SMS and WhatsApp marketing that brings customers back
Your website, ads and social media bring customers in. A text, RCS or WhatsApp message gives you a direct line to bring them back, set up by our messaging partner Connect OCP and planned around the rest of your marketing.
- Google Partner
- 5.0 from 15 Google reviews
- Cavan, New York and Liverpool
Connect OCP works with leading networks and platforms, so each business gets the right technology and network for what it needs.
Our job is to turn your marketing into enquiries and sales. Your website, search rankings and ads bring people to you, and messaging gives you a way to bring them back once they've booked or bought. A text lands on your customer's phone and gets read, which makes it one of the simplest ways to fill quiet days, cut no-shows and stay on your customers' minds between visits.
We've chosen Connect OCP as our preferred partner for business messaging. Their Belfast team sets up and supports SMS, RCS and WhatsApp from one platform, and we plan where messaging fits alongside your website, ads and email. Ask for an introduction and we'll put you in touch with them personally.
Why we chose Connect OCP
- Hands-on support. A team based in Belfast sets up your account and stays on hand once you're sending.
- Every channel in one place. SMS, RCS and WhatsApp run from a single platform, so you can reach customers wherever they read their messages.
- Joined up with your marketing. Campaigns are planned around your website, ads and email, so messaging doesn't become one more tool to manage.
- 100 million
- SMS sent
- 1 billion
- call minutes a year
- 98%
- customer satisfaction
- Decades
- of experience
Texts get read, and quickly
A text doesn't compete with a full inbox or a busy feed. It arrives on the phone your customer already has in their hand.
- 98%
- open rate for text messages
- 90%
- of texts are read within three minutes
- 71%
- of consumers have bought something after receiving a text
- 24.5%
- average click-through rate on links in texts
Figures published by Connect OCP.
Three ways to reach your customers
Each channel suits a different kind of message, and you can start with one and add the others when you're ready.
SMS
Plain text that reaches every mobile phone with nothing to install. It suits offers, reminders and updates that need to be seen the same day.
- Offers, reminders and updates
- Two-way replies, so customers can answer
- Keyword replies, like texting BOOK for a link
RCS
Branded messages in the phone's own messaging app, with images, buttons and carousels, so customers can tap straight through to book or buy.
- Your brand name and logo on the message
- Images and product carousels
- Buttons that open a booking page or your shop
Two-way conversations on the app your customers already use, with images, documents and quick-reply buttons in the chat.
- Conversations your team can reply to
- Automated replies and message templates
- Links to your CRM or booking system
What businesses like yours use it for
Each of these can run as a one-off campaign or as an automatic message, and the examples show the kind of text each one sends.
Bookings and reminders
Confirmations and reminders can go out automatically from your booking system, so fewer people forget and fewer ring to check their time.
Hi Aoife, just a reminder of your appointment tomorrow at 10:30. Reply C to confirm or R if you need to rearrange.
Offers and launches
Fill a quiet midweek evening, or tell your regulars about a new product the day it arrives.
Our winter menu starts this Thursday. Fancy a table before the weekend fills up? Book here: yoursite.ie/book
Loyalty and win-back
Bring back customers who haven't been in for a while, with a reminder timed for when they'd usually return.
Hi Ciarán, your car's annual service is due next month. Reply BOOK and we'll text you a link to pick a time.
Reviews and feedback
Ask every customer for a review while the visit is still fresh, with a link that opens straight onto your Google review form.
Thanks for calling in today, Niamh. If you have a minute, a Google review would mean a lot to us: yoursite.ie/review
Who does what
Connect OCP runs the messaging platform and Everblue makes sure it joins up with the rest of your marketing, so you always know who to ask.
Connect OCP
Your messaging platform and support team.
- Builds your account and sender ID, so messages arrive from your business name
- Sets up SMS, RCS and WhatsApp, including the WhatsApp Business Platform if you need it
- Can plan, write and send your campaigns, or give you the platform to send them yourself
- Connects messaging to your CRM or booking system, and supports you once you're sending
Everblue Digital
The team behind your website, ads and email.
