OpenMarket – April 28, 2015
Over the past few years, much of the value and importance of mobile engagement has been driven by creative thinkers in Sales and Marketing. Mobile has been a catalyst for marketers looking to deliver more offers and coupons that ultimately increase brand exposure, sales and revenue. While there is no doubt that mobile is great for sales and marketing use cases, it really only represents the tip of the iceberg. When we look at how leading global enterprises are using mobile – specifically text messaging – we see much of the value is focused on use cases “below the water line.” The key is to engage with your customers throughout their entire journey.
In the customer lifecycle we see many opportunities for companies to enhance relationships with their customers. In fact, we see mobility programs driving a 25% improvement in overall customer experience. There is also an opportunity to welcome new customers and/or send an order confirmation after the sale. Going a step further, you can update customers on their orders, notify them of shipments and even remind them of upcoming service appointments.
Lifetime value is important. A poor user experience is the #1 reason for churn and 62% of customers will purchase more after a good experience. To improve that experience, you should continue to add value after the purchase. You can engage your customers by sending product utilization information such as tips, trouble-shooting ideas, or best practices. You can also protect customers from fraud with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) or authorization alerts. Another idea is to make it easy to re-order via a simple text message. For customers with support issues, you can text-enable your toll-free numbers or provide a simple FAQ via SMS.
Finally, if you’ve done your job well, you’ll want to hear from customers and ask for their feedback. You can do this with simple surveys or Net Promoter Score messages after interactions with your business. You might also ask for a product review by sending a text message with an embedded link to a review page. From experience we see a 20% survey response rate with SMS – twice as high as phone and 5 times higher than online.
Sales and marketing is only the entry point for effective mobile engagement. 70% of the buying experience is based on how the customer feels, so make sure your company uses mobile throughout the entire customer lifecycle. In doing so, you’ll maximize your ROI and avoid sinking the ship.