Power of Personalization: Using SMS to Build Strong Relationships with Customers

Remember the thrill of seeing your name on an envelope as a child? That sense of excitement knowing that piece of mail was sent specifically to YOU. You can create that same feeling for your customers with *personalization*. Businesses are finding ways to make customers feel even more special through customized interactions. In this blog post, we’ll go over how personalization can build stronger relationships with your customers via SMS. SMS offers your business a unique way to strengthen relationships with customers by providing them with a direct and personal communication channel. Unlike emails or social media interactions which may go overlooked, an SMS message is more likely to be seen, read, and appreciated as it's delivered straight into someone's pocket! To harness the power of SMS for creative entrepreneurs, you’ll want to understand the basics of using SMS marketing, your messaging, and how to cultivate relationships to support the rest of your marketing efforts.
Written by
Ashley Escobar
April 20, 2023
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Crafting Personalized SMS Messages that Drive Engagement

Smartphones aren’t going anywhere. In fact, more and more people are opting to shop online. So, if you know customers fall into that category, chances are you’ve wondered if SMS marketing would benefit your bottom line. As with any marketing strategy, you’ll want to know what outcomes you’re striving for to help you achieve your business goals.

For example, a new business looking to increase its brand awareness could strategize to use SMS marketing by hosting contests, giveaways, and promotional content. In this case, you’d know your SMS efforts would be measured by your SMS list subscribers.

But, there’s more to just sending out promotional campaigns- even with a strategy. There is one key ingredient that’ll add some zest to your messaging and that is- personalization.

The next big question you’ll probably have is how do I do that?  The answer- with customer data.

Even if you are a brand-new business, it’s never too early to start collecting data.

Eventually, you’ll have data to work with for things such as their name, birthdate, interests, preferences, purchasing behaviors, age range, and location to name a few.

Once you’ve learned more about your customer base, that’s when the magic starts happening because you’ll be creating and sending intentionally tailored messages.

Instead of sending out generic messages, you can use customer data like their birthdate, to personalize their experience. You want your messages to help you retain customers and build loyalty, and you begin doing that with personalization.

Building Trust and Relationships through SMS

For a customer to give you their email, phone number, or any information they have to trust you.

People are hesitant to give out their information because they don’t want to be bombarded with notifications left and right. To establish trust with future and current customers, prioritize being transparent.

One way to build trust is through the opt-in form. You’ll need consent from customers before sending them SMS messages and adding them to your SMS marketing list. We dive deeper into all things compliance and obtaining Express Written Consent in a blog post so go ahead and check that out to learn more.

Your opt-in form must clearly state what they’re signing up for. Especially if it’s for promotional or marketing messages. You wouldn’t want to accidentally omit the information necessary and have them sign up for something slightly different from what they expected.

Having an opt-in form that adheres to the regulatory guidelines is important so that consumers know you’re protecting their information. It also protects them from receiving unwanted marketing and spam messages as well. The last thing you need or want is to be hit with an expensive (and avoidable) violation fee and risk being thought of as a spammy or intrusive brand.

Giving customers the power to choose when it comes to their experience is key to creating a positive atmosphere and meeting all compliance laws. Plus, with no hassle opt-out/opt-in capabilities, they can easily get what they want without any hassles - letting them maintain full control over their information.

Another method to build trust and relationships with customers includes storytelling. Weave a story that you can share in your campaigns, even if it’s not life-changing. In fact, the more simple it is, the more relatable it will be.

Say you’re launching a new product, you may want to share a bit about how they developed their new product and the challenges faced bringing this new product into the market.  Or, celebrate milestones and achievements with your customers and reeling them in as the center of your brand’s journey.

Harnessing SMS for Omnichannel Customer Experiences

SMS marketing works wonders when it’s integrated into a broader marketing strategy. As we mentioned earlier, obtaining customer data is vital for crafting personalized messages. Although you can obtain certain data via SMS, chances are most of your data will be collected through other means.

This can include social media, email, and website analytics. SMS can then be used as the channel to send out important, time-sensitive and concise messages directly to your customer. More often than not, your customer is already aware of your brand or offer before opting to subscribe to your SMS list.

If they’re on your email list as well, you’ll want to ensure that your brand tone of voice and messaging style remains consistent across all your marketing channels. That includes captions on social media posts too. You want to avoid opportunities for a disconnect to occur causing the user to abandon that communication channel with your brand.

If you’re sending out general promotional emails to your list, consider personalizing an SMS message for an item relevant to the customer based on their previous purchasing history.   The same message is being conveyed- There’s a SALE going on!

But now you’ve→

  1. Introduced them to the sale via email
  2. Personalized a direct SMS message to your customer AND reminded them of the time-sensitive sale that’s happening or about to happen.

The more your customer interacts with your brand, you’ll pick up on patterns and trends within groups of people that’ll allow you to segment your audience.

Conclusion

SMS marketing offers a powerful opportunity to build strong relationships with customers by delivering personalized content that truly resonates with them. By creating messages that are tailored to their interests, SMS becomes an effective tool to drive engagement with customers. SMS can build trust through two-way communication, demonstrating a business goes above and beyond, valuing customers’ time and opinions.

Most importantly, SMS can be used as part of an “omnichannel customer experience” that helps create a seamless engagement throughout the customer journey. By harnessing the power of SMS together with relevant and compelling content, businesses can forge meaningful, long-lasting relationships with customers that drive brand loyalty and business growth. Lucky for you, SUBFLOW is letting you give SMS marketing a try, FREE for 14 days. Sign up using the big yellow button below!

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