Table of Contents

• What RCS Messaging Is
• Key Benefits and Example Applications
• The Growth of RCS
• Looking Forward with RCS and TextP2P
• Conclusion

What RCS Messaging Is

RCS is an advanced messaging protocol that affects and enhances many parts of the messaging experience. It isn’t just one specific feature, but rather a set of several. Between Google’s and Apple’s RCS messaging, for example, you can:

• Share photos, videos, and links
• Know when someone is typing
• Get delivery and read receipts
• Message using cellular data and WiFi
• Edit yourself in group chats
• Secure conversations with end-to-end encryption
• See suggested replies and actions

There are some differences between Google and Apple — for example, Google’s RCS is encrypted but Apple’s is not — but the list above should give you an idea of what’s possible. RCS increases the potential of messaging and goes beyond what SMS and MMS can do. Here are some key differences between the services:

So as you can see, there’s a lot you can do with RCS. But we’ve only scraped the surface, so now let’s dive deeper into some key features and applications!

Key Benefits and Example Applications

Better branding

With RCS, you can have a professional business profile that includes your name, logo, and colors — as well as a banner and description! This allows you to stand out and build trust. For customers, gone are the days of receiving messages from numbers you don’t know.

Additionally, you can also appear with a verification badge, to build even more trust. Now, there will be no suspicion of scam, and customers will know that you are verified by Google! The process for getting verified is rigorous, but that is only to make sure that you really are who you say you are.

Branded messaging is applicable to all sorts of businesses, from non-profits to realtors to gyms!

Increased interactivity

Embedded buttons, carousels, mobile tickets, forms, links, and more all add to the messaging experience and open up a world of possibilities. After all, a big part of RCS messaging is the rich content.

The buttons in particular can be very advantageous because interactive messaging has been shown to improve customer engagement rates by 30 to 40%. The general idea is “tap, don’t type.” For example, a button could be used to confirm an appointment. Instead of typing C to confirm, all a customer has to do is click the button! For more on appointment reminders, also check out this blog post and this webpage.

Other examples of interactive content include a product catalog carousel and an order confirmation.

Enhanced analytics

RCS allows businesses to see detailed delivery and read receipts. SMS already includes delivery receipts, but they are somewhat unreliable because of their variability across different channels, countries, and carriers. RCS, on the other hand, will be much more consistent. RCS also brings with it the new resource of read receipts.

Overall, then, you are able to gain a more full understanding of how well your messages are doing. You can see the whole journey of your message! Again, this is something applicable to various types of businesses.

More space to send

RCS messages have no character limit, which means you’re able to send messages as long as you like, without worrying about segmentation. However, since RCS is still developing, there have been some bugs with message truncation. Nonetheless, the potential is there. As another benefit, though, RCS gives businesses more space to send larger images and videos.

This is helpful for all sorts of businesses, with one example being retail ones. Images can be used to send coupons, videos can be used to send product demos, and longer messages can be used to advertise sales. To learn more about how text messaging can help retail businesses, be sure to check out this blog post!

Now that we’ve looked extensively at what RCS is, let’s discuss its history and why now is the time to talk about it.

The Growth of RCS

RCS was first proposed in 2007, and in 2008, the GSMA (Groupe Spécial Mobile Association) became its home by creating an RCS steering committee. The GSMA is a global trade group representing more than 750 mobile phone operators. They have since created a standard set of features for mobile operators to implement, as well as resources, FAQs, and more to provide info about RCS.

RCS was slow to catch on, though, being overshadowed by over-the-top (OTT) messaging. OTT is a type of messaging that runs over the internet through apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. It took ten years for RCS to really take off, with Google ultimately helping the acceleration — first with the acquisition of RCS provider Jibe Mobile in 2015, and then with the integration of RCS into its Android messages in 2016. By 2018, RCS was supported by more than 50 launched or announced networks. (RCS support is determined by carrier.)

On September 16 this year, Apple released its own integration of RCS in iOS 18.0. The Messages app now supports RCS when messaging contacts who don’t have an Apple device. This is significant as Apple holds a majority of the U.S. smartphone market share — over 57% as of September — but still has to work with other companies. Samsung has about a 23% share and Google has a 5% share, so Apple users should be able to work with Samsung and Google users. RCS in iOS 18.0 helps with this.

This type of RCS — the kind that bridges the gap between Apple and other users — is called RCS P2P messaging, where P2P stands for peer-to-peer. Additionally, there is also RCS A2P messaging, where A2P stands for application-to-peer. Apple also supports A2P now with the release of iOS 18.1 on October 28. 18.2 is set to launch next month, and with it users will be able to change their default messaging app. So, we might see a shift away from RCS in iMessage and towards OTT in WhatsApp and Messenger. However, the situation is uncertain right now, and as Zak Doffman of Forbes put it, “Millions of iPhone users—especially those in the US with a particular affinity to blue bubbles—have a decision to make.”

For now though, Apple’s adoption of RCS is significant in bringing together the market as a whole. As we saw with Google, having a big company like this lean into RCS drives others to accept it too.

Looking Forward with RCS and TextP2P

All in all, the growth of RCS is very exciting. For a carrier-led / carrier-dependent service, it is moving faster than really anything in the past 20 years. And, it’s moving into TextP2P too! We’re happy to announce that RCS is coming to TextP2P in the near future! It is currently in a beta stage and will be out soon. In the meantime, be sure to stay updated with our social media and blog!

Conclusion

Overall, RCS is changing the game for the better. Adoption is expanding, and messaging is becoming a more feature-full experience. For now, continue to keep a look out for TextP2P’s official RCS release and thank you for reading!

The post What is Rich Communication Service Messaging (RCS) and When is it Going to be Available? appeared first on TextP2P.

Whether you’re running a small business or a large corporation, there’s a strong chance you will have your hands full at some point in time. And, your customers also have busy lives with things to do and places to be. We here at TextP2P hope to alleviate both with this blog post. With our copy-and-paste templates for appointment reminders, we make it fast and easy for businesses to remind customers of any doctor’s appointments, scheduled cleanings, or otherwise that they might forget throughout daily life. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

For each industry, we’ll give you a short description and then the message templates. Each template can be directly customized in this blog post. And, when you’re done, you can just hit the copy button! Note that fields in [ALLCAPS] are special TextP2P personalization fields. Our system will directly fill these out, so you don’t have to change those if you don’t want to. To learn more about personalization fields, be sure to check out this help desk post!

