8 Essential SMS Flows to Catapult Your Growth

There's a plethora of benefits to SMS marketing. Savvy ecommerce marketers use SMS to reach more customers quickly than they can on other channels. With a 95% open rate within three minutes, SMS has an impressive ROI placing it second in relation to other marketing channels, after direct mail, but better than email.

In fact, Emotive customers see a whopping $27 return for every dollar spent on text message marketing. So it's no wonder today's marketers are investing more in SMS.

And the best way to take advantage of this channel is through SMS flows, or automated messages that trigger based on a customer's behavior.

Automated flows can help you build relationships with your SMS subscribers, encourage conversions, and boost engagement at scale.

Get started with these eight essential SMS automations for ecommerce.

1. Welcome flow

A welcome flow is an automated sequence sent to customers when they subscribe to your SMS marketing list. Your welcome series helps your customers get to know you and sets the stage for lasting customer relationships.

Combine your SMS flow with email to add longer messages that help your customers get to know you better.

Your welcome texts should include:

• A confirmation SMS message with instructions to opt out

• Thank you for subscribing -- it's a privilege to be connected with your customers after all!

• A discount code or other special deal if you offered one as an incentive for signing up

• Incentive reminders as time goes on if a customer doesn't purchase

Depending on how you integrate email and text in your SMS flow, you can also add texts that elevate social proof, educate customers on your product, or share about brand values.

2. Browse abandonment texts

A browse abandonment text is a follow-up SMS to customers who viewed a product page but didn't purchase. With these messages, you can encourage them to complete their order.

Something got in the way of them adding the product to their cart. So consider educating customers on your product or answering common questions. You can also use social proof to show that customers have been happy with the product.

3. Cart abandonment SMS flow

Abandoned cart texts are sent to customers who have added items to their shopping carts without purchasing. It's your chance to recover these sales.

Customers who abandoned their carts are even further along in their purchase journey than those browsing a page, so they're easier to convert.

Use this opportunity to highlight free shipping or a generous returns policy. Share how your product is better than the competition. Or offer a special deal to encourage the customer to purchase.

4. Transactional SMS messages

Transactional texts are all the logistical messages that relate to a customer's order. That includes order confirmation, shipping confirmations and updates, and delivery confirmation messages.

These messages are crucial for building trust and showing that your business is reliable, on top of helping customers feel more confident that everything is running smoothly. And it helps them track the delivery to their door.

5. Post-purchase text messages

After a purchase, use SMS to build customer loyalty, reduce returns, and encourage future purchases with a post-purchase flow.

This is another automation that can be integrated with email for maximum impact.

For your post-purchase texts, consider including:

• A thank you text for their purchase

• A product setup text when their order arrives

• A request for review to boost social proof on your website

• Cross-sell texts to suggest a complementary product based on their purchase

6. Replenishment reminder texts

Text is an ideal channel to remind customers to repurchase consumable products. Think of things like coffee, shampoo, skincare, contact lenses, or toilet paper.

It's easy for customers to forget to place a new order for something they use frequently, so remind customers to repurchase before they run out.

If you do it by text, you can initiate an automated two-way conversation to place orders quickly. First, ask if a customer wants to repurchase. Then confirm their shipping address and the payment information on file.

No need for a customer to manually add items to their cart.

7. Back-in-stock texts

High demand? Back-in-stock texts are a great way to let customers know about items they were interested in but couldn't purchase at the time.

Since text is such an immediate channel, customers can quickly snatch up the product before it goes out of stock again.

8. Winback SMS messages

Winback texts are sent to existing customers who haven't purchased in a while to try to re-engage them. They serve to remind customers of your company's value and inspire a new purchase.

By text, your winback series can include:

• A special deal as an incentive to come back

• A personalized product recommendation based on customer data

• Social proof and recent accolades from major publications

• Company updates like new product lines or product updates they may have missed or new policies that benefit them

• A request for feedback on their satisfaction with your brand and the products they already own

Combine with email to take advantage of both channels.

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