Creating A Good Auto-Reply
Creating A Good Auto-Reply
Auto-replies, also known as SMS autoresponders, are customizable text messages that automatically send back to a subscriber when they join your SMS marketing program. All good auto replies contain these four key components.
Confirm the Subscription.
First, let people know that they've just been added to your text messaging list. Confirm their subscription and thank them for joining. For example, the confirmation portion of your auto-reply might say "Thanks for joining Bob's Burgers VIP text club!"
Offer Something of Value, AKA "The Hook".
When someone subscribes to your SMS marketing list, they're allowing you to send text blasts to them whenever you want. Furthermore, they're letting you do so through an incredibly personal source of communication that's normally reserved for friends and family.
There should be an incentive in return for them letting you into their world and that's that "something of value". This is that hook that gets your customers to join in the first place. Because it's an incentive, it should be something you communicate verbally and make apparent on any materials you have announcing your text program. That's the next thing you'll want to include in your auto-reply. An example of a "hook" might be "Show this text for a free burger with the purchase of a 32OZ drink."
Include Your Frequency.
Let customers know how many times per month you'll be texting them. Not only should this be in your auto reply, it should also be on all your materials that announce your SMS text promotions. Including your frequency, or number of times per month you'll be getting in touch, gives subscribers peace of mind. An example of how you can communicate your campaign frequency might be "Receive up to 4 msgs/month." Sometimes you may find yourself crunched for character space in longer auto-replies, so shortening that up might be "4 msgs/month."
Include Opt-Out Instructions.
Let people know how they can unsubscribe, should they ever choose to. This is extremely important. It's one of the most basic best practices for text message marketing, and also required by law. Because it's so important, at SlickText, we give you 20 less characters in your auto-replies so we can automatically attach "(txt STOP to cancel.)" Note that this message is only attached to the end of your auto-reply; not every text you send out.
Now let's put all of those components together into one example of an A+ auto-reply.
"Thanks for joining Bob's Burgers VIP text club! Show this text for a free burger with the purchase of a drink. Up to 4 msgs/month. (txt STOP to cancel.)"
Text Messaging Best Practices
Beginner's Guide to SMS
SMS Compliance Guide
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