The MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the largest mobile communications trade fair in the world and it is usually held in Barcelona. Here, many exciting topics around mobile innovations, current solutions as well as the trends of tomorrow are addressed. In 2020, the congress was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the good news is that MWC 2021 will be held from June 28 to July 01, albeit later than normal and in a slimmer version. Message Networks would have been back this year as an exhibitor and part of the NRW.Global Business booth. Due to the current situation, the company is now participating purely digitally.

In this blog article, we present the four most important messaging channels in 2021. Surveys have shown that there has been a massive upswing in the way consumers want to interact with businesses.

How to use SMS marketing for your business

There was a time when text messaging was the most technologically advanced way to communicate. Since the advent of messenger apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc., SMS is no longer a preferred platform for private communication. But businesses are not ready to give up this communication channel.

Bulk SMS messaging and 2-way SMS marketing have become increasingly popular in Europe and Germany is no exception. Cell phone usage has definitely increased worldwide and SMS plays an important role for businesses to promote their products and services to consumers. Any business, small or big, can take advantage of SMS marketing. It plays a very important role in marketing strategies. As a business, you need to know the reasons why SMS marketing works:

More than 40 % of Germans have a tendency to look at their phone 15 minutes after waking up.
An average German checks their phone at least 56 times a day.
The open rate of SMS in Germany is 82.1 % compared to email, which has an open rate of 24 %.
SMS works on any mobile device. So a consumer doesn’t even have to own a smartphone.

These statistics prove how important SMS is in people’s lives and how useful it has become for business communication.

Why does your business need an SMS marketing strategy?

There are several benefits to implementing an SMS marketing strategy in businesses.

People are more likely to click on a link delivered via SMS than one delivered through other formal channels. Therefore, it has a high conversion rate.
An SMS reaches its destination within seconds, even if it is sent to another part of the world.
SMS offer a wider reach for your business as they do not require an internet connection, so anyone who has a cell phone can be targeted.
The rules for SMS marketing in Germany are strict. A customer only receives a message if he wants to. He can unsubscribe at any time by simply sending a message to the shortcode provided. It gives customers a sense of security that they have the option.
SMS marketing is so cost-effective that even smaller businesses can afford it. In terms of cost, it leaves behind television commercials, print media, billboards, etc.

A text message has a limited number of 160 characters that you can use properly to get customers excited about your product or service.

It leaves a lasting impression on consumers and has proven to be very reliable when it comes to sending promotions, discounts, offers, deals, reminders, alerts, emergencies, etc.

SMS messaging for businesses has been a bit slower to catch on than text messaging for personal use. Fortunately, technology has advanced to the point where SMS for businesses is a valuable tool. In fact, different departments within your company have the ability to use text messaging to streamline their operations and achieve their goals.

Best practices for business SMS messaging continue to evolve, however, so it’s important for business leaders to familiarize themselves with them before implementing their own SMS campaigns. Business SMS can be used to improve the customer experience and increase revenue for your company.

We’ve defaced a guide below that includes everything you need to know about using business SMS in your business.

What are SMS?

The technical term for text messaging is SMS, an abbreviation for Short Messaging Service. In simple terms, it allows you to send someone a short message using most phone, Internet, and mobile app systems. Behind the scenes, the technology that enables SMS messaging uses standardized communication protocols that allow messages to be sent and received between devices.

How does business SMS differ from personal SMS? The answer lies in the greater ability to manage large volumes of text messages.

Imagine waking up in the morning and being notified that your large or small business has hundreds or thousands of text messages to respond to. It would take hours for an employee to manually send these many replies, maybe even all day. An SMS messaging service solves this problem.

With advances in digitization, businesses can now use cloud software, CRM platforms and digital business tools to send and receive incoming messages between cloud phone numbers and customers’ iOS or Android mobile devices. In addition, businesses can send automated text messages in bulk and still manage them effectively.

Why is the ability to send text messages important to a business?

Successful businesses focus on improving the customer experience to increase sales, customer satisfaction, and customer retention rates. By giving your customers the ability to receive a text message from your business or send one themselves, you make their lives a little easier, contributing to a better overall customer experience.

Messaging also gives customers an additional channel to connect with your brand, and it shows them that you’re there for them when and where they need you.

More reasons why mass text messaging is useful for modern businesses:

Customers want to be able to text with preferred businesses.
Customers are impatient! They don’t like to wait – and with text messaging, they don’t have to.
Text messaging is an ideal communication channel when a customer just has a quick question.
Customers can’t always talk on the phone, and sometimes they just don’t want to take the time.
Customers almost always read text messages, but they don’t always open or read emails.
Automated text messaging reduces the amount of time and effort your employees have to spend interacting with prospects and customers.
Text messaging is a great way to send links for information that would otherwise be tedious to read, such as return policies and details on promotions.

The benefits of business text messaging

Taking photos and sending text messages are the most popular non-voice features of mobile devices. The majority of adults still send text messages at least occasionally.

Below are some ways you can use text messaging to connect with your customers through a channel they are already actively using:

Increase your customers’ convenience

Your customers appreciate the convenience of being able to quickly get in touch with someone at your company. But let’s face it, customers are annoyed and frustrated by the time it takes to make a phone call, wait on hold, and explain their problem when it would only take a minute of their time.

On the other hand, if an employee of your company needs to reach a customer, a text message can be a less intrusive option than a phone call. Customers are easily annoyed when companies call them at inconvenient times. However, when you reach a customer via text message, they know you’re available and they can respond when it’s convenient for them.

Maintain customer loyalty

To be competitive with other businesses, you need to use multiple channels to keep your customers engaged. As your customer base grows, it becomes more difficult to keep up with communications and keep the content of your messages relevant.

Business text messages provide a way for your brand to be remembered by your customers. It takes time for customers to build trust with a company, so relationship building is a high priority. Text messaging is an effective way to build relationships with your customers because it allows you to connect with them anywhere, even when they’re on the go.

Automate customer communication

One of the great things about SMS for businesses is that it’s easy to automate communications, even on a large scale.

Short, concise messages can be an effective part of your overall communication strategy, especially if your customers aren’t responding to calls or emails. Marketing messages often need to be sent a few times before customers pay attention to them. However, too many phone calls or emails are intrusive. On the other hand, reading text messages doesn’t take much time, so customers can be less frustrated by receiving multiple text messages.

With the right call center software, you can send text messages to entire lists of customers, making the job of SMS marketing a breeze. If you have a limited time sale, sending text messages with autoresponders is a quick way to get the word out to the masses and send them countdown reminders so they don’t miss the offer.

Message Networks, as an experienced mobile messaging provider, guarantees secure and direct delivery of SMS to users’ mobile devices. Delivery meets the highest security and privacy requirements through technologies such as IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). Direct connections to mobile network operators ensure reliable SMS transmission.