SMS, or simply referred to as text messaging, is one of the most effective ways to reach busy people.
A short and concise message takes seconds to read and can generate a quick response, whereas traditional means of marketing communications (e.g. emails and newspaper advertisements) take a great deal of time to organize and can be costly too.
For example, it takes a lot of time and energy to formulate email content and to create/find graphics to dress it up.
Then, only about 21% of your audience will open it and even less will read it. Compare that to a 98% open rate for text messages!
Choosing when to use SMS
At a minimum, every salon should send appointment confirmations to reduce no-shows. Further if clients are unsure of their schedule and decline to rebook after an appointment, send them a quick message the next day to remind them to book. Stop playing phone tag and spend more time behind the chair.
Texting can also be used for more specific communications including:
- Clients’ birthdays and anniversaries
- Lost clients – send a deal to clients who have not been into the salon for a longer-than-average period and do not have a future appointment booked
- Seasonal promotions – Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc.
- New stylist / therapist offers to boost bookings
- New products and services
- Recommend a friend
Since text messages can only be 160 characters (including spaces) long, it’s important that you get to the point quickly. Be sure to include the offer, the call to action (e.g. book on our website), and the timeline (e.g. the closing date for your offer).
We recommend contacting clients no more than once per month with offers, in addition to your reminder texts and an annual birthday message. They may not appreciate hearing from you too often, but they expect to at least be reminded of their upcoming appointments and that you value their business.
Why Insight Salon & Spa Software?
Insight gives you the ability to send and receive true SMS messages.
Clients are able to reply via SMS and to directly confirm their appointments. As shown in the below screenshot, Insight will track who has been sent a confirmation request and whether they have responded. In case your client cancels, you will still have time to rebook that time slot.
Some of our competitors also offer a text messaging service, but many of them only allow you to send reminders and are unable to actually confirm appointments. Further, most competitors offering free text messaging are actually sending emails to clients’ cell phones. For this to work, you would need to ask your clients for their cell phone provider in addition to asking for their phone number. If they switch providers, your emails will no longer go through. As with all emails, your messages would also be subject to spam filters and may never be delivered to the client’s phone.
Insight SMS messages may cost a few cents, but consider how much you lose from clients missing their appointment or forgetting to cancel ahead of time. Insight offers reliable and effective messaging.
We will be happy to discuss how SMS marketing will benefit your unique business. Please contact our sales office at 1-888-919-5841.
