The short answer is no. Many of them get lost at sea due to the cell phone carriers filtering your messages. Here is why and a couple ideas on how to avoid this from happening.
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital communication, the automotive industry faces a unique challenge: maintaining an acceptable opt-out rate in text message marketing. As the CEO of TECOBI and part owner of Carlson Chevrolet, I have a firsthand view of how crucial this metric is.
Currently, carriers expect opt-out rates to be 2% or less. However, they plan to tighten these benchmarks further next year. This is a percentage-based system, meaning the opt-out rate is significantly impacted by the volume of texts sent. For instance, if you send three texts and one person opts out, that’s a staggering 30% opt-out rate which will result in significant carrier filtering.
Many dealerships are noticing that their texts seem to be disappearing at sea. This is due to carriers filtering messages that appear to have high opt-out rates. Often, the initial opt-in message, mandated by most CRM systems, is perceived as spammy, leading to higher opt-out rates, especially when the volume of texting is low.
At Carlson Chevrolet, we’ve navigated these challenges successfully. Last month, we sent 110,000 text messages. With the industry standard allowing for 2,200 opt-outs, our few hundred opt-outs demonstrate exceptional traffic quality.
There’s an art to managing high-volume text message campaigns. Starting the day by engaging hot leads, or your Working Pipeline in TECOBI, generates significant traffic, enabling us to delve into older leads with potentially higher opt-out rates. This strategy not only drives sales but also maintains a healthy opt-out rate.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to integrate ChatGPT in lead re-engagement in December, pushing our opt-out rates even lower. By making follow up messages more contextual, we are going to be able to reduce opt-out rates even more. Our goal at TECOBI is to spearhead Automotive Digital Communication. While others may overlook the complexities of this evolving field, we are proactively understanding and addressing these challenges to continually develop superior solutions and processes.
In summary, mastering text message marketing and CRM text message delivery in the automotive industry is not just about sending messages; it’s about strategic planning, understanding your audience, and leveraging technology to stay ahead of the curve. At TECOBI and Carlson Chevrolet, we’re doing just that – leading the charge in automotive digital communication.
