Eight Ways SMS Messaging Can Improve Your Business

At the tail end of 2019, we published a post on this blog that encouraged readers not to miss the forest for the trees. We noted that a yawning chasm has apparently opened between businesses and their consumers regarding the utility SMS marketing — one that enterprising organizations could leverage for substantial advantage over their rivals. Indeed, according to a report from the company EZ Texting, while a whopping 54% of consumers say they would like to receive promotions via text messages, only a paltry 11% of businesses oblige.

We’re not the only ones that have taken notice of this disconnect. The software testing company TechJury published an article titled “35 Must-Know SMS Marketing Statistics In 2020” that was chock-a-block with fascinating datapoints relating to the SMS marketing landscape. They observe that SMS messages have higher open rates and response rates than phone, email, or Facebook. Moreover, they note that consumers who get SMS marketing messages are 40% more likely to convert than those who don’t, and more than half of consumers prefer contacting customer support via text.

Nevertheless, as TechJury points out, only 30% of consumers receive SMS text messages from businesses they patronize. Additionally, only 20% of market leaders plan to use SMS marketing more.

So, please bear with us as we return to our soapbox.

SMS marketing works. It really, really, really works. Like Facebook ad retargeting, SMS leverages real-time personalization that enhances customer experience in a significant way. It allows businesses to reach vast swathes of customers with real-time offers and alerts that produce far better results.

We should know. It’s what we do! Indeed, at Pareteum we offer a fully programmable B2B/B2C messaging service. It enables our clients to deliver messages to their customers across multiple channels, including SMS, Voice, Email, and other popular messaging apps. Message delivery is optimized to ensure every customer is effectively engaged by using real-time delivery analysis to track the progress of each message.

Lest you remain under the impression SMS can’t help your company, we’ve taken the liberty of exploring eight unique ways it can be deployed to boost your business.

So, without further ado…

To drive sales:

1. Announce Promotions — Flash Sales, Limited Time Offers, “Last Chance to Buy” Opportunities, etc.

   The immediacy of SMS messages makes them an ideal tool for brands, retailers, e-commerce sites, and businesses of all sorts to announce special, limited time offers.

2. “Back in Stock” Notifications and Dynamic Pricing Alerts

   Along the same lines, online retailers and e-commerce companies — like Amazon, Ali Baba, eBay, etc. — can leverage SMS to alert customers to changes in product availability; whether a product is back in stock, nearly out of stock, or will soon be off shelves for good. Moreover, companies that deploy dynamic pricing models or allow customers to bid on products, can alert consumers to price changes for products that they’re interested in.

   To improve customer experience:

3. Reminders — Appointments, Bill Payment, etc.

   Memory is a fickle thing; and it’s often one of the more chronic hurdles that client-based businesses face. Banks, insurance companies, medical service providers, beauty salons, and others can leverage SMS to notify their customers of upcoming due dates, deadlines, appointments, or payments.

4. Improve Security — Password Management, Multi-Factor Authentication

   Whether a business offers a cloud-based streaming service, a web-based customer portal, or an enterprise collaboration system, security is critical. SMS can shore up vulnerabilities by facilitating multi-factor authentication and password management.

   To provide service:

5. Emergency Alerts and Other Critical Systems Alerts

   SMS messages are a fantastic way to issue urgent messages. Counties and municipalities can issue severe weather warnings, police departments can issue amber alerts, and service providers can notify customers and mission-critical employees to downtime. Of course, these can be done manually, or they can be automated. For example, let’s take an IoT deployment. A smart smoke detector can be configured to automatically send SMS alerts to homeowners in the event of smoke detection.

6. Field Service Management

   If you’ve ever waited for the insurance company to send over an electrician during a power outage, you understand the value of speedy field service. Indeed, for telecommunications service providers, utilities companies, healthcare providers, and other such services, coordination between dispatchers and field technicians is essential for customer satisfaction. By leveraging SMS these businesses can streamline operations by efficiently dispatching technicians, facilitating real-time incident tracking, and sending technician ETAs to customers.

7. Tracking Goods from Depot to Door

   SMS is also handy for delivery companies. By keeping customers informed of their orders — from dispatch confirmations, to tracking details, to delivery date deferral options — they’re able to improve customer satisfaction and avoid failed deliveries. This, in turn, helps them reduce costs by avoiding wrongly delivered or lost items.

8. Event Management

   Last, but certainly not least, SMS is a great tool for large corporate events and trade shows. It enables planners to notify attendees about upcoming keynotes, panel discussions, seminars, concessions, and other presentations and amenities. It can also be used by sponsors and privileged participants for raffles, advertising, and other promotional purposes.

For more about the Pareteum SMS offering, check out our website or set up a meeting with one of our team members.