4 Reasons Texting is Taking Over

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Consumers are increasingly expecting the ability to communicate with businesses via text. With the growing demand, it\’s predicted texting will soon be a top marketing channel. Here are 4 data-driven reasons you\’ve got to get into the texting game.

1. Texting Has a Positive Brand Perception

The majority of consumers (64%) have a more positive perception of a business they have texted with. ¹

Staying current with digital tools and technology can show patients you keep up with important trends. It also demonstrates that your practice is easy to communicate with and you strive to make life easy for them.

That goes a long way for consumers who are getting increasingly accustomed to convenience. They like the ability to have several methods of contacting and engaging with your practice.

 

2. Texting Increases Engagement & Response Rates

95% of text messages are opened and responded to within 3 minutes of being delivered.¹ Compare that to emails, which typically have a 15-20% open rate.²

Consumers are always next to their phone and most get a pop up alert and sound when they get a new text. As such, it’s an almost guarantee your messages are seen. And the immediacy of texting, prompts a natural rapid response from recipients. Unlike email, texting is conversational where it’s acceptable to be short and to the point with back and forth dialogue.

 

3. Texting is a Preferred Method of Communication to Help in the Patient Process

Data further shows nine out of ten consumers would like to communicate with businesses through text message. ¹

We know one thing\’s for sure, consumers certainly don\’t like waiting on hold. They also like options for communication that fit what they are doing at any given moment. What if they are in the middle of work? What if they can\’t break away from their kids to engage in a full conversation? Texting allows for multi-tasking and answers to their questions without being time consuming.

But it\’s important to also note that a key reason texting is such a high performer is how and when it’s used. It’s high-touch, highly-personalized nature has to be respected, and prospects can easily be turned- off when texting feels “spammy”, is too frequent or is otherwise unexpected.

 

4. Texting as a Catalyst for Conversions

One of the most effective ways to use texting is when a prospect is further down the customer journey and has already interacted with your practice. This is when they appreciate the support, offers, and reminders.

When they\’re at ready to come in for a consultation, sending a text with details such as office address, appointment date/time, and site links that can all be accessed with the touch of the button, can help ensure there aren\’t any hiccups that could prevent them from getting into the office.

In fact, recent data from OptiCall’s Capture program shows texting can help nurture leads who have an upcoming appointment by improving:

1. The ability to reach prospects to confirm their contact information and details
2. Keep prospects engaged to ensure booked appointments are kept

 

How are you making texting work for you?

The trend toward texting isn’t going away. In these particularly uncertain times, it’s never been more important to incorporate HIPAA compliant texting into your marketing and lead nurture strategies to make it easy for prospects to engage and convert.

Contact us to learn more about how we can put texting to work for your practice.