7 Benefits of Text Messaging for Business Communication

From the local to the international level, the need to communicate has always been supported by multiple ways to stay connected. Connectivity has been a main driving force for the growth of all global industries. Fast, reliable, convenient and simple; these are the considerations in finding which mode of communication is to be used.

Calls are frustrating, lengthy and recordings are time-consuming. Instant messaging uses apps, logins, requires internet or data coverage and a connected device which isn’t as convenient or cheap. Emails are slow, dated and less convenient.

This leaves text messaging as the most viable option for business owners. Compared to its other counterparts, text messaging or SMS is easy to access from any device, not app dependent, has no data requirements, and requires no logins. It is fast, reliable, convenient and simple.

Exploring the benefits of text messaging for businesses

It is hard to ignore the advantages of text messaging as a mode of communication especially in business, considering how flexible and adaptable it can be to different business sizes and set-ups and client demands.

1. High Open Rate

Text messages are more likely to have a higher open rate than emails. Studies show that email has a 15-22% chance of getting read due to high instances where emails may mistakenly be detected as spam and can at times, fail to reach the target audience’s inboxes.

On the other hand, text messaging has a remarkable open rate of 98% –seeing as how most individuals these days spend a huge chunk of time on their smartphones.

Whenever they feel a buzz on their pockets or hear their phone’s alert tone, it signals either a text, a call or a notification and it takes them seconds to check it out. As a matter of fact, it has been found that text messages are read within 15 upon being received.

2. Immediate Deliverability

It takes an average of 90 seconds for a mobile phone user to respond to a text message and an average of 90 minutes to answer an email. Since not everyone has the convenience of time on their side, text messaging is the best option.
If a brand wishes to run a marketing campaign or reach customers even while they are on-the-go, using SMS provides the higher probability that customers can be reached in real-time. This will then increase a sense of urgency and relevance on the message that the business wants to convey.

3. Convenient Availability

Phones are a basic personal necessity and SMS capability is a normal feature for all phones. At the same time, there are no fancy applications or expensive data plans necessary when communicating via SMS. Send a text – get a text.
Using the most simple of GSM networks, text messaging is almost always available. On the other hand, phone calls may not always be clear due to distance and signal interruptions. Emails require a stable internet connection in order for it to be disseminated to its recipients.

4. Opt-in and Opt-out

Sometimes, not all customers are happy to receive updates about a business’ products and services, nor are they always willing to participate in text-based promotions. The opt-in and opt-out features of text messaging service is highly convenient for customers.
Opt-in enables customers to allow SMS notifications from businesses to be sent to them. Opt out, on the other hand, gives the choice of putting a halt to receiving any more text messages from the brand.

5. Undeniable Customer Appeal

Thanks to the convenience brought by SMS, it brings a positive impression on businesses employing it. When a brand is easily accessible via means or resources that have been a consistent part of the lifestyles of hundreds of customers, it shows that brands are willing to tap into what features and approaches work best with end-users.
Promotions, product updates and limited offers sent via texts likewise have a personal touch, and nothing is more engaging to customers than a genuine, personalized way of communicating with them.

6. Enhanced Assistance

SMS makes a business’ customer support operations more efficient. It makes it easier for both the business owner and the customers to communicate. The latter can send their feedback and concerns in real-time, while the former can devise immediate and more feasible solutions to customer concerns.
The best part is even with a customer support service manned by a small team of agents, it is possible to handle bigger volumes of messages from customers.

7. Multiple Applicability

The benefits of texting have a far wider range when it comes to opportunities for circulating information and engaging customers. From one-on-one communication for generating leads to bulk messaging for marketing and promoting services, SMS is the king. It can be easily assimilated into big and small marketing campaigns thanks to how cost-effective it is.

Text messaging service for business requires little investment and resource for it to start working systematically and boost a brand’s existing operations and manpower. As a matter of fact, even small businesses can deliver a more efficient support to their customers by simply using the power of SMS.

Growing a business with SMS

In 2016, statistics on usage growth for SMS show that over 37 million customers have opted into business text messaging services. By 2020, it is expected that the number will rise to an estimate of 48.7 million end-users.

Not only that, SMS costs a lot less per conversation than calls do, making it an effective tool for increasing lead conversions during sales by 100%. By simply taking a look at the statistics below, it is hard to ignore the continuously expanding potential and value of text messaging for businesses.

It is not surprising that businesses can continue flourishing with the aid of SMS. Employing text messaging to enhance a business’ communication resources and processes is among the most plausible ways that brands can connect with a bigger population of leads. This is especially true in the current market, where almost everything can be controlled by technology and the demand for accessible and quick assistance is often sought after by customers.

Putting all the advantages of text messaging service aside, there are also important factors that must be considered when incorporating SMS as part of a brand’s expansion and development strategy, such as:

• A2P (Application-to-Person) SMS Messaging — As millennials continue to dominate the buyer population, A2P messaging will more likely be a great option for businesses to maintain an open line of communication with their customers.The SMS gateway of A2P messaging is predicted to exceed the performance and satisfaction rate brought by instant messaging services.
  This is because unlike its current messaging counterparts, it requires no additional downloads, provides businesses the capability to manage large amounts of contact lists, and it is also readily available on all mobile devices. Including A2P in a business’ mobile marketing strategy would merit a boost in client engagement and sales rates as well.
• Audience segmentation — The universal property of text messaging does not always have to apply to every communication done by the business. Segmenting the recipients for a particular messaging campaign would help ensure that the right audience will be targeted and the communication process will go more smoothly.
  When it comes to internal communications, audience segmentation drives a more systematic way of handling project information and ensuring that campaigns are carried out effectively from its first steps up to its final stages.
• Consistency of text messages — While there may be the option of subscribing and unsubscribing to a brand’s text campaigns, business owners should also take note of the frequency at which they send SMS to their recipients. Sending SMS notifications quite often may leave customers agitated and annoyed, while texting them once a week or twice a month may decrease customer interest and even make end-users forget they ever subscribed to the brand’s SMS marketing service.
  Creating a schedule for the duration of the text messaging campaign and sticking to it is a must to maintain relevance for the products and services being offered without disrupting customer convenience or reducing the brand’s visibility.
• Projecting the brand’s identity and voice — It is not enough to be able to send SMS notifications to end-users. Keeping customers engaged enough to know more about the brand is important. This can be achieved when brands add a unique twist to their text marketing strategies.
  SMS messages should be made unique to the brand’s tone and identity, otherwise it will leave little to no impact on the target audience.

Text messaging has proved to be more than just a tool for communication, and it seems likely that it will continue to flourish as a multi-faceted asset for businesses in the years to come. In fact, the list of advantages listed in this article can possibly stretch into 10 more additional benefits sooner or later.

To learn more about how to design an SMS Solution that fits different business requirements, contact us now.