Texting is nowadays one of the most common ways to communicate. Research indicates that users of mobile devices are texting more than they are making calls, with text messaging set to overtake calls. Communicating via text is fast, efficient, and convenient, but you need to get it right. Numerous text messaging tools available such as SMS, MMS, VoIP chats, and chat apps offer users a great opportunity to connect with other people at home, school, or even at work. Businesses are now increasingly using text support technology to communicate with clients and prospects.
Here’s how you can improve your texting game.
Timing Is Important
If you are intent on improving your texting game, always remember that time has a great impact. Different audiences have different time boundaries that need to be respected. One of the best ways to approach time in texting is to consider yourself first. Would you want to be bombarded with text messages when you have just fallen asleep at midnight? Unless it’s an emergency, businesses should send text messages within business hours. If you are texting friends and family, you could perhaps text into the night. However, too much texting and one might feel as if you are invading their private space.
You also need to respond promptly. Often, the text messages are meant to elicit a quick response. Don’t wait 12 hours to respond to an urgent message. Even if you don’t have an immediate response, just acknowledge receipt of the message and promise to get back to them soon. In case the recipients have not responded yet, be patient, and avoid bombarding them with follow up messages.
Follow Etiquette Rules
Etiquette starts with using respectful language. In texting, words and characters are your primary forms of communication. Foul or abusive language should always be avoided even if the response is not as desired. Slang is common in text messages, but if you have to use it, ensure it is for the right audiences. Some older family members and friends could, for instance, feel left out when you use slang. Equally, businesses using slang to text their clients might be getting it wrong.
Be sensitive to cultures and communities. Your message could be understood differently by different cultures. Avoid sharing private information, being too aggressive or demanding in your texting.
Be Proactive
Being proactive in texting means you meet your end of the bargain before sending the message. Texting professionals over at VoxDirect.com advise that if your texts are full of grammar and spelling mistakes, you risk appearing rushed and careless. Conduct a full spelling and grammar check before sending the text message. There are numerous online tools that you can use to proofread text messages and improve readability.
Slang, social media abbreviations, and emoticons are a nice way to spice up your texts. However, you may want to steer clear of them when texting your employer or clients. You also don’t have to publicly broadcast an issue that you could address privately with the relevant recipient.
For businesses, audience research is crucial. Learning more about an audience will give you demographic data such as age, location, language used in texting, if they send text messages and how often they send them, and the kind of content they would want in the messages. Audience analysis will enable you to determine the frequency, tone, and content of a text message program. You will also know whether it is the right audience for the program.
Also, ensure that you use autocorrect appropriately. Autocorrect might easily miss some business terms and industry-specific jargon that you may want to include in your message. You should also avoid using all caps because it sounds as if you are shouting or angry.
Know Who Is on the Other End
It is important to think about who will see your message. The effort you put in texting can bear more fruit if the target audiences find them relevant and useful. Receiving a text message is a personal experience because the audience receives the text messages privately. Therefore, you need to consider your audience and how they might perceive the message to get everything right.
Be Concise
Text messages are unlike emails or letters. Audiences might not appreciate long paragraphs and the meaning therein risks being lost. You should aim to make complex information simpler and better understood by your audiences. Don’t risk texting long explanations because the intended message might be lost. Lengthy texts also discourage immediate response.
Some texting platforms limit the number of characters that you can use at one time. The character limit underscores the hallmarks of texting, as a short-format, high-priority communication format which has a close to 100% open rate. A brief text message with a sentence or two is more effective than a long paragraph crammed with details. Long paragraphs have lower readability and readers might have a challenge deriving information from such texts. If you need to include more information, it is best to send more short messages than one long paragraph.
Be Personal
When you personalize texts, the recipients feel appreciated. Blanket messages sound generic and bland. Businesses can achieve better ROI from a texting program through personalized messages. Messaging individual recipients can be a good way to start. The recipients will be surprised and delighted and they are more likely to engage a brand. You can also address them by their name. Addressing recipients by their name breaks the ice and sets an approachable tone.
You may also include their pet names, car make, and model and product they purchased in the text message. Consider sending a personalized birthday wish or gift card on their birthdays as well. Audiences might trust brands with personalized messages more than those who send blanket text messages.
With more individuals and businesses embracing texting, there is a need to get everything right. The moment you press send, there is no going back. Sending follow up messages to correct errors is not only costly, but also has a negative impact on the intended message. When writing text messages, always ensure that you are empathetic and helpful to the target audience.