Your message can make a real difference. Based on our observations from providing live agent-to-person (peer-to-peer) texting, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
Use short, concise messages. Less is more - keep segment lengths lower. Using an emoji will count as 70 characters, including the emoji. Utilize current millennial-style abbreviations instead of full words.
Avoid using the agent's name in the message, as this can lead to fewer responses when no questions are asked, reducing costs. However, including questions increases campaign effectiveness and elicits friendlier responses, with less opt-outs.
Be cautious about including the recipient's name, as this can come across as invasive and lead to higher opt-out rates, especially if the name is incorrect.
Responding is good - about 2-6% will respond even without a question, and 10-12% will respond when a question is asked.
MMS (pictures and videos) can increase the impact of your message, but keep the file size under 500kb and use short, concise SMS text alongside the visual element.
Finally, be mindful of spam/short code language, and ensure you have proper permission to contact. Segment by time zone if needed, and scrub against national and state-level do-not-contact lists.