Automation is the wave of the future, and this is also true for most areas of your business. One of the most important ways that automation can help your business is by reminding your customers of what you have to offer.
Businesses that send out automated reminders to their customers have more efficient operations. They also have fewer problems due to human error. A good example of a business that uses sophisticated automation tools to engage their clients is Google. Google’s machine learning algorithms offer relevant results and suggestions to millions of users every minute, and without them, Google would collapse overnight.
The good news is that you won’t need billions of dollars in sophisticated technology to remind your customers about your products and services. You can still automate your business’ customer reminder system by using an affordable device or software. Here’s how it works.
What is a Customer Reminder?
A customer reminder is like a sophisticated alarm clock or event calendar. It sends out SMS messages to relevant people about a particular event or appointment that they have to go to. Business owners use auto reminders to remind their clients that they have new products and offers that they can take advantage of. The process works like this. When a customer buys an item from the business owner, the latter asks them if they want to join their customer reminder list. If the customer agrees, then they are added into the list, and they will receive an automated SMS reminder whenever they are sent out.
Moreover, customer reminders may also be customized to send out different types of reminders to different groups of people. For example, let’s say that your business sells gardening tools, but about a third of your clients are only interested in fertilizers. To optimize your customer engagement strategy, you can customize a specific set of reminders for those customers who are only interested in fertilizers. These reminders will mostly focus on your fertilizer products, which in turn leads to more replies and engagement from that particular subset of customers.
And you can do the same actions for other types of customers. So not only can customer reminders help you retain your old customers, they can also help you customize your message for different audiences. Customization matter because people are more likely to respond to a message that is designed specifically for their preferences.
Finally, customer reminders may also be automated, so that they will send out reminders without direct intervention from you or anyone. All you need to do is write down the template, set up the schedule and turn it on. The software will handle the rest.
How to Find A Customer Reminder
There are several ways to find customer reminders. One way is to consult forums and online business websites for advice. Members of these platforms may be able to give you some valuable tips on where you can find a customer reminder that fits your business needs.
You can also do a quick Google search for sites and businesses that specialize in customer reminder software. One result is Weave’s appointment reminder software, which offers some interesting features, but try to look at as many options as you can. The more options you find, the better.
Finally, look for a site that offers free trials. There are not a lot of services that offer free trials for customer reminders, but some do, and they can be quite helpful if you’re new to these devices. A customer reminder free trial will give you a good idea of what these products can do for you and your business.
Implementing A Customer Reminder Strategy
For all of their positive features, you should remember that customer reminders are still tools, and like all tools, you will need to use them efficiently. The best way to do this is to have a customer reminder strategy.
To create such a strategy, you will first need to develop several SMS reminder templates. These templates represent the written information that you send out to your clients and customers, and each template will be customized according to the preferences and tastes of different groups of clients. Additionally, you will also need to create new templates whenever you release a new product or you want to remind your clients about sales and events.
Secondly, you will need to set up a schedule for releasing new reminders to your clients. Some businesses release reminders every week, while others will only send them out whenever they have an upcoming event. In any case, it’s important that each reminder that you send out is relevant to the needs and interests of your customers. Businesses that use customer reminders for advertising or marketing purposes often end up annoying their customers, which is counterproductive.
Thirdly, you will need to study the effectiveness of your SMS customer reminders. You can do this by measuring how many people respond to your SMS messages, and how many ignore them. You can also take a look at how much sales your business generates through its reminders. By studying the effectiveness of your customer reminder strategy, you will be able to optimize your system to generate better results, which you can then use to improve your existing strategy.
Customer reminders work, because they enhance repeat sales. Remember that it’s easier to sell to someone who has already bought your product or service in the past than to sell to someone who has only recently heard of your products. By reminding your old customers about your products and services (or informing them about new ones), you are giving them the chance to buy what you have to offer and that can really boost your sales.
Furthermore, customer reminders may also be used to inform clients about sales, special events and various types of news. All of these things add up to increased customer engagement, which aside from increasing sales, also encourages customer loyalty. So if you are a business owner and you want to engage your customers consistently then a customer reminder will help you do it.
Image Credits: Business Profitable from Den Rise/Shutterstock