- Introduces you to the Connect OCP team personally
- Plans messages around your website, ads and email, so a text offer matches the page it links to
- Adds a text opt-in to your website forms, so your list grows with permission
- Tags the links in your messages, so visits and sales from each text show up in your analytics
Who this suits, and when we'd suggest something else
A good fit if
- You have customers’ mobile numbers and their permission to text them, from bookings, sales or a loyalty scheme.
- You have quiet days to fill, appointments people forget, or customers who buy once and drift away.
- You want messaging to join up with your website, ads and email rather than run as a separate project.
When we'd point you elsewhere
- If you don't have customer numbers with permission yet, start there. We can add an opt-in to your website forms before any messages go out.
- Bought or scraped lists are off the table, the same as they are for email.
From first call to first campaign
- 01
Book a free intro call
Send the form and we'll introduce you to Connect OCP for a short, no-obligation chat about your business and what you'd like to send.
- 02
They set everything up
The Connect OCP team builds your account and sender ID, and connects your booking system or CRM if you need it.
- 03
Send your first campaign
Your first messages go out with a plan in place and support on hand, lined up with your website and ads.
Prefer to go direct? Contact Connect OCP through connectocp.com and mention Everblue Digital when you get in touch.
Thanks, we've got your message
We'll reply to .
If you'd like us to look at your website in the meantime, book a free 20-minute audit call.
Choose a time for the callSMS and WhatsApp marketing questions
If your question isn't answered here, email [email protected] and we'll get back to you.
Is SMS marketing allowed under GDPR?
Yes, when it runs on permission. In Ireland, marketing texts generally need the customer’s consent first, with a limited exception for existing customers buying similar products. Every message needs a simple way to opt out, and you should keep a record of who agreed and when.
The same rules cover marketing texts and marketing emails, and our GDPR guide for Irish websites explains how to collect that consent through your website.
What's the difference between SMS and RCS?
SMS is plain text and works on every mobile phone. RCS is the newer standard that adds your branding, images, buttons and carousels inside the phone's own messaging app, so a message can look more like a small web page. Not every phone shows RCS yet, which is why it helps to run both from one platform.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business app or the WhatsApp Business Platform?
The free WhatsApp Business app suits a small team replying to customers one at a time. The WhatsApp Business Platform suits businesses that want to send to a list, use message templates and automated replies, or connect WhatsApp to a CRM or booking system. Connect OCP sets up and manages the Platform for you.
Who writes and sends the messages?
That's up to you. Connect OCP can run your campaigns for you, from planning to sending, or give you the platform to send them yourself. When a message ties in with something we're running for you, like a new offer page or a Google Ads push, we'll help with the wording and make sure the link lands somewhere worth landing.
How much does it cost?
It depends on which channels you use and how many messages you send, so Connect OCP quotes once they know what you need. The intro call is free and there's no obligation.
Do I need to be an Everblue client?
No, anyone can ask for an introduction. If we already look after your website, SEO or ads, we'll plan your messages around what's already running.
Can it connect to my booking system or CRM?
Usually, yes. Connect OCP links messaging to CRMs, booking systems and other platforms, so reminders and follow-ups can send themselves. If your website enquiries aren’t reaching a CRM yet, our CRM and automation team can set that up first.
Related services
Email marketing
Automated emails and campaigns that turn your subscriber list into repeat customers.
- Welcome, abandoned cart and post-purchase flows
- Campaign design and sending
- List segmentation and reporting
CRM & automation
CRM setup and automations so no enquiry gets lost between your website and your inbox.
- CRM setup and website form integration
- Automated follow-ups and notifications
- Data migration and dashboards
PPC & Google Ads
Paid campaigns built around what a customer is worth to you, with tracking set up properly.
- Google Ads search, shopping and video
- Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn ads
- Conversion tracking and weekly optimisation
Want to see it working for your business?
Ask for an introduction and we'll put you in touch with Connect OCP for a free, no-obligation call about what you'd send and who you'd send it to.