Imagine if you will that someone has stolen your identity. How would you like to learn of it?

In the first scenario, your credit card company notices some suspicious behavior with your account and sends you a text asking if you know about the recent charges. The problem is caught early and solved. In the second scenario, you only become aware of the suspicious behavior several days later when you check your balance online. You contact the credit card company and have them cancel your card.

Betting you prefer the first scenario over the second one. That’s because in the first, your credit card acted proactively to solve a problem. In the second, your credit card company’s response was reactive.

This example highlights an important truth about text message marketing: the proactive approach.

Why customers like proactive marketing

Psychologically speaking, everyone has a need to be liked.

The reason most of us would prefer the first scenario above is that the credit card company made us feel valued and important. When a credit card company, or any other business for that matter, handles a situation proactively instead of reactively, it makes our lives easier.

Rather than waiting for us to contact them when there’s a problem, they reach out and fix our problem sometimes before we realize there is one. It’s much easier to trust a business when they take the proactive approach.

Why businesses like proactive marketing

Customers aren’t the only ones who appreciate proactive marketing strategies. Companies like them too. For one, they reap the benefits of having satisfied customers as a result of their proactive approach.

But even more importantly, a proactive approach gives a business the ability to take charge of a situation. When a problem arises, a proactive approach involves taking charge and fixing it. A reactive approach involves waiting around for the problem to go away or for someone else to solve it. A proactive approach gives a business control over their situation, a reactive approach does the opposite.

The key to proactive SMS marketing

When it comes to SMS marketing, there are a number of ways to be proactive. It’s not a strategy limited to credit card companies and banks. The goal is to use text messages to handle problems and make customers’ lives easier.

To maximize the effectiveness of SMS marketing, businesses need to think about how texting can be used to benefit customers. Don’t make it all about advertising and making profit. Make it about satisfying customers and the success will come.