Effective Messaging

Last updated: February 7, 2025

Overview

Effective messaging in Sendblue is about making texts feel personal, human, and engaging. The goal is to create conversations that feel natural, not automated, which leads to higher response rates and better overall customer interactions. Follow these best practices to ensure your messages feel authentic and avoid common mistakes that can hurt engagement.

Best Practices for Effective Messaging

1. Keep Messages Short and Conversational

Why? People often treat Sendblue texting like traditional SMS, adding as much information as possible into a single message. However, Sendblue is designed to mimic real, personal texting. Long, dense messages make texts feel automated and overwhelming.

Best Practice: Keep messages under 80 characters whenever possible. Use short, natural sentences that feel like they came from a real person. Imagine you are texting this lead personally, what would you send?

Example:

  • ✅ "Hey {lead name}, this is {your name}. Quick question—are you still interested in [service]?"

  • ❌ "Hello {lead name}, I am reaching out to provide information regarding your inquiry about [service]. Here is everything you need to know... [long paragraph]."

2. Avoid Messages That Sound Automated

Why? If a text feels templated or robotic, recipients will ignore it. People respond best to texts that sound like it came from a real person. Do you respond to automated texts?

Best Practice: Read your message out loud before sending. If it sounds like a system-generated message, reword it to sound like a normal conversation that feel organic and human.

Example:

  • ✅ "Hey {lead name}, saw you checked out our services. Any questions?"

  • ❌ "This is an automated message. Please respond for more details."

3. Start Conversations with Low-Friction Questions

Why? The goal of a message isn’t to provide all the details upfront, it’s to start a conversation. A simple, easy-to-answer question increases engagement. Lower the friction in the beginning of the conversation and build up the higher friction questions after building rapport.

Best Practice: Ask something that encourages a quick response.

Example:

  • ✅ How long have you been in [industry]?

    • Is this {lead name}?

  • ❌ "Our service offers XYZ features, and here’s everything you need to know..."

4. Don’t Overload Messages with Information

  • Why? If you were texting a lead from your personal cell, would you send a 5-line text with perfect formatting? Probably not. Long texts feel unnatural and are harder to read.

  • Best Practice: Break up longer messages into separate texts.

  • Pro Tip: Match your grammar to your target audience and your brand. Some audiences prefer

  • Example:

    • ✅ "Hey {lead name}, quick question for you. Still looking for [service]?"

      • (Wait for response, then send more details if needed.)

    • ❌ "Hey {lead name}, I wanted to reach out because I noticed you were interested in [service]. Here’s a full breakdown of how it works..."

5. Match the Customer’s Energy & Style

  • Why? Different audiences have different communication styles. Your messaging should reflect your brand voice and match your target demographic’s expectations.

  • Best Practice: Stay consistent with your tone and language across all messages.

  • Example:

    • ✅ If your brand is casual, use friendly, relaxed language.

    • ❌ Switching from casual to overly formal messages mid-conversation.

6. Don’t Send Links Before a Response

  • Why? Sending links before a lead replies signals to Apple and carriers that the message might be spam. This increases the risk of being flagged or blocked.

  • Best Practice: Engage in conversation first before introducing links.

  • Example:

    • ✅ "Hey {lead name}, quick question—are you still interested in [service]?"

    • ❌ "Hey {lead name}, check this out! [link]"

7. Split Long Texts Into Separate Messages

  • Why? People naturally text in shorter bursts, not long paragraphs. Mimicking this texting style makes your messages feel more personal.

  • Best Practice: Break messages into separate texts.

  • Example:

    • ✅ "Hey, just wanted to check in. Have any questions?" (sent as two separate messages)

    • ❌ "Hey, just wanted to check in and see if you had any questions about our service. Let me know!" (sent as one long block of text)

8. Avoid Robotic Appointment Reminders

  • Why? A sudden shift from conversational texting to stiff, automated reminders is a red flag that it’s an automation.

  • Best Practice: Phrase appointment reminders in a conversational way.

  • Example:

    • ✅ "Hey {lead name}, still good for 3 PM tomorrow? Let me know if you need to reschedule."

    • ❌ "Reminder: Your appointment is confirmed for 3 PM tomorrow. Reply to reschedule."

Final Thoughts

By following these best practices, you can increase response rates, build trust, and create messaging that feels natural and engaging. Keep your texts short, personal, and authentic—just like you would if you were texting from your personal phone.