Dotdigital blog

SMS: the Strongest Messaging System that’s not going anywhere

Whether it’s A2P or P2P, we’re sure you know that a text message, when delivered, is almost certainly (98% in fact) going to be not only opened but actually read...

Whether it’s A2P or P2P, we’re sure you know that a text message, when delivered, is almost certainly (98% in fact) going to be not only opened but actually read too (probably within three seconds). And yet, despite knowing this, when was the last time you used SMS to communicate to your customers? Chances are, like most companies, the last method you used was email.

We love email, we do. But for a variety of reasons, millions of emails go unread every single day (heck, our team here at Comapi can account for a few hundred thousand of those in our personal inboxes, ranging from notifications from a particular professional networking site to rewards deals from a certain supermarket). And of course, as social beings, we always love to chat. But year after year, SMS proves itself to be the true ruler of communicating, that is, if you want to make sure your customers are getting the message.

Here’s a few reminders (seven in fact) on why SMS is king, and how you can take advantage of this titan text tool.

1. You cannot beat those open rates

Can you think of a last time you let a text go unread? Us neither. Not only that, but there is no app to install or email to configure to get a text, your phone comes with that ability already built-in and set-up. People don’t just open texts either, they open them quickly, and because the content is so brief, they register the information quickly. If there is a message you want to almost guarantee your customers see, and actually take in, you can’t beat SMS. With Comapi, you can also ensure you have a truly global reach (let us take care of the complications of service providers) and are therefore really reaching your true potential.

2. Take advantage of links

We will cover this more in our next blog on A2P SMS best practice, but don’t forget that just because you can’t include rich content like video, forms or images in a text, doesn’t mean you can’t include a link to them. Think of the text itself as merely the envelope you are using to deliver richer content.

3. Concise messaging

With a 160-character limit per message, you are limited for words, but your creativity should know no bounds. Think about how clever people used to be in 140-character tweets, and you have 20 whole more characters to play with (or more if you want to go over two segments). Sometimes when given confinements, we are at our most innovative, and your campaign will be no exception.

4. It’s a conversation, not just an advert

Texts were made to be a 2-way conversation and A2P is no different. Encourage your customers to respond to you with keywords (like CHANGE to alter an order or appointment) so that they don’t have to waste their time calling you, and you don’t have to waste resources on staffing those calls.

5. Number validation

There are many instances where it’s not just a luxury to have a customer’s correct mobile number, but an imperative. Perhaps as a point of contact for an order or for security for their account. Using SMS to verify their number is the best way to do this, protecting not only you from fake accounts, but also making sure that the customer hasn’t typoed whilst filling in your online form.

6. There is nothing quite as efficient

No time spent designing email templates or making sure your webpage previews in a chat box. No worrying over the perfect subject line. The only two things you need to concern yourself with in an SMS campaign is the body in the text, and that your link is pointing somewhere relevant, and mobile-friendly. It’s that easy.

7. Perception is everything

Consumers view the SMS channel as service and information. That doesn’t mean you can’t market on it. So long as you make sure your list is opted in for this. And also that you are offering something that is relevant to your customers. Even if it’s marketing, if it’s relevant enough to the receiver, it won’t be viewed as spam in a text. This is as opposed to some other channels where it can be very difficult to pierce this perception.