Texting and direct messaging aren’t just for your personal life.
SMS marketing software enables partners to reach mobile users more easily than ever before. In fact, there’s a 98% read rate on SMS (short message service). Convenience is key in today’s world. There’s nothing more convenient than getting texts as a form of brand communications instead of emails. Aside from being the preferred method of brand communications, SMS has the highest engagement rates among all forms of communication.
Getting started using mobile messaging can seem intimidating, but once you know the reasons why it works, you’ll be wanting to start immediately.
5 reasons to use mobile messaging
There are many different teams that use SMS outreach methods. Marketing, sales, and support teams are the most common partners of SMS providers. If you’re interested in taking your brand communications to the next level, SMS is the way to go. Learn more about this ever-growing means of professional and promotional communication.
1. Provides a human experience
Within the age of technology, SMS has become one of the most personalized ways to contact someone. No one answers their phones and people delete their emails before opening, but text and direct messages are read. In fact, 52% of people reply to SMS communications.
These conversations lead to conversions because they are so personalized. Customers want to be heard, and when partners can provide a customized solution, they are more likely to be loyal. Gone are the days where overly scripted conversations drive sales, instead personal conversations make all the difference in driving revenue.
In all facets of business, providing customized solutions is a must. Customers have all the power and if you don’t have something that’s just right for them, then they will find it elsewhere.
2. Integrates AI
AI (artificial intelligence) is one of the largest mobile app development trends. Using AI allows partners to scale their business. For example, if a partner started by selling one product to ten people and wanted to sell ten products to one-hundred people, AI would be the perfect tool to make the business larger in an efficient way.
By using AI, partners don’t have to spend hours scheduling meetings and qualifying leads. Robots do the tedious work so that the conversations can be more authentic. You can even have your SMS provider set up a frequently asked questions segment within the AI so that customer service professionals can focus on the more detailed issues.
Another use of AI that is extremely relevant is the shipping and handling of products. Since we’re at the mercy of Amazon where you can choose same-day shipping, customers yearn for all the possible information about their shipment. AI can remind customers of the delivery date and time, and give them the ability to track their package.
3. Maintains relationships
Once a partner makes a sale, SMS is used to maintain that relationship so that they either buy again or become a brand evangelist. Instead of sending a follow-up email, a message from an SMS provider can more directly reach a customer and quickly solve any immediate issues or maybe give them a tip about their purchase. Customers also have the ability to opt-in or out of messaging.
SMS functions as short and quick messages, so it makes the conversation more casual, which then keeps the customer-partner relationship alive in a way that is less forced and dry.
4. Surprises and delights
People love being surprised and delighted by companies. SMS providers allow partners to send flash deal, BOGO offers, shipping discounts, or exclusive offers. Not only does this save customers money, but it also saves partners money because they don’t have to purchase advertising to spread their messages. A mobile marketing solution can help track your campaign success and allow you to complete different iterations of the campaigns.
As SMS is the primary touchpoint between a business and customers, these messages will come as a pleasant surprise in the day because they’re timely and benefit the customer in a tangible way.
5. Saves partners’ time
They say time is money and that couldn’t be truer in marketing and sales. Instead of having to manually source and reply to leads, SMS providers do this for you through automation. Automation also streamlines the workflow so that partners can put more of their time into generating leads and closing deals.
People on marketing, sales, and support teams can have less overhead costs of labor because these processes are automated when using an SMS provider. Keep all relevant parties looped in using conversational customer engagement tools. Although their labor may not be needed anymore, it’s important that everyone still has visibility.
Start messaging today
Snail mail is a thing of the past. Email inboxes are overcrowded with promotions. SMS is the dominant form of communication, with more than 200 thousand SMS sent per second by people around the world. Now that you know why getting an SMS provider is so important to drive revenue, experience it yourself by using an SMS provider.
Author Bio:
Deirdre O’Donoghue (she/her/hers) is a Senior Content Marketing Specialist at G2. She brings her passion for research and creativity to her writing. In her free time, you can find Deirdre fostering puppies or exploring the Chicago foodie scene.
Ready to streamline communication with your customers?