Digital Marketing

3 reasons why two-way SMS needs to be in your marketing strategy

2-way SMS marketing

Using two-way SMS in your marketing strategy should be a given these days. It has many benefits and is a cost-effective way to create a relationship with your customers. Read on to find out more about why two-way SMS is e

ssential to the success of your digital marketing strategy.

It’s easier to engage with a consumer via text messaging than over the phone

When salespeople or customer service representatives contact a consumer via a phone call, the person being contacted can easily excuse themselves from the conversation without listening to the pitch or the concern. With an SMS, consumers have all the information right there on the mobile phone in the palm of their hand, so they’re more than likely going to read it. And because SMS messages are short and sweet, it only takes a few seconds for them to read the information and take in what is being said.

This is why SMS works, but you may be wondering why two-way SMS messaging is important. Well, if you’re contacting a customer about an unpaid account, they may not want to respond with their reasoning over the phone. Remember, when someone is on the phone during the day, they’re most likely at work and discussing financial issues may be awkward for them at that moment. However, if they’re able to respond to an SMS with their reasons for not paying their account yet, or to let the business know when they plan to pay the account, they’re probably going to be more open to having a conversation on the matter.

With two-way SMS, there isn’t any interruption in the conversation

There's little chance of an interruption between the customer service representative or salesperson and the consumer with two-way SMS. They’ll receive a text message and be able to reply. With a phone call, on the other hand, there is the very real possibility of interruptions during the call. This can be because of where the person is standing as there may not be the best signal in the area. Or it could be because both parties accidentally keep trying to speak at the same time. You also never know whether the person who is receiving the call is in an area where there is a lot of noise and even though they want to have the conversation, they can’t hear what your business’ representative is saying.

People can read the message and respond in their own time

Imagine that, for example, your business sends out a two-way bulk SMS asking people to respond telling you which product they prefer by replying with a certain keyword. Someone may look at the message in the middle of the day while they’re at work and not be interested in responding because they’re busy with a looming deadline. However, later that day or in the evening, they’re still likely to go back to that SMS and reply.

With a phone call, you don’t know whether you’re contacting a customer at the right time and they may decline the opportunity to give their feedback because they’re busy at that moment. They may even become irritated by the interruption. But with an SMS solution like two-way SMS, they have the ability to choose when they respond, which means that it’s far more convenient for them.

At the end of the day, the majority of people with mobile phones would prefer text messages from businesses than over-the-phone customer service. This is why you should consider using a two-way SMS campaign in your marketing strategy as soon as possible. For more information, read this article which highlights how you can improve your conversational SMS messaging.

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