Texting is also a Useful Business Instrument
In the past, I have written that social media is a powerful tool that shouldn’t be relegated to adolescent whims. Small business owners and non-governmental organizations can and should use them according to their needs.
Another so-called teenage cyber toy that fits this category is texting. Youth is incessantly texting quickly regardless of what else is happening around them. Texting is also an advantageous business tool. However, there are so dos and don’ts.
Business or official texting is just what it sounds like. It’s texting as a business or a non-profit, as one cohesive unit. It’s like texting your friends and family members but with your organization built for an office.
Business owners and NGO leaders will probably use a computer more than a phone for business texting, mostly because you’re probably sitting at a desk when you’re at work. The computer’s also easier to use for the average business owner or civic activist.
The communications tools at your disposal include company phone, company email and company text number. And you’ve assigned one person to monitor all three tools.
Since everyone is texting, businesses and NGOs should also text on behalf of their companies.
“As long as actual humans are manning text conversations – just like you would normally text with anyone – then you’re good to go,” according to Kenneth Burke of TextRequest.com.
We’ave gotten so used to the concept of texting that your customers, members or stakeholders would rather text than call.
Burke further observed: “Nobody wants to be left on hold. As of a couple years ago, 89% of consumers wanted another customer service option. Most people these days don’t answer phone calls. And people respond to texts in about 90 seconds, on average.”
For many of us, business texting is a welcome option. While we and our associates won’t drop other forms of communication, Burke continued, “Reports show that people enjoy having it as an option, whether they need to reach a business or the business needs to reach them.”
Furthermore, due to the high rate of response, your return on investment in a texting system is quite high.
Texting, a very flexible tool, can be used to communicate with another person, business associate, civic leader, team, employee, client, sympathizer, elected official or stakeholder. You can text one person or you can create groups for multiple recipients.
Its most powerful use is the “push” concept of driving your audience and followers to your websites for new and updated information about your activities in order to boost your outreach.
Here’s a short list of what small businesses and NGOs can use business texting for:
- Generating leads
- Boosting mobile engagement
- Following up with leads
- Customer service and support
- Closing sales
- Confirmations
- Internal / employee communications
- Collections and accounts receivable
- Scheduling, rescheduling, and confirming appointments
- Check-ins (sales, customer success, etc.)
- Membership solicitations or renewals
- Meeting announcements or rallies
- Fundraising campaigns
- Website updates
- New blog posts
- New civil initiatives and projects
- Reactions and replies to common issues
- Initiate a conversation with clients and stakeholders
Something for Free
I recently found a list of 199 amazing free or cheap online tools for nonprofits – and perhaps small businesses – from Wildapricot.com. Take a look and see if they can help your organization.
How will you use texting?
Join the conversation in cyberspace about boosting your business by using business texting and let me know your impressions. If you have examples of how you used business texting and social media to boost outreach, let me know about it and I’ll help you spread the word about your success.
I’d also like to invite you to visit my Thought Leadership website:
If you’re looking for advice on recruiting, company handbooks and other human resources topics, I’d like to suggest to you this interesting website:
Scroll down on the Boosting Your Outreach blogsite to read or reread older posts.
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