Healthcare

The healthcare industry includes medical practitioners like doctors, dentists, optometrists, pediatricians, and more. In June 2024, this sector in the U.S. included almost 22.5 million employees, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (This figure also includes those who provide social assistance — like nursing, childcare, and rehab.) Here are some ways healthcare professionals can use text messaging:

Hospitality and Tourism

The hospitality and tourism industry broadly includes those who run hotels, who curate public exhibits, provide food services, and more. In the “Leisure and Hospitality” sector — a broad category that’s broken into Recreation and Accommodation — there were almost 17 million employees in June 2024, according to the BLS! Here’s how hospitality professionals can use business text messaging:

Household

The household industry includes individuals who help with the maintenance and upkeep of homes — for example, gardeners, landscapers, maids, and cleaners. According to the BLS, the “Private Households” sector is a subsector of the “Other Services (except Public Administration)” sector, and the latter included almost 6 million employees in June 2024! Here’s how household businesses can take advantage of text messaging:

Cosmetology

The cosmetology industry includes barbers, hair stylists, nail technicians and really anybody who works with hair, skin, and/or nails. According to the BLS, there were almost 270,000 employees in this industry in May 2023! Here’s how cosmetology professionals can use business text messaging:

Fitness

The fitness industry includes people like gym owners, yoga instructors, and personal trainers. In May 2023, the “Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers” industry had almost 600,000 employees, according to the BLS! Here’s how fitness businesses can use text messages:

Automotive

The automotive industry broadly includes anybody who works to make, sell, and maintain motor vehicles — for example, car detailers and mechanics. In June 2024, there were nearly 4.5 million employees in the automotive industry, according to the BLS. Here’s how car companies can use appointment reminders:

Conclusion

We hope you found those templates helpful! If you have any other templates you’d like to see, be sure to let us know using our contact page or the teal icon in the bottom right of your screen. Before we end off, we want to give you some other resources to check out:

• Want more help writing messages? Check out this blog post and this webpage on our AI features!
• Want to level up your text message campaigns? Check out this blog post on scheduling messages with TextP2P!
• Want to make keeping track of appointments and events so much easier? Check out this blog post on our relatively new calendar feature!

Ok, that’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

The post 30 Templates for Appointment Reminders and Text Marketing Across Industries (Healthcare, Hospitality, and More!) appeared first on TextP2P.

Table of Contents

• What MMS messages are
• Why use multimedia messages
• How to use MMS messages
• How to send multimedia messages
• Tips for MMS messages
• Conclusion

What MMS messages are

If you’ve ever texted someone, you might have already encountered an MMS message. MMS stands for “multimedia messaging service.” With MMS, you can send a picture, video, or other file in addition to your standard words-only text. MMS is a more advanced form of SMS, which stands for “short message service.” SMS messages contain just text and don’t have any pictures or videos.

Because of this, SMS messages tend to be less engaging than MMS messages. They also have only a tenth of the character allowance than MMS messages have (160 characters vs. 1600 characters). However, this does also mean that SMS messages cost less to send (1 credit vs. 2 credits).

In general, MMS messages are great for drawing the attention of customers and making your texts more interesting. Let’s look at some more key benefits of MMS!

Why use multimedia messages

There are many reasons why businesses should use MMS messages! Here are just a few:

• It helps make you personable! When running a business — especially a small business — it’s important to connect with your customers. And MMS can help, since 73% of consumers say that MMS is a great way for brands to showcase their personality. This number is even higher at 85% for people ages 18-24, according to a 2023 survey by Attentive.
• It drives engagement! According to the same Attentive survey, 56% of consumers say they’re more likely to engage with text messages from a brand if they include GIFs, images, or emojis. And, according to an Infobip article, MMS messages deliver 300% more engagement than SMS messages. Even more impressive — according to a Ringy article, MMS messages are 800% more likely to be acted upon (through sharing on social media)!
• It increases conversions! According to a 2023 Listrak article, MMS messages have a 15% average click-through rate. The CTR is the percentage of people who received your message and clicked on the link. For emails, the average is 1-5%, according to a 2024 ActiveCampaign article. But, for SMS, the average is 19-32%, according to a SimpleTexting survey. So, it’s important to find a good balance of both SMS and MMS! (We’ll talk more about this balance later.)

Now that we’ve seen some benefits of MMS, let’s look at some use cases!

How to use MMS messages

As we mentioned earlier, MMS messages allow you to add pictures, videos, or other files to your texts. So, we’ve divided up our examples into those three categories — pictures, videos, and other files (namely audio). Scroll through the graphic below and be sure to click the button under to save it for later!

Now, you might be wondering how exactly to implement these examples. Next, we’ll take a look at how to create and send MMS messages using TextP2P!

How to send multimedia messages

Sending MMS messages is just as easy as sending SMS messages with TextP2P! Here’s how to send a direct MMS message:

1. Start by navigating to the Direct Message page (Main to Text Messaging to Direct Message).

2. Fill in the fields labeled Recipients and Text Message Body.

3. Click on the paper clip icon under the bottom right of the Text Message Body box.

4. Upload your multimedia file by clicking on the Browse Files… button and selecting your file.

5. Make sure that the preview shows the correct file.

6. If you’d like, click on the calendar icon under the Text Message Body and schedule your message for later. For more info on scheduling messages, check out this blog post!

7. Click Send!

With TextP2P, you can also send MMS messages using list campaigns and through your two-way messaging inbox. The process is similar, and the main thing you have to do is click on the paper clip icon underneath the text message fields! For more info on how to create MMS messages, be sure to check out this explainer video!

Before we conclude, we want to leave you with some of our own tips and tricks to really make the most of MMS messaging!

Tips for MMS messages

There are many ways you can maximize your multimedia messages, but here are just a few:

• Combine keywords and MMS messages! Keywords allow customers to easily access your MMS messages, and many of the examples we gave earlier work well with keywords. For instance, a client could text CONTACT to your number and in return receive a friendly message along with your digital business card! To learn all about keywords, be sure to check out our previous blog post.
• Don’t feel like you have to always use MMS. As we mentioned earlier, it’s important to find a good balance between SMS and MMS messages. SMS messages are cheaper and easier to make — although shorter and sometimes less engaging. In general, SMS is good for short-and-sweet messages, while MMS is good for more in-depth, interesting texts.
• Make sure your multimedia is the right size! TextP2P requires that all uploaded files (i.e. pictures, videos, etc.) be under the industry carrier standard size of 600 KB. Ensuring that your media is the right size is important for both sending the message and not overcomplicating your messages. To resize your media, check out any online resources like picresize.com or videosmaller.com.

With the tips through, it’s time we wrap up our blog post!

Conclusion

That concludes our guide to MMS messaging! We hope you found this useful, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us via our contact page or by clicking the teal chat button in the bottom right of your screen. Thank you for reading!

The post Making the Most of MMS Messaging: Definition, Infographic, Tips, Examples, and More! appeared first on TextP2P.

Table of Contents

What is a keyword?

So, what exactly is a keyword? With regards to business text messaging, a keyword is a word (or phrase) that activates some sort of response when texted to a certain number. Thus, it is a “key” that unlocks anything from membership in a loyalty program to a registration link.

Contrary to what you might think, keywords don’t actually have to be just words. They can also be pairs of words or even full phrases. They can also include numbers and even punctuation. As general convention and for ease-of-use, though, keywords are normally one word written in all caps. This word is also normally derived from some aspect of the result. To more fully explain, we’ll look at some examples.

Before we do that, though, let’s discuss the #1 reason businesses use keywords: to obtain opt-in permission to send texts to customers. Put simply, it is illegal for businesses to text customers without their consent. Keywords, then, serve as a straighforward way to obtain that consent. When customers text you a keyword expecting a response, they allow themselves to be texted by you, thus opting in to your messages.

