We want to start texting customers, but which CRM makes this simple?
We run two fitness studios in North Carolina and email is starting to feel like shouting into the void.
We have around 2,600 customers and leads in our database, including a decent number who've opted in to receive texts from us.
I'd like to start using SMS more for things like membership offers, class promotions, bringing old members back and the occasional last-minute opening.
I don’t intend to do anything crazy. Maybe 2–4 campaigns a month.
Where I'm getting stuck is whether I should be looking for a CRM SMS marketing platform that handles everything or keep the CRM and texting separate.
I'd like to segment people before sending anything. Someone who hasn't visited in six months shouldn't get the same message as someone who came in yesterday.
Same with active members, trial members and people who enquired but never joined.
Being able to see replies inside the CRM would be useful too. If someone responds to a promotion asking about membership, I want one of the team to pick up that conversation rather than the reply disappearing into some separate SMS dashboard.
I've looked at email marketing platforms that have added texting, and I've looked at CRMs that offer SMS through integrations. I'm not sure which direction makes more sense once your list starts growing.
What setup are you using?
I'd rather pay for something simple that works than stitch together four different tools just to send a text and know who replied.