Your business marketing involves multiple types of communication with clients, including via text messaging. Savvy businesses are ever-increasing their use of text messages as customers indicate that they prefer this method of communication. After all, 84% of consumers say they have received texts from organizations or businesses. If you are not one of those companies, you are missing out on potential clients.
But you cannot just start from scratch when sending potential customers promotions over texts. You need to introduce them to the number first. The best way to do so is with an introduction text message. This is your chance to welcome clients to your texting list and take care of legal requirements, such as giving them the option to opt-out.
After a quick review of some guidelines for introducing yourself to a client in a text, take a look at some templates you can use to start texting your new client and improve customer engagement.
Some things to consider
Add the right tone to your introduction SMS
One of the most important things to think about as you compose an introduction message is the tone that you take. Text messages are seen as a more personal method of communication, so you want to take a friendly, conversational tone.
Your goal with the tone is to sound like a person, not a company. This will improve engagement and put you on your way to developing a positive relationship with the recipient.
To maintain that friendly, conversational tone, consider incorporating emojis or abbreviations. Just do so in moderation and only when they are relevant.
Part of maintaining the proper tone also means not using all capital letters. Remember that this is considered yelling in written talk.
Give customers the option to opt out
We mentioned legal compliance and opting out, but this requires a bit more detail. Under the relevant consumer protection laws, there are specific guidelines for what types of texts you can send customers without the recipient’s permission. Those guidelines also require you to offer a simple way to opt out of the messages. Notably, that method must work and actually stop you from sending more messages.
Including instructions to opt out in your introduction text does more than just ensure you comply with the law. It also helps create a favorable impression with customers. After all, it shows that you won’t be overly pushy with your sales tactics.
Be clear about why you’re texting
As you create your text messages, you also want to make the purpose of your text clear. This is the case whether you are simply welcoming them as a client, want to schedule a phone call or appointment, need a document, or anything else.
The bottom line is that you don’t want the text to seem like a waste of time for the recipient. You can avoid this by making the purpose clear.
Make your introduction text message short
You also want to make sure that your introduction text is short and sweet. Even though you are typically no longer limited to 160 characters like you were in the past, it is still best to keep things brief. This ensures that all recipients can read the message on their devices. It also limits the attention that you require from the recipient.
Marketing and promotional SMS templates
With those guidelines for crafting your introduction email message in mind, take a look at some introduction text message samples for promotional and marketing situations. We have included templates or examples for all the situations that you are most likely to send an SMS in, from SMS marketing to encouraging customer feedback to general notifications for customer engagement.
1. Appointment reminders
If you offer services instead of or in addition to products or have a very hands-on sales process, then you will likely need to send out appointment reminders via professional text message. Texts are among the best methods of reminding clients about appointments because of their high open rates: 82% of survey respondents indicated that they open every SMS message they get.
Also, 83% of respondents in the same survey picked text messaging as the best way to receive appointment reminders.
There are appointment reminder templates for every industry as well as more general ones. The following are examples of general templates.
You can easily customize the template for a more practical text message introduction by adding a sentence or two. Or you could look for something specific to your industry. The following is an excellent introductory text message sample for the auto industry, for example.
2. SMS notifications and alerts
SMS notifications and alerts refer to when you share information that the client requested or that is urgent for them to know. These texts feature an element of urgency, such as your desire to maximize customer service by providing the information requested as soon as possible.
You may also want to send one of these introductory texts if there is an emergency that will affect your service to clients. The following example shows what this template could look like.
3. Delivery notifications
Customers like to stay informed on the progress of their purchases, which is why delivery notification texts are so important. As the name implies, this type of text message lets customers know that their order has been delivered. If they are away from home, this allows them to know they should expect it to be waiting for them. If they are at home and didn’t hear it be delivered, the notification lets them know to check for the package.
This type of notification can also give customers an indication that something is wrong. For example, if they receive a delivery notification but don’t see the package, they will know to contact your company. The sooner they do so, the easier it should be to resolve the issue.
You can use the following examples as templates.
4. Status updates
Status updates are one of the most-opened text messages, as customers are eager to know the status of their orders. Sending this type of message is a great way to improve customer satisfaction, as they will feel as if they always know what is happening and what to expect.
The following are some examples of order status update texts.
5. Follow up after leaving a voicemail
You may send your clients follow-up messages after they contact you in various ways, such as via email, text, or even an in-person visit. In the case of following up a voicemail, you can customize it to the situation.
The following can serve as an example.
“Thank you for calling [Company Name]. We would like to follow up on the voicemail you left. When is a good time for our representative to call you?”
6. Ask customers for reviews
There are several types of feedback-related texts. One of the most common is asking your customers to please leave your business a review.
Another common one is asking them to complete a quick survey, either directly in the text or at the attached link.
You can even ask for general feedback, as in the following example.
7. Restock notifications
A restock notification is one of the introductory texts that benefits you and your client. Your client can buy the product they wanted that was previously out of stock, and you will hopefully make another sale.
To make the most of restock notifications, include a link on your website to notify customers when the item comes back into stock. Or, if they visit you in person, ask for their phone number so you can text them when it comes into stock.
Add a sense of urgency to your restock alerts or include a discount code for the best results.
8. Personal welcome messages
In most cases, a personal welcome message will be the first text-based communication you have with a client. This is your chance to set the tone for your relationship and incorporate all of the above tips.
This type of introduction should thank the client for contacting you, introduce yourself and your company, and provide any other relevant information. Remember to make the purpose of the text clear.
The following example shows a relatively casual reply that lets the recipient know when you will contact them.
The following is another example.
Conclusion: Why introduction texts are relevant to your business
If you are not taking advantage of texting to communicate with your clients, then you are missing out on a significant opportunity. Customers increasingly express a preference for communications using text messages. Text messages also have a high open rate, especially compared to emails and phone calls.
As you create your introduction text messages, you want to pay attention to your tone, so be sure to include an opt out and make the purpose of the message clear. The above templates should give you a solid starting point for all of the situations in which you are most likely to need to figure out how to introduce yourself to a client via text or send a follow-up.