Additionally, businesses must clearly let customers know what they are signing up for with correspoding legal copy. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, this copy must address four main things:

• the expected number/frequency of messages
• the privacy policy details
• how to opt-out
• how to get help

Here is an example that achieves this:

By messaging [business name] via text, you agree to receive recurring automated promotional and personalized marketing messages at the cell number used when signing up. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Reply HELP for help or STOP to cancel. Msg frequency varies. Msg and data rates may apply. View Terms of Service at [link] and Privacy Policy at [link].

Now, as we mentioned earlier, we’re going to look at examples of keywords!

How to use keywords (with examples!)

There are many ways you can use keywords, and with TextP2P, you’re able to be extra creative! Not only do you have the ability to create unlimited keywords, but you can also customize the response text, subsequent questions, and more. The following are some keywords you can try out:

• JOIN – to join a loyalty program
• RSVP – to receive a registration link and sign up for further event-related communication
• REVIEW – to be sent a link where you can submit a review
• DONATE – to receive a link where you can send a donation
• SURVEY – to take a text message survey (e.g. a poll on customer experience)
• WIN – to register to win a prize
• INFO – to be sent a link to an information page
• CLUE – to get a clue for a scavenger hunt
• DISCOUNT – to sign up for further communication about sales and discounts

All of those examples were in the “normal” one-word, all-caps format. But, they didn’t have to be! For example, JOIN could be changed to SIGNUP, and that would work just as well. Or, INFO could be more specific like SALEINFO or STOREINFO. As we mentioned earlier, you could even do a phrase, so WIN could be “I want a free membership!” for a gym doing a sweepstakes for a free one-month membership. Feel free to modify the examples to make whatever word or phrase works best for your business!

Once you’ve decided what you want to do, keep reading to learn how to bring your ideas to life.

How to create keywords

TextP2P allows you to create an unlimited number of keywords, and adding new keywords is simple and convenient. Here’s how you add a new keyword:

1. Start by navigating to the Keywords page using the left sidebar.

2. Then, click on the Create Keyword button in the top right corner.

3. Fill out all the fields that appear. For your convenience, we’ve included a quick rundown on each of the fields below!

Field	What it is and other notes	Example
Keyword	the word or phrase that you want to be your keyword; can include letters, numbers, and punctuation	JOIN
Enable Email Notifications?	whether or not you want email notifications whenever anyone texts your keyword.	YES
Select List to assign to (optional)	a list that you want to assign customers that use the keyword to; will cause Subsequent Questions fields to show up	My List
Select List to remove from (optional)	a list that you want to assign people that use the keyword to	My List 2
Text Message Body	message that will be sent to customers that use the keyword; can also add an media file attachment; 1600 character limit	Thanks for signing up!
Subsequent Questions	questions to ask customers that use the keyword; questions are useful when assigning customer to list	Ask person for their name

4. Finally, finish it off by clicking the Submit button at the bottom of the window!

Congrats! If all has gone well, you’ve now created a brand-new keyword! However, if all hasn’t gone well, that’s no problem either. Reach out to us via our contact page or by clicking the teal circle in the bottom right of your screen. We’re always happy to help! Either way, if you’re stuck or just want some inspiration, be sure to keep reading to see exactly how you can make the keywords we mentioned earlier!

More on how to make keywords (more on examples!)

Many of the keywords we gave as examples earlier actually have similar functions. For example, REVIEW and DONATE both send customers a link. That makes it easier to make many keywords without having to learn new directions. Here’s how we made three main categories of keywords!

1. Adding to a list — This is useful for keywords like JOIN, RSVP, and DISCOUNT. Simply fill out the fields regarding list assignments, and then use the checkboxes to gather more info on customers.

2. Sending a link — This is useful for keywords like RSVP, REVIEW, DONATE, WIN, and INFO. Add your link in the Text Message Body field.

3. Starting a survey — This is for the keyword SURVEY. Note that you create this keyword on a different page than the other keywords. To learn more about text message surveys, be sure to check out this website page and this blog post!

Now that you have a keyword, let’s learn how to take full advantage of it by sharing it!

How to share and promote keywords

Keywords are great because of their convenience and simplicity, for both customers and businesses! So now, let’s look at how to maximize this convenience by creating a link and a QR code to your keyword. Here’s how to create a link:

1. Navigate to the Keywords page using the left sidebar.

2. In the top right, click on the Action button and then on the Create Link button.

3. Fill out the two dropdowns in the window that appears.

4. Finally, click on the Create Link button at the bottom of the window. A new Shareable Link field should appear with your brand new keyword link!

With your new link, there’s any number of things you can do! You can add it to your social media profiles, connect it to a button on your website, or even add it to blog posts or newsletters. Additionally, you can take it one step futher by using your link in a QR code. Here’s how:

1. As before, navigate to the Keywords page using the left sidebar.

2. In the top right, click on the Action button and then on the Get QR Code button.

3. A new tab will open with the-qrcode-generator.com. In the Enter URL field, paste in the link you created earlier.

4. Finally, using the right side buttons, customize your QR code, and then, download and/or copy your QR.

Just like with the link, a QR code opens up many possibilities to promote your keyword! Here are just some of things you can with your new QR:

• Post it on your social media accounts.
• Put in on a handout or flyer.
• Place it on your business cards.
• Display it in your business’ building.
• Attach it to product tags and/or receipts.
• Add it to your speaking presentations.

As you can see, keywords are very powerful!

Conclusion

So there you have it — what to know about keywords from what they are, to how to make them, how to share them, and more! Thanks for reading, and we hope you found this helpful!

The post SMS Keywords for Businesses: Definition, Examples, Sharing, and More! appeared first on TextP2P.

So, it’s clear that businesses should be taking advantage of reviews! But, it can be confusing how exactly to ask for reviews and even what a review is. So, we at TextP2P are here to help you. Keep reading as we discuss how to maximize reviews for your business!

Table of Contents

The What and Why of Reviews

We’ll start at the very beginning. What exactly is a review? A review left by a customer is a statement of thoughts about how that customer feels that their experience with your business/product was. In other words, it is a testimonial about your business from a customer.

Reviews are helpful for many reasons! Here are just a few of them:

• Reviews allow customers to actively engage with your business. This is especially true if you regularly respond to reviews and make product changes based on feedback that customers give!
• Reviews build up your company’s reputation. By having customers testify to your benefits, you help other customers feel more secure that they are buying from a trusted and liked business.
• Reviews help your company get recognized. Reviews help your SEO by connecting your business to specific phrases and words that customers put in reviews. For example, if customers leave many reviews with the phrase “best messaging app,” your business is likely to come up when users search for “best messaging app” in their search engines.
• Reviews provide valuable feedback for your business. Some sites like Capterra and GetApp allow customers to report specific pros and cons, which you can use to make active changes to your products and services!
• Reviews give your business more opportunities to build brand awareness. From sharing testimonials on your social media platforms, to adding star graphics on your website, reviews provide a concrete, quantitative way to show your business’ appeal!

Liking our explainer so far? After you’re done with this one, be sure to check out this blog post for a brief guide on email marketing!

Stats, Facts, and More of That

Now, it’s obvious that reviews are incredibly valuable for your business. We’ve described some reasons why, but maybe you’re still skeptical. So, let’s take a look at some statistics regarding customer reviews!

