Text messages from friends are personal, so shouldn't your SMS campaign be the same?
On Tuesday, AI marketing and messaging platform Attentive announced a product that allows brands to personalize text messages by applying a combination of machine learning and generative AI to their first-party data.
Attentive also has existing solutions that use AI technology to create email campaigns, personalize subject lines, and send product recommendations based on customer data. It takes a similar approach to SMS (text messages, of course, don't have subject lines).
Regardless of the channel, the goal is to create personalized interactions that mimic the in-store experience.
In a brick-and-mortar store, sales associates can ask customers what they brought in and if they need any assistance. “There is no equivalent online,” said Amit Jawar, his CEO at Attentive.
SMS can meet that need because it is a real-time communication channel.
Over the past six to eight months, approximately 60 brands have participated in closed beta testing of Attentive's AI-powered SMS product, including Reebok, Brooks Brothers, Forever 21, and Hot Topic. On average, Beta brands saw a 115% increase in revenue, 117% increase in purchases, and 120% increase in clicks, according to Attentive.
Attentive's AI text technology
Similar to email, Attentive places pixels on branded websites to record information about site visitors. Jawar said browsing behavior, along with purchase data, forms the backbone of his AI model at the company.
Attentive feeds this data into propensity, affinity, and intent models to derive consumer insights. For example, Attentive determines whether you are just browsing or seriously considering purchasing something, your preferences (such as size, color, and style), and whether you have had a good experience with previous purchases. can.
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Advertisers can use the generative AI capabilities within the platform to create personalized messages for users who choose to receive SMS messaging. This is a common email marketing tactic that Attentive employs in his SMS. Jhawar declined to name the specific large-scale language model that underpins the product.
Attentive trains its generative AI tools to match your brand's voice and tone by analyzing the content on your brand's website and all past text sent by Attentive on your brand's behalf.
Advertisers can configure styling, such as how much to use emojis and capitalization rules, and choose tone, such as conveying scarcity or urgency or encouraging engagement.
Attentive customer Hot Topic is a great example. Rather than simply sending a “saved cart” message to those who didn't complete their purchase, Hot Topic uses playful language that's consistent with its brand. For stuffed animals, the message would be: “Don't let this cozy companion escape. 🚀 Act fast and save him from loneliness.”
And for promotional messages, for example, when Hot Topic sends a text pushing a dress that might be out of stock soon, Attentive allows for interactivity. If the recipient follows the link and responds by finding out that their size is not available, the system automatically responds with a link to check for similar products in the customer's size.
Don't send too many messages or other useful advice
However, SMS marketing has some quirks that are unique to the channel.
For example, unlike email, where the price is based on list size, mobile phone carriers charge a fee for each SMS message sent.
That's “a hard lesson that a lot of brands learn early on,” Jawar said. “Sending too many messages to people who aren't interested in your product can quickly waste a lot of money.”
But there's another pitfall to sending too many messages. That's it, people hate spam. This is true for email, and even more so for texts.
Attentive offers a two-tap opt-in technology that makes it easy for customers to sign up while adhering to strict SMS opt-in rules, Jawar said.
Still, brands should be cautious about the frequency of SMS messages, and a good rule of thumb is to avoid sending customers more than one message per day, or (and God forbid) more than one message per hour. Don't do it.
“There are a certain number of messages that people are willing to accept,” Jawar said. Typically, 3-5 messages per week is best for keeping people up to date with your brand. “Anything more than that will cause people to opt out or unsubscribe from your messages,” he said.
But the ideal message frequency varies by category, Jawar says.
Let's take fast fashion as an example, where products sell out quickly after being released. “If you're launching a new sneaker, people will ask for a message every few days,” Jawar says. “They don't want to miss out.” However, for a considered purchase like a mattress, the right frequency might be once every few months, he said.
However, in any scenario, brands should aim to be helpful rather than annoying. Jawar said messages need to be personalized and personalized, rather than text message versions of sprays and prayers.
For example, if a brand offers a tanning enhancer or other unrelated product to someone who needs a specific sunscreen or lotion, the customer may say, “Obviously I'm not important to you; “They don't know who they are,” Jawar said. ”
