Texting Business Customers: How to Do It Correctly

The Code of Conduct for Texting Etiquette

Kansas State business text messaging etiquette is still important, despite the overwhelming preference of your customers to text rather than phone. Using appropriate business texting etiquette can make or break your relationship with customers.

Please refrain from doing so!

A list of dos and don'ts has been prepared to help B2C companies navigate the muddy waters of SMS marketing.

DO:

•       As a rule of thumb, don't hold back.

•       Customers prefer texting to email and phone calls because it's more casual and less structured.

•       Customers should not be texting you like you text your pals; instead, they should be communicating with you via "text slang."

•       Emojis are acceptable as long as they make sense and are used sparingly.

•       Abbreviations can be used if they assist you in making your point more concisely.

•       When messaging your customers, there are a few things to bear in mind:

•       Do not add emojis, abbreviations, or anything else that may confuse or waste the recipient's time in your messages.

•       When you send your first message, introduce yourself.

•       The client shouldn't have to become a detective to determine who sent the text message.

•       It's a lost cause if they don't already have your contact information.

•       It's a good idea to introduce yourself or give a short description of yourself when you send your first text message.

•       The CTA (direction) should be indicated in the text.

•       Asking customers to do something, such as clicking a link, writing a review online, or texting you back, should come with specific instructions.

•       When it's tempting to say, "Let us know when you can pick up your order!"

•       Tell your customer, "Text us back when you'll be by!" if you want them to know what you're searching for

•       Proper text message etiquette sets the foundation for a call to action by creating a favorable first impression of your business.

•       Invite them to a sale on the weekends or encourage them to write a review on the internet.

•       Never underestimate the power of uppercase and punctuation. Text messaging has always been a bit of a headache regarding punctuation and capitalization rules. Keeping a professional appearance is still important. The key here is to experiment and find out what works best. Use ellipses (...), dashes (-), and other punctuation if you want to see how customers respond. As for capitalization, the same holds. It is possible to see how response rates alter if you capitalize your sentences (or even whole words).

•       Avoid texting lengthy URLs.

·        To be forced to read an entire paragraph because of an enormous, lengthy URL is a tedious experience.

·        Companies shouldn't rely on modern messaging providers to keep their URLs short.

·        Make your URLs easier to remember by using a service like bit.ly to encapsulate them.

•       Don't forget to respond.

•       Be on time with your responses. Three days on "read" is like three days in your waiting room for customers.

•       As a general rule, try to get back to customers as swiftly as possible, if not faster (preferably faster). Customers will know that you care about them if you answer their questions immediately and courteously. Keep your feet on the ground.

•       Do not send texts late at night, when customers may be fast asleep. •

·        You and I should remember that most individuals go to bed far earlier than that. A good rule of thumb is to keep most of your communications between the hours of 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM unless the customer begins the contact before then.

•       Don't be a snoozer. Assist the customer in making a personal connection. When it comes to establishing a relationship with your customers, texting is the best method.

•       Make an effort to be friendly and helpful to everyone you meet.