SMS marketing is killing text commerce

It’s no wonder text marketing has such a negative perception. Consumers are tired of being bombarded with promo codes and mass texts that keep them from forming a connection to your brand.

Consumer expectations have changed. They want personalized experiences, and they want to feel like they matter to their favorite brands. They want more than a generic text blast with a one-time discount code—they want a personal shopper in their pocket. 

Spammy marketing text messages that lack personalization and value are hurting the potential of this powerful channel. But where text marketing falls short, text commerce delights customers and drives revenue. 

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Where text marketing falls short, text commerce delights customers and drives revenue.

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The one-and-done nature of SMS marketing

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Mass texts with discount codes or special offers is certainly a way to get opt-ins. It’s an even better way to get opt-outs. The fact is, one-way conversations don’t provide any long-term value to consumers. Sure, they might get 15% off their first purchase, but what about after that? What keeps them coming back? 

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Brands can do so much more with text than the low standard SMS marketing has set. They could be having real-time, two-way text conversations that allow them to support customers in every step of their journey. Giving consumers the opportunity to interact in real time with brands they like motivates them to remain engaged and subscribed. 

Brands could use SMS to let customers skip the web entirely, and complete purchases without leaving their texts. They could let their customers go from discovery to delivery all via text. Brands could make buying their products so easy, it feels like magic.

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Half-hearted attempts at personalization

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Text is a personal channel, and your messaging should follow suit—scripted, spammy texts will drive customers away. They want an experience tailored to their preferences and needs, and every text you send should provide value. Simply adding their name to the beginning of a text won’t cut it.

Keep in mind, buying decisions are usually driven by emotion. Today’s consumers care less and less about rewards points to a faceless brand, and more about the experience. In fact, according to Salesforce, 80% of customers value the experience a company provides as much as its products.

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Making the effort to build meaningful relationships with your customers will turn them into loyal followers and repeat buyers. With a direct line to customers, SMS gives brands a rare opportunity to understand, and even anticipate, their needs. And it gives brands a chance to provide the kind of next-level customer service consumers crave.

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Text commerce is in, text marketing is out

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At Wizard, we’re reframing people’s expectations and habits around text commerce. We’re undoing the negative precedent that’s been set by SMS marketing one two-way conversation at a time. 

Consumers are at the heart of everything we do. We show them the human, empathetic side of their favorite brands by letting them enjoy real-time interaction and personalized service. Our platform powers every step of the sales funnel, so your customers can find out about new products, ask questions, complete purchases, and even arrange a refund—all in one text conversation. 

Powering every step of the customer lifecycle via text is the magic of conversational commerce, and it’s why text is the future of commerce. 

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