Marketing SMS messages are likely something you are already aware with, but did you realize that transactional SMS messages also exist? Transactional SMS messages give clients vital information about their accounts, transactions, services, and more, in contrast to marketing texts that try to disseminate promotional content.

By knowing how to use transactional SMS messages, you may enhance your clients’ brand experience and keep them informed. Learn more about this business strategy and how to improve your customer communication by reading on.

Transactional SMS

What is transactional SMS? A transactional SMS message is a text message that a company sends to a customer to let them know about a recent purchase, appointment, account, service, or other connection with the business.

Transactional bulk SMS messages, on the other hand, are mass texts delivered to a number of recipients. For example, in the case that an event is canceled, a company may tell everyone who RSVP’d by sending a transactional bulk SMS.

Application-to-person, or A2P, SMS messages are what these transactional texts are; a customer receives a text from a business and is not expected to respond. Put otherwise, it’s a one-way exchange of information between a company and its clients.

The Distinction Between Marketing and Transactional SMS Messages

Now, transactional and marketing SMS messages are not the same thing. Transactional messages are intended to give the consumer important information, like a delivery confirmation number or one-time passcode.

These are not the same as marketing SMS messages that are intended for sales, marketing, and promotional purposes. To entice clients to buy, a marketing SMS message can, for instance, offer a unique discount code for an impending sale.

Benefits of Transactional SMS

What benefits come with sending transactional SMS messages? Using transactional SMS messages has several advantages, such as lower business expenses, better customer service, and higher customer involvement.

1) Boost Customer Support

Non-marketing SMS messages might assist in informing your clients, who want to be informed. These communications keep your consumers informed, whether it’s about shipments or impending appointments.

This can cut down on the amount of time your consumers spend contacting your customer support personnel in addition to promoting openness. They don’t have to waste time or effort contacting your company because they already have all the information they require in their inboxes.

2) Enhanced Interaction with Customers

Customers are more likely to open your transactional and possibly even marketing messages when you keep them updated and offer useful information. They will appreciate your messages and might be more likely to interact with your material in the future.

3) Lower Expenses

Customers will engage with your customer service team less when your company provides them with useful information, such order confirmations and tracking numbers, through A2P SMS texts.

For instance, your messages will automatically inform your clients that they have received their money, mailed their stuff, or confirmed their appointment, so they won’t phone your employees to inquire about these things.

This implies that your company can cut expenses on manual customer service chores and interactions and will need less human control.

Transactional SMS Message Examples

Let’s now see how these messages are applied. What kinds of SMS messages are transactional?

Order confirmations, shipment alerts, bank notifications, two-factor authentication messages, event updates, and appointment and reservation confirmations and reminders are a few instances of transaction messages.

1) Order Verifications

Verification of order Information about a customer’s most recent purchase is included in SMS messages. In addition to confirming that the company has received and processed the order, this line usually contains the order number.

Because they can confirm that their orders are being processed, customers value these updates.

2) Notifications of Shipping

Order confirmation SMS messages are typically followed by shipment notice SMS messages. The customer is informed that their shipment is en route with this notification. Additionally, delivery update SMS messages containing tracking details and expected arrival timeframes may be sent to the customer. Without getting in touch with the company, they can then use this information to track their shipment and get ready for its arrival.

3) Two-Factor Authentication Message

A safe authorization technique that assists a company in confirming a customer’s identity when they connect into an online account, app, or system is two-factor authentication (2FA) SMS texts. These prompted SMS messages provide customers a one-time password (OTP) to enter when they want access.

4) Bank Alerts

In bank transaction, Customers can get information about their bank accounts through SMS messaging. For instance, when a customer requests their account balance, the amount of money that is still in their account is displayed in an event-driven SMS message. Alternatively, when the bank receives a deposit or detects questionable behavior on a customer’s credit card, they may automatically send an SMS message.

5) Reminders for Events

When an event is canceled or postponed, for example, multiple clients may need to receive the same information at the same time. And that’s when those bulk transactional messages are useful. Instead of contacting each individual, a firm can tell a group of contacts of event updates or changes with a single transactional message.

6) Reservation and Appointment Reminders and Verifications

Reminder of the reservation and appointment are Another type of transactional text is an SMS message. When a customer makes a reservation or appointment, they automatically receive an SMS confirming the event’s scheduling. To make sure it’s on their mind, they might additionally get reminders a day or two prior to the reservation or appointment.

Selecting a Provider of Transactional SMS

After learning the advantages of sending these messages, you may be asking yourself, “How do I pick a transactional SMS provider?” Examining the platform’s capabilities and cost is the best method to select a transactional SMS service.

Cost

Pricing plans from transactional SMS providers are usually determined by how many texts you must send.

The kind of features that the supplier offers may also have an impact on prices. Make sure the plan is within your means by looking at your business budget before choosing a transactional SMS provider.

Features

The top transactional SMS service will offer the functionality that your company wants. Think about your company’s objectives and investigate the features and integrations that can help you achieve the greatest outcomes. A few essential aspects to consider include message analysis, tracking, and scheduling.

Starting a Campaign for Transactional SMS

How to set up a transactional SMS campaign is the next obvious question. You will be taken to the workflow section after registering for a transactional SMS service. You can then develop your event-driven SMS campaign from this point on.

Fields to enter the event that causes the message to appear, like a purchase or appointment booking, will be visible to you. After that, you can choose the message’s content and the time you want it to be sent automatically. You can either use a template or create your procedure from scratch, depending on your transactional SMS provider.

Sending Transactional SMS Messages: Best Practices

It helps to know how to design the most effective A2P SMS message campaigns. What are some recommended practices for delivering SMS messages that are transactional, then? These consist of getting clients’ permission, giving pertinent information, experimenting with various message types, and monitoring the outcomes.

Get Customers’ Consent: You need to have your customers’ consent before you can send them a message. To make sure your text program conforms with marketing regulations, offer an opt-in option.

Give Useful Information: Your transactional texts should benefit your clients. Send only communications that contain useful, instructive, or informative material.

Test Various Message Types: Try out different automated SMS message types until you determine which one works best for your company.

Track Your Results: The only way to determine whether your SMS campaign was successful is to keep an eye on your analytics. To evaluate its effectiveness, look at measures like as your open rates, engagement rates, and unsubscribe rates.

Transactional SMS Common Mistakes

Finally, let’s talk about the things you should not do while creating a text campaign. Which mistakes are frequently made when sending transactional SMS messages? Not getting the customer’s permission, sending pointless communications, sending too many messages, etc. are some typical errors.

Not Getting the Customer’s Consent: Before sending a text message, you must have the customer’s consent.

Sending Irrelevant Messages: Every message you send should have a specific goal.

Sending an excessive amount of messages: Avoid sending your clients messages at all hours of the day or night.

Failing to Monitor Your Results: Keep an eye on the campaign’s effectiveness using your analytics tools.

Send Transactional SMS Messages Today

Automated transactional texting has the potential to revolutionize customer service for your company. Are you prepared to give it a try? Simply get in touch with us to test out our transactional SMS service.