Text messaging is one of the most effective ways to communicate with your customers. Not only can it drive increased in-app engagement, but it also increases loyalty when used correctly. No one wants to be inundated with annoying, unhelpful texts throughout their day. If you’re looking to find the right occasion to text your customers to inspire them to engage with you, look no further. We’ve identified 3 unique times to text your customers when they’ll actually read your message and be inspired to respond.

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1. Welcoming a New Customer

There’s no better time to reach out then right after a customer signs up and opts in to text messages. They are signaling that they want to hear from you - take advantage of that! Starting your initial conversation off on the right foot is extremely important in maintaining engagement throughout the entirety of the customer journey.

Use the first message to introduce yourself and communicate what you’re able to do for them via text. Ideally send a branded contact card so they can save your number for future use 😉 Use a friendly and supportive tone and make it clear you’re open to a two-way conversation. You want them to feel comfortable reaching out with any questions or concerns that could be a barrier to them becoming successful, loyal customers. 

Example: Hi Sam, your healthy eating support team here 👋 To help you build your meal prep routine we’ll text inspiration in the morning, like dinner recipes & snack ideas, and check in at night to help you stay on track. We’d love to hear from you, any meal prep questions on your mind at this point?

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2. Sustaining Engagement with Customers

Once you have a real relationship with your customers, you come to understand their specific needs. Don’t spam all your customers with the same content - personalize each customer’s SMS experience with what you’ve learned about them. 

Analyze what your most successful customers (those that have converted from free to paid or have subscribed longer than your average subscription length) most often engage in and map that to personas of your new customers. Focus on what you know is working rather than trying to educate customers on every aspect of your product. 

A customer who knows you’ve listened to their unique needs will be thankful and more engaged. Sending helpful content will encourage customers to engage with your app and also reach out to ask for additional tips, which creates an even deeper connection between you and your customers and opportunities to upsell. Continuing this practice will drive engagement and loyalty to your brand.

Example: ​​We know you enjoyed Molly's last meditation, Matthew! Here's another 5 minute meditation you can do any time of day to cultivate a centered and relaxed head space. We’re looking forward to hearing how it goes 😊 

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3. Checking in on a Lapsed Customer

Customer drop off is inevitable - people get busy, switch products, or have budget constraints. When this happens, mass emails offering discounts may bring a few customers back but a supportive text message asking how they’re doing and if there’s anything they need from the company (beyond a discount) to feel supported can work even better. 

A customer who feels that the company values them as a human, and not just as another subscriber, is more likely to engage back. This connection can help you understand this customer’s specific needs and how to bring them back onboard. Over time, checking in on lapsed customers may provide feedback on your company as a whole that you can use to better understand your own customer journey to prevent drop off moving forward.

Example: Hi Jill! We're sure you've had a ton going on so we wanted to check in. Anything we can do to support your self care through yoga or meditation? We can chat through strategies for making time, or you can send over a word describing how you'd like to feel, and we’ll send back a recommended session 🧘

Try these out for yourself and let us know how it goes! Unsure exactly what to say to your customers? Get in touch with us here to learn more!