Repeat visits and loyal customers are the lifeblood of local restaurants and retailers. They provide a steady stream of revenue, are more likely to spend more money, and love to try new products and services. Here are just a few statistics that highlight how vital repeat visits can be for local businesses:

How Restaurants and Retailers Can Use Text Automation to Increase Repeat Visits

Automated text marketing can be a powerful tool to engage customers and drive business results and more revenue. As with any marketing tactic, having access to this tool is only helpful if you know how to use it and continually looking for ways to improve. Here are a few best practices we encourage our merchants to use:

• 20% of a restaurant or retailer’s repeat customers are responsible for over 80% of its future income. (Source)
• It costs anywhere between 5x to 25x more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. (Source)
• A 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25% increase in profits. (Source)
• For restaurants, repeat loyal customers generate 10x more revenue in their lifetime than new customers. (Source)
• Retailers with a loyalty program see a 5%-10% increase in sales. (Source)

Automated Text Marketing: The Secret to Customer Engagement

At TL Connects, we’ve designed our software to empower local restaurants and retailers to nurture repeat visits through our all-in-one loyalty and text communication platform. With our digital customer loyalty program and personalized texts sent directly to customers, we’ve witnessed countless businesses harness the power of our platform to remain at the forefront of their patrons’ minds and cultivate deeper connections. The real game-changer lies in our platform’s ability to effortlessly create automated text marketing campaigns. With our automated text marketing campaigns, restaurants and retailers can create campaigns that are tailored to their specific needs and goals. Then, they can let the software run on its own, freeing up their time to focus on other important tasks. Our software’s tracking and analytics capabilities provide a critical edge, ensuring businesses can measure the impact of their efforts, optimize their strategies, and fine-tune their marketing messages to deliver maximum results.

5 Automated Text Marketing Best Practices to Increase Repeat Visits

Thousands of restaurants and retailers have used the TL Connects platform over the years. Here are a few best practices that are universal when it comes to creating the most effective automated text marketing campaigns to increase repeat visits:

1. Optimize timing and frequency. Send automated texts at a time when your customers are most likely to be receptive. For example, restaurants should promote happy hour specials with text messages sent in the late afternoon or early evening. Retailers should send text messages to customers on the weekends when they are more likely to be shopping. Also, it’s important to avoid sending too many texts, as this can be overwhelming and lead to customers unsubscribing.
2. Personalize your messages. Use the customer’s name and other personal information to make your messages more relevant and engaging. Consider sending different messages to different customer segments, such as new signups vs. returning customers or customers who have made a purchase in the past month vs. those who haven’t. This differentiation will help merchants target specific audiences more effectively.
3. Incorporate visual content. Animated GIFs and images can make your text messages more visually appealing and engaging. Restaurants could create animated GIFs, videos, or photos of chefs preparing meals to give customers a behind-the-scenes look. Retailers should consider using media to promote new products, highlight special offers, or share customer testimonials.
4. Include a clear call to action. It’s important to direct customers to complete a specific action after reading your text message. This could be visiting your website, redeeming a coupon code, or signing up for an event. For example, a restaurant could encourage customers to “Order now for pickup or delivery and get 10% off your order!” or “Make a reservation for our Valentine’s Day dinner special today!” Make the call to action clear, concise, and easy to follow.
5. Track and analyze performance. It’s important for every business to monitor their text marketing campaigns to see what’s working and what’s not. Pay attention to metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Then, use the data to optimize campaigns and improve results over time.