Buyers are increasingly seeking to connect with the brands they love most via text.
In fact, 49% of US consumers say they prefer to communicate with customer service via text messaging, according to Statista, a company that gathers market and consumer data,
It’s easy to understand why most people use text messaging – it’s simple, it’s convenient, and it allows you to send and receive information faster. Data by DOMO, a cloud-based operating system, revealed that smartphone users send 22 billion texts every day!
Businesses are moving beyond their reliance on email and embracing texting as a practical solution to connect with customers in a way they prefer.
In this article, you’ll discover:
- Text messaging is outperforming email
- 50% of consumers prefer texting over other channels
- Three steps to start texting with your customers today
Text messaging is outperforming email
Email is part of our everyday lives – for good or bad. While some parts of the market believe email is dead and messenger apps will replace what some consider to be an archaic communication medium, the data tells a different story.
Research by technology marketing research firm The Radicati Group shows that 269 billion emails are sent every day. The average worker receives 121 emails each day!
While email may win in volume, text messaging outperforms email in engagement.
Why is text messaging outperforming email? One explanation may be that text messaging is a two-way conversation instead of a one-way transactional message, like email.
Compared to email, texting gives consumers the immediate, open dialogue they expect between a brand, especially when it comes to customer service. Texting allows for conversations that are authentic, immediate and provide them a faster solution.
Forward-thinking brands are taking notice and offering their customers texting as an option.
50% of consumers prefer texting over other channels
Consumers are constantly bombarded with marketing messages. Digital marketing experts at Red Crow Marketing estimate that, “Most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements each day.”
The competition between brands to gain market and mindshare is fiercer than ever. Brands react by getting louder and more invasive – pop up ads, influencer marketing, deals, deals, deals! Yet, consumers are tuning out the noise and are opting for a more personalized approach with brands.
Nearly half of US consumers prefer to communicate with a brand’s customer service via text messaging. Moreover, 94% of contractors are likely or very likely to text their distributor. What is causing this shift?
The skyrocketing of American smartphone ownership over the past decade is driving this texting trend. According to Pew Research Center, 96% of the country owns some type of cellphone. What’s more interesting is that nearly 81% of American’s own a smartphone – a 45% increase since 2011.
As smartphone usage rises, consumers are increasingly demanding businesses to present themselves in a mobile-first experience. This mobile-first expectation fosters personal interactions buyers want and is where and why email is losing ground against texting.
For example, text messages appear instantly on a smartphone’s screen. Comparatively, several clicks are needed to read an email via a mobile device. Moreover, emails are delivered to an inbox that is already over-crowded.
Unlike email, where businesses use an email service provider (ESP) to connect with customers, text messaging allows companies a direct line to those customers.
Three steps to start texting with your customers today
While industries across all sectors are taking a wait-and-see approach on how text messaging can boost business, there are three steps your business can take today.
1.Text pro tips and helpful advice
Send your customers a weekly tip via text message that helps them do their job. Whether a short video or a quick written text, you can quickly add value to their day in a way they can digest it where and when is most convenient for them
2. Ask customers for quick feedback
Smartphones give you a focus group at your fingertips! Quickly ask your clients for feedback about the products or services you’ve been providing them. As they say, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Get in the know and ask your customers through a quick text.
3. Send a thank you message after a sale
To test if text messaging could work for your business, send a friendly “thank you” text following a purchase. This starts showing your customers in a friendly low-risk way that they can communicate with you via text messages.
The one-sentence takeaway
Text messaging outperforms email’s effectiveness, and consumers want to communicate with your brand through texting.
Do you want to see how Prokeep can help you start texting your customer today? Schedule a free demo now.