No-reply Text Messages: What Are They and How Can I Use Them?

Did you know the world’s population averages sending 270,000 text messages every second of the day? So, it’s an understatement to say we love texting. In fact, 70% of the world owns a mobile device capable of receiving text messages. No-reply text messages are a quick, efficient way to get the word out about your product or service.

With the prominent use of cell phones and texting, it’s no surprise people prefer to receive information on their devices. Consumers view companies and organizations as entities with personality, ethics, and moral responsibility. Companies and organizations don’t just sell goods and services; they provide a lifestyle.

Lifestyle Brands

Consumers view companies and organizations like their friends, whom they want a relationship with. Plus, people love instant access to information. And the fastest way to get information? Their cell phone. Most customers use their cell phone to create a deeper relationship with their favorite brands.

Companies recognize this and adapt their methods accordingly. Instead of spending money on marketing to every potential customer, marketers spend money developing content, raising brand awareness, and keeping a relationship with customers.

Permission-based marketing

This is called permission-based marketing. Basically, a business creates a database of opted-in customers that they market to. Email marketing is the first successful example of this, but text messaging is now the future.

Text marketing is now a large marketing industry and it’s worth knowing the basics. Text marketing, or SMS (short message service) is limited to 150 characters. But because it’s permission-based, it’s popular with consumers. Companies love text messaging because it’s cost-effective, and most importantly, it works.

Understanding text marketing and its uses is important when adding to your existing marketing arsenal. Text marketing includes:

Retail promotions
Event updates
Order confirmations
Appointment reminders
Webform links
Surveys

When you think about increasing your communication with your customers via text, it might be hard to imagine what that looks like. The good news is you don’t have to spend a lot of valuable time glued to your phone trying to respond to every customer’s text day and night. In fact, a lot of your texts will probably be no-reply text messages.

The term no-reply text messages may sound self-explanatory, but they are not just text messages that go unanswered. No-reply text messages are also known as one-way text messages. One-way text messages are sent without the ability to receive replies, and it seems to be understood and accepted that some texts just don’t require the ability to respond.

Text message broadcasting

Now you may be wondering, “How often would a person really send a message and not want a response?” The short answer is more often than you might think.

The best way to send a no-reply text message is with text message broadcasting, or mass text. You can send a text message broadcast to hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds-of-thousands of customers.

Organizations, businesses, and community groups need to communicate with customers via text, but messages don’t necessarily need a reply.

Some examples of no-reply text messages are:

Appointment reminders: These are incredibly convenient for your clients. Relevant information is sent in a timely manner ensuring customers receive the information they need.

One-time-authentication (OTA) requests: This is used for account authentication. For example, when a client forgets their login credentials, or for multi-factor account verification, they receive a one-time code. The customer enters the code and moves on. Reply texts are unnecessary.
Coupon codes: Supply these to opted-in customers to use at checkout. They add value and again, reply texts serve no purpose.
Cancellation announcements: If your big event has to be canceled due to severe weather or some other unforeseen circumstance, it’s important to let your customers know as soon as possible.

Pickup alerts: When a customer’s order is ready for pickup, a no-reply text is perfect to let them know and provide pickup instructions.
Automated drip campaigns: Keep potential leads engaged over a longer period of time and increase your brand awareness as you work to funnel them toward a purchase.

In the situations above, the main purpose of a text is quick information. Once you decide to use no-reply text messages, you need to choose a text message marketing platform. These platforms provide auxiliary services such as an accessible contact database, the option to schedule messages, and tools to create effective drip campaigns.

No-reply text messages example

Here’s an example of how a no-reply text message would work. Think of your own experiences as a consumer as you go through it. A taco restaurant puts up a sign that says, “Text TASTY to 50505 to sign up for discounts”. A customer texts the text message keyword, gets a confirmation text, and forgets about it.

Then, on a Tuesday afternoon, you receive a text from the taco restaurant for 15% off your entire order if you use the code TACO2DAY at checkout. The text also includes a link to online ordering, so customers can use it in-store or online. Either way, there’s no need for the customer to reply.

Text message marketing strategy

Any no-reply text messages should be part of an overall text marketing strategy. The customer doesn’t see the data points collected, the spike in revenue from coupon use, increased web traffic, or social media mentions. But as a company, you know the potential and benefits from such a text marketing campaign.

No-reply text messages communicate valuable information. There’s no company that can’t benefit from no-reply text messages. They have a measurable impact: from more conversions to fewer missed appointments to increased click-throughs.

Summary

Text messaging is one of the most popular forms of communication worldwide. But it’s not just for family and friends anymore. Cell phone users send and receive texts from businesses now too.

While good communication usually goes two ways, sometimes information doesn’t need a response. In that case, one-way communication is good and necessary. There are great text marketing platforms that help you broadcast no-reply text messages almost instantaneously.

Information is delivered reliably to the person who needs it. They take the necessary steps to put it into action. And no-reply text messages are a low-cost, intuitive form of text marketing.