As mentioned before, 98% of customers say reviews are an essential resource for purchasing decisions, according to a 2023 PowerReviews survey. This is especially true for online shoppers, with 91% of online shoppers always or regularly reading reviews.

In general, 93% of shoppers say ratings and reviews impact whether or not they purchase a product. And, nearly half – 45% – of consumers won’t purchase a product if it has no reviews.

If you are concerned about whether or not customers are actually leaving reviews, rest assured because 95% of consumers left a review in 2022, or would at least consider doing so, according to the BrightLocal 2023 Local Consumer Review Survey. These are mostly left on Google (used by 87% of consumers surveyed), Yelp (used by 48%), and Facebook (used by 46%).

Getting reviews is important, but so too is the content of those reviews. According to an Invesp article, 86% of people will hesitate to purchase from a business with negative online reviews. So, to help encourage positive reviews, businesses should ensure that customers have an exceptional experience, as 81% of consumers say that they are likely or highly likely to leave a positive review if they feel the business went above and beyond, according to the BrightLocal survey.

All in all, it’s becoming more and more evident that reviews are essential for every business!

Top Tips and Tricks

Now, you might be wondering how to actually get these ever-important reviews–and how to do so well. After all, a quick Google search of “how to ask for reviews” reveals that people also ask “How do you politely ask for a review?”. Here are our top tips for requesting reviews from customers. We’ve made sure to add in some examples and templates, too!

1. Be friendly and kind.

Customers are more likely to respond to businesses that they feel connected to, so it’s important for you to establish real connections with them. First and foremost, make sure to thank your customers for supporting your business! For example, sometimes you may want to send out a more general message like the one below:

Thank you for being a customer! If you enjoyed your experience with us, could you leave a review at [LINK]? We’d really appreciate it. Thanks again!

To level up your messages, you can also make use of references–to the time of year, to a recent event, and/or to the customer themselves–to make the request seem more personal and fun. Around Christmas, an example could look something like this:

Hi [FIRSTNAME], thank you for your recent purchase of [ITEMS]! It’s the giving season, so could you give us a minute of your time to share your thoughts? You can do so at [LINK]. Thanks in advance, and enjoy the holidays!

Here is another idea for after a seasonal sale:

Hello [FIRSTNAME], thank you for stopping by during our recent [SEASON] sale! We hope you enjoyed what we had to offer. If so, would you leave us a review at [LINK]? Thank you, and we hope to see you again!

Even without any emojis or other things like that, you can still write short and sweet messages like this:

Hi [FIRSTNAME], your support of [BUSINESSNAME] is always appreciated! To send us any feedback, please visit [LINK]. Thank you!

To get more messages like these, be sure to check out this blog post to learn all about our aiD feature powered by ChatGPT!

2. Thank your customers and let them know they matter.

We mentioned this earlier, but we’re here to emphasize it again. Thanking your customers and making sure that they feel valued is of utmost importance. In a similar way, you can also motivate customers to leave reviews by ensuring they feel that their reviews are valuable. Here are some ways you can do that:

Hi [FIRSTNAME], thank you for your business! Would you give us a minute of your time to share your experience? You can do so here: [LINK]. Your feedback is always appreciated!

Hello [FIRSTNAME], we hope you enjoyed your experience with our business. As a small business, we rely on customers like you to help us grow. Could you kindly leave us a review? Here’s where you can do so: [LINK]. Thanks in advance!

Hi [FIRSTNAME], thank you for visiting us! We’re always looking to hear from our customers, so we can improve our business. Please leave us any feedback you have at [LINK]. Thanks again, and have a good one!

Hello [FIRSTNAME], we hope you enjoyed your purchase! If you have any comments or suggestions, don’t hesitate to leave them at [LINK]. We always value your opinion!

Want more copy-and-paste templates? Be sure to also check out this blog post for 18 customizable templates for business reminder messages!

3. Ask in a timely manner.

It’s important to request reviews both close to when a customer interacts with your business and farther from that time. On one hand, you need to be close enough that the customer still remembers your company. On the other hand, you also need to be a fair distance away so as not to seem desperate or overenthusiastic.

A 2020 PowerReviews survey revealed that few (8%) customers submit reviews the same day that they use/receive their product, with most (92%) submitting a review within two weeks.

Additionally, a 2023 study published in the Journal of Marketing found that review reminders sent the next day lower the likelihood that customers will post reviews, while reminders sent 13 days later increase the likelihood. Sending requests early can interfere with customers’ sense of autonomy that they can submit reviews whenever they like, which researchers found was especially important for Gen Z customers who have grown up around online platforms. They also found that the “right time” depends on the type of product, as food and hygiene products can be evaluated more quickly compared to, say, furniture and appliance products.

In general, there’s no clear-cut, one-size-fits-all solution for businesses. You’ll have to take a look at your customers and your products to determine how long you should wait. But, to help you out, here are some moments you can use as starting points, moments you may or may not wait after depending on how your business works:

• When a customer completes a purchase
• When a customer makes a repeat purchase
• When a sale / event ends
• After an order is delivered
• At the end of a conversation
• When a customer visits your website or store

If you run an eCommerce businesses, be sure to check out this blog post too for more marketing ideas!

4. Offer incentives.

Everyone loves free things. Whether it’s discounts or free items, customers are more likely to leave a review when there’s an added benefit. Incentives motivate 76% of customers to write reviews, according to a 2022 PowerReviews survey. Here are some key incentives that business can offer:

• Free product samples or free products
• Discounts or coupons for future sales
• Sneak peeks of upcoming products
• Reward points for customers in loyalty programs
• Entries into giveaways, drawings, or other contests
• Cash back on purchases

You might also conclude that these incentives motivate customers to leave better reviews. But, in reality, customers often leave genuine reviews regardless, with 65% of customers saying that incentives don’t affect the content of the reviews they submit. So, businesses can’t fully rely on incentives and still need to focus on providing customers with great experiences.

Also–a word of warning–some review sites have policies against incentivizing reviews. Check with the services you are using–whether it’s Google or Yelp–and remember that transparency is key.

5. Make it easy and convenient.

The easier it is to leave a review, the more likely a customer is to do so. In general, there are two main ways you can ask for reviews: directly and indirectly. On one hand, you can directly send customers messages requesting reviews. The earlier examples were direct asks that you can send out as texts or emails. 

And/or, on the other hand, you can leave around more passive calls-to-action for customers to leave reviews. Here are some ways you can more indirectly prompt reviews:

• Add a QR code to business cards, flyers, and other promo handouts
• Add a button on your website with “Find us on Yelp!” or something similar
• Add links to your newsletters, text campaigns, etc.
• Add a QR code or link to product tags and receipts
• Post customer testimonials on your social media platforms
• Leave out a designated device in-store for customers to leave a review on

All in all, you want to reduce the barriers that customers have to pass through if they want to submit a review for your business. Efficiency is key!

Bonus Tip! Use automated workflows.

