Streamline Communications with SMS Automation

What is SMS automation?

SMS, or Short Message Service messages, are essentially, text messages.

These messages are typically used to promote your campaign with the use of basic text messaging, branding, and links.

With SMS automation in place, text messages can be sent based on a schedule you have in place without requiring the manual deployment of individual texts. Some situations in which SMS campaigns are appropriate might include:

• At a specific recurring time during the week (such as early in the morning or just after closing time)
• For a particular event reminder or a set sale date you already have planned
• Based on specific keywords, searches, recent purchases, and other trigger events by consumers

Benefits of implementing SMS automation software

Implementing SMS automation software into your own business model is highly advisable if you are seeking a new method to communicate with your prospective and existing customers. SMS automation provides numerous advantages that cannot be found with any other form of marketing today.

Increased efficiency

If you are searching for a way to grow your audience organically, yet at an expedited pace, you can do so with SMS messages and text marketing. SMS marketing is essentially instant, and can provide a vehicle to connect and communicate with an intended market at a specific time or based on specific event triggers nearly instantaneously. Save time compared to using long-form marketing tactics with SMS marketing instead.

Enhanced customer experience

When you want to connect with customers on a more personal and intimate level, you can do so with text message automation and targeted or triggered SMS marketing tactics. Enhancing the customer experience is all about customization and personalization, which is possible with the right SMS service, such as Mailchimp. Some ways to consider enhancing the customer experience when it comes to using SMS messages include:

• Personalized messages: Using personalized text messages that include your customers' names or information about their shopping habits can greatly increase sales and potential leads.
• Birthday celebrations: Using your customer birthday data is another way to connect with those who have subscribed to your SMS messages or are previous customers of yours (who have authorized text messages from you).
• Custom sales: With specific triggers, you can also track customers based on the amount they spend or the number of purchases they have made over a set period of time by providing custom sales coupons and discount codes.

Reduced workload for employees

Using an SMS automation platform that provides multichannel access to employees and team members will result in a reduced workload for those who work with you. Reducing the workload for your employees means freeing up more time to focus on what matters most--connecting directly with customers and clients.

When should you use SMS automation?

Knowing when to use SMS automation can help save time and ensure that your next text marketing campaign is a success.

SMS automated text messaging can be utilized appropriately for many different reasons, including:

Appointment reminders

Sending customers or patients appointment reminders can help them to stay on track with your services while also providing ongoing communication automatically. Appointment reminders that are sent on an automatic schedule save time and improve engagement and/or attendance.

Customer service and support

Providing customers with service and support via automated text messages is also possible with the right SMS automation platform. Use SMS messages to quickly send support responses that are automatically generated based on input, keywords, and search terms.

Order confirmations and shipping updates

Ensure that order confirmations and shipping updates are sent automatically with automated text messages and the right SMS platform. Each time an order is placed using your eCommerce store or third-party digital store, send your customers a text message that is automated and includes a specific order confirmation number as well as real-time shipping updates (based on the type of shipping they have selected and paid for on your website).

Text marketing and promotions

Successful text message marketing can ultimately result in major sales increases and overall revenue generation. Using text messages for marketing and promotions is another way to help increase brand awareness while spreading the word about your products and/or services nearly instantaneously (or based on triggered events).

How to choose an SMS automation platform

Choosing the right SMS automation platform can be tricky, especially with the market as highly saturated as it is at the time. However, knowing which features to look for can help ensure you have an SMS automation platform that is genuinely suitable for your needs.

Features to consider

Before selecting an SMS automation platform that is right for you, consider whether the platform has the following features or not:

SMS automation

Obviously, the SMS automation platform you use should provide you with multiple methods of integrating SMS messages into your next marketing campaign. Scheduled text messages, autoresponders based on triggered events, and customer service responses should all be features available from your preferred SMS automation platform.

MMS

MMS, or the Multimedia Messaging Service, provides individuals with mobile phones with the ability to send and receive multimedia (photo, GIF, and video) messages. MMS marketing is extremely useful for immersive and visually-centric marketing campaigns.

SMS drip campaigns

Using SMS drip campaigns can help to keep your customers coming back for more over time. Drip campaigns can be built based on real-time data and data over time, providing you with the ability to optimize each and every one of the text messages you send before they are automatically triggered.

Retail updates

Keep your customers in the loop with retail updates that can provide information on new sales, discounts, delivery status of orders, and so much more.

When customers feel informed and as if they can communicate with a company or brand, they are more likely to use them again in the future while also referring them to their own family and friends.

Automated text reminders

Another potential feature available with an SMS automation platform includes automated text reminders. These reminders can be useful for reminding patients of appointments or customers of when their next upcoming bill is due. Using automated scheduling can provide you with more time to focus on what matters most to your business.

Integrations with other systems

Finding the right SMS automation platform may require a bit of research to ensure that your preferred platform is compatible with other systems you are already using or have in place.

Integrations with other systems may include third-party eCommerce hosting solutions, payment processors, and even social media platforms used to promote your business and brand.

Before choosing the solution for text message automation that is right for you, ensure that the platform can be integrated with your existing or preferred system.

Security considerations

As with any new technological investment, it's imperative to take security considerations into account when selecting the SMS automation platform that is right for you.

With the market exploding and becoming more saturated with a variety of tools each day, it's best to turn to a trusted and reliable provider.

As security risks continue to grow, considerations of security must be taken into account any time you are using a platform to send text (SMS/MMS) messages to your own consumer databases.

Some potential security risks to consider whenever you are sending and receiving information via text include:

Hacking attempts

Depending on the setup of your customer database and the SMS automation platform you are using, you may experience potential hacking attempts. This can include potential password hacks and login hacking attempts, depending on the level of security the platform you are using has in place.

Phishing attacks

Phishing attacks with the use of a fake website or URL are extremely common and can be used to collect typed and entered information, such as email addresses, passwords, and other sensitive personal information.

Redirects

Serious hackers have the potential to redirect an unsafe and unsecured system, which is why it is essential to ensure that the automation platform you choose is widely known, trusted, and guaranteed.

Reap the rewards of SMS automation

Using SMS automation platforms can help you to take on an entirely new method of connecting with customers nearly instantaneously. Some of the rewards that can be reaped while using SMS automation software properly include:

• Receive data in real-time: Receive consumer data in real-time. Gauge which messaging and branding work best to drive users to your website links and other CTAs included in SMS messages sent.
• Connect personally: Get personal with text messages using provided consumer data to connect with your customers on a more intimate level.
• Scheduled messaging: Send SMS or MMS messages using scheduled times and/or triggered events.

Putting SMS automation text messages to work for your business and brand is one of the best solutions for ongoing communication.

With solutions such as Mailchimp, optimize your bulk SMS campaigns with collected data and analytics in real-time. Mailchimp provides the automated text messages and SMS marketing tools you need to maximize your online and offline reach.