11 Creative Ways That Businesses Use Text Messaging
Mobile visits to business sites have been on the rise for the past few years and companies have been taking notice, improving their platforms in order to become friendlier for mobile devices. It seems it’s not just application creators and tech giants that are stepping up to the plate, businesses are also coming up with innovative ways to use text messaging tools to their advantage. And since text messaging is one of the most commonly used communication tools available, there are more ways than one to utilize it in order to help your company thrive.
1. Marketing campaigns
The fact is that only a small percent of advertising and business emails are opened. Most text messages, however, are read within a few minutes of having been received. This has prompted many companies to turn to mobile marketing in recent years in order to reach a larger customer base instantly. While mobile marketing campaigns initially garnered a bit of a bad reputation because of unwanted messages or spam messages reaching customers, they have now become a useful marketing tool since companies have set up better monitoring programs for their user provided data, Brit Tammerog from TextMagic explains. Many companies have opt-in features set up so users can give their information voluntarily in order to receive personalized updates about services and products that are available to them.
2. Limited-time promotions
Setting up an opt-in mobile number database can help companies keep their interested customers up to date regarding ongoing promotions. While customers may not read their emails in time to take advantage of limited-time offers and sales, they are likely to receive the information instantly via text message and find out about special promotions while they are still active. Macy’s is one of many major companies that frequently use text messages in order to advertise short-term sales and temporarily discounted products.
3. Discounts and coupons
An important part of generating new business is offering special perks to potential customers in an effort to encourage them to choose you over your competitors. A great way to entice people to choose your products is to offer discount vouchers and coupons. But while there are many websites that post coupon offers and special codes, it can be a hassle for customers to search through all of them, especially when they have to fill in forms online and register via email in order to save money on their purchases. So many companies are now developing mobile, one-time use coupons for interested shoppers instead of sending paper vouchers through the mail or registering email subscriptions.
4. Security checks
Data protection and security has always been a major concern, especially when it comes to online transactions. Many companies have started using mobile text messages in order to perform additional security checks when customers want to sign into their accounts or process a transaction. For example, PayPal uses text messages to verify user identity instantly by sending customers a randomly generated code every time they try to log into their accounts. The code is then entered along with the password in order to access the system as a method of improving data security.
5. Check-ins and confirmations
Tapping into the convenience of instant information being sent and received via text messages, companies are also providing specific details and features to their customers. Lufthansa is one of the airlines that allow customers to check in via text message as well as request and receive flight information such as arrival and departure times, flight numbers, or changes in schedules or terminals. This helps customers get vital details concerning their flights in real time and make travel arrangements more easily.
6. Customer Support
While the norm for providing customer support may be over the email or by logging in some occasionally angry phone calls to customer care representatives, text messages may be a viable option for instant help regarding basic issues. It’s not a method that companies are using on a large scale at the moment, but it might catch on considering that it is often faster than email support and more easily accessible than phone calls.
7. Placing Orders
Many companies offer mobile payment options but some have figured out that they can take things to a whole new level when it comes to providing services via text messages. It’s all about the instant processing of the information and the fast pace at which mobile purchases can be completed. Still, there are payment and ordering options via text message and then there’s what Domino’s did. The company set a very interesting precedent when it offered customers the ability to order a pizza by sending a text message containing a pizza-slice emoji to a Domino’s Pizza phone number. Not only is it a hilarious way to order a pizza, it’s also pretty fast and straight forward.
8. Announcing events
While most companies place advertisements on their webpages or create ads on social media platforms in order to promote special events, many businesses have also been tapping into text messaging advertising practices in order to announce upcoming activities. Much like special sales and limited-time promotions, these events usually have a limited time-span so letting consumers know about them in real time is a lot more effective than running an online campaign. IHOP uses bulk text messaging to notify opt-in subscribers of their weekly events and the instant messaging seems to be bringing more people in for short-term offers.
9. Launching products
This might be a classic use of mobile marketing but it gives great results when applied to target audiences. While a large scale online campaign is great for advertising a new product, existing customers that are interested in the brand and have opted in for a newsletter can get the information fast when a new product hits the shelves.
10. Email alerts
One of the best things about text messages is that they are read within minutes of being sent. And one of the problems with emails is that it can take longer to access the information in them. So it would only make sense that companies use business text messaging in order to connect people with information they receive via email by transforming email alerts into text messages.
11. Tracking deliveries
Tracking product delivery is a popular feature that companies offer their customers in order to provide constant information about a placed order. Instead of waiting around for their delivery, customers can choose to receive an SMS notification alerting them as to when they can expect their product to arrive.
Are you seeing an increase of text message marketing in your own life? Let us know in the comments.