Want better SMS engagement?
Focus relentlessly on Personalisation, Timing, Value, and Interaction.
Send messages that feel like they’re just for the recipient, arrive at the perfect moment, offer something genuinely useful, and encourage a response. Ditch generic blasts and make every text count.
From Opens to Action: Redefining SMS Success
First things first, let’s redefine what success looks like. An open rate is just the entry ticket; it doesn’t guarantee a seat at the engagement party.
Real engagement means your customers do something because of your text. They click a link. They reply with information. They use a coupon code. They feel a positive connection to your brand. Engagement means your customers act on your messages.
Focusing on these actions tells you if your messages are truly hitting the mark. It shifts the goal from merely being seen to being impactful.
This is how you turn SMS from a simple notification tool into a powerful relationship builder.
Make Every Text Feel Like a One-on-One Chat
Generic messages get generic results (or worse, ignored). The secret sauce to getting attention is personalisation. And I mean going way beyond just using their first name.
Think about segmenting your audience. Divide your contacts into smaller groups based on things they have in common. What have they bought before? What pages did they visit on your website? Where are they located? What preferences have they shared?
Segmentation is dividing your audience into smaller groups with specific traits, allowing you to send highly relevant messages.
Imagine sending a special offer for dog food only to customers who have previously bought dog products. Compare that to blasting the same offer to everyone, including cat owners or people with no pets. See the difference?
Use information you already have to tailor the content. Mention a past purchase, reference their local store, or offer a deal related to their known interests. Platforms often allow you to use dynamic fields beyond just the name. You can find tools to help create custom SMS marketing plans tailored to these segments.
When a message feels specifically relevant to them, it cuts through the noise. It shows you understand their needs and aren’t just sending random spam. This builds trust and makes them far more likely to pay attention next time.
Send Your Message at the Perfect Moment
Have you ever received a promotional text at 6 AM? Or a lunch special alert at 3 PM? Timing can make or break your message’s effectiveness.
Consider your audience’s time zone. Don’t wake them up or interrupt their dinner. Think about when they are most likely to be receptive to your specific message.
Triggered messages are gold here. These are automated texts sent based on a specific action or event:
- An appointment reminder sent 24 hours and then 1 hour before.
- A “welcome” text right after they sign up.
- A special offer on their birthday.
- An abandoned cart reminder a few hours after they leave your site.
These messages arrive exactly when they are most relevant. Timing transforms a good message into a great one. It respects your customer’s time and context, making your communication feel helpful rather than intrusive.
Think about it: Would you rather get a promotional text for dinner specials at 10 AM or closer to 5 PM when you’re actually starting to think about dinner? Context matters!
Scheduling messages for optimal times, rather than just sending when it’s convenient for you, shows you value their attention.
Offer Something They Genuinely Want
Why should someone care about your text? Every message you send needs a clear answer to that question from the customer’s perspective. What’s in it for them?
Your text message needs to provide genuine value. This doesn’t always mean a discount (though those are often welcome!). Value can also be:
- Exclusive early access to a sale or product.
- A genuinely helpful tip related to your product/service.
- A critical reminder (like an appointment or payment due date).
- Important updates (like shipping notifications).
- An invitation to an event they might enjoy.
Think about building a relationship, not just making a sale with every single text. If every message is “BUY NOW!”, people will tune out fast. Mix promotional content with helpful, informative, or exclusive messages.
Your SMS should be a welcome arrival, not an interruption. When customers know your texts offer real value, they’ll be less likely to opt-out and might even start looking forward to hearing from you. Deliver consistent value and watch engagement climb. Need ideas? Exploring different SMS marketing strategies can spark inspiration.
Keep it Short, Sweet, and Actionable
Text messages are meant to be brief. People scan them quickly, often on the go. Respect the medium by keeping your copy concise and easy to understand.
Avoid jargon or overly complex sentences. Get straight to the point. What is the single most important thing you want them to know or do?
And crucially, include a clear Call-to-Action (CTA). Tell people exactly what you want them to do next.
- Use action verbs: “Shop now,” “Click here,” “Reply YES,” “Show this text,” “Visit us today.”
- Make the benefit clear: “Tap here to save 20%,” “Reply for your free guide.”
- Include the link or instruction prominently.
A vague message like “Big sale happening now” is far less effective than “Flash Sale! 25% off all shirts ends midnight. Shop Now: [link]”.
Every word counts in SMS. Make them impactful.
Clarity drives action.
Experiment Your Way to Better Results
What works best for one audience might not work for another. Don’t just guess what your customers prefer – find out! This is where testing comes in.
A/B testing is your friend. Send slightly different versions of a message to small segments of your audience and see which performs better. You can test:
- Different offers (e.g., 20% off vs. free shipping).
- Different CTAs (“Shop Now” vs. “Learn More”).
- Different message lengths or tones.
- Different send times or days.
- Including emojis vs. no emojis.
Track your results carefully. Look at click-through rates, reply rates, conversion rates (if applicable), and even unsubscribe rates for each version. This data tells you exactly what resonates most with your audience. Keeping an eye on general SMS statistics can provide benchmarks, but your own data is invaluable.
Don’t assume – test and learn. Continuous refinement based on real performance data is the path to steadily improving SMS engagement rates over time.
Use Smart Tools to Boost Connection
The right tools and features can make implementing these strategies much easier and more effective.
Consider features like:
- Personalised Sender ID: Using your brand name as the sender makes your message instantly recognizable and trustworthy. Italicize: A custom sender ID replaces the phone number with your business name.
- SMS Scheduling: Plan your messages in advance to hit those perfect send times we discussed.
- Delivery Reports: Confirm your messages are actually reaching your customers’ handsets.
- Keyword Opt-In/Opt-Out: Makes it simple for people to subscribe (“Text JOIN to 12345”) or unsubscribe, keeping your list clean and compliant.
- Easy Segmentation Tools: Platforms that help you easily group contacts based on data.
- Two-Way Messaging Capability: Essential for enabling replies and conversations.
“The right tools make any job easier. SMS marketing is no different. Leveraging the right features simplifies engagement.”
Using these features thoughtfully enhances the customer experience, builds trust, and streamlines your workflow, freeing you up to focus on crafting great messages.
Ready To Boost Your Engagement?
Okay, let’s bring it all together. Improving your SMS engagement isn’t about some magic trick. It’s about being more thoughtful, relevant, and customer-focused in your approach.
Remember the core pillars:
- Personalise: Speak to them, not at a list.
- Time it right: Deliver when it makes sense for them.
- Offer value: Give them a good reason to care.
- Interact: Make it a conversation.
- Be clear: Keep it short, sweet, and actionable.
- Test and refine: Learn what truly works for your audience.
Imagine your customers actually welcoming, reading, and acting on your texts. Think about the stronger relationships, increased loyalty, and better business results that follow. How would that change things for you?
Putting these ideas into practice consistently takes effort, but the payoff in better customer connection and improved results is significant. Consistent effort in these areas yields significant improvements in improving SMS engagement rates.
If you’re looking for a platform to help you implement these strategies effectively, services like 160.com.au are designed with these needs in mind. Since 2000, we’ve helped businesses in Australia engage customers using easy-to-use tools for Online SMS, personalisation, scheduling, two-way messaging, segmentation, API integration, and more – all P>with enterprise-level security and no lock-in contracts. Features like our Email to SMS function can even turn important email alerts into instant text notifications, ensuring you never miss critical information.
Focus on sending better, more engaging messages, and you’ll unlock the true potential of SMS. Start making these changes today, and watch your customer engagement transform.