Email Marketing With An SMS is becoming a powerful strategy as SMS marketing grows more prominent and brands try to put content in front of as many faces as possible. While an effective tool, there’s no hiding that this is an invasive marketing strategy that, when used inappropriately, can harm customer relationships.
This makes it a particularly challenging tool to master.
Too few messages, and you’re missing the opportunity to catch customers when they are in a position to purchase
Too many messages, and your customers will unsubscribe very quickly.
We’re here to share our recommendations with you today.
Firstly, What Is A Follow-Up SMS
A follow-up SMS is essentially a text that goes out to customers shortly after an email is sent, if they don’t engage. For example, let’s say you send an abandoned cart email 1 hour after your customer leaves their cart behind, but they don’t open or click after 2 hours. A follow-up SMS could be sent to prompt them to return, and to ensure any discounts or offers don’t go to waste.
A follow-up SMS is harder hitting than email, as it doesn’t have the opportunity to filter into spam, junk or promotions folders. It means customers are all the more likely to respond instantly and return to your website.
Be wary, though! Customers don’t always remember giving out their mobile details. So these messages can alarm them. That’s why you need to plan carefully.
The Follow-Up Welcome SMS
One of the best opportunities for sending a follow-up SMS is the welcome series. This is because it is at this moment that customers remember signing up for text message marketing. You can send this a few minutes after the welcome series email is sent, or you can wait to see if they use their welcome offer before sending.
Whichever you choose will determine the message they receive.
For example, when sending an SMS as soon as a customer signs up, you may want to include some info about what to expect. This may be something like. “Welcome to (brand). You’ll now be the first to know about sales & new arrivals. Your first perk is 10% with code WELCOME10”
For a customer who has neglected to use their welcome offer after a week, you may like to send a follow up, for example “Your WELCOME10 offer is expiring in 24 hours. Use the code at checkout before time runs out.”
Both intend to sell, but meet customers at the correct points in their journey.
The Follow-Up Abandonment In Email Marketing With An SMS
Customers are so busy that they often forget to complete their transactions, especially if they’re shopping while in the middle of their lives. Sending a reminder email is a great prompt; however, a reminder SMS can be all the more enticing!
At Email By Design, we suggest sending an SMS in your key abandonment flows, including browse abandon, abandoned cart, and abandoned added to cart.
We recommend sending these texts sparingly, depending on intent. For example, customers who added to cart or started checkout were a lot closer to completing their order than a browse abandon. You can send them a text at the start of the series to tell them that you saw them looking. If they don’t take action, you can then send them a follow-up SMS a few days later with a final connection attempt.
For a browse abandonment, where customers may not be as close to purchasing, we recommend sending one SMS. This is best sent 1-2 hours after your customer abandons your website to remind them to return to the product they were checking out.
Always remember to turn on quiet hours, as you want to respect customer boundaries!
The Follow-Up Post-Purchase
SMS does not need to remain fully marketing-oriented. In fact, using it as a tool to thank customers and share your love can make customers more receptive in the future. If a customer doesn't open their first Post Purchase Thank You email, consider sending them an SMS that follows with a personal thanks or what to expect.
Something like, ‘We appreciate you! We’ve received your order and will email you updates ASAP” is short, snappy, but enough to show customers that your brand cares about delivering fast, exceptional results.
You can also include links to shipping, general timeframes, and delivery time estimates. Just be mindful that you have limited space to work with when sending texts.
The Email By Design Team Is Here To Help
SMS is a powerful strategy when used correctly; however, too many brands fall into the trap of either over- or underutilising it! Not sure how to use SMS to your advantage? The Email By Design team can help you implement and optimise it to take your results to the next level. Get in touch today.