A great way to improve how you ask customers for reviews is to utilize workflow automations! Workflows make following up with customers easy and efficient. By using TextP2P’s workflows, you’re able to send texts, emails, and ringless voicemails in custom intervals. Here’s how it works:

1. Using the left sidebar, navigate to the Workflow Automations page (Main to Workflow Automations).

2. Click the Create Automation button in the top right, and fill out the fields that appear.

3. In the list, click on the name of the automation you created. In the workspace that comes up, add text, email, and ringless voicemail actions to your workflow. You also have the option to import from another automation or export your own automation!

And that’s it, easy as 1, 2, 3! Once you publish your workflow, it will automatically send the messages at the intervals that you chose. So, in the example above, it will first send out a text message to everybody in the My List contact list. Then, a couple of days later, it will send out an email to those people. A couple days after that, a ringless voicemail will be sent, too. Through this, you’re able to more effectively communicate with your customers in various ways.

To learn more about workflow automations, be sure to check out this blog post for answers to FAQs and a more in-depth tutorial & this blog post for an explainer video and even more info!

Conclusion

Reviews are everywhere, so we hope this guide has helped you learn how to take advantage of them for your business! Speaking of reviews, be sure to check out our 5-star reviews on Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice! And, to get started with business text messaging using TextP2P today, visit this page on our website. Thanks for reading!

The post How to Ask Customers for Reviews: Tips, Tricks, Templates, and More! appeared first on TextP2P.

Read on to hear all about what we have to offer!

3-in-1 Messaging

As the name suggests, TextP2P enables you to send text messages–both directly to individual contacts and in bulk campaigns to whole contact lists. Here are just a few of our texting features:

• Multimedia with emojis, images, videos, and more
• A 1600 character limit
• Scheduling messages in advance
• An inbox with two-way messaging
• Ability to create reusable templates
• Free incoming text messages

Learn more about our texting features at this webpage and this webpage! 

In addition to text messaging, businesses can also send emails to their customers, through both direct emails and bulk email campaigns. Here are some of our email features:

• Customizable HTML text with font, size, color, and more
• Multimedia with emojis, links, tables, and pictures
• Scheduling messages in advance
• Ability to create reusable templates
• Activity tracking and dashboard statistics

Learn more about our email features with this blog post and this webpage!

Finally, TextP2P can help you send ringless voicemails. Once again, these can be sent directly or in bulk campaigns. Here are some more RVM features we offer:

• Built-in audio recorder
• Ability to upload pre-recorded audio file
• Support for .wav, .mp3, and .m4a files
• Scheduling messages in advance
• Only pay for successful voicemail drops

Learn more about our ringless voicemail features with this webpage and this video!

Also, be sure to check out this blog post to learn more about scheduling all types of messages and how to integrate them all together with our workflow automations!

Visual Calendar

The visual calendar is our newest feature! With the calendar, you can schedule events and then have reminders automatically be sent to you and any invitees–through the TextP2P system, text messages, and email messages! It’s as 1, 2, 3:

1. Create your text and email templates: These are used to send your reminders.
2. Configure your reminders: Choose how many you want to send, and when to send them.
3. Schedule your events: There’s no limit to how many you can have!

Here are some more of our calendar features:

• Customizable colors for events
• Ability to view events by day, week, or month
• Bulk event upload with CSV file
• Integration with Google Calendar via Zapier

To learn more about the visual calendar, be sure to check out this blog article!

Built-In CRM

Customer relationship management is easy and simple with TextP2P. With our platform, businesses can create individual profiles for customers, import and export contacts, and directly message their customers for support.

Each contact in TextP2P is given their own individual profile. Here’s all the information you can record and store for each person:

• Their first and last name
• A profile picture
• Their company
• Their email and phone number
• Their address
• Their messaging status with you
• Their social media profiles
• Three other custom fields you want
• Any additional notes

Adding and sending contacts is easy, too, with the ability to import and export CSV files. To learn more about importing contacts, be sure to check out this Zendesk article!

Unlimited Options

All TextP2P plans come with our full range of messaging features, which you can see at this webpage! In addition, each plan includes an unlimited number of contacts, keywords, and more! Here’s what you can expect:

• Unlimited contacts
• Unlimited tags (for contacts)
• Unlimited lists/groups (for contacts)
• Unlimited message templates
• Unlimited keywords
• Unlimited MMS text surveys

With unlimited organization and messaging options, TextP2P helps you manage your marketing! To learn more about templates, check out this blog article. And, to learn more about keywords and surveys, check out our business text messaging page!

Convenient Access

TextP2P has both desktop and mobile access! Users can easily log in online at textp2p.com to access our full range of messaging features, including but not limited to:

• Bulk texting
• Scheduled messages
• Two-way messaging inbox
• Contacts and lists
• Automated texts

To learn more about all our features, check out this webpage!

In addition to our web app, TextP2P users can download our free mobile app from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Here, you can access TextP2P’s core features, including but not limited to the ones listed above. In addition, the app also allows: 

• Notifications to be sent when contacts message you
• Custom reminders to be sent regarding contacts

To learn more about our mobile app, be sure to check out this webpage!

Additionally, if that wasn’t enough, TextP2P also offers our Email-to-SMS feature. With it, you can quickly and conveniently convert emails to text messages. Here’s and example of how it works: 

• You send an email reading, “Hi! Don’t forget about our upcoming sale!” to johndoe@example.com.
• You want to text John the same message, too. So, you also send the email to 1234567890@sms.textp2p.com.
• TextP2P will text your message to John at 123-456-7890!

It’s easy and simple! To learn more about Email-to-SMS, check out this webpage!

Included Phone Numbers

All TextP2P plans come with one free toll-free or local number. Many text messaging services provide 5- to 6- digit short codes for their customers, numbers like 55555 or 010101. However, these cost about $1,000 per month, meaning that they are unaffordable or unrealistic for smaller business. Short codes also don’t support voice calls.

Toll-free numbers and local numbers (a.k.a. long codes), though, do support voice calls–and cost magnitudes less. After the first free included number, each toll-free or local number costs just $2. 

To learn more about toll-free numbers and long codes, check out this Zendesk article and this blog post!

Integrations

Connecting TextP2P with other software is easy with Zapier integrations! With a free Zapier account, you can set up automations with no-code required. For example, you can have TextP2P create a new contact when someone fills out a Google Form. Here are just some of the apps you can integrate with:

• Gmail
• Google Sheets
• Trello
• Slack
• Mailchimp
• Quickbooks Online
• Facebook Lead Ads

To learn more about Zapier integrations, be sure to check out this Zapier page and our business text messaging page!

Additionally, we offers our very own free WordPress Plugin. With the plugin, you can add a click-to-text widget directly to your site–just like the green one in the bottom right of our website right now! Here are some of the widget’s features:

• An icon that people can click on to immediately text your TextP2P inbox
• Contact info will be automatically saved into your TextP2P contact lists
• Customizable colors, fonts, questions, and more
• Support for Google Captcha v2 and v3
• Ability to generate HTML code to copy-and-paste into your own website

To learn more about our WordPress Plugin, check out this webpage and this WordPress page!

One last thing about integrations, we also integrate with ChatGPT to help you write messages quickly and efficiently! Our aiD feature, powered by ChatGPT, can both generate messages for you based on custom prompts, and help proofread your own messages.

To learn more about our aiD feature, be sure to check out this blog post!

