Research shows that 78% of consumers say receiving a text message is the fastest way to reach them for important service updates and purchases. When it’s time to deliver critical information to your audience, texting is clearly the best way to communicate.

Text messaging automation takes it one step further to ensure that your message gets sent to the right people in a timely manner. You can respond to leads anytime, schedule appointments with clients and quickly provide important information to customers.

Digital conversations are a great way to communicate in times of social distancing, and remote working. We’ve seen a lot of our customers leverage automated messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are a few examples:

Text Messaging Automation for Patients

FreedomCare in New York City is using automated messaging to communicate with caretakers and patients during COVID-19. They are sending text messages to share updates about protocols during the pandemic to offset the load on hospitals having to make phone calls to individuals.

Other examples we have seen in using automation to share important information with patients include:

• Sending automated alerts about updated office hours
• Sending updates on hospital and clinic protocols including visitor restrictions
• Sending links for virtual appointments

Text Messaging Automation for Customers

Many companies are having to pivot their business and want to keep customers updated on changes. Automation makes it easy to quickly spread the word. One of our customers set up a COVID-19 relief support queue. Inquiries are received as texts & reps managing the queue provide a quick response back to the customers via text.

A few other examples we’ve seen include:

• Sending bulk automated campaigns alerting customers about discounts or special offers
• Physical storefronts alerting customers about their online services
• Setting up automated keywords for frequently asked questions

Text Messaging Automation for Prospects

Responding to leads quickly is still incredibly important. By implementing an automated interactive messaging response you can quickly respond and they will stay in your queue – as you dramatically shorten wait time in queues. With faster initial responses you can drive more conversions, which is crucial during uncertain times, as things change quickly.

Besides setting up automated messaging responses for leads we have seen customers use automated texting to:

• Set up templates with new content that can be updated across teams so all leads are receiving up to date information
• Set up routing and conversation history to accelerate time to response when an agent enters a conversation
• Send links to relevant resources such as webinars or guides

Text Messaging Automation for Students

Universities and colleges are making major pivots due to COVID-19. All classes have moved online, shifting the educational landscape for students. Our higher education clients are using automated text messaging to:

• Send bulk updates to students about online courses and materials
• Send links to virtual meetings, labs or office hours
• Send reminders for appointments such as tutoring or mentorship

Using Templates to Guide Outreach

Text message templates accelerate your time-to-messaging, improve your results from messaging, increase conversions and improve your customer success. They are an incredibly powerful tool and can save you hours of time when you need to relay important information.

SMS templates are predefined content for a variety of messaging conversations and responses. They allow you to create and send compelling and relevant outbound messages with personalized content. And most importantly the templates ensure that information sent out is accurate and up-to-date in the most efficient way possible.

To learn more about how to use text message templates, check out our Insider’s Guide to SMS Templates.

The Bottom Line

You want to share important information with your audience as quickly as accurately as possible. Text messaging automation makes sure your message gets sent to the right people at the right time. Your audience will appreciate being updated on new procedures, policies, and pivots while still having a personalized experience with your company.

Want to see how SMS-Magic Converse helps clients achieve all of this with text messaging? Reach out and we’d be happy to give you a personal tour and share examples from our clients!