Mobile is indispensable and it has been made clear by marketing news time and again.

Moblie is the primary device being used by most of us to access the internet. As a matter of fact, a quarter of us interact less with anything else and more with our mobile devices. And, since it is the primary source, content has to fit that format.

Brands are adhering to this fact, even so, more since Google announced that non-mobile friendly pages will be ranked low.

It is the apps that will be impacted the most with the increasing use of mobile devices and the most vital role in sending notifications will be played by text messages. I’m sure many of you already receive notifications through SMS.

Mobile users are more than ever interested in receiving SMS and the texting stats rates say it all.

• 22 billion texts are sent every day, worldwide
• Texts have 99% open-rate
• 89% of consumers want to use messaging to communicate with businesses
• 75% of people like offers sent via text
• 90% of leads prefer to be texted

But, there’s a catch here! SMS can be forgotten or ignored if not sent at the right time and that’s why these messages need to be optimized.

Why is that? How can it be avoided? How can they benefit the user and the brand? Read on to know which 7 text messages users actually enjoy receiving.

1. SMS that encourages

Once I missed my training session and the SMS I received from the institute went like,

“You haven’t been active lately and missed your session. Login to book another.”

Is it only me or would you too feel judged by an SMS like that?

You don’t need an opt-in SMS that shames the users, but an SMS that encourages. Most health and fitness apps are designed in a way to push users to do something. But, users need a break too. Maybe they are unwell or taking a day off or some other important reason. Let the user decide how long they want the hiatus to be and then send a message asking them if they are ready to start.

| | | --- | | Mera Health Genie pushes user in a positive way to work on their health. Dear Payal, Your custom-made diet plan is now available on your Mobile App and website. Now enjoy our full features like alarms, shopping basket and many more. For any further assistance, contact us on xxxxxxxxxx. |

2. SMS that makes life easier

Do you put everything on your calendar? One thing most people forget, even you could be one of them, is scheduling online check-in for their flights.

Airlines apps remind the users to check in 24 hours in advance and it might be one of the reasons that travel apps have the highest opt-in rate.

Many airlines send the reminders via email but with SMS outweighing emails by a staggering 23% as the preferred method of communication, no wonder we look for quick notifications.

| | | --- | | SkoolTree helps schools stay connected with parents making it easier for parents to know the attendance status of their children. Dear Parents, It is to inform you that school will send the attendance message only to the absentees through the Mobitendance from 12/07/2018 (Thursday). Please note that the attendance message of the students those who are present will not be sent. |

3. SMS that knows where their users are – location

Localytics asked its users which type of notifications they preferred the most – the third most popular response with 34% – “a special offer based on my location”.  

If you are already out somewhere, why not treat yourself with a special offer.

Knowing your user and their choices accomplish two things: You are looking out for your users and their choices and offering them something special based on their choice.

| | | --- | | Domino’s sends its users’ text messages informing them about their nearest outlet based on user location. |

It’s a way of adding value to a user and a personalized notification is just like a cherry on the top.

4. SMS that excites the users

There are notifications that know where you are and offer accordingly, and then there are those notifications that offer where you want to be – a beach, some warm place, in the mountains.

| | | --- | | ixigo allows users to set their notification criteria based on destination, dates, popular location and sends them SMS alerts when the prices for those trips go down. Train bookings open for Diwali! Pay Rs.0 service charge on train bookings via ixigo. Don’t get waitlisted! Book Now: https://ixtr.app.link/fee0 |

Imagine yourself indulged in daily routine when you receive a text message offering a good holiday deal; exciting, isn’t it? Especially, an offer based on your preferences!

The rewards with this kind of notifications are twofold – users are receiving information and you get a return on their investment in your brand. Also, there’s this positive association with your brand as users are actually getting what they want.

Think what would add that excitement factor for your user and that information would portray the message that your app is actually benefiting users in the way they would like.

5. SMS that alerts people about things that matter – to them

Most of us like to stay informed – what’s happening in our town, state, country and even the world. The level of personalization plays a huge role in such kinds of alerts as users are 3 times more likely to respond to a notification that affects them directly.

To make it more effective, let users choose what area of information they would want to be notified about and also let them choose the time of the day so they are not disturbed by the text message.

| | | --- | | Admission SMS: JOIN POLYTECHNIC/ DIPLOMA/ BTECH WITH 100% SCHOLARSHIP (CC) WITHOUT ANY EXAM WITH PLACEMENT ASSURED BY GovrJh. CALL xxxxxxxxxx. |

6. SMS that let the user pick up from where they left

You visited an app or a site with some intention and then got distracted. By the time the distraction passed, you forgot why you visited the app or site in the first place. Did you know, we humans have a shorter attention span than a goldfish?

There are apps that send an SMS to let you pick from where you left making your life easier.

But just 2 things:

• How busy your user might be?
• Would this notification help them to act on it or just distract them?

7. SMS that keeps people posted

There are a few things we really want to know –

• When is our food order arriving?
• When are our important docs arriving?
• When is our shopping parcel arriving?

Notifications that inform and keep people posted would always be welcome by most.

| | | --- | | KartFood, a food delivery startup in Kashmir valley sends SMS informing customers when their order is out for delivery. Hi Customer, We have received your order, Details: Order ID: 341 Restaurant: Grills Total Amount  ₹556.50 Order Details: 1 x Tandoori Chicken Full 400.00 2 x Plain Naan 80.00 Regards Kashmir’s First Online Food Delivery Service |

According to a survey, 43% of users think taking more than 10 minutes to respond to an SMS is unacceptable. Whether we like instant gratification or not, in the time of mobile, we have to adapt!

Does your app/site require users to wait? If it does, ask yourself

• Are you making your users wait longer than required?
• Are you keeping your users posted about what they are waiting for?
• Are you updating your users or disrupting them?
• Can your users reach you in time to get updated information?

Text messages work wonderfully, but only if they share just enough information striking the right balance.

Ready to start texting? Make sure to meet these criteria:

• They aren’t disruptive
• They keep users informed
• They make life convenient for users
• They encourage users

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