very real. Messaging makes it easy for customers to get in touch whenever they need you and you can help them, all in one conversation. Messaging makes it easy to have real interactions with your customers while answering their questions. Helping them at their time of need, learn more about your products and link them straight to the information they’re looking for. Quiq clients use messaging for meaningful engagement with customers across their entire journey. Our clients seamlessly and consistently communicate with customers across mobile, social and web to improve customer relationships.

Quiq makes it easy for customers to contact a business via Messaging, the preferred channel already in use with friends and family. With Quiq, customers can engage with companies via SMS/text messaging, Facebook Messenger, Web Chat, In-App, and Kik for help with their pre-sales and post-sales questions. In return, companies get a digital engagement platform to communicate with customers and gain valuable consumer insights.

Discover the true potential of cross-channel messaging for your business by trying out a Quiq Demo today.

Retaining your customers and creating brand loyalty doesn’t happen overnight. One must be deliberate and take action to create opportunities for great experiences to drive repeat business and build brand loyalty. To keep customers coming back to your business, it’s critical to be where your customers are and foster the communication channels they prefer.

Customers today are digital-first and want interactions with companies to fit into their busy lives. That’s why text messaging is the preferred method of contact for the majority of consumers. It is how they communicate with family and friends, so it is ubiquitous. Text and SMS messaging allows for starts and stops in conversations, putting control and convenience in the hands of your customers. You just have to be accessible over SMS messaging when they need something. In this article, we take a look at how your business can use SMS software to increase customer retention.

Return on Customer Investment

It takes a lot of time and effort to get consumers to click on your ad, visit your booth, or jump on a call with you. Earning a consumer’s attention for the first time can cost 5 to 10 times more than it takes to retain an existing one. We all know customer acquisition takes a considerable investment of time, money, and effort.

The return on that investment depends on how long you’re able to keep customers satisfied and for how long. Over the life of that customer, you’ll reap benefits beyond repeat sales. Long-term customers spend more money because they’re familiar and happy with your brand, will refer your products, and will spend less money to advertise.

Customers Happier With Text Messaging

At Quiq, we exist to help our clients be where their customers are. Leading brands communicate on their customer’s channel of choice at their customer’s moment of need. Being there for connected customers during their moment of need has become our mantra because we know it can make or break whether a customer returns to a brand for future interactions.

The ability to engage with your company, resolve issues quickly, and get timely and relevant information is a large part of your brand, so make sure it’s as easy and convenient for the customer as possible.

There’s plenty of research that, not surprisingly, reveals text messaging as the preferred way to communicate. Consumers rely on SMS messaging as a way to communicate with family, friends, and yes, even companies because it is so convenient and doesn’t disrupt their busy lives. Text messaging has become so prevalent that customers have come to expect the ability to message their favorite brands. In fact, our research reveals that 69% of consumers expect to see text messaging as a customer service communication channel.

Our research also reveals that customers who use messaging as their primary communication channel have significantly higher CSAT scores than those who use phone or email. The higher CSAT scores are partly a result of customers who are able to seek support on their terms – support that happens on their timeline and on a channel that is convenient for them.

Building Loyalty Through Text Messaging

Like any long-term relationship, building customer loyalty takes trust and a personal connection. Traditional means of engaging with a company, like the phone channel and email, can hinder and even damage the client-customer relationship.

Think of the customer who needs immediate help and is frustrated by a long or confusing IVR system, or who sits on hold for 20 minutes to speak to an agent, or who has to continually scan their email to see if they have finally received a response. Those experiences, frustration and all, are now part of that customer’s perception of your brand. It’s hard to make a personal connection if the customer comes into the conversation already frustrated and confused, or can’t connect with an agent at all.

The customer may have been satisfied with their product or service up to the point when they needed assistance. The messaging channel delivers the highest CSAT scores because it gives customers an easy, familiar, and convenient way to engage with you. Whether customers choose to send a text on their mobile phone, chat while they are on your website, or connect through social media, these channels allow customers to leave a message and continue doing what they were doing while awaiting a prompt response.

Texting with your customers differentiates your business and shows your customers that you value their time and your relationship with them. Quiq clients that implement messaging can deliver positive experiences consistently over the messaging channel.

Customer loyalty is built through consistently fulfilling customers’ expectations of service. Messaging takes away the friction that wait times and overly slow responses create and makes it more likely that your customer will engage with you again.

The Future of Customer Loyalty

Think of building customer loyalty as a bank. It takes time to build up a reserve, but consider every positive engagement as a deposit into that customer loyalty account. Since today’s customers use their smartphones for everything from buying products to contacting support, It makes sense that customers expect these engagements to happen on mobile devices.

By 2019, requests for customer support through consumer messaging apps will exceed requests for customer support through social media according to Gartner research. A smart device is always within reach, so it’s not surprising that mobile messaging is one of the fastest growing support channels. Today’s consumers want to be able to reach companies on their terms and when they need something. Text messaging and SMS software an easy solutions to drive positive customer experiences that keep them coming back for more.

Quiq makes it easy for customers to contact a business via Messaging, the preferred channel already in use with friends and family.  With Quiq, customers can engage with companies via SMS/text messaging, Facebook Messenger, Web Chat, In-App, and Kik for help with their pre-sales and post-sales questions. In return, companies get a digital engagement platform to communicate with customers.