5 SMS Strategies for Direct Selling Companies
Texting has evolved from being a marketing tool to an overall customer service strategy. Direct selling companies can implement these five SMS strategies to attract, communicate with and retain more customers.
1/ 10-Digit-Long Codes (10DLC)
A 10-digit-long code is a local phone number, so it appears as more natural than traditional five- or six-digit codes or an 1-800 number. These numbers are less likely to be blocked and more likely to be recognized by customers. Local numbers (with the area code) need to be registered with a wireless carrier. “The primary purpose of 10-digit-long code is to regulate SMS marketing to reduce spam and create more trust and transparency between businesses and consumers,” notes SalesMessage.com.
2/ SMS for Customer Service
Customers are becoming more used to the convenience of texting instead of calling to resolve issues. According to eWeek, 52 percent of people would likely text with a customer support rep if given the option. SMS can be used to answer questions, send appointment reminders or order updates. These can be customized to include the customer’s name and other info.
3/ Targeted Landing Pages
Texting is a great way to send links to targeted landing pages that focus on one product as opposed to a traditional website what can be a headache to navigate with products irrelevant to the customer. Link-shortening services such as Bitly help reduce character count.
4/ Automation on the Rise
Automated texts can still be personalized to customer segments or specific customers just like emails. This keeps the more conversational aspect of texting while saving time. Advancement with chat bots and language models have made automation easier and more effective. Automation can be used to follow up with new customers; remind them their next subscription order is coming up; and offer a discount for customers who haven’t ordered in a while.
5/ A Tool for Retention
Texting may seem impersonal, but it’s being used for building customer relationships with its potential for two-way conversations. It’s often faster and more convenient than calls or online chats. There’s no hold time or waiting to receive a response. The overall experience matches today’s customer expectation.
From the July/August 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
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