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. Ecommerce brands can use these messages to create more personalised and engaging interactions with their customers. 

Depending on what your audience prefers and has opted in to receive, you can interact with people on:

  • SMS
  • MMS
  • Messenger
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram

3 benefits of conversational messages for ecommerce brands

  1. Boost in customer engagement and loyalty: When customers can easily chat with your brand, it can strengthen your relationship. A study by Twilio found that 95% of consumers would trust a brand more if it’s easy to initiate a conversation.
  2. Increase in sales and conversions
    Shoppers often hesitate to finalize purchases due to unanswered questions. Real-time messaging can address these concerns, leading to increased sales. In fact, as Twilio reports, 88% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand if they can message them directly.
  3. Gather valuable customer insights
    Conversational messages provide a direct line to customers for real-time feedback. Understanding preferences and pain points enhances service and product offerings, which ultimately drives loyalty. Brands that engage this way see customers spending 20% more on average.

How to create effective conversational messages

Assuming you’ve received express consent to send conversational messages, here are some best practices for creating effective ones:

  • Get express consent: Make sure your customers explicitly agree to receive SMS marketing messages from your brand. Use a clear opt-in process at checkout or on your sign-up forms, and make sure to collect SMS separately from other marketing channels.
  • Be mindful of when you respond: Avoid sending messages too early or late in the day. If you text your subscribers during quiet hours, they may see this as intrusive, which may prompt them to unsubscribe. Aim to reply between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient’s local time zone.
  • Respond quickly: SMS feels more immediate to customers, so they usually expect fast replies. Aim to respond within minutes to maintain engagement and build trust with your customers.
  • Focus on the post-purchase experience: Use conversational SMS to stay connected with customers after they’ve made a purchase. Whether it’s giving updates on shipping, assisting with returns or exchanges, or answering any follow-up questions, two-way messaging keeps the experience personal and smooth, helping you build trust and encouraging repeat purchases.
  • Add rich media: Incorporate images, GIFs, or videos in your messages if it’s appropriate.
  • 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. 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 personalised and engaging conversational SMS messages to your customers. Use Klaviyo to:

  • Grow your SMS list: Use customisable sign-up forms to obtain subscribers’ explicit consent for conversational SMS.
  • Segment your list: Split your audience into distinct groups so you’re speaking to people according to their needs.
  • Speed up responses: Use templated quick responses to speed up replies to text you receive from customers.
  • Automate flows: Set up automated messages for actions like abandoned carts, order confirmations, and shipping updates.
  • Monitor performance: Use real-time analytics and reporting to track how your SMS campaigns are performing.

Get started with Klaviyo today.

Additional resources