Customer Support

Still confused? Don’t worry! We want to make sure that your experience with TextP2P is the best it can be. Here are some ways we can support you:

• Help articles about anything from how to create tags to specific error messages
• YouTube channel with explainer and walkthrough videos 
• Support tickets in the TextP2P system
• Contact form always available on our website
• Click-to-text widget always available on our website, in the bottom right corner

Our customer support is top-rated, but don’t take our word for it. On GetApp, TextP2P has an overall rating of 5/5 stars and a customer support rating of also 5/5 stars. To learn more, be sure to check out our Zendesk page mentioned above and our reviews on Capterra and Software Advice!

Conclusion

That was a lot, so if you’ve made it this far, thank you! In the sea of texting platforms, we hope that TextP2P floats above the rest as the ultimate one for businesses everywhere. To get started today, be sure to check out our free 14-day trial and free live demo! Thanks again, and have a good one!

The post 8 Reasons Why TextP2P Stands Out From Other Texting Platforms appeared first on TextP2P.

Thus, planning stands out as a great way for businesses to ensure their success. TextP2P is now here to help. As the ultimate all-in-one messaging platform, we want to ensure that your message gets out how you want it, when you want it, and to whom you want it. Thus, TextP2P is releasing our all-new visual calendar feature!

Whether you’re meeting with new leads and clients or setting up appointments with existing customers, the calendar is perfect for you! Use the calendar to schedule events, set up personal and invitee reminders, and view it all with color to match! Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

How It Works

Dr. Lewis runs a private pediatrician’s office, and she wants to use TextP2P to help keep track of her meetings and appointments. Here’s what she does.

First, she creates a few text and email templates. She will use these to send out reminders to her patients and coworkers. She makes use of the existing personalization fields, and some new ones, to create some great templates.

Second, she sets up her calendar reminders. Based on her choices, specific reminders will be sent out at specific times to specific people. 

Third, she schedules her events. Between weekly employee debriefs and daily patient appointments, Dr. Lewis has a lot to manage. So, she makes use of the description, location, and color features of the visual calendar to stay organized. For each event that she schedules, she also makes sure to input the invitees, so that they can all receive reminders too. For the debriefs, she invites her coworkers; and for the appointments, she invites the patients and their families. 

And that’s it! Now, before every scheduled event, custom reminders will be sent out to Dr. Lewis and whoever she’s chosen as invitees!

The visual calendar isn’t just great for medical professionals, though. Whether you’re a plumber reminding your customers of upcoming repairs or a small business owner sending out shipping updates, a calendar is perfect for you. 

Get Started Scheduling Today

Here’s a more detailed explanation of how to use the visual calendar. 

First, create your text and email templates.

These will be used to send reminders to event invitees.

1. To create a text template, navigate to the Message Templates page (Main to Text Messaging to Message Templates) and click Create Template.
2. Fill out all the fields. Be sure to remember the Template Name, and try using personalization fields in the Text Message Body. In addition to [FIRSTNAME], [COMPANY], and the 12 other existing TextP2P personalization fields; the calendar feature also brings with it nine new personalization fields: [EVENTNAME], [START], [STARTDATE], [STARTTIME], [END], [ENDDATE], [ENDTIME], [LOCATION], and [DESCRIPTION]. To learn more about personalization fields, be sure to check out this help article!
3. Click Create!
4. To create an email template, navigate to the Email Templates page (Main to Email to Email Templates), and click Create Template.
5. Fill out all the fields. Once again, be sure to remember the Template Name. For tips on email marketing, be sure to check out this blog article!
6. Click Create!

Tip: If you need help creating templates, we have a whole blog article dedicated to just that. Click here to check out 18 Customizable Templates for Business Reminder Messages! From easy copy-and-paste buttons to edit-and-update fields to tips and tricks for templates, we’ve got you covered.

Second, configure your reminders.

For each event that you schedule on your calendar, a series of reminders will be sent out. Two reminders will be sent to you via the TextP2P system, three reminders will be sent to invitees via text, and three more reminders will be sent to invitees via email. If you don’t want all these reminders, you always have the option to disable them.

1. Navigate to the Event Options page (Main to Calendar to Event Options). 
2. Under Enabled?, check the reminders that you would like to send out. When personal alerts are checked, you will receive alerts in the TextP2P system (on your computer and app). When SMS reminders are checked, invitees will receive text messages before events happen. Similarly, when Email reminders are checked, invitees will receive emails.
3. Under When to Send?, fill out the dropdowns for all enabled reminders. This is the amount of time before each scheduled event that reminders will be sent out. 
4. Under Template, fill out the dropdowns for all enabled reminders. This is the text message or email that will be sent to invitees before events.
5. Click Save! Ensure you see the message reading “Success: Calendar Options Successfully updated.”

Third, schedule your events!

There’s no limit to how many you can have!

1. Navigate to the Event Scheduler page (Main to Calendar to Event Scheduler).
2. On the right side, click on a time slot box for whenever your event happens. You can also click and drag over multiple time slots. 
3. In the box that comes up, fill out the Title, Description, and Location fields.
4. If you want reminders to be sent regarding your event, check the Send Reminders box. When this is checked, the reminders enabled in the Event Options page will be sent leading up to when your event is scheduled.
5. If the Send Reminders box is checked, also fill out the Recipients/Invitees field. Simply start typing names of your contacts, and their contact information should show up below the box. Then, click on the listed contact to add them.
6. Click Save! Repeat this for as many events as you want! Or, try uploading a CSV. For more info, keep reading.

More Calendar Features

Check out more things you can do once events are added to visual calendar:

• Edit the length of an event. Click and drag at the bottom of an event to change how long it lasts.
• Move an event. Click and drag on a event to move it to a different timeslot. All the reminders linked to this event will automatically be adjusted. 
• Update the information of an event. Click on the event and edit the fields in the box that appears.
• Delete an event. Hover over an event and click on the three lines that appear in the top right. Click on Delete.
• View the reminders for an event. Hover over an event and click on the three lines that appear in the top right. Click on System Reminders, Text Reminders, or Email Reminders. These reminders are based on your selections on the Event Options page.
• Change the color of an event. Hover over an event and click on the three lines that appear in the top right. Click on the color that you want your event to be. 

To add events in bulk, you can also upload CSV files. 

1. Navigate to the Event Scheduler page (Main to Calendar to Event Scheduler).
2. Click on Action in the top right. Then, click on CSV Upload.
3. Download the calendar_scheduler.csv file, and add the information for your events.
4. Upload the edited CSV using the Browse files button.
5. Click Upload.

Integrate your online calendar

Through Zapier you can integrate your online calendar (Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar, Yahoo Calendar, Outlook Calendar, etc.) with TextP2P’s visual calendar. With this, every event that you create in Google, or whatever it may be, will automatically create an event in TextP2P. For more information on Zapier integrations, be sure to check out our help page! Also, if you’re looking for more explanation on the visual calendar, don’t hesitate to visit our newest help page.

The post TextP2P’s Visual Calendar is Now Available! appeared first on TextP2P.

Whether you’re a product- or service- based business, there’s always a need for reminders. From informing customers about upcoming sales to notifying clients about upcoming appointments, reminders are a great way to connect with your consumer base. And, what better way to do that than through text! With a 98% open rate, text messages are sure to get your message to where it needs to go. 

