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Start each day in Captivated

Make logging into Captivated part of your daily routine, just like checking your email.

• Bookmark app.captivated.works for quick access.
• For security, you’ll be automatically signed out every 12 hours.
• Keep a browser tab open throughout the day so you can receive real-time notifications when customers text your business.

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Stay connected with the mobile app

Not always at a desk? No problem. Download the Captivated mobile app to send and receive business text messages from anywhere. The mobile app provides push notifications:

• Immediately when you’re not logged into the web app.
• After approximately two minutes if you’re logged into the browser but haven’t responded to a new conversation.

This helps ensure you never miss an important customer message.

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Let customers know they can text your business

Customers won’t text your business if they don’t know it’s an option. Once you’ve launched Captivated, make it easy for customers to discover that they can call or text your business. Promoting your texting capabilities across your website, marketing materials, email signatures, and customer interactions helps increase adoption and encourages customers to use text as a convenient way to communicate.

Learn more: See Promoting Your Texting Channel for ideas and best practices.

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Build trust—not spam

Captivated is designed for customer communication, not mass marketing. To create a great customer experience:

• Send messages customers expect to receive.
• Only send promotional messages to customers who have explicitly opted in.
• Avoid sending repeated follow-up messages if someone hasn’t responded.
• Make every text valuable and relevant.

Customers are far more likely to engage when they know your messages are helpful—not intrusive.

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Keep messages short and conversational

Texting should feel natural.

• Write like you’re having a conversation—not composing an email.
• Keep messages concise and easy to read.
• One SMS segment contains 160 characters (including spaces).
• Emojis and special characters may reduce the number of characters available in a single message, increasing the number of message segments.
  Use our segment calculator to verify the character/segment count

Short, conversational messages are easier to read and are less likely to trigger carrier spam filtering.

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Respond promptly

Customers choose text messaging because they expect faster communication than email. Whenever possible:

• Respond within one business hour.
• If you can’t fully answer right away, acknowledge the message and let the customer know when you’ll follow up.

Even a quick response lets customers know they’ve been heard.

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Introduce yourself

When beginning a conversation, let customers know who they’re talking to and include your contact card so the customer can easily save your business number to their device. For example:

Hi Sarah! This is Amanda with ABC Landscaping. Attached is my contact card. Please save to your device.

A friendly introduction builds trust and provides context, especially if multiple team members respond to customers.

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Set clear expectations

Whenever appropriate, let customers know what to expect. For example:

• When you’ll respond
• When a technician is on the way
• If additional information is needed
• When the next update will be sent

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Update your marketing materials

Make it easy for customers to know texting is available. Update places like:

• Website
• Email signatures
• Business cards
• Social media profiles
• Vehicle wraps
• Print advertisements
• Digital marketing materials

Whenever possible, replace “Call Us” with “Call or Text Us.”

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Respect your customers’ time

Unless it’s urgent or expected, avoid sending messages outside normal business hours. If a message can wait until the next business day, consider scheduling it to send during regular hours.

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End with a question

The best conversations continue naturally. Instead of:

Thanks.

Try:

Does that time work for you?

or

Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Ending with a question encourages engagement and makes it easier for customers to reply.

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Make texting part of your customer experience

The goal isn’t simply to send texts—it’s to make texting the easiest way for customers to communicate with your business. After a phone call, consider sending a simple follow-up like:

Thanks for speaking with us today! Did we answer all of your questions?

or

We appreciate your business. Is there anything else we can help you with today?

These small follow-ups help customers become comfortable texting your business in the future.

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Use images to enhance conversations

Photos are one of the most effective ways to communicate with customers. A single image can often replace several long text messages while making your communication more engaging and easier to understand. Some great ways to use images include:

• Before-and-after photos of completed work
• Lawn care instructions or service expectations
• Technician photos so customers know who to expect
• Service recommendations or upsell opportunities
• Seasonal promotions and special offers
• Product information or care instructions

For the best delivery experience:

• Use clear, high-quality images that add value to the conversation.
• Keep image file sizes to approximately 500 KB or less whenever possible.

Using well-sized images helps improve delivery rates, keeps customers engaged, and can often communicate more effectively than several long text messages.

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The Golden Rules of Business Texting

Keep these principles in mind every time you send a message:

• Only text customers who expect to hear from you.
• Always obtain the appropriate consent before sending promotional messages.
• Be helpful—not promotional.
• Keep messages short, friendly, and conversational.
• Respond promptly.
• Respect your customers’ time and business hours.
• Make it easy for customers to opt out when required.
• Treat every text like a conversation—not a marketing campaign.

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Your goal

Your business should earn a place in your customers’ contacts alongside their friends, family, and favorite businesses. When customers trust that your messages are timely, helpful, and relevant, they’ll naturally choose to text your business first.