Improving SMS interaction using Salesforce Mobile Connect and Data Extensions

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March 25, 2025

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In Today’s Digital World, connect with customer through multiple channels is important for businesses aiming to improve engagement and drive growth. Salesforce Marketing Cloud services, including Mobile Connect offer an important platform for managing SMS marketing Campaigns, allowing businesses to reach their customers directly on their Mobile. In this blog, we will explore how to optimize SMS engagement feature of marketing cloud by landing and practicing SMS responses stored in Data Extensions within Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

Introduction to Mobile Connect

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Mobile Connect is an essential tool for businesses looking to integrate SMS marketing into their overall strategy. With Mobile Connect we can send personalized text messages, manage subscriptions, and also automate responses, providing a direct line of communication with customers. SMS marketing is particularly effective due to its high open rates and immediacy, making it a valuable channel for time-sensitive promotions and updates.

Setting Up Mobile Connect

To get started with Mobile Connect, you need to:

1. Enable Mobile Connect: Make sure that Mobile Connect is activated in your Salesforce Marketing Cloud account.
2. Configure Short Codes and Keywords: You have to Set up short and long codes and keywords that customers can send via text to subscribe or interact with your campaign.
3. Create SMS Campaigns: Create your SMS messages, making them short and focused on actions.

Fetching SMS Responses

Getting SMS replies is an important part of SMS marketing, helping businesses learn customer preferences and connect with them better. To capture responses

1. Define Keywords: Create keywords that customers can use to engage with your campaign. For example, they can text “HELP” to receive assistance or “STOP” to unsubscribe.
2. Automate Replies: Set up automatic responses for different keywords to give fast replies to customers.
3. Store Responses of Customer: Use Data Extensions to store incoming SMS responses from customer for further analysis and action.

Storing SMS Responses in Data Extensions

Data Extensions in Salesforce Marketing Cloud are tables that store data related to your customer marketing activities. To store SMS responses, -You:

1. Create a Data Extension: Create a new Data Extension with fields such as Message Text, Lead ID, Mobile Number, and Time Stamp (Create Fields according to your requirement).
2. Map Fields: Make sure the fields in the Data Extension align with the data captured from SMS Data View.
3. Automate Data Capture: Use tools like Automation Studio to automatically populate the Data in Data Extension with incoming SMS responses Using SQL and Data View of SMS.

Utilizing SMS Response Data

Once we have fetched and stored customer responses in a Data Extension, the next step is to utilize this data efficiently:

1. Analyze Responses: Analyze the data of Data Extension to understand customer Preferences and actions. Find trends and patterns that can guide future campaigns.
2. Personalize Follow-ups: Use the response of customer to create follow-up messages. For example, send a thank-you message to those who signed up or a re-engagement message to those who unsubscribed.
3. Automate Actions: Automate tasks based on replies, like updating contact preferences in your CRM or sending follow-up emails.

Case Study:

Connecting with Home Buyers Through SMS Campaigns

In a recent project for a client in the home buying sector, we effectively used Mobile Connect to improve their customer engagement. our client wanted to store user replies based on their service messages, using a rating system from 1 to 5. Here’s how we did it:

1.  Campaign Setup: We launched an SMS campaign with the keyword “RATING” to gather customer feedback on our service.
2. Response Capture: When customers replied to this keyword, their responses were automatically saved in a Data Extension. We set up fields in the Data Extension to hold the message text, lead ID, mobile number, and inbound information.
3. Data Management: Using SQL queries, we frequently updated the Data Extension to make sure it accurately showed customer interactions. Here’s an image of our Data Extension.

4. Personalized Follow-ups: Based on the replies, we sent customized follow-up messages to further connect with customers. For example, if a customer provided a rating for their experience with our service, we sent them a thank-you message and asked for any additional feedback.

Best Practices

To make your SMS campaigns more effective, keep these best practices in mind.

• Keep Messages Simple and Short: SMS messages should be Simple and Short so customer can easily understand the message and give response accordingly to the point.
• Ensure Compliance: Follow regulations, including getting clear permission from recipients.
• Monitor Performance: Consistently check and evaluate campaign results to make decisions based on data.

Conclusion

Using Salesforce Marketing Cloud Mobile Connect and Data Extensions can greatly improve your SMS marketing efforts. By receiving and managing SMS replies, you can gain valuable insights, strengthen customer relationships, and boost engagement. Take advantage of SMS marketing to connect with your audience in a meaningful and impactful way.