In-app patient communication is part of the Engagement Module. If you're interested in learning more, CLICK HERE to request a demo!
In today's digital age, sending text messages (also known as direct or SMS messages) has become a go-to method for businesses to connect with their customers. But have you ever stopped to think about how many texts you're sending and why? Let's dive into it!
Mastering Text Messages: Finding the Right Balance
At Dental Intelligence, we've noticed that some of our users are sending a ton of SMS messages –– more than what's typical. We get it, SMS is super handy for things like appointment reminders and payments. But sending too many texts can actually end up costing you more money! We're here to help.
Let's take a closer look at how you're using text messaging and figure out where all those messages are coming from and find ways to cut back without sacrificing communication with your patients. Maybe it's tweaking the wording of your messages or being a bit more selective with who gets them.
Delivery Channel Best Practices
Knowing when to use email versus text messaging can significantly impact the effectiveness of your communication strategy. Here's a breakdown of situations where each channel shines:
Text Messaging
Timely Reminders: For time-sensitive reminders like appointment confirmations or upcoming appointments, text messaging is highly effective due to its immediacy and likelihood of being read promptly.
Short and Concise Updates: When communicating brief, essential information such as appointment reminders, changes in office hours, or urgent day-of updates, text messaging's brevity ensures that the message is delivered and understood quickly.
Personalized Outreach: Text messaging fosters a more intimate connection with recipients, making it ideal for personalized outreach efforts such as birthday wishes, follow-up messages after appointments, or patient review requests.
Detailed Information: When you need to convey extensive or complex information such as appointment details, treatment plans, or comprehensive updates, email provides ample space for detailed explanations.
Formal Communication: For official announcements, policy changes, or professional correspondence, email maintains a formal tone and is often the preferred method of communication in business settings.
Non-urgent Matters: Email is suitable for non-urgent matters that don't require an immediate response. It allows recipients to review and respond at their convenience, making it ideal for less time-sensitive communications.
Patient Messaging Limits
To protect your ability to reach patients, Dental Intelligence limits how many messages can be sent in bulk:
Direct Messages (text and email): 500 per hour, up to 5,000 recipients per DM campaign
Email Campaigns: 15,000 recipients per email campaign
Why are direct messages limited to 500 messages per hour? Bulk Direct Messages are meant for important office updates to affected patients, not promotions. Sending large volumes of text messages can cause carriers to flag your number as marketing or spam, which could block you from texting patients altogether.
What happens if my list is larger than 500? Any patients beyond the first 500 are sent automatically in batches of 500 every hour until the list is complete. Each DM campaign is capped at 5,000 recipients, so a full-size campaign is sent in 10 batches over approximately 10 hours (5,000 ÷ 500 = 10). Queued batches will not send during your default quiet hours, which can extend this timeline.
Each channel has its strengths:
Email is best for detailed or formal information and non-urgent matters.
Text is best for timely reminders, concise updates, and personal communication.
As a best practice, send marketing by email. Learn how to create an Email Campaign.