Keyword Texting Turns One-Word Customer Texts into Payments, Paperless Billing Opt-ins and More
While keyword texting has been more frequently used in marketing, it’s become a powerful technique for billers and collectors to prompt customers to take a desired action; such as making a payment or triggering digital responses initiated via calls-to-action keywords on paper statements. Keyword texting is simple, quick, and effective, which leads to better customer experience and business results.
How keyword texting builds your subscriber base
Keyword texting unlocks an additional digital communication channel for billers who may not have obtained consent to text previously. They can include keyword messaging on statements, emails, social media posts, and other communication channels and the consumer’s keyword acts as an opt-in to text messaging.
For example, including a message on a statement like “Text JOIN to 43456 to receive account alerts and messages by text.” provides the consumer with an easy way to opt-in to receive account alerts in messages in a timely manner. The opt-in notification is sent from Nordis to the biller for the biller to update their consent records and begin sending messages to that consumer via that communication channel.
What are key operational benefits of keyword texting?
It drives revenue and reduces business costs, with benefits including?
- Faster payments – Accelerate cash flow and improve revenues.
- Always compliant – Built-in TCPA, FDCPA, and Regulation F protections.
- Lower call volume – Deflect routine inquiries to automated responses.
- Higher engagement – 98% open rate vs. 20% for email.
- Increased digital conversion – “Start” or “JOIN” opt-ins for texting alerts, e-statements and more.
Keywords allow companies to manage billing channel preferences without employee intervention. When customers text keywords such as “YES” or “STOP,” the automated workflow updates the preferences in the CRM to ensure compliance with TCPA regulations. Some companies allow customers to text “PAYPLAN” to activate a monthly automated payment schedule, rather than calling to set it up.
In addition, keywords can strengthen customer engagement and personalization. Keyword campaigns enable organizations to segment their customers based on their specific behavior or preferences. For example, a customer who texts “FINANCE” can be segmented into a different payment reminder flow than one who texts “PAY” upon receiving the bill.
Nordis’ texting partner, Solutions by Text (SBT), provides keyword texting options. One SBT client, a firm that specializes in collecting past-due court fines, fees, and tickets on behalf of government clients, has seen strong gains from using keyword texting to secure payments including:
- Reduced broken payment plans by 20%.
- Increased payment volumes with single sign-on SmartURLs.
Why do consumers like keyword texting?
Consumers increasingly want two-way business interactions through texting. However, this option is currently unavailable to many, creating significant opportunities for early biller adopters to foster engagement and establish lasting relationships.
Take the example of bill pay by text – texting back PAY or a similar keyword: 57% of consumers want that capability but just 9% of them have it, according to 2024 research by Datos Insights.
Keyword texting gives customers control, ease of use and real-time customer service and resolution, from signing up for payment alerts to paying a bill. It is:
- Fast – Immediate responses, no waiting on hold
- Secure – Verified sender and PCI-compliant, eliminating the risks associated with taking credit card numbers over the phone
- Convenient – Reply from anywhere, anytime
- Self-service – Customers resolve issues without calling
Exponential impact with omnichannel outreach
Companies can make the most of keyword texting by incorporating it into all forms of customer communications and interactions. Add them to:
- Statements and letters – Include opt-in instructions
- Website – Add call-to-action buttons
- Email signature – “Text JOIN to 12345 for account alerts”
- In-store signage – Display at checkout or service counters
- Social media – Post and pin opt-in instructions
- IVR/phone menu – Announce during hold times
How keyword texting fits in your omnichannel strategy
A single omnichannel customer communications management platform for email, text messaging and print and mail communications enables seamless integration, orchestration and consistency throughout the customer journey and across channels. It automates sequenced outreach, such as emailing a statement, followed by a text reminder when the bill is due in 48 hours, with a keyword or link to enable one-click payment. What’s more, the backend system records the text payment and immediately updates the balance across all channels, preventing the customer from receiving a redundant “past due” email or letter.
Keyword texting offers companies a critical method for further capitalizing on text messaging, which has quickly become the top business communications channel for the vast majority of U.S. consumers. It delivers clear value to both consumers and businesses. With its high engagement and self-service automation, keyword texting is a critical asset and tool for any omnichannel billing, customer communications and payments program.
Contact your client experience manager to learn how to add keyword texting or texting to your billing and customer communications programs. Not a customer? Contact us to find out more.
Key Takeaways:
- Keyword texting is a powerful technique for billers and collectors to collect consent to text from consumers and prompt them to take a desired action, including making a payment.
- Keywords enable consumers to respond to simple, frictionless calls-to-action using text messaging, which has become the most popular business communication channel for consumers.
- Keyword texting delivers high engagement, self-service and immediate responses, improving customer experience and business results.