Not sure where to start though? Take a look at our suggestions for reminder messages. First though, keep reading to hear out tips and tricks for templates!

Table of Contents

Tips and Tricks

Before we get to the templates, there’s one question that needs answering. How do I use these templates? It’s simple, here’s how:

1. Fill out all the required fields listed in the Fields section at the bottom of this article. Also, fill out any fields that seem relevant to the message you want to send. For helpful information on each field, hover over the boxes and tool tips will come up!
2. Click the red Update button to fill out all the templates with the information you entered.
3. Find the template that best suits the message you need to send.
4. Double check that the template makes sense and conveys the message you want. You might have to make some additional edits even after updating. If so, just click on the box and edit away!
5. Click the red button under the template box labeled “Copy Text”. An alert should pop up letting you know the message has been copied!
6. Open up your TextP2P account and create a new direct text message or text message campaign. For more information on how to do that, check out this blog post.
7. Finally, Ctrl + V or right click + Paste to paste in the template!

Did you know that you can save templates in your TextP2P account to reuse later? It’s easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Open up your account and navigate to the Message Templates page (Main to Text Messaging to Message Templates).
2. Click the green Create Template button and fill out all the fields. You can copy and paste one of the templates from this article into the Text Message Body field!
3. Click the blue Create button!

Now, whenever you want to use the template, simply click the two squares icon under the Text Message Body field and select your template. TextP2P will automatically fill out the body based on the template!

You can do so much with templates! Here are a couple more tips for your business text messaging:

• Want to make your message more formal? All the templates below start with “Hi [customer name]” but try adding honorifics like “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or “Mx.” for a slightly more professional tone.
• Want to make your message more fun? Try adding emojis! Copy and paste from sites like getemoji.com or use a built-in emoji keyboard on your computer. But, make sure that the tone you are trying to convey matches the emojis you choose.

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for. Without further ado, here are 18 templates for business reminder messages!

Templates for Product-Based Businesses

Whether you’re an in-store retailer or e-commerce store, reminders are perfect for getting the word out about your promotions! After all, 75% of customers want to receive offers via text. To learn more about how text marketing can help your business, check out these blog articles: for retailers, for restaurants, for realtors, and for other small businesses.

Text reminders aren’t just great for promotions, though. They’re also helpful for updating customers on their orders. “Receiving order status and confirmations” ranks as the second-top SMS message type that customers like to receive–second only to “updates on their shipping tracking for products.”

Promotion Templates

Shipping Templates

Bonus Template

Templates for Service-Based Businesses

Whether you’re a hairstylist or medical professional, reminders are great for reminding customers about upcoming appointments–and for following up with them afterwards. A survey from MediaPost found that 75% of millennials find text reminders helpful. “Scheduling reminders” is also the third-most SMS message type that customers like to receive. To learn all about appointment reminders, be sure to check out this blog article!

Appointment Reminder Templates

Appointment Follow-Up Templates

Customizable Fields

Tip: For customer information, you can make use of TextP2P’s personalization fields to ensure that your message applies to multiple customers. Input “[FIRSTNAME]” into the Customer Name box, and TextP2P will automatically change each message in a texting campaign to include each contact’s first name. See the rest of the personalization fields and learn more with this Zendesk article!

Update: We’ve added nine more personalization fields with the release of our Visual Calendar feature! Visit this Zendesk article to learn more about the fields and this blog post to learn more about the release.

New: Click the Personalize button to automatically insert any available personalization fields.

Conclusion

There you have it, 18 templates for reminder messages! Hopefully they were helpful, but if you’re not satisfied just yet, you can always generate infinite suggestions with aiD, TextP2P’s artificial intelligence tool powered by ChatGPT. To learn all about it, check out this blog post! Thanks and have a good one!

The post 18 Customizable Templates for Business Reminder Messages appeared first on TextP2P.

Table of Contents

A Brief History

In 1965, the earliest version of what would become email was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The program MAILBOX allowed computer users to leave messages for others using the same computer. Four years later–on October 29, 1969–the first computer-to-computer message was sent via the US Department of Defense’s ARPANET. In 1971, Ray Tomlinson created ARPANET’s networked email system, which made use of the @ symbol. Since then, many email hosting sites have popped up. In order of release, these include Microsoft Mail, AOL Mail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, and Gmail. 

Nowadays, there are more than 4 billion email users worldwide, contributing to more than 300 billion emails sent and received everyday. That’s more than 3.5 million every second! Seeing as email is only getting more and more popular, TextP2P is here to help you take advantage of the 2nd most popular form of communication for people across the US!

Introduction to Email Marketing

First and foremost, what is email marketing? Email marketing is one of many direct marketing channels through which businesses can promote themselves. “Direct” means that there are just two parties involved: the business and the consumer. Through email marketing, businesses send messages personally to customers, rather than advertising to a large group with, say, a billboard. 

Email marketing can also be broken up into two different categories: individual email and email campaigns. (Both of these are supported by TextP2P.) With individual emails, businesses can send messages to specific customers at specific times. This could be used, for example, to let a long time customer know that they are getting a congratulatory discount. With email campaigns, businesses can send messages to large groups of customers all at the same time. This type of email marketing is more suited towards general messages, for example, a message letting all customers know about an upcoming sale. 

Email Marketing vs. Text Marketing

Text messaging is another example of a direct marketing channel. Just like email, texts can also be sent out individually and through campaigns. There are many similarities and differences between email and text, so which is better?

In the past, we’ve actually done a full analysis of this on our blog, which you can check out here! But, for the time being, here’s a quick side-by-side comparison (sources are linked):

As you can see, both text and email have their pros and cons. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what works best. The good news, though, is that you don’t have to choose right away. With TextP2P, you have access to text marketing, email marketing, and more all in one platform! Let’s take a look at how exactly TextP2P can help.

Email Marketing with TextP2P

With TextP2P, email marketing is easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Set Up Your Email: Navigate to the Email Setup page using the left sidebar (Main to Email to Email Setup). Then, simply fill out all the fields and click the blue button. While not required, we recommend you also authorize your domain to increase deliverability rates. For more detailed info, check out our Zendesk help articles!

2. Create Your Email: Depending on whether you want to send a message to an individual or to a whole group, navigate to either the Direct Email or Email Campaigns page (Main to Email to Direct Email or Email Campaigns). Fill out the fields that appear, including of course, the Email Body. Check out the section after this for some quick tips to help level up your messages!

3. Send: Once you’ve filled out all the fields for your direct email or email campaign, click Send to deliver your message! Alternatively, check out this article to learn how to schedule your message for later. Afterwards, don’t forget to check on how your campaigns are performing by clicking on their names in the Email Campaigns page (Main to Email to Email Campaigns).

Quick Tips for Email Marketing

TextP2P is here to help! Here are some tips to help you make the most of your email marketing. 

• Customize your messages: One way to make your emails more engaging is to make use of interesting text and visuals. With TextP2P, you can change text’s font, size, color, and justification. You can also bold or underline text and create bulleted or numbered lists. Links, tables, and pictures also help to boost your messages. And best of all, TextP2P supports HTML, so if the built-in features aren’t enough just yet, you can add whatever your heart desires in Code View. 

