Conversational Email & SMS is Here
It's never been easier to turn email & SMS into real-time conversations.
There’s a big shift happening for email & SMS right before our eyes towards brands using these channels for 1:1 conversations and personalization.
GenAI is the catalyst.
What does this look like? At first glance, it just seems like highly intentional customer success, but on closer look it’s usually targeting new users and prospects, not just paid users.
More specifically, it’s where email & SMS are used to facilitate learning and recommendations at scale.
Here’s one example I received in November from Wander:
Is Andi real? Is she AI? Does it even matter?
Let’s table that for now. Mostly, I want to shine a light on the tactic because it could be extremely powerful and scalable for many brands.
By gathering real-time, contextual inputs you no longer need a one-size-fits-all preference center or approach.
You’re also getting a side-benefit of positive deliverability fuel in the email channel by increasing replies.
Most importantly, you are being as engaged and curated as your customers want you to be.
Conversational SMS Will be Even More Powerful for Some
Depending on the problem your product or service solves, having concierge-level service but even faster (and at times smarter) at your fingertips can improve trust and engagement right off the bat.
I can’t disclose details, but one of my clients works in the job search space and we are testing this tactic vs more traditional sms campaigns right now.
I can think of many other industries where this will work. Some eComm and SaaS, but also the Zillow’s of the world, investment apps (day trading even), and so on.
The possibilities are potent.
Continued Automation at Scale
This was implied above, but you can essentially create endless journeys around if/then statements where no two conversations are alike.
If someone is engaging, keep engaging back and provide intelligence prompts for how quickly those replies go out.
Is it more important to deploy a real human or simply provide real-time, intelligent recommendations? For many customers & users, probably the latter.
As Always, Quality is Key
I am not suggesting that you can phone this stuff in. You need to be really smart about how you execute every detail. And I certainly would prefer brands being upfront about whether something is an AI agent, or human.
Mostly what I am suggesting is that the level of effort to get this off the ground is much much lower than it’s ever been and the scalability much, much higher.
I have a hunch that many of you (or your leadership teams) are already thinking about these use cases and plotting out some tests for 2025.
Many will have ethical qualms. But the ones who can stand up scalable programs that drive better results will be praised for their vision and ability.
Live Learning in Atlanta on Feb 6
ICYM my LinkedIn announcement, I’m going to be teaching lifecycle marketing frameworks, tips, and insights from my two flagship courses at a private WeWork space in Midtown Atlanta on Feb 6.
Think of it as part lecture, part workshop. And it’s priced much lower than my normal multi-day courses on Maven.
Early bird pricing is available now through Jan 15.