By 2018, a jaw-dropping 1.7 trillion Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS messages will be sent worldwide, according to Portio Research. While person-to-person (P2P) text messaging is decreasing due to the growing IP-based messaging market, companies nevertheless appreciate the benefits of reaching their target group via SMS in a fast, secure and direct way.
There are three top drivers that companies need to understand in order to take advantage of this sector’s growth.
Driver #1: The better way to reach a target group
At a time when most people’s email inboxes are bursting at the seams, people are challenged daily to avoid stimulus overload as they sift through the correspondences. But what happens if something is truly time sensitive? Companies looking to provide essential information don’t want to get lost in digital mailboxes. The answer: They must reach their target group more directly. With SMS, time-sensitive alerts can not only be sent out within seconds but research shows that the recipients read them faster than their email counterparts. Ninety-nine percent of text messages are opened within 3 minutes of reaching a devise, according to Portio Research. Even when in bed, 91% of people sleep beside their smartphones to make sure they don’t miss anything.
Driver #2: Security and Efficiency for Web Platforms and Services
With the growing number of digital services and web platforms, companies need to ensure their customers can securely and easily access their services and authenticate their identification or purchase. In today’s world, it is unimaginable having to wait for an antiquated letter or filtering an email inbox to search for a validation code or for information on how to retrieve a password.
By including an additional channel that features A2P message, consumers can easily authorise themselves using a two-factor authentication mechanism, while providers have the additional security mechanism in place to make sure that their platforms are giving access to or communicating with the right person.
Driver #3: Deliver greater value into customer communications
Whatever the industry, competition creates challenges. Consider online shops and retail stores. They uneasily co-exist as they fight to gain customer attention. Simply put, the way to be ahead in a very competitive market is by building added value into customer relationships. To that end, improving service and sales quality is an ideal instrument. The more customers benefit from a company’s communication process, the easier it becomes to secure that relationship for the long term. There are many examples wherein the SMS channel improves service quality like delivery alerts, shipment notifications and appointment reminders. In addition, what makes A2P SMS particularly appealing is it’s directly integrated within companies’ CRM systems so they can be sent out automatically according to the companies’ requirements and the consumers’ need.
Taking the three drivers together, the message is clear: A2P SMS is an efficient and secure way to reach customers faster than other options and solidify relationships with clients and consumers alike.
