One channel of communication with clients is good, two are better. Their competent combination increases the effectiveness of marketing. Automation of sending SMS and email allows the marketer to focus on more important tasks, knowing that clients will receive personal messages on time.
Paul Henley in his book “Guerrilla Marketing” emphasized that success depends on combining all marketing tools. You need to contact customers when there is something new. Many marketers forget this, bombarding users with the same type of messages.
A professional does not overload the client. Having conveyed a message in one channel, he no longer bothers the user about the same thing. He takes into account the specifics of each channel. Emails allow you to send more text, add illustrations and personal selections. SMS have a high open rate – 98%. About 90% of SMS are read by users within 3 minutes.
What techniques can be used?
Large retailers send SMS with short reminders about discounts, and then email with full terms and links to products. But let’s see what techniques you can apply in practice to increase response and interaction with your audience.
1. Contact immediately after registration
Sending a welcome letter to a client is a must. The first impression determines further interaction with the client. During registration, it is important to attract the user’s attention and be remembered. Therefore, you need to send both SMS and email.
SMS and welcome letter together strengthen the brand in the customer’s memory. This shows your care and confirms successful registration.
Example: You register on a fashion website. However austria email list 860976 contact leads a minute later you receive an SMS: “Congratulations on registering with Fashionista! Check your email for a welcome letter and a 10% discount on your first order.” The email contains a greeting, thanks for registering, and a 10% discount.
75% of users open welcome letters. 40% of them make a purchase. Letters create a positive first impression and motivate you to take action. You feel the company cares, which increases your chances of further purchases.
2. Inform about the order status
Timely notification of the client is a sign of high quality service. Send information about the terms and conditions of delivery by e-mail. Notify the client of any changes immediately.
Not all users check their email regularly. An important letter may go unnoticed. If the client has not opened the email within 24 hours, duplicate it via SMS. Include a link to track the order.
This way you will avoid customer dissatisfaction and increase their loyalty.
Example: You ordered a product from an online store. The store immediately sent an email with delivery information. The email contains terms and conditions. A day later, the store noticed that you did not open the email. You receive an SMS: “Your order has been sent. Delivery time is 3 days. Tracking link.” You are happy because you received all the necessary information on time.
3. Use cascading mailing mechanics
Don’t overload the client with the same type of messages. If a person has read the email, there is no point in repeating the same in SMS. But if the client has not opened the email, you can send SMS. We tested this approach when preparing an online lecture by our CEO Nikolay Khlebinsky in May. We recommend that you use it too.
How to launch cascading mailings with Retail Rocket:
- Download the contact database.
- Create message templates.
- Select segments and sending sequence.
You can send messages to all clients at once or choose the best time for each user.
We tested this mechanics while preparing an online lecture by our CEO Nikolay Khlebinsky in May of this year and now we confidently recommend that you use it too.
To launch cascading mailings using Retail Rocket, sms and email you need to upload a contact database, create message templates, and select segments and a sending sequence. You can send messages to all customers at once or select the best sending time for each user.
4. Make triggered mailings more effective
It is not difficult to link SMS to trigger mailings. The main thing is to choose the necessary scenarios.
Triggered mailings bring returns. Therefore email design: tips to make an impact with your campaigns sending SMS with the same message if the trigger letter is not opened is a smart decision. The effectiveness of such mailings should be monitored immediately. Sending SMS to all users can be too expensive. Therefore, send SMS only to loyal and VIP clients.
Example: If you are an online store owner and are running a 20% discount promotion on your summer collection, follow these steps:
- Send an email with information about the promotion.
- After 24 hours, send an SMS to those who did not open the letter.
- Set up automatic sending of SMS with the same offer to those who did not open the letter.
- Track how many customers opened the email after receiving the SMS and how many took advantage of the discount.
- Send SMS only to loyal and VIP customers to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
5. Inform about new products
Updating the assortment is a reason to remind about your online store. Email marketers launch mass mailings, but their 100% open rate is impossible.
To notify those who have not opened the email, sms and email use SMS. It is not necessary to send messages to the entire database. Select a segment interested in the product category of the new product, or send messages only to loyal customers.
Example: You added a new shoe collection. The email newsletter reached some customers, but not all of them opened the email. Send an SMS: “The new shoe collection is already on sale! Check out the new arrivals.” This will reach those who did not open the email and increase the chances of a purchase.
6. Congratulate the client
Updating the assortment is a reason to remind about your online store. Email marketers launch mass mailings, but their 100% open rate is impossible.
To notify those who have not opened the email, use SMS. It is not necessary to send messages to the entire database. Select a segment interested in the product category of the new product, or send messages only to loyal customers.
Example: You added a new shoe collection. The email newsletter reached some customers, but not all of them opened the email. Send an SMS: “The new shoe collection is already on sale! Check out the new arrivals.” This will reach those who did not open the email and increase the chances of a purchase.
7. Use the urgency effect
FOMO marketing (fear of missing out) is used by many online stores. Limiting the time of sale or the quantity of goods fuels the interest of buyers. That is why companies hold flash sales and promotions.
Combining channels enhances the FOMO effect. Moreover kcrj this is the case when email and SMS can be sent simultaneously. If the promotion is limited in time, do not wait for the client to open the letter. Notify regular customers in several channels at once.
Example: You are running a flash sale. Send an email and SMS at the same time: “Today only! Discounts up to 50% on all products. Hurry.” This will get the information to customers faster and increase sales.
SMS texts should be clear and concise
SMS in Cyrillic are limited to 70 characters. To stay within this limit, avoid unnecessary words and epithets. Do not use emoticons, as they take up characters and can distract from the main information. Be careful with abbreviations. For example, it is better to use “вследя” in full, rather than “вст”. Capital letters can be perceived as shouting, so use them sparingly.
Clearly formulate the goal and call to action. Every word is important in SMS. Determine what you want to communicate and what step the client should take. For example, instead of “Don’t miss our promotion,” it’s better to write “20% discount! Use code: SALE20.”
Links in SMS can be shortened, but not in email. In SMS, use link shortening services to save characters. In email, links should be full, as long links are not as critical and often cause fewer problems. Shortened links in email may look suspicious and cause distrust.
Why you shouldn’t use shortened links in emails? Shortened links can look like spam or phishing. Subscribers may doubt the safety of such links. It’s better to provide full links in emails to increase trust and avoid misunderstandings.
