How to Enable SMS Alerts for WordPress Membership Expirations

How do you remind your users of their membership expiration? Using SMS for membership renewals is the most effective method compared with other channels like emails and social media.

In this blog post, we’ll explain how you can use WP SMS to send automated and personalized membership expiration SMS alerts for your WordPress website.

The Benefits of Using SMS for Membership Renewals

First, let’s see why SMS is a better choice for sending membership site renewal reminders. Take a look at the following benefits of SMS over other channels like email:

1. Higher Open Rates: People read almost 98% of their messages, which is way higher than that of emails. So you can be sure that your members read your membership alerts via SMS.

2. Instant Delivery: Text messages reach members immediately and many of them open the SMS within minutes. So you can expect quicker action when you send membership renewal alerts using SMS.

3. More Personal: SMS is the most personal communication method and many people will engage with it. Also, SMS tools allow you to easily personalize your messages at a bulk scale.

4. Easy Automation: Using the right WordPress SMS plugin, you can easily schedule and automate SMS alerts to reduce manual workload.

Automating Membership Renewal SMS: An Ultimate Guide

Now, let’s see how you can send SMS alerts for subscription expiry directly from your WordPress website’s dashboard.

First, you need to choose an SMS plugin with the ability to automate SMS messages from your dashboard.

WP SMS is one of the best SMS plugins for WordPress that allows you to send transactional and promotional messages.

It supports more than 300 SMS gateway providers and APIs and integrates well with many tools and add-ons.

WP SMS offers basic features via a free plan and some more advanced features through affordable pricing packages.

Using these integrations, you can easily send various types of membership SMS notifications like:

1. User Registered: You can welcome new members with an automated personalized SMS.
2. Membership Level Updated: It allows you to notify your website members of any changes to their membership level.
3. Membership Expired: You can send reminders to members when their membership has expired.
4. Membership Cancelled: Let your members know about membership cancellations and offer assistance if needed
5. Payment Received: Sending instant confirmation SMS after successful payments.

Here is a step-by-step guide to using WP SMS for membership renewal SMS:

Step 1: Install and Activate the WP SMS Plugin

WP SMS offers a simple installation process. You just need to go to your WordPress dashboard and find the Plugins option in the left menu.

Please add the screen capture for this step.

Then, choose “Add New” and on the new page, search for WP SMS. After that, click “Install Now.” Finally, you just need to tap Activate to complete the process.

Step 2: Configure WP SMS Settings

Once the WP SMS plugin is activated, you need to choose the SMS gateway and perform some other configurations. Follow the steps below:

• Go to the SMS menu and choose Settings
• Under General, fill the form with your phone number and other required details
• Go to the SMS Gateway, and after choosing the SMS gateway, enter API details
• Choose your sender ID (some providers require verification)
• Make sure about the connection by sending a test SMS

Step 3: Use WP SMS Membership Integration

Now, it’s time to choose your membership integration. Here is how:

• Under Settings, Choose Integrations
• On the new page, go to ADD-ONS. Here you see two options: Paid Memberships Pro and Simple Membership
• Choose one of the two options to start your membership notifications

Step 4: Set Up SMS Alerts for Membership Expirations

WP SMS has a great dynamic content feature that allows you to create SMS templates with placeholders.

This means you can define variables to customize your membership expiration notification according to the user’s details. For example, you can define useful items like:

• %user_id%: The ID your user uses on your membership WordPress website.
• %user_login%: The username your member uses to log in.
• %user_email%: The email address your member has used to create the account.
• %display_name%: The profile name of the user.
• %first_name%: The user’s first name.
• %last_name%: The user’s last name.
• %initial_membership_level%: The level of your user’s membership.

This is a great opportunity to automate personalized messaging on your WordPress website without having to write any code.

So try to create suitable SMS templates for your membership renewal alerts.

Step 5: Test and Optimize SMS Notifications

Before sending your SMS alerts to your members, you need to test them to ensure proper functionality.

