SMS Automation & sequences
Automations exist to save us from doing repetitive tasks. If there’s a way to avoid doing menial tasks and redirect efforts toward something else, how would that impact you or your business?
Think about it.
Yes, it sounds great, but, not all automations are created equal. Most importantly, not all are meaningful and helpful. Automations act on command, or when triggered. It’s up to you or your team to ensure when and how.
Consider downloading a free guide, or signing up to receive promotional texts. You’d now be subscribed to that campaign and depending on how relevant the message is, you’re strapped in and ready for the ride…
Or you make a U-turn and quickly unsubscribe from that list.
When it comes to automations and sequences, the majority of your time will most likely be spent crafting a strategic sequence. Automating that sequence is the easy part.
Imagine the possibilities of answering your ideal customers’ questions exactly in the order they’re asking themselves in real life. That would be the best-case scenario.
On the other hand, imagine signing up to receive make-up tips from a MUA (Make-Up Artist) but instead, you get emails and notifications from them about their new line of nail polish. Sure, that would appeal to some, but if you signed up for a specific campaign you’d expect to hear about that -only.
The content described on the lead capture form should be honored and followed. Not only is it illegal to manipulate a user sign-up on false pretenses, but it’ll damage your reputation. It can get ugly and expensive- real fast.
If you have more than one product, service, or offer, we recommend you segment your list. Utilize tags and keywords to segment your list based on their interests. Not only will this help maintain the integrity of customer relationships, but it’ll also be easier when developing campaign messages.
If you’ve already created a sequence of some sort including email, lead magnet delivery, onboarding, promotional, or educational, go and get a copy of it.
Each campaign message works best when there is one goal.
Take a look at each message within that sequence and analyze it to determine the action or emotion you wanted to evoke.
Was it meant to…
- Pique interest?
- Solve a problem?
- Build anticipation for the next communication?
- Teach them something?
- Have them buy something?
- Start a trial?
Once you have that information, you can start crafting your SMS campaign. No need to come up with a whole new sequence. The main difference is that you can drop any, if not all, of the fluff and be more concise. If you can keep your overall brand voice and tone without sacrificing being clear-please do.
Let’s talk about some automations that support your brand reputation and customer loyalty.
How SMS Sequences can impact revenue
There’s a plethora of reasons people recommend certain products or services. Today the focus will be on how communication and automation support your brand loyalty. Thus, creating loyal fans who spread the good word.
Below are some SMS sequences that can be used to strategically position your brand and improve brand loyalty to support your revenue goals.
LEAD MAGNET DELIVERY→ Customer Acquisition
This sequence has the potential to make or break your relationship with your customer immediately.
The minute someone signs up to receive the lead magnet they should be receiving it almost instantaneously.
Sure, the quality of the content is important and influences how customers view your brand. But sending the offer out in a timely manner matters too.
If someone is subscribing to receive your offer, they're open to learning more about what you have to offer and seeing if there’s a match. You’re reaching them within that critical window by sending them your lead magnet ASAP.
A lead magnet delivered via SMS can resolve the deliverability dilemma. Text messages are sent and received almost instantly. Plus, users are more likely to read and open a text message before opening up another mobile app to check for an email or notification.
Be mindful of setting up triggers to ensure you’re sending out the requested content so that the user receives it when they’re interested in what you, specifically, have to offer.
ONBOARDING → Customer Activation
Create onboarding SMS sequence automations strategically with the customer experience in mind.
There are several approaches you can take when planning your onboarding messages. You can use personalization if you’ve already collected data on existing customers. But, you can also use this onboarding sequence to learn more about them as well.
An interactive onboarding sequence can let users communicate what they’re interested in, that way you can leverage that data to improve future communications.
Collecting feedback from users can be helpful to learn about preferences and their needs.
Implementing these steps not only benefits you, but it shows users that you care about their input. This has the potential to positively impact your customer satisfaction. And, satisfied customers can ultimately lead to increased revenue over time.
LOYALTY PROGRAM → Customer Retention
Starbucks is widely known for its coffee and rewards program. And its structure is fundamental. The more you spend, the more perks you get- which helps retain your current client base.
What keeps them coming back for more? It’s not only free coffee here and there. It’s the company's promise → to make every single cup of coffee perfect. Starbucks customers know that every time they order they are getting something of value in return → a guarantee for a delicious cup of joe.
This has a tremendous positive psychological effect on their customer base. And they use data to add a sweet layer of personalization informed by consumer behavior. When you’re equipped with this data, you can easily tap into the personalization aspect to hone in on your messaging efforts.
With a loyalty program, you can attract new customers and keep your existing customers happy.
EXCLUSIVE OPT-IN → Targeting loyal customers
As a brand or business, you know who your loyal community members are.
Use that to your advantage by building on the notion of exclusivity by inviting them to join something created for them in mind.
Not only will they have a more direct and personal communication channel with you or your business, but you’ll also experience higher response and open rates.
You can promote your exclusive offer within an existing promotional campaign. Just ensure that you’ve obtained Express Written Consent.
Using SMS can help you target existing customers with a personalized approach. Doing so can help reduce your overall marketing costs and support your bottom line.
Conclusion
After learning about the impact of SMS automations on revenue growth, we hope you feel inspired to create your very own SMS sequences. Whether you choose to implement loyalty programs, exclusive opt-ins, onboarding sequences, or lead magnet delivery, SMS automations provide an efficient and cost-effective way to communicate with your audience and drive revenue growth.
With the high open rates and unmatched deliverability of SMS, your message will reach your customers and generate the results you're looking for. Start exploring the world of SMS automations today by trying SUBFLOW out free for 14 days and see the impact it can have on your business's revenue growth.
