My car is in the shop, and the mechanic sent me a text message, rather than call or email, to let me know it was ready to be picked up.
In that context, text messaging works great. I certainly don’t want a call. I never want a call. And even an email lacks some of the immediacy of a quick response. The text message is the perfect means of communication for this sort of thing.
And yet it feels so inappropriate in other settings. I sure as hell don’t want a text message from some tech company trying to sell me on something. And I suspect most people don’t, as SMS just doesn’t seem as ubiquitous in B2B interactions.
Maybe this is an obvious observation, but it’s a worthwhile reminder that context matters in the medium you choose to communicate. Just as SMS isn’t always the right tool for the job, the same can be said of email, advertising, and anything else.
Beyond pure engagement metrics to guide your strategy here, I often return to good old fashioned empathy. If I were in my customer’s shoes, would I love or hate this?