Try to manually trigger an expiration alert for a test account. Then, verify SMS delivery to the correct phone number.

It’s good to check all the items like formatting, message clarity, and the link.

Step 6: Monitor and Improve SMS Performance

Now, you can run your transactional SMS campaign and monitor the results to see the effectiveness of your strategy.

Try to consider key metrics like conversion rates and the membership renewal rate. If you’re not satisfied with the results, you need to refine your messages in terms of content, length, offer, CTA, and timing.

It’s good to know that individual membership organizations have an average renewal rate of around 75%. So if you can’t reach a figure close to this, you need to optimize your SMS strategy.

WordPress Membership Renewal SMS Templates

Now, you’ve learned how to send automated SMS for membership renewals. However, this is not just about configuring the tool. You need to pay special attention to the content of your messages.

It’s also recommended that well-written SMS templates for membership expiration alerts be prepared to save time.

Here is a typical SMS structure for your WordPress website membership renewal:

• Greeting: Try to address the user by the first name to make a sense of friendliness.
• Expiration Alert: Mention the membership level and expiration date.
• Urgency: Let the user know the importance of renewing their membership.
• Incentive: Offer a discount or bonus for renewal to encourage the member to continue working with you.
• Call to Action: Provide a direct link to renew the membership or upgrade the level.

Here are a few SMS examples you can use for your business according to your requirements:

1. Friendly Reminder (7 Days Before Expiry)

Your first reminder can be sent a week before the expiration date. Use a friendly tone and offer a perk if they renew their membership in advance. Look at the following SMS sample to see how to do that:

2. Urgent Reminder (1 Day Before Expiry)

Your next message can be a follow-up on your first SMS with a bit of a sense of urgency. Try to tell them that their service will be disrupted to encourage them to take action immediately. The following SMS sample shows how it works:

3. Final Notice (On Expiry Date)

You can also send a notification when your user’s subscription expires. You can entice them to renew their service or even level up their membership. Here is a good SMS example:

4. Exclusive Discount for Renewal

Sometimes, you might have to offer something valuable like a discount to motivate users to constitute their memberships. You can use these offers to make your loyal customers feel VIP. Look at the sample below to know how to do that:

5. Re-Engagement SMS 

Last but not least, you need to have a plan for members who have left your community for a while. You can offer something special to encourage them to reconsider membership. Here is a good SMS example:

Best Practices for Membership Renewal SMS Alerts

We mentioned two pillars of membership renewal strategy using SMS: a great tool and a creative SMS template.

However, these are not enough. To reach success, you need to build a stronger strategy that fits your brand identity and encourages your members to continue working with you.

Here are some tips for maximizing the effectiveness of your SMS alerts:

• Keep Messages Short and Clear: Focus only on a single goal and keep your message concise and clear. 

• Showcase the Benefits: Let members know why they need to renew their subscription.

• Offer Renewal Incentives: Offer limited-time discounts or exclusive perks to create a sense of urgency and entice users to take immediate action.

• Send the SMS Alert at the Best Time: If you send the message early in the morning or late at night, you might face unsubscription instead of renewal. So try to find the best time to send your message and get the maximum engagement rate.

• Test Your Messages: Run A/B tests to find the best version by trying different message formats, timing, and wording to determine what works best.

• Integrate with Loyalty Programs: Try to offer rewards through loyalty points to loyal users to let them know they’re important to your brand.

• Ensure Compliance with Regulations: Comply with local SMS marketing rules and include an opt-out option in every message.

Conclusion

Using SMS for membership renewals is a smart strategy to make sure your members know their subscription status. 

If you send a friendly SMS alert and remind the user of the benefits of your website’s membership, the chance of renewals will significantly increase. 

You just need an effective WordPress SMS tool, a strong SMS strategy, and a bit of creativity to write compelling SMS alerts. 

WP SMS is here to help you send automated SMS alerts for WordPress membership expirations. So why wait? Get started right now!

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