• Integrate with workflows: A good marketing plan is key for ensuring that your message gets out to all your customers. Through workflow automations, you can schedule texts, emails, and ringless voicemails all in one! Check out this article, or this article, to learn more about automated drip campaigns.

• Try out templates: With templates, you can save and reuse emails! First, navigate to the Email Templates page (Main to Email to Email Templates), click Create Template, fill out the fields how you normally would, and click Create. Then, when creating a direct email or email campaign, all you have to do is select the template in the Email Template field and TextP2P will automatically insert what you created!

• Don’t worry about pricing: We like to keep it simple, so we make sure that you only pay for the emails you send. And email credits never expire, so you can rest assured that your money won’t go to waste. Speaking of money, did you know that you can send 2500 emails for less than the price of three coffees? Well you can, with TextP2P!

• Send on the go: Last year in June, TextP2P’s free mobile app launched for both iOS and Android. With the app, you can manage your text marketing from wherever you are. However, email and ringless voicemail are not yet supported. But, business owners find a way! Our website, with all of it’s features, is mobile responsive. So, all you have to do is visit TextP2P.com, sign in to your account just like you would do on your computer, and market away!

• Integrate with Zapier: Zapier allows you to connect TextP2P to over 5,000 other apps and web services, allowing data to automatically be transferred between them. These automated connections, called Zaps, can be set up in minutes with no code required. With integrations, you can create TextP2P contacts from Google Spreadsheet rows, add TextP2P subscribers to MailChimp, update HubSpot email subscriptions when TextP2P unsubscribe, and more. Best of all, Zapier’s core features are free forever, with a 14-day free trial for premium features and apps!

Conclusion

As National Email Week continues, we remember how far email has come! For over half a century, email has helped friends, families, businesses, and more to connect with one another. Email and email marketing are here to stay!

The post It’s National Email Week! Here’s How to Boost Your Business with Email Marketing appeared first on TextP2P.

TextP2P is the ultimate text messaging service–and we don’t say that lightly. “Ultimate” means unwavering, and unwavering means solving problems. After all, what kind of a service would we be if we didn’t help you get unstuck? That’s why we’re proud to introduce TextP2P’s new aiD features!

With aiD, “stuck” is a thing of the past! Powered by Open AI’s ChatGPT, aiD uses artificial intelligence to improve your workflow. At the click of a button, business owners are able to efficiently generate messages for any marketing campaigns they so choose. And, at the click of a button, hardworking entrepreneurs can proofread their writing and quickly get back to the real hard work that comes with running your own business. Here’s how it works.

Using aiD to Quickly Write Text Messages

Start by creating a new text messaging campaign. First, navigate to the List Campaigns page with the left sidebar (Text Messaging → List Campaigns). Then, click on Create Campaign in the top right corner. 

In the window that opens, fill out the first three fields. Create a custom Campaign Name, Select Lists to send the campaign message to, and Filter Tags for people in those lists.

Now, for the exciting part! In the field labeled Text Message Body, type in a prompt for your text message–any prompt you want! Take a look at these examples:

• Text message to notify customers of winter BOGO sale
• Remind customers text about new product line for Smith & Son launching tomorrow
• Thank you and welcome SMS message for joining loyalty program
• 50% off and special offers holiday sale this week for Alice’s Boutique
• Quality products back-in-stock now SMS

Then, click on the Generate plus icon right below the Text Message Body.

A new box will pop up labeled Message Suggestion with “Thinking…” written inside it. A few seconds later, a brand-new AI-generated message will show up! Just like that, the days of “stuck” are gone!

If you like the message suggestion, simply click on the Apply button to accept the suggestion! If not, click on the Generate button (plus icon) to get another suggestion! Once you are satisfied, make sure to click Apply. If you are having trouble getting a message you like, take a look at things to try below:

• Include detail about sales and promotions, for example XX% discount or what items are on sale
• Include when sales and promotions are happening, for example next weekend or right now
• Include your company name and type, for example retailer or gym
• Include how long you want your message to be. Words like “text message,” “text,” or “SMS message” work well to get good short and medium length messages. Alternatively, try “short message,” “long text,” or even “medium message” to get different length suggestions.

Extra Special Tip: For that extra wow factor, add emojis to your suggestions by tacking on phrases like “use emojis” or “add lots of emojis” at the end of your prompt. Similarly, try “add hashtags.” Even experiment with phrases like “varied capitalization” or “capitalize emphasis”! Have fun with it! However, note that longer, more detailed prompts will take longer to generate messages for, so you might have to wait 30 seconds or more seconds for a suggestion. Greatness takes time, after all!

Once you’re happy with your suggestion and have clicked Apply, the Message Suggestion box will disappear, and the Text Message Body will automatically be filled with the suggestion. From there, you can make any edits you would like!

Once you’re satisfied with that, put the finishing touches on your text message by adding images, attaching other files, or scheduling your message to send at a later time. Finally, finish off your campaign by either saving or sending it with the buttons at the bottom. Don’t forget this step so you don’t lose your work!

And that’s it! TextP2P’s aiD is easy, efficient, and effective for businesses everywhere. But wait, there’s more! Artificial intelligence is powerful, and thus so too is aiD. Say you want to write your own message from scratch without using the Generate feature. Great! With aiD, you can proofread your own writing to make sure it’s perfect for all your customers. Here’s how.

Using aiD to Proofread SMS Messages

Start the same as you did when using the Generate feature. Navigate to Text Messaging → List Campaigns using the left side bar, and click Create Campaign in the top right corner. Then, in the window, fill out the first three fields: Campaign Name, Select Lists, and Filter Tags.

Now, either use aiD to generate a message as described before, or write in a message of your own.

Then, to use aiD, simply click on the Grammar square icon (next to the plus) below the Text Message Body.

A Message Suggestion box will appear, similar to the one that appeared for the Generate feature. After a brief “Thinking…” message, a revised version of the Text Message Body will appear. Things like verb mis-conjugations, tense changes, and misspellings/typos should be corrected in this revision. (aiD is still under development, so this feature is not entirely reliable as of now.) In the example below, “register” became “registered” to match with “purchased” and “mmoneyy” became “money.” The original emojis were preserved, too!

Once again, if you like the suggestion, click Apply and the Message Suggestion Box will disappear, and the Text Message Body will be replaced by the suggestion.

Just like that, your message has improved with just a couple clicks! A typo is easy to make, but with aiD, it’s just as easy to fix!

The Future for Artificial Intelligence and aiD

So, there you have it! No more “stuck.” With TextP2P, the ultimate text messaging service, you can run and promote your business as efficiently as possible. aiD is not perfect just yet (particularly the Grammar feature), but development will continue. We’re hitting the ground running, though, with the release of aiD today. If you have any feedback, just click the green text icon in the bottom right of your screen or visit textp2p.com/contact-us. We’d love to hear from you! Business text messaging just got a whole lot better, for “stuck” has vanished and “free” is here to stay.

The post Introducing aiD: TextP2P’s New Artificial Intelligence Tool Powered by ChatGPT appeared first on TextP2P.