It’s been 30 years since Neil Papworth sent the first-ever text message. Since then, texting has become the preferred method of communication for many Americans. As the most commonly used form of communication among Americans under 50, texting is not only for personal communication anymore. Thirty-nine percent of businesses are using text messaging to communicate with consumers, and even more are using text to communicate with their employees.
Texting is popular for a reason. Unlike emails, with an open rate of 17%, text messages have a 98% open rate and a response rate of 45%. The rapid rise of text messaging has changed how we communicate. As many texts continue to get less formal, the rules for writing a professional text can get murky. (Some professionals even equivocate Slack threads to text messages—read this article to learn how to use Slack effectively.) To clear to water and make crafting the perfect text easy, read our full guide below.
How do businesses use text messaging?
Marketing
Marketing via text isn’t anything new. From promoting sales to appointment reminders, many companies have been using text marketing for years. But with 27% more businesses joining the trend in 2022, you can expect to see even more growth going into 2024.
With impressive open rates and more personalized two-way communication, brands can save money and reach goals with text marketing. Text communication isn’t just a plus for businesses, consumers are increasingly opting into text communication with brands as well, with 70% of consumers opting in to text messaging with a brand in 2022 compared to 62% in 2021.
As we move into 2024, marketing via text will continue to stand out in the sea of content that consumers have to wade through. With sky-high open and response rates, text could soon start to become a favorite over email.
Commerce
Mobile commerce, shopping via a mobile device, is expected to take up 44% of e-commerce sales by 2024. And with text-to-order on the rise, it comes as no surprise that making purchasing easier attracts more customers.
Text-to-order allows established customers to easily send a quick message to purchase without any external links or forms to fill out. Once the customer texts what they want to buy, the order is placed using stored shipping and billing information.
While text-to-buy is still new, expect to see more of it in 2024 and beyond. With a shorter customer journey, fewer points of friction, and a more personalized customer experience, shopping by text is a trend that isn’t going anywhere.
Customer Service
Consumers expect faster customer service response times than ever before, but the cost of maintaining good support continues to rise. With some companies cutting phone support altogether in order to keep costs low, maintaining a customer support system that keeps consumers happy while also working for your brand is a delicate balance.
Text customer support may be the solution in 2024. Text allows your brand to maintain quick response times and a personalized touch, all at a lower price point.
Internal Communication
Texting isn’t just beneficial for consumer interaction, it can also be a great internal tool. With the average worker receiving 100 emails per day, it’s easy for information to get lost in your employees' inboxes. With high open and response rates, it is easy to understand why 70% of professionals believe that texting should be used for internal communication.
New trends in business texting
As we explored the top communication trends for 2024, we found that AI is making a mark on business communication, specifically in customer service chatbots. More companies are looking to use AI to provide quick responses with a more human voice than previous chatbots. Combined with text messaging, businesses are more easily able to create quick, personalized interactions with their customers than ever before.
How do you text professionally?
Texting your boss or co-worker requires more thought than shooting a quick message to your friend. Always start with a goal, focus on your tone, and keep it simple. Keep reading to learn more about the right way to text professionally and what to avoid.
1. Pick a goal
Choose a single goal that you would like to accomplish for each text message. Without a clear purpose, your text could quickly become too confusing and include too many topics. Always cover a single issue at a time.
2. Focus on tone
We’ve all encountered a text that put us on high alert, only to realize what came off as angry was just a friendly message. So try to avoid any sarcasm or negative tone. Instead, keep it light and warm.
3. Introduce yourself
Unless you know the recipient well and have texted many times, it’s always best to introduce yourself. Some phone numbers may not have been saved, or they might have forgotten your name.
4. Stop at 160 characters
It’s always best to keep text messages short, but stopping at 160 characters is not only a great tool to know what is too long, but it also will avoid your text being split into messages.
Four text messaging etiquette guidelines to follow
Whether you are texting your co-workers, boss, or a customer, there are four key guidelines to follow for every text. Before you draft that text message, keep these rules in mind.
1. Keep it short.
The beauty of text messaging is that it is quick and easy to do on the go, so writing multiple paragraphs defeats the purpose. Instead, keep your message limited to a few sentences, and for topics that require more discussion, opt for a phone or video chat.
2. Limit the number of messages.
Don’t overwhelm them with too many messages. Only send one message at a time, and don’t contact them too often.
3. Get permission.
Treat phone numbers as private information, not everyone wants you to have access to it, or they may prefer phone calls over text. When you get someone's phone number, ask whether it’s okay to text them at that number.
4. Stick to business hours.
If your texting is business-related, it should stay within business hours. Unless it’s urgent, don’t text them during their time off.
What things should you avoid when texting in a professional setting?
Every generation has a unique texting style, and understanding the nuances of how each group interprets your ellipses or emoji isn’t always feasible. So to avoid any misinterpretations, it’s always best to keep it simple and avoid these critical mistakes.
1. Skip group messages.
In most professional situations, creating a group message is unnecessary. They often lead to confusing communication and can waste time for those who don’t need to be part of the conversation. Keep communications only between those who absolutely need to be a part of it, and fill anyone else in separately.
2. Don’t rely on autocorrect.
Most of us have had an embarrassing autocorrect moment. Don’t be the person who goes down in company history as the person who accidentally sent a message with an embarrassing autocorrect mistake to the whole company. Double-check your entire message before hitting send.
3. Don’t forget to follow up.
If you don’t hear back in a few days, don’t be afraid to follow up. Most of us are guilty of opening a text and forgetting to respond at least once, so don’t assume silence means you are being ignored.
4. Nix emojis.
Adding emojis is a great way to lighten the mood when texting with friends, but keep those smiley faces out of professional texts. Emojis often have multiple interpretations and might misrepresent the mood you want to convey.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
