Abandoned carts are some of the scariest things lurking in your business — like ghostly reminders of almost-sales that haunt your bottom line.
Far too often, abandoned carts are ignored, and business owners move on to the next lead. But pretending like they don’t exist is a missed opportunity.
These carts represent people who were ready to buy — they just need a gentle nudge. In this post, we’ll show you how to do that with your marketing automation software using one of the most effective strategies around: Behavior-based texts.
But First: The Real Reason Carts Get Abandoned
Behind every abandoned cart is a story, and most fall into a few common scenarios:
- They got distracted and genuinely forgot to complete their purchase
- They have questions or reservations that need answering before they buy
- They’re comparing options or looking for reassurance before committing
- Unexpected issues like shipping costs or checkout friction caused hesitation
You may never know the exact reason for each abandoned cart, but the root cause is rarely a lack of interest — it’s missing information or lack of reassurance. The fix? Timely follow-up.
Timely follow-up delivers the right information at the right moment, giving leads the nudge they need to finalize their purchase. But doing this manually is too slow and error-prone — you’d have to track down each abandoned cart, review their activity history, and craft a personalized message for every lead.
This is where marketing automation software shines. Paired with your CRM system, it lets you automatically send behavior-based texts that respond to each lead’s actions, addressing their concerns and guiding them smoothly to checkout.
Benefits of Behavior Based Texts
First and foremost, sending a text to leads is far more efficient at grabbing attention than relying on email alone.
In fact, SMS messages have an open rate of 98% (Sender) — nearly five times that of email — and 90% are opened within just three minutes (Validity).
But attention alone isn’t enough. Behavior-based texts take it a step further by adding the personalization that actually drives action.
These messages automatically respond to a lead’s specific behavior — like leaving items in a cart, browsing certain products, or engaging with past campaigns — making your follow-up feel timely, relevant, and genuinely helpful instead of generic.
How You Can Pull It Off (It’s Easier Than You Think)
Setting up an abandoned cart campaign won't take long to complete. Tap into your marketing automation software to get it ready in a few easy steps:
- Start a new automation.
- Identify the action that will trigger your campaign: In this case, you’ll want the trigger to be an abandoned cart or incomplete purchase.
- Write your automated text: This will be what’s delivered every time the trigger occurs. Make sure your message speaks to their situation, adds urgency, and even provides an incentive. Here’s an example:
“Oops! You left something behind 👀 Complete your order in the next 2 hours and get 10% off with code FINISH10: [link]”
If you want to level things up even more, set up another text that goes out a few days after your first one that speaks to any hesitations they might have. Copy can go something like this:
“Still on the fence about [insert product or service]? We’re here to help! Give us a quick call at [number] before your cart expires.”
Make This Holiday Season a Thriller for Your Bottom Line
We’re heading into one of the busiest — and most competitive — times of the year. With this strategy, you can make sure no sale slips through the cracks, and every “almost” buyer becomes a loyal customer.
Ready to bring behavior-based texts to life?
Schedule a demo of Keap software and discover how to create smart automations that boost sales all season long.
Already have a system in place? Keep the momentum going by exploring more proven campaigns on our blog, like this one about how to stop ghosting leads.
