Sending SMS to your customers can feel like a dream come true. There is no better way to reach them and make sure they actually read what you have to say. And if you think one way SMS is super cool, wait until you hear what 2 way SMS has to offer. Because, trust me, two way SMS takes it to another level.
It’s your best bet to cut through the noise, grab attention and turn subscribers into customers. Learn how.
What Is Two Way SMS
2 way SMS creates engagement, builds trust and customers perceive your brand more like a friend than a business that’s trying to sell them something. And we all know that marketing that doesn’t feel like marketing is the best. More importantly, it increases your revenue.
Two way SMS is a tool that transforms SMS marketing from a one-way street to a powerful conversation-starter, and sales machine. It doesn’t only offer you to text your customers, but also allows them to text you back. Just like friends do.
How Does 2 Way SMS Messaging Work
Let’s cut to the chase and show you an example of how 2 way SMS messaging works.
Let’s say you’ve sent a campaign to your SMS subscriber list where you promote your new product. The goal is, of course, to sell that product to as many people as possible. But SMS is short, only 160 characters, and leads to a product page. While the product page has more information about the product, maybe you’ve let something slip.
If you don’t use two way SMS messaging, there are several possible outcomes:
- Customers try to contact customer support to ask additional questions via email or phone number. This requires waiting, and you risk them changing their minds.
- They don’t react to their impulse to buy immediately, because there are some questions they have about the product. And if they don’t buy immediately, chances are they won’t buy at all.
- They like the product, but they’ll go to your competitors and buy from them, because they’ve explained the product better, and customers can’t be bothered to wait for your response.
With two way SMS, you can streamline this process and make sure they buy, from YOU. How?
If you implemented 2 way SMS, your subscribers would be able to text you back and ask any questions they have. You can respond to those questions in two ways:
- Set up trigger keywords that they can type & send and get an automated response. For example, they might want to know how long they have to wait for the product to arrive. By sending you “Delivery” they’ll get an instant response with delivery information.
- You can chat live with customers, and real humans can respond instantly to the questions your customers have.
Remove the friction. Capitalize on customers’ impulse to buy. Build trust with exceptional customer service.
And when you have their trust, they’ll gladly buy from you. Over and over again. Because trust sells.
The Difference Between Two Way SMS and One Way SMS
One way SMS is like other marketing channels. You present an offer to your subscribers, or share something valuable and hope for sales and clicks. And it does wonders in increasing your revenue.
But two way SMS is way more powerful because you can have 1-1 conversations with your customers, and get valuable insights about them, their habits, what they want and like, and sometimes, what they despise.
You learn what’s important to them, and you can tailor your marketing strategy to target their pain points and offer a solution better than your competitors. Because you have that unique data, while they don’t. And you don’t have to use those insights only when doing 2 way SMS marketing, but also for marketing on other channels.
With 1 way SMS you have a powerful marketing tool, but with 2 way SMS you have real conversations with your customers and a way to win them over. Quickly.
7 Benefits of Two Way SMS That No Other Channel Offers
What’s so special about 2 way SMS? Why would you take your time to try out a new channel? These 7 benefits of two way SMS will tell you the answer you’ve been looking for:
- Facilitate conversations with your customers and get to know them better, while building trust with two way SMS.
- 2 way SMS increases engagement and response rates which are important SMS marketing KPIs you’ll want to reach.
- It feels less like marketing, and more like the 1-on-1 conversation between your brand and customers. They’ll love you for it!
- Get an edge on your competitors by offering exceptional customer service that you can only achieve with 2 way SMS marketing.
- Collect valuable data and learn more about your customers than ever by analyzing the most common questions and responses you get from them.
- Connect with SMS subscribers on a deeper level by using two way SMS as tool to start authentic conversations.
- Track your progress and performance with SMS marketing analytics, and implement what you’ve learned from your 2 way SMS marketing efforts.
2 Way SMS Use Cases
How can you use 2 way SMS to grow your business?
- Confirm, reschedule or cancel appointments in a simple, automated process.
- Collect feedback from customer satisfaction surveys.
- Coordinate deliveries & never worry about logistics again, because 2 way SMS has got you covered.
- Offer top-notch customer service that has a solution 24/7.
- Set up automatic responses with trigger keywords.
- Create immersive marketing campaigns where SMS subscribers are at the center.
- Improve engagement rate by letting the subscribers play a key role in your marketing campaign.
- Follow up with leads & convert them into customers.
3 Simple Steps to Start With Two Way SMS
Your starting point for two way SMS depends on whether you use SMS marketing or you’re just about to start.
If you want to start with SMS marketing, here is how to kick it off right:
- Read Guide to SMS Marketing for Agencies: Everything You Need to Know
- Get familiar with proven bulk SMS marketing tips and avoid common mistakes. These tips are your roadmap to successful SMS marketing campaigns.
- Sign up for Emitto and give it a try. Because the best learning experience comes from practice.
If you’re already using SMS marketing, we’ve got something for you as well!
- Maybe you don’t have enough marketing phone numbers to realize how lucrative SMS can be. The first step is to Grow your SMS list, and we know how!
- Struggling with reaching your goals? SMS Marketing KPIs will tell you what you should focus on based on where you are now.
- Experiment with different Types of Bulk SMS Marketing, you’ll be surprised by the results!
P.S. Besides other amazing features, Emitto also offers 2 way SMS service. The question is, are you ready to skyrocket your engagement & sales? If so, book a demo and let our experts walk you through setting up your most successful 2 way SMS marketing campaign to date!
