It’s been a year since I wrote the blog post “Why You Should Be Texting Your Customers,” so it’s time for an update! No, the numbers haven’t changed. Text messages have more than a 97% open rate and your messages are usually read within minutes.

AWG retailers will now have the option to write and send their own text messages through our partnership with Media Solutions Corporation. If you’re already using the existing AWG text platform, we’ll be rolling you over to the MSC platform. Your texts will come from a new shortcode, and you can change your keyword if you’d like to. You’ll have the option to write and send texts blasts on your own, or you can continue to have your AWG Marketing Specialist take care of everything for you.

What else is different? The new platform will cost retailers significantly less every month. Give us a call for more pricing details.

What’s the point to texting your customers? First of all, customers who sign up WANT to hear from you, otherwise they wouldn’t sign up. They’re not going to ignore your message like they might ignore a sales flyer or even an email. You can send them store updates, sale notifications and special offers that drive traffic and larger basket sizes.

With a text plan that’s more cost-effective than we’ve ever offered, now’s a good time to see how you can reach your customers on a more personal level.