Automated Text Messages – Everything You Need to Know

Do you want to know what automated text messages are? Do you want to find out the benefits of automated text messaging for your business? Are you looking for information on how automated text messages work and how much they cost? If so, then this blog post is perfect for you.

We will explore all aspects of automated text messages, from what they are and why businesses use them, to the costs associated with them. We will also provide a few tips on how to start sending automated text messages today so you can start saving time and generating more positive customer interactions.

What is Text Message Automation?

Text message automation is a way to schedule and send text messages automatically. Marketing automations are extremely popular with brands as they save time by pre-scheduling texts that will be sent in the future, saving them hours of work per day. Brands can also use other types of SMS or Text Message Automation like drip messaging which sends out timed automated text messages based on specific criteria for success.

With SMS marketing software, you have the power to send automated text messages at any time. You can choose from scheduling simple texts in advance or crafting more complex recurring texts that are sent based on an event (like sending out a sale alert when items go on clearance).

There are multiple different types of automated text messages that businesses can send. Some of the types of automated text messages include:

Scheduled Text Messages

These automated messages are sent out at specified times that you choose. They are perfect for sending automated reminders and notifications for events like Zoom meetings & webinars.

Recurring Automated Text Messages

Automatically send texts to the recipients who don't reply with a certain period of time. Recurring automated text messages can also be used in drip campaigns where they're triggered by specific events like when someone opts in to receive texts.

Personalized Automated Text Messages

Some SMS marketing software allows you to create personalized automated text messages based on their customer segmentation data. This lets you target customers according to different criteria such as age range, gender, behavior, and other interests.

Paid Promotional Automated Message

This automated message sends out a promotional text with your company name, logo and phone number. It's great for reminders about special offers that are available exclusively to customers who have opted in.

Benefits of Automated Text Messages

If you're on the fence about using automated texts, here are some reasons why you should reconsider:

• Automated text messages are a great way to communicate with your subscribers and customers in real time.
• Automated texts can be used on any budget. The size of your business doesn't matter. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars every month for automated text messaging. Most providers offer pay per text options, which makes it easy to monitor and scale.
• Automated texts are a great way to boost customer retention and make sure your customers or subscribers don't forget about you. This is really important for nurturing leads to generate results.
• Automated texts can be sent at any time, so you can optimize your efforts to get in front of customers when they'll be most active.
• Automated texts help cut down on operational costs by eliminating redundant communications and labor.
• Automated texts have a high return on investment, and on average, they convert between 20-30%.

How to Send Automated Text Messages:

Automated text messaging is one of the easiest ways for businesses to grow their customer base and increase revenue. Now that you know what automated texts are, it’s time to get started! These simple steps will help you along your automated journey:

Step One – Decide if Automated Text Messages Will Fit Your Business Needs

Some people might not need automated SMS marketing software because they already rely heavily on email or social media platforms like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp group chats for communications.

Step Two – Pick a Provider

There are many automated text message providers out there, so it's crucial that you find one that will work best for your business. Consider what features they offer and their pricing plans before signing up with them. For a comparison on the top SMS marketing software, check out this post.

Step Three – Choose Your Automated Texting Frequency

Once you've chosen an automated messaging provider, the next step is to decide how often automated texts should be sent. This will depend on your business needs and the type of automated text message you're sending. Many providers offer built in tools that you can use to configure your automated text settings. You may also need to consider using a third-party automation tool like Zapier to create more robust workflows.

Step Four – Create Your Automated Text Message

Once you've decided how often automated texts should be sent, it's time to create your automated text message. Determine what information is important for customers or subscribers and then personalize it.

Step Five – Test the Automated Text Message

It's always best to test out automated text messages before sending them out to customers or subscribers. To do this, just set yourself as the first recipient. This lets you know whether any changes need to be made before going live with automated texts. It can also prevent a customer support nightmare. The last thing you want is to send out a bunch of text messages to the wrong group, or with the wrong promotion.

Step Six – Evaluate Performance and Refine

Once automated texts go live, it's important to monitor their performance. You'll need to pay attention for things like open rates and click-throughs in order to refine your automated text messages. Consider running A/B tests between two different automated messages to see which one works the best.

How Much Does Text Message Automation Cost?

The cost for automated text messaging is dependent on how many people you want to reach and what type of automation software you. The more contacts or “leads” you send automated texts too, the higher the price will be. However, there are some plans where if you pay monthly, or if you buy bulk text message credits, you can reduce the cost. On average, most businesses pay between $0.02-$0.05 per text message.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid with Automated Texts

While automated text messages can provide a number of amazing benefits, there are things that marketers should be aware of to prevent negative experiences.

• Avoid automated text messages that are too long: It's better to break the automated message up into multiple shorter, more concise automated texts rather than sending a single automated message with too much information.
• Keep your automations simple: automated text messages should be automated for a reason, and you can't make automated texts too complicated. Avoid using jargon or buzzwords in automated texts that may confuse customers or subscribers. This will also prevent you from having to do a lot of maintenance on your texts.
• Keep the text messages concise: A good automated text should be no more than 20 words total. Many SMS providers limit you to around 160 characters per text. If you exceed this, be prepared to pay more for your automated text message campaigns. Consider link shorteners to save on characters.
• Be human: automated texts are programmed communications, but they shouldn't feel robotic. A good automated text will include a human touch. People want to feel like they're talking to a person. If the conversation doesn't feel natural, people will stop reading automated texts and start unsubscribing.
• Avoid automated text messages with delicate content: It's best to avoid automated text messages that have sensitive or confidential information in them entirely.

Summary

Overall, businesses that used automated texts found increased customer engagement and revenue. If you use automated texts correctly, they will be a great addition to your business. Start out small by creating a micro campaign scale up resources and text messages as you start to get insight into what's working vs what's not.