Customer communication is very important when it comes to building an integrated customer journey. On the whole, communication enables you to achieve 2 main goals: converting more subscribers, and increasing your customer lifetime value (LTV/CLV).

Two of the most effective ways of communicating with your subscribers are through email and SMS. Each channel allows for different degrees of personalization, but the end results can be equally as powerful when optimally set up.

Using emails and SMS for effective communication

Both methods can produce a massive impact — as MailChimp reports, email marketing has an average 23% open rate and a 3% click rate, while SMS marketing has a 30% click rate and delivers up to 30x return on spend, according to Voyage.

Here’s some ideas on how you can use email and SMS notifications to convert subscribers and boost your CLV/LTV. Make sure to get marketing consent as early as possible in the process — through an email capture form on your website or right after the checkout process are perfect times. 

Convert subscribers

  • Collect subscriber emails on your blog and send them recurring industry or market updates.
🔥 Top tip:
Source industry or market updates from industry giants — just make sure to rewrite them, adding your own analysis.
  • Release product launch announcements and giveaways by email.
  • Use emails and SMS to convert potential subscribers who’ve abandoned their carts.
🔥 Top tip:
Offer discounts in exchange for emails, i.e. “15 minutes left to get 25% off.
  • Use emails and SMS messages to promote your referral program.

Increase LTV

  • Communicate your FAQ to every new subscriber immediately via automated emails.
  • Remind customers about expiring cards, failed payments, and reactivation offers via email and SMS messages set to release on a custom schedule.
  • Use SMS messages to make sure subscribers are up to date with time-sensitive information, such as a delivery tracker.
  • Invite customers to give feedback about their shipments after they’re delivered.
  • Delight your customers with automated offers that trigger at the median subscription age.
🔥 Top tip:
In addition to setting up a retention-rate boosting discount that automatically triggers at the order closest to the median subscription age, set up a second which sends an email after the order before that, letting them know about the upcoming discount in advance.
  • Automatically offer customers the opportunity to switch to a longer plan directly after checkout at a discounted price.
🔥 Top tip:
15 minutes after a customer subscribes to a plan, send them an SMS inviting them to get 1 order for free by upgrading to your longer cadence plan. For example, when a customer subscribes to your ‘1 shipment every month’ plan for $10/month, after 15 mins send them an automated SMS inviting them to get 1 order for free by upgrading to your ‘6 shipments every 6 months’ plan for $50 instead of $55 (monthly price will be $60), an offer valid for 24h only.

Bonus tips on SMS messages

Introduce your company in each message 

Customers likely will not have your contact information saved on their phones, so you should introduce yourself in every text interaction you have with them. You can send a virtual contact file (VCF) to make it easier for customers to save your information on their phones.

Be mindful of the character limit 

SMS messages are limited to 160 characters or less, so you want to make the most of each word, which is why less is more when crafting messages to your contacts. One way to work around the character limit is to use links. For example, you can link to a landing page or other information where customers can learn more about your message.

In summary

The possibilities are endless with email and SMS messages — get creative with your messaging, both in terms of the words you use as well as when you send them, and you’ll see your conversion and CLV rates soar.

What will you try out first? All of our email and SMS automation tools are available in your admin page — if you haven’t tried it out yourself, we invite you to experience the Subbly difference (and check out our 100+ other features), with your first 2 weeks on us. Click here to get started.

By Zaki Gulamani
Editor-In-Chief at Subbly