Trust Us, Email For Your Business is Dead.

Yes, you read that right: email is dead. It might come as a bit of a shock, but it's true. Email open rates currently sit around 20%, and this number is steadily declining. When one starts thinking of this phenomenon from a social standpoint it makes sense, with the rise of social media apps and the growing dependence on text messaging between friends and family.   Even in the corporate world, the once-powerful email is slowing down, thanks in large part to text-like collaboration platforms such as Slack and Jabber that allow people to do business without ever opening their email. So, the question that business owners face is why would you send your customers emails if you know they're never going to read them?  Why customers prefer text messaging  If you're wondering why your business should move away from emails towards texting for your ongoing business communications, just think of this: more than 45% of email is spam. This means that your customers are already dealing with dozens of useless emails a day. By moving away from this traditional communication method, businesses can distance themselves from this headache. Text messaging also shows that you value your customers' time.   If you think email is dead, don't even get us started on phone calls. Gone are the days of leaving a voicemail to let a customer know his or her service is ready. Unsurprisingly, customers are seven times more likely to text a service provider back after receiving a text message alert than they are to call back after receiving a voicemail. Today's customers are on the go and don't have time to sit around waiting for a voicemail or email. Instead, they want a quick, to-the-point text message.   How text messaging can help your business  Texting your customers and prospects instead of emailing them can also help grow your business. It's not enough to just passively reach out and hope your customers engage with your company on their own. The rise of the online economy has increased competition for nearly every industry, requiring business owners to be proactive and targeted with their marketing outreach.   Leveraging text messages to communicate with customers and prospects can help grow your business by:  Increasing online reviewsOnline reviews are a huge part of today's social economy, and a whopping 80% of consumers say they use reviews as the first step in choosing a service. Instead of sending a customer on their way simply hoping they leave a review, your team can leverage text messaging to immediately follow-up with a link to leave a review.   Facilitating more customer responses  You already know that text messages receive more responses than emails and voicemails. But, as a business owner, you can harness the power of text messages to increase customer responses across your business. Think about any service reminders or alerts you send. Can you really tell if an email is read? No, but a text with a call-to-action of 'Reply Yes to confirm your appointment' is sure to get a response. What about asking customers for private feedback through surveys or NPS reviews? Texting your most valued customers can help facilitate a fast response.   Fostering better online reviews  In the world of online reviews, actually receiving a review is just the first step. Ensuring that it's a 5-star review is another thing altogether. According to Harvard, increasing your online rating by just one star can mean a 9% in revenue. So how can text messages help foster higher online reviews? By allowing businesses to act quickly with customers (aka, sending a text asking for a review as soon as they leave the store), text messages ensure the in-store experience is still top-of-mind for customers when they are leaving their review, increasing the probability of a positive review.   Move Forward with Kenect  Did you know that Kenect is 35 times more effective than email at collecting reviews from customers? If you're ready to move beyond email and actually connect with customers where they prefer to engage, then Kenect is the answer. We've helped businesses of all sizes develop customer-focused communication solutions, and we can help you too. Schedule your one-on-one consultation to learn more!