How Small Businesses Can Use SMS for Improved Customer Loyalty

9 simple ways to build customer loyalty today

Customer loyalty is of utmost importance to every business owner. As a small business owner, there’s little doubt that you want to do everything possible to improve your customer loyalty. And one of the best and most effective ways you can do just that is by making use of SMS.

Text message marketing for small businesses is a low-cost method of effectively reaching out to your customers.

Of course, you need to be sure you have their permission to send marketing messages to them. You could land yourself in deep trouble with the law if you send these messages to customers who haven’t opted in to your marketing communications lists.

Without customer loyalty, you can’t be certain that your customers will stick with you and continue buying your products or make use of your services.

It’s widely understood that it’s far cheaper to retain existing customers than attract new ones.

And the good news about loyal customers is that they’re more likely to share their tales of customer satisfaction with their family members and friends. So, how do you go about ensuring that your customers remain loyal to you? And how can you make use of SMS to do just that? Here are some ideas.

Send appointment reminders

If your business is one which deals with customer appointments, setting up an SMS system to remind customers of their appointments is an excellent way of ensuring they don’t forget about their agreed upon date and time. Customers failing to show up for their appointments can cost businesses plenty of money. By sending an SMS appointment reminder, they’re less likely to forget their appointment and you’re able to ensure you don’t lose income during this time.

Send information about new products

Customers enjoy being kept in the loop about your business’ product offerings.

New products launched at regular intervals throughout the year can keep customers interested in your business’ offerings and keen to spend at your store, whether it’s a physical store or an online one.

Text message marketing for small businesses which regularly launch new products is an excellent, effective, and low-cost method of appealing to customers when you have something fresh to show them.

Build customer loyalty by sending discount codes

At certain times of the year, possibly on special occasions, you could send discount codes via SMS to your customers. Consider sending these codes on your business’ anniversary of being in operation, or on special days like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. How about a 74 percent discount on certain products on July 4 to celebrate Independence Day in the US? What about a 25 percent discount on Christmas Day or a code for an 11 percent discount on New Year’s Day? As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for sending discount codes to your customers. And there’s nothing like knowing discount codes will be sent regularly via SMS to ensure a customer remains loyal.

Send notifications of sales

Customers love sales. They love to feel like they’re getting a great deal. And they love to feel like they’re part of a secret club of loyal customers who are invited to attend sales. By sending details of sales via SMS, you’ll ensure your customers become excited and eager to shop at your next big sale, either in your physical store or online.

Send order confirmations

After placing an order with your business on your online store, customers will be pleased to receive an SMS. The message can contain details of what they purchased, when they can expect delivery, and details about customer support should they be unhappy with their order.

Send shipping details

Once customers have entered their credit card details and made a purchase, they want to be kept informed about their purchase at every step along the way. That means they’ll need an SMS sent to them when their order leaves your warehouse, once it’s been handed over to the courier, and when it’s due to be delivered to them. Of course, should the customer choose to return an item in their order, they expect the same details in reverse. They’ll want to be kept informed about when their item is due to be picked up, when it’s arrived back at the warehouse, when it’s been checked, and what the next steps are for a refund.

Send virtual gifts

Receiving a gift card might be considered by some to indicate a lack of thought. But for others, it’s the best possible option. Recipients are able to pick out exactly what they’d like to purchase and will always think fondly of the gift giver when they make use of their purchase. However, it can be frustrating to get to the shopping mall only to find the gift card has been left at home. A virtual gift, on the other hand, can always be kept with you on your smartphone in the form of a virtual gift SMS.

Send short surveys

Sometimes, you need a little feedback from your customers. You can get that feedback from them by sending your customers a short survey. You can use two-way SMS to ask your customers a series of questions. Where should you open your next location? Which product should you launch next? Are they pleased with your customer service? These are all questions which you can ask your customers when using SMS.

Customers enjoy knowing their opinions are being considered by the businesses they frequent. It makes them feel like they’re part of your business’ most trusted circle.

Send birthday messages

Customers enjoy being made to feel special. And nothing makes a customer feel more special than being recognized on their special day. A simple message from a much-loved business on their birthday can greatly improve customer loyalty. If in doubt about where to go for their next purchase in your business’ specific niche, they will no doubt think back to that special birthday message.

For some more tips on how to keep your customers happy, read our recent article. It details how you can ensure your customer experience journey is optimized for improved customer loyalty, including better text message marketing for small businesses.

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