Enhance your customer engagement strategy using Falu Messaging templates

Each client interaction presents an opportunity to either build or diminish customer engagement. One way to ensure the former is to cultivate a communication strategy that borrows from the 7Cs of effective communication: clarity, completeness, conciseness, concreteness, correctness, courtesy, and creativity. It is essential to exercise caution and avoid prioritizing any of these Cs at the expense of others: doomed is any communication plan that sends out creative yet incomplete messages.

Nonetheless, staying on top of customer communications and adhering to the 7Cs principles can be quite challenging. This is why we emphasize a one-voice messaging strategy - a standardized approach to customer engagement that, in the end, creates a consistent and positive brand experience for clients. As a messaging provider, Falu helps its business clients achieve this policy using message templates.

In this blog post, we'll explore the advantages of message templates, and best practices for creating them, and delve into some examples.

What is a message template?

A message template is a pre-prepared and reusable message format for commonly sent messages. Instead of composing a welcoming text from scratch each time a new customer registers on your platform, for example, you can employ a template to send them a message containing all the necessary information.

A message template can also incorporate variables that can be customized to suit a specific customer.

Advantages of using message templates

1. Time efficiency

   Crafting personalized messages for every interaction can be time-consuming. Templates offer a swift and consistent way to deliver essential information, which is particularly valuable for businesses handling high volumes of messages.

2. Consistency

   Templates ensure that your messages maintain a consistent tone, style, and content. This consistency enhances your brand image and upholds a professional communication standard.

3. Error reduction

   By creating templates for commonly sent messages, you minimize the likelihood of errors or omissions in your texts. This reliability is especially crucial for conveying critical information like account updates or appointment reminders.

4. Compliance

   Templates help ensure that your messages adhere to relevant regulations and industry standards. For example, as every marketing message in Kenya should include opt-out instructions, these details can be incorporated into the template used for sending such communications.

When to use message templates

Message templates are versatile and can be applied in various scenarios, especially in the context of SMSs. Below are some instances when you should consider using them along with examples in Falu.

• Account updates

Notify customers of changes in their accounts, such as password resets or profile updates.

• Alert updates

Send out urgent notifications, such as security alerts or emergency notices.

• Appointment updates

Send confirmation messages, reminders, and other important information about appointments.

• Auto-replies

Send automatic responses to incoming messages, ensuring timely acknowledgment especially when you are not online.

• Issue resolution

Respond to your customers' responses, feedback, or inquiries.

• Payment updates

Send transaction confirmations, payment reminders, or billing notifications.

• Reservation updates

Confirm or modify reservations, such as hotel bookings or restaurant reservations, via SMS.

• Shipping updates

Keep your customers informed about the status and tracking details of their shipments.

Best practices for creating message templates

Creating effective message templates requires some careful consideration. Remember, the goal is to have a one-voice messaging strategy that borrows from the 7Cs of effective communication to create a consistent and positive brand experience for your customers.

Below are some best practices to follow:

a. Personalization: While templates provide consistency, it is essential to allow for message personalization where possible by employing variables that you can replace later when reaching out to your customers.

You can read more about the syntax of templates and how Falu interprets them here.

b. Clarity: Keep your template messaging clear and concise. Avoid jargon or overly technical language to ensure the recipient easily understands what you are communicating.

c. Call to Action (CTA): Include a clear CTA in your template. Whether it's confirming an appointment or making a payment, it is often important to guide the recipient on what to do next.

d. Testing: Before deploying a template, test it to ensure that it appears correctly on different devices and that links or phone numbers work as intended.

e. Compliance: Be mindful of legal and industry regulations. For example, include an opt-out option for your customers if the template will be used for marketing messages.

f. Single responsibility principle: A template should convey only one type of information. Avoid overloading your templates with different or conflicting messages.

Incorporating templates into your messaging strategy can streamline your communication, enhance customer satisfaction, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations. Whether you're sending account updates, appointment reminders, or any other type of message, you can create reusable templates in Falu to build consistency and efficiency in your communications. Moreover, you can bundle your Falu templates with other features such as translations and message batching to enjoy a truly seamless messaging flow.