SMS - Messaging The Masses
We know consumers love texts.
8.3 trillion text messages this year alone.
23 billion messages per day
16 million messages per minute.
So we can be pretty clear on that point. What’s more interesting, and unlike what is happening in the app economy where value is shifting away, text is now accepted as a truly powerful business tool and an effective method of bulk one to-many or A2P SMS communication.
Let’s look at some stats
221 time per day is the average amount of times a person looks at their phone.
91% of mobile phone users user their device for SMS - you know you’re communicating with customers in a way they appreciate
98% of SMS messages are opened - you can guarantee your message will be opened and read
94% of SMS are read within 5 minutes of being received - perfect for time bound campaigns
75% of Smartphone users like to receive offers by SMS - give your customers what they want and how they want it
80% of people are currently using texting for business with over one third of business professionals saying they can’t go 10 minutes without responding to a text.
44% of consumers polled by the Direct Marketing Association said they would rather receive product details and other marketing material through text over any other channel
64% of respondents would rather text than call for tech support.
40% higher conversion rate of sales prospects who are sent text messages compared to those that aren’t.
Adding SMS to your communications stack will not only save you time, keep your communication costs down and boost sales. It’s also a tried and tested way of staying in touch with customers in a way we know they love, have access to and is guaranteed to be seen.
Reasons you need SMS
1 - Your customers love it.
98% of SMS get opened, putting it heads and shoulders above any other communication method in terms of read rate.
Most people send and receives text messages on a daily basis so we know customers like, have access to and know how to use SMS.
2 - It’s cost effective.
Low cost with no monthly contract, an SMS campaign won’t cost you the earth but you could see fantastic return on investment.
3 - Keep up with competitors.
With smartphone users increasing daily, most businesses are using SMS in some ways. Using it to communicate with customers will ensure you business keeps up with market trends whilst using a reliable method.
4 - Save valuable time.
Sending an SMS to all your customers takes no longer than sending a text on your own phone. So, not only will you free up some precious time, with over 90% of messages read within 3 minutes of being received you could see results in minutes.
Here are some typical SMS Use Cases
Order confirmations
Send order confirmations for deliveries using SMS or push notifications.
Lead Alerts
Notify sales agents via SMS or push when a lead comes in, so they can engage with the customer right away.
Subscription-based Notifications
Let volunteers and supporters sign up for upcoming events, and notify them according to their preferences.
Incident Alerts
Notify on-call engineers on their preferred channel when an incident occurs. Use many different channels to make sure everyone gets the message in time.
Appointment Reminders
Reduce no-shows by sending confirmation messages from CRM and reservation systems.
Dispatch Notifications
Make sure employees out in the field always have up-to-date information. Send dispatch notifications via push notifications or SMS.
Conclusions
Despite the growth in other communication channels, SMS remains one of the primary channels of communication because it is proven to be the most effective way to reach users with a 90% read rate in minutes.
SMS maintains the highest engagement rate in comparison to emails and OTT apps. In effect, if you have any kind of mobile phone – you can receive and send SMS. This makes its global reach soar as there are no pre-existing connections required, such as accepting friend requests or requiring two parties to download the same app. The lower barriers to communication let users receive messages quickly, making it ideal for sending short, time-sensitive content. The one-size-fits-all solution makes anybody with a mobile number reachable and the technology for sending and receiving SMS is not reliant on high speed internet, essentially making anyone in modern society accessible.
To find out more on our SMS service please visit our website
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