How do you know when to send an email instead of using a business texting service to communicate with your customers and prospects? What type of message should be sent as an email as opposed to a text message? At times it can be difficult to differentiate between both communication channels, however it is imperative to understand when to send which type of message. What could be considered an effective text message may not be a great email and vice versa. Text messages tend to be top priority, brief, quick and conversational while emails tend to be low priority and long-form.

People Prefer Text Messages Over Emails

It is no secret that people favor text messaging over making or receiving phone calls. Why is that? The reason is simple. Text messages are easy and get the job done quickly and efficiently. In this busy world, business texting services make it easy for us to communicate with customers while they’re running errands, busy at work, driving, parenting, and just about any of the million things they do a day. “If it’s easier for my clients to text me, ‘can I make an appointment?’ or ‘hey when is my payment due,’ I’m going to do it!” “ Even the greatest writers are frequently told to scale down their writing. A brief message is simpler to digest and remember than a complicated one. So, why is this so difficult when it comes to text messages? Quite often we see brands trying to duplicate their email strategy for texting and become irritated when they don’t see the same results. They don’t grasp that the conversational (and brief) nature of texting is what separates it from email. Business texting services require a completely different approach than email, social media or any other messaging platforms. The length of text messages is one of the unique characteristics of texting that often stumps communicators. Here are some key reasons small businesses prefer text messaging over emails.

The Benefits of Business Texting Services for Small Businesses

People will actually read it.

Unlike emails, text messages are not hidden underneath all your spam mail. The open rates for emails are approximately 20 percent, while text messages have an impressive open rate of 98 percent. These numbers speak for themselves. Our email inboxes are flooded with messages that we just don’t have time to scan through in order to find the important ones and read them all.

It takes precedence.

What would you say is faster than sending a text message? Your customers can respond to a text message much faster than sending you an email to reply. Unlike email, text messages don’t need a formal greeting or signature. Your customers can simply reply with a quick “yes” or “no.” In fact, depending on the smartphone, some recipients could use their speech recognition (voice to text) feature to reply and avoid typing altogether. Also, if someone realizes the discussion would be better via phone call, they don’t have to dig through their contact list to find your number. They can simply click on your phone # listed on the text message to reach you without missing a beat.

It’s available without Wi-Fi and portable.

Adult consumers devote an average of 3 hours and 35 minutes each day to their mobile devices, according to a 2018 study conducted by eMarketer. Text messaging comes pre-built on smartphones and unlike email, it’s available even when your outside of Wi-Fi range, which makes texting a more reachable medium.

It’s short.

Text messaging forces you to make your point with less characters. Contrary to popular belief, being forced to communicate with limits can actually make your messages more direct and effective. The greatest writers are often directed to cut characters because important messages are best when they’re not diluted with a bunch of fluff.

It’s ageless.

It’s already a known statistic that adults favor texting over any other form of communication. But now we’ve also learned that even the younger generations are showing a preference for text messaging over any other form of communicating. According to the Pew Research Center, 91 percent of teenagers with smartphones actively use text messaging.

It’s conversational.

The frequent use of technology is beginning to diminish human interaction. Text messaging provides a more compassionate feeling and personalizes your connection with your customers way more than an email could. You can easily and quickly exchange texts with your customers just like you would talk to them by phone. This communication channel also opens the doors for you to add personality by using Emojis, humor, and other fun elements that are hardly used in emails.

Building Rapport with Your Customers

Having a new business is like having your first pet. You’re tremendously cautious with every customer, holding their hand throughout each step, always going above and beyond to deliver excellent service. Their difficulties become your problems; it’s all very personal. Then ultimately your business begins to grow, you build more clientele and realize it’s tricky to please everyone. You begin to act more like a business instead of a personal contact. You have unavoidably lost that special touch which brought business to you in the first place. As people often say, “it ain’t easy being popular.”

Business Texting Services Is Not Meant to Replace Emails

Business texting services are not meant for long-form communication. Text messaging is not going to replace email completely as long as small businesses continue to use it as a conversational messaging channel. One of the things we’re proud of here at Text My Main Number is safeguarding the integrity of the text messaging medium. In other words, we want texting to remain convenient and conversational. Our goal is not to eliminate email all together. We’re simply offering an alternative channel meant for a different type of communication. No one wants to read multi-paragraph text messages which is why it’s crucial that you keep your messages concise and include links that will allow your target to complete your intended call to action. Anything more than a few sentences will cause people to lose interest, and their eyes will glaze over, as they move your message to the trash! So, what can you do to set your business apart from your competitors and appear more personal? Sign up free to try business texting services to correspond with your customers!