Short answer
You should use all three because they serve different purposes. SMS works best for urgent appointment confirmations and smart reminders. Email fits longer newsletters or detailed policies. WhatsApp is ideal for two-way messaging and quick, informal conversations about appointments. Mixing these channels keeps clients informed without flooding their inboxes.
SMS smart reminders
SMS gets read. Clients open text messages quickly, which makes them the most reliable way to send smart reminders. If you don't send text reminders, your calendar will have gaps because clients simply forget. A quick text gets their attention in a way emails can't match.
When a client books, sending a smart reminder 24 or 48 hours before their appointment prevents last-minute cancellations and no-shows. Luminate includes 300 SMS credits each month in the £69 flat rate. That's enough to cover the essential reminders for your regular clients, meaning you don't have to spend extra money just to keep your chair busy.
Email campaigns
Email campaigns are built for detail and visual appeal. You can't fit a newsletter or your full booking policy into a single text message. If you're launching a new balayage service or updating your salon guidelines, email gives you the space you need to explain things in full.
You can design rich marketing campaigns with photos of your team's work, write about new hair care arrivals, or send out automated birthday messages to clients on their special day. Since email is included in the Luminate app, you don't have to pay extra to send these longer messages. You can reach your entire client database as often as you need to without worrying about the bill.
WhatsApp two-way messaging
WhatsApp sits between SMS and email. It's fast and personal, but it doesn't cost anything extra per message because WhatsApp messaging is included in Luminate's flat rate. This makes it the ideal channel for two-way messaging, where clients can text you back to adjust their bookings.
Clients use WhatsApp in their daily lives, so they'll reply to your questions about their colour history or inspiration photos much faster than they would to an email. If a stylist is running ten minutes late on a busy Saturday, sending a quick WhatsApp message keeps the client informed before they walk through your door. It keeps the conversation friendly and direct, without eating into your monthly SMS allowance. You can run all your day-to-day chat through WhatsApp and save your SMS credits for automated smart reminders.
Customer profiles
Every client has different communication preferences. Some love the quick convenience of WhatsApp, while others prefer email or SMS reminders. You can save these preferences directly inside Luminate's customer profiles.
This ensures you always reach them on their preferred channel. Keeping track of how each person likes to be contacted shows that you're organised and respect their time. It also prevents clients from ignoring your messages because you sent them to the wrong place.
What this means for your salon
Don't rely on just one channel to talk to your clients. Use SMS for your automated smart reminders, WhatsApp for daily two-way messaging about bookings, and email for your monthly marketing campaigns. Getting this balance right keeps your columns full and your clients happy without running up huge text message bills.