“I didn’t get that email”, says nearly every parent at your youth activity center.
Maybe not literally every parent but you probably hear that more often than not. While email communication definitely has a time and place in your strategy to engage families at your youth activity center, there are other communication channels you could and should be using as well.
People are busy and the most successful way to communicate with them is something they can easily receive while they are on the go. Whether it’s an informative 1-way message or a collaborative conversation, you get the best results when you meet people where they are – their phones.
Making texts (also referred to as SMS) and push notifications a part of your communication strategy is the key. The cost is minimal, but the reward is priceless, especially when you can use these communication tools straight from your class management software.
The Benefits of Texting Your Customers
While not everyone is a fan of SMS marketing, we appreciate those appointment reminders and quick options to confirm an upcoming meeting that we may or may not remember. Using text messages to communicate with your customers results in:
- better open rates,
- higher engagement,
- increased satisfaction,
- improved customer service,
- and more automation opportunities.
Texting as a way to communicate with customers is quick for you as the message creator and convenient for the person receiving the information.
Did you know?
- Email open rates average at 20% while SMS open rates average at 98%.
- The average time to open an email is about 90 minutes whereas the average time to open a text is within 90 seconds.
Texting with Jackrabbit Class
If you’ve implemented texting as a form of communication at your gym, swim school, or dance studio, you might already be familiar with how challenging this channel can be – using certain words can lead to messages not being delivered and mobile carriers have strengthened their rules around how texting should be used by businesses.
To make the experience smooth for our users, we rearchitected our direct integration with Twilio so setup is easy and painless. In addition, our clients are sub-accounts of Jackrabbit, making us the perfect advocate if Twilio’s support is needed. We’ll even pass on your texting costs from your Twilio account so you can pay one bill to Jackrabbit and cover your software and texting expenses all at once!
>>Check out the help documentation to get started with Jackrabbit and Twilio
Here at Jackrabbit, we don’t believe in texting minimums – send individual texts, group texts, or mass texts. Either way, you only pay for texts sent!
Ready to make texting and Jackrabbit Class a part of your communication strategy? Start your free account today!
The Benefits of Sending Push Notifications to Your Customers
Now, there are some similar benefits when it comes to sending texts or push notifications to communicate with your customers, such as better open rates and increased satisfaction but there are times when sending push notifications is a better choice.
Benefits specific to push notifications include:
- more visually appealing messages with images and videos,
- higher conversion rates with clear calls-to-action,
- better tracking and data insights,
- and overall increased engagement with your brand.
With there being an app for most businesses that consumers engage with, push notifications are something your customers are already accustomed to.
Push notifications with Jackrabbit Class
Jackrabbit offers a bundled subscription option, Jackrabbit Plus, that includes both the class management software and your very own custom-branded mobile app for parents. As an extension of your brand, the mobile app gives you an additional platform to connect with your customers quickly.
>>Learn more about the features of the mobile app with Jackrabbit Plus
Whether you want to start your Jackrabbit journey with the mobile app immediately or you want to upgrade at a later time, our team is ready to help you get started!
When it comes to building out your communication strategy, no one knows your clients better than you. Depending on the type of message you need to send or the goal of your communication, you might find that a combination of email, text, and push notifications is the best approach.
Either way, knowing you have a class management software that is equipped to help you communicate through any channel you need is going to save you time, money, and sanity in the end. Partner with Jackrabbit Class and have your choice of communication tools at your fingertips!
