Maintaining customer loyalty is a pentacle for success – it takes fewer resources than acquiring new customers, and is beneficial for the business. Believe it or not, it’s estimated that a 5% increase in retention leads to an over 25% increase in earnings. However, with a wide net of marketing platforms available to boost your success, it might be tricky to see why exactly messaging marketing is the way to go.
It might surprise you to know that 82% percent of people open every message they receive, with 90% of them reading the message in the first three minutes. To boot, there is the fact that SMS marketing is what customers prefer. In its simplicity, it enables you to create personalized, targeted ads that will make people want to stay on with your business.
1. Get Permission from your Customers
It might sound simple, but the simplest of things are often overlooked. Before you engage in any texting, be sure you get your customer’s permission to message them. There’s nothing more infuriating than receiving a branded SMS when you haven’t given your explicit permission for one. That’s a sure way for your customer retention to suffer.
Be transparent and you will be rewarded.
2. Break your Customers into Target Groups
A 50-year-old and a 25-year-old will not be interested in the same type of product, nor do they have the same slang, interests, and values. In order for any marketing campaign to work, no matter your messaging platform of choice, you will need to create customer target groups and generate different types of content for each group.
While you can entice Gen Z with a promise of a glow-up, promising Gen X they’ll be flying with a certain product is more likely to win you a sale. Keep up with generational slang, and you’re sure to win some brownie points.
3. Create Thoughtful Messaging Marketing Campaigns
The best way of generating loyal customers is through a thoughtful and targeted marketing approach. While using different messaging platforms for your marketing will in no way drain your budget, it might require you to get those creative juices flowing.
Keep your messages short and sweet, remind your customers you’re there for them and allow them to connect with your brand. We live in a world where rich media channels are all the rage, so it’s nice for people to be reminded there are less invasive and direct ways a brand can communicate.
4. Personalise, Personalise, Personalise
An ultimate way to increase your customer retention is to show your customers you care, every step of the way. This starts with referring to them by name and sending them texts relevant to their interests and previous behavior.
Analyze your customer’s behavior, and send them engaging text messages instead of opting for generalized campaigns. If they’ve recently made a purchase, you can shoot them a quick text to show your appreciation. Or, if you’re planning a more general SMS marketing campaign, send them promotions for products they’ve already shown interest in.
Pro tip: Offer birthday discounts and customer loyalty rewards!
5. Check all the Preparation Boxes
It’s easy to get lost in the endless possibilities of texting and forget the technical aspects of the game. So here are some things to consider after creating a thoughtful and personalized text messaging campaign.
- How will you be sending out these messages? Choose a software that works for you!
- Which customer behaviors will trigger your texts? Set up your automation right!
- How will you track the campaign’s success? Don’t forget to set up the analytics!
Once you’ve set everything up, your campaign is ready to take off!
Interestingly, messaging marketing is no different from other marketing campaigns when it comes to the preparation needed. But, it is likely to take a lesser chunk of your budget, while scoring you quick and easy points. In the saturated marketing world, we live in, there is no better way to increase customer retention, engagement, and satisfaction.
