Since friends’ texts are private, why shouldn’t SMS marketing be as well?

Using a combination of generative AI and machine learning on first-party data, Attentive, an AI marketing and messaging platform, unveiled tools on Tuesday that let marketers tailor SMS messages.

Additionally, Attentive has a solution in place for building email campaigns that use AI to offer product recommendations based on client data and personalize subject lines. It adopts a methodology identical to that of SMS.

The goal is to build tailored interactions that replicate the in-store experience across all channels.

In a physical business, a salesperson can inquire about the customer’s reason for visiting and whether they require any assistance. According to Amit Jhawar, CEO of Attentive, “there’s no equivalent of that online.”

SMS can meet that purpose since it’s a real-time communication channel.

Over the previous six to eight months, more than 100 brands—including Reebok, Brooks Brothers, Forever 21, and Hot Topic—participated in closed beta tests of Attentive’s AI-powered SMS offerings. According to Attentive, brands in the beta witnessed an average increase in sales of 115%, purchases of 117%, and clicks of 120%.

Text-based AI from Attentive

Similar to email, Attentive places a pixel on a company’s website to collect visitor data. According to Jhawar, the foundation of the business’s AI models is browsing behavior combined with purchase data.

In order to obtain consumer insights, Attentive integrates this data into models of propensity, affinity, and intent. For example, Attentive can tell if a customer is only perusing or is considering a purchase, as well as their preferences (such as size, color, or style) and whether or not they had a good experience with a previous transaction.

A popular email marketing strategy that Attentive is introducing to SMS is the ability for advertisers to customise messages for those who have opted in to receive SMS messages using a generative AI function within the platform. Jhawar refused to reveal which precise major language models the goods are based on.

By examining information on a brand’s website and all previous texts Attentive has delivered on the business’s behalf, Attentive can train its generative AI tools on the voice and tone of a brand.

Advertisers can also choose the tone, such as conveying urgency or scarcity or promoting interaction, and customize their preferred style, including the amount of emojis and capitalization requirements.

Hot Topic, a client of Attentive, is one instance. Instead than just mailing a “We saved your cart for you” message to someone who didn’t complete a purchase, Hot Topic uses playful language that fits its brand. For a plush toy, the message might say, “Don’t let this cozy companion slip away. ACT FAST, save it from loneliness.”

Additionally, attentive allows for interactivity in promotional messages. For example, Hot Topic can text customers to promote a dress that might soon go out of stock. The system may automatically react with a link to view comparable items in the customer’s size if the recipient clicks on the link and discovers that their size isn’t available.

Don’t message too often, along with some other helpful tips

However, there are various peculiarities related to each channel for SMS marketing.

Mobile carriers charge for each SMS message sent, unlike email, which is billed according to the size of the list.

That’s “a hard lesson a lot of brands learn early,” Jhawar said. “If you over-message people who are not interested in your product, you can burn a lot of money quickly.”

Sending too many messages can also backfire because spam is detested by recipients, both of text and email.

According to Jhawar, Attentive provides two-tap opt-in technology to make it simple for users to join up while yet abiding by stringent SMS opt-in guidelines.

However, companies should exercise caution when it comes to how frequently they send SMS messages to their clients. As a general guideline, avoid sending them more than once a day or, heaven forbid, once an hour.

“There’s a certain number of messages people are willing to accept,” Jhawar said. Three to five messages a week is typically the sweet spot to keep people up to date about brand happenings. “If you go much more over that,” he said, “you’re gonna start to see people opt out or unsubscribe from your messages.”

According to Jhawar, the category determines the appropriate communication frequency.

Consider fast fashion, where items are introduced and quickly sold out. “People want a message every couple of days if you’re dropping new sneakers,” Jhawar stated. “They wish not to be left out.” “They don’t want to miss out.” But for a considered purchase like a mattress, the right frequency might be more like once every few months.

But in every case, companies should want to be beneficial rather than intrusive. According to Jhawar, they should also tailor their words to the recipient rather than doing the text message equivalent of spraying and praying.

According to Jhawar, a client may come to the conclusion that “It’s obvious that I don’t matter to you and you don’t know who I am” if a brand recommends tan enhancers or another irrelevant product to someone who, for example, requires a specific sunscreen or lotion.