Texting Etiquette
Features IndustriesText message communication is easily abused. Learn the proper texting etiquette to communicate with your customers and create long lasting relationships. Gaining consent, staying professional, timing, including your name, and proofreading make all the difference!
Business texting, as well as SMS marketing, are growing industries. Unfortunately, this communication medium is easily abused by many businesses. Stop texting just because it's convenient for you, and start texting because people want and need to hear from your business. Check out our tips on texting etiquette to respect your customers and keep the integrity of your business.
Texting Etiquette Tips:
- Include Opt-Out Options
- Keep it Professional
- Beware of Timing
- Include Your Name
- Proofread
Include Opt-Out Options
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) creates rules and regulations for how businesses can contact people. The only thing necessary to comply with the TCPA rules for texting is to gain consent before sending text messages. This can be done by sending a message that includes “Text YES to Subscribe” or “Text STOP to Opt-Out.” If someone replies with STOP you no longer have permission to text them and they should be removed from your list immediately.
Keep it Professional
Text messages are a very short interaction between you and the person receiving the messages. It’s a good idea to avoid using abbreviations or slang in your business text messages. For example, “u” instead of “you” or “r” instead of “are.” Slang or abbreviations could hurt your professional reputation. Since these interactions are so short, you want the first message received to convey everything you need to convince your customers to buy your product or service.
Beware of Timing
It’s easy to abuse your text marketing abilities by sending an overload of messages at the wrong time. Gnymble recommends you keep your business texting to normal business hours. This means avoiding sending messages too early in the morning or too late in the evening. Respecting your customers' time is an important piece to business texting communication.
Include Your Name
Always include your name or your business name somewhere in your text messages– unless it’s obvious who the sender is. Unless the recipient has saved your contact information, they will only see your phone number when you text them. Don’t make your customers guess who’s texting them.
Proofread
Always proofread your text messages at least once before sending them. It’s even better to have another person look over the text message before hitting send. Autocorrect or speech to text can change your spelling, grammar, or messaging. Simple spelling or grammar mistakes can turn your customers off– so it’s worth the extra effort to proofread your texts.
Always remember that SMS marketing is a wonderful tool that should not be abused. You should continue to work towards positive attraction instead of annoyance. Keep your customers, clients, and patients happy by following simple texting etiquette. If you’d like to learn more about how you can start texting, text 757-818-8010 or email [email protected].
Sources:
https://www.allbusiness.com/7-rules-etiquette-sms-marketing-22128-1.html
