Direct Messaging is the most valuable method of connecting customers with retailers. Having immediate access to directly notify your customer base with unlocked rewards, targeted campaigns, and promotions gives you the platform to achieve optimal return on your marketing and sales activations.   It can also help increase email opt-ins.

For retailers in regulated markets, carrier filtration poses challenges that could hinder their ability to reach customers. Leveraging the right channels is key to ensuring long-term success and sustaining growth.

Implementing a Two Tier Loyalty Program to Convert SMS Subscribers to Email

If you have a significant number of customers who have already opted into texts, it can be challenging to transition them from SMS to email if there’s no incentive for them to do so. That’s where a two-tier loyalty program can be your secret weapon.

A two-tiered loyalty program is designed to leverage rewards to gain customer opt-ins.

How? Tier 2 membership status can only be achieved if a customer opts in. If set up strategically, tier 2 memberships will unlock more frequent & more attractive rewards, making it easier to convince your SMS subscribers to opt into emails given they are getting something out of it.

This is a great strategy for regulated retailers to ensure stability with their customer communications plan and combat the growing risks of carrier filtration with SMS/MMS messaging.

Here are some tips and tricks for crafting emails to optimize deliverability as you grow your subscriber base:

1. Avoid trigger words or flagged wordings

Spam filters block messages if there are any flagged wordings in the copy but most importantly, in the subject line

Trigger words:

• Calls to action that seems “urgent”: Open this / hurry / act now
• Marketing: free / free sample / dear friend
• Health: get rid of pain / cure your medical condition

What are ways to get around this?

• Try to be subtle with your copy, especially when promoting a special product promo.
• Provide a teaser and reserve a more detailed copy on your dedicated landing page.
• Avoid any and all medical claims.
• Emojis can provide a fun alternative to flagged wording. For example, instead of “Check out this flower drop,” use “Check out this 🌼 drop.”

2. Ensure all metadata is accurate

Metadata in emails is the information in the Date, From, To, and Subject of your email.

Having misleading metadata or thumbnails in your email could lead to your message being filtered as spam.

Additionally, any misleading information that’s intended to trick users into believing the content to be something else is against both CAN-SPAM and CASL laws.

Spam filters are more likely to flag your email if it’s addressed to your recipient’s email address and not their name. We recommend that you use AIQ’s macros to personalize your “To:” field in an email.

Also, spam filters will check if your recipients already know you. This is why it is important to use a verified domain to send your messages.

3. Tailor your content to boost engagement

A practical tactic to boost engagement and reduce high unsubscribe rates is to segment your subscribers and then tailor your email content to their interests, needs, and preferences.

4. Provide quality email content

The quality of the content constitutes the majority of the factors in determining whether an email is spam.

Here are some tips to avoid being flagged by spam filters:

• URLs: Use descriptive text instead of naked URLs as the link text. Avoid using URL shorteners as well.
• Links: Make sure all links included in your email are working properly.
• Images and text: Balance the ratio of images to text and links to texts. Ensure that images are mobile-responsive and optimized for web viewing.
• Grammar and spelling: Emails with poor grammar and spelling errors could make it appear unprofessional, and recipients may likely report your email as spam.

5. Properly format your email

Another factor is the formatting of your email. An unprofessionally formatted email does not only make your content look spammy, but it also affects your bounce rate and engagement. Avoid the following formatting mistakes as much as possible:

• Using all caps
• Using multiple punctuations (e.g., “Hello!!!!” or “What do you think?!?”)
• Using too many colors
• Using too many different font styles and/or font sizes

For more information on email settings, checkout AIQ’s Email / Domain Settings. To learn more about SMS/ MMS deliverability, review our Carrier Filtration Guide.

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