What is a conversational message?

A conversational message is a real-time, two-way communication sent through text messaging channels designed to mimic natural, back-and-forth conversations. As an ecommerce brand, you can use these messages to create more personalized and engaging interactions with your customers compared to traditional one-way communications. 

You can exchange conversational messages with your audience on messaging channels they prefer, such as:

  • SMS
  • MMS
  • Facebook Messenger
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram

How to create effective conversational messages

1. Personalize your messages

Conversational messages should feel personal and tailored to your audience. They indicate you pay attention to your customers and understand what they’re interested in.

Your messages could contain your subscriber’s name, reference previous interactions they had with your brand, and offer personalized product recommendations or solutions based on their needs.

For example, you can send a message like this to your customer: “Hi, Amy! We noticed you were looking at our new collection, and we think this dress would match perfectly with the shoes you recently purchased!”

2. Be clear and brief

Keep your messages concise and to the point. Your customers could get overwhelmed if they receive long, detailed messages. 

For example, instead of sending a message like: 

“Hello, valued customer! We would like to inform you we’re currently offering a special promotion on our latest footwear collection, which we believe would be an excellent addition to your wardrobe based on your recent purchase history with us,” 

Try this:

“Hi there! 👋 Check out our latest shoe collection—perfect for your style. 🥿✨”

Use bullet points or emojis to break up longer text and make it easier to read.

3. Provide timely responses

Respond promptly to customer messages to keep the conversation flowing. Delayed responses can lead to frustration and a negative customer experience.

For example, if a customer inquires about product availability, respond as soon as possible with a clear answer. If you need more time to gather information or resolve an issue, acknowledge the message and let them know when they can expect a response.

You can also set up automated responses for after-hours inquiries to manage customer expectations. It could be something like:

“Thank you for your message. Our team will get back to you as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience.”

Or:

“Thanks for reaching out! We’re currently offline but will get back to you first thing in the morning. In the meantime, check out our FAQ section or leave us a message!” 

3 benefits of conversational messages for ecommerce brands

1. Boost in customer engagement and loyalty

When you chat with your customers in a conversational way, it helps you build stronger relationships with them. Here’s how this benefits you:

  • Giving quick replies: Answering messages promptly shows that you genuinely care about your customers’ time and needs. This creates a sense of reliability and attentiveness.
  • Offering personalized suggestions: Sharing recommendations tailored to your customers’ unique tastes or needs makes them feel appreciated, seen, and heard. This can deepen their trust in your brand.
  • Engaging in friendly interactions: Keeping conversations casual, respectful, and enjoyable makes customers feel like they’re talking to a friend rather than just a brand. This fosters loyalty and positive engagement.

2. Increase in sales and conversions

Online shoppers often abandon their carts due to unanswered questions or uncertainties. By offering immediate support through SMS conversations, you can address customer concerns, which can increase conversion and sales.

In fact, a study by Twilio shows that customers are significantly more likely to make a purchase when they can connect with a brand instantly through messaging.

3. Gather valuable customer insights

Conversational messages give you a direct line to your customers, letting you get real-time feedback and insights. Here’s how this helps you:

  • Understanding customer preferences: By chatting with your customers, you can learn what they like, what they’re looking for, and what kind of products or services they’re interested in.
  • Identifying pain points: Direct conversations help you discover any issues or frustrations your customers might have, which allows you to address their concerns more effectively.
  • Observing engagement behavior: Tracking how customers interact with your messages—such as their response times, frequency of engagement, and types of inquiries—helps you understand their level of interest and engagement with your brand.

3 conversational messages best practices to boost efficiency

  1. Stay true to your brand voice: Maintain a consistent brand voice in all your messages so customers can recognize and trust your brand. If your brand’s tone is casual and humorous, slang, one-liners, and emojis can be appropriate. However, if your brand is more formal and professional, stick to a more polished tone and avoid colloquial language or jokes that may not align with your brand’s image.
  2. Add rich media: Incorporate images, GIFs, or videos in your messages to make them more visually appealing and engaging. Plain text messages can sometimes feel dull and uninteresting, especially in long conversations. Images or videos help break up text and add variety to the conversation.
  3. Add a compelling call to action (CTA): A CTA motivates customers to take action after interacting with your conversational message. This could be anything from purchasing to signing up for a newsletter or scheduling an appointment. Make the CTA clear and concise so customers know what action to take.

Send impactful conversational messages with Klaviyo

A marketing automation platform like Klaviyo makes it easy to send personalized and engaging conversational messages to your customers. Use Klaviyo to:

Get started with Klaviyo today.

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