As governments issued stay-at-home orders and non-essential services closed their doors, the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses and institutions around the world to adjust to what has become the “new normal.” And now that we’ve begun to accept it—even if begrudgingly—it appears that work-from-home and video conferencing is here to stay.

In his book, Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman discusses how new technologies can and will transform the way we work, live, and interact. Referring to global events and political leaders, Friedman states that “some of our leaders want to build a wall against the hurricane … my argument is you have to build an eye that moves with the storm.”

Encouraging the development of an agile communications strategy, Deloitte reinforced Friedman’s message, stating that “the COVID-19 crisis is not a single, one-time event, but a series of circumstances that are constantly updating with new information and directives, and businesses must be able to adapt continuously.” Given the pandemic’s lessons, many organizations have found new ways to use reliable communications technologies that can easily be adapted for multiple use cases.

Increase engagement despite the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite having been around for decades, SMS messaging is one of the fastest-growing communication channels. Forrester predicts that messaging volumes will increase by 40% in retail alone in 2021 as brands launch campaigns to attract and retain customers.

Often considered low-tech compared to other technologies, the advantage of SMS is that almost anyone can use it, and procedures for signing up or stopping communications are simple, immediate, and effective. Moreover, as a disruptor, messaging demands an instant response, resulting in high engagement and an excellent investment return.

Deploying SMS to keep people and businesses safe, productive, and profitable

Here are a few examples of how SMS has been leveraged during the pandemic to keep people and businesses safe, productive, and profitable.

• Healthcare: Limited only by an organization’s imagination, SMS has proved to be a highly effective way of communicating with vast numbers of people during the COVID-19 health crisis. Whether identifying or notifying potential carriers or providing accurate, reliable information, state and local authorities are actively using SMS as their go-to technology for managing the emergency. And with anxiety and depression symptoms of pandemic fatigue, dedicated SMS channels are being used to assist with suicidal tendencies. and mental health.

Countries are using SMS to speed up the delivery of COVID-19 test results and arrange for immunization and vaccinations. Moreover, with internet access unavailable to billions of people worldwide, texting is the only way to reach vulnerable populations. A platform for developing and sharing mobile services, a UNICEF project, RapidPro, is an open-source solution enabling anyone to build and scale mobile healthcare services anywhere in the world.

• IT & Facilities: With offices emptying overnight and remote access skyrocketing, IT and facilities found themselves cut off from their computer rooms, data centers, and Building Management Control Systems (BMCS). Enabling many IT and facilities staff to work remotely, deploying reliable 2-way SMS systems allows them to monitor and manage business-critical systems while complying with government regulations.
• Customer Service: With brick-and-mortar stores closed and SMS marketing offering the ultimate personalized customer experience, many brands shifted to 2-way texting to connect with customers during the health crisis. According to Forrester, this trend will most likely continue as retailers seek to amplify their brand and retain—or grow—their share of wallet in the months to come while maximizing their reach with reduced staff.

Technology is playing a critical role during the COVID-19 health crisis, and SMS is at the forefront. Whether a health authority, IT department, or B2C, if you aren’t currently using text messaging to engage your audience, now’s the time to rethink and implement a strategy that allows you “build an eye that moves with the storm.”

About SMSEagle

SMSEagle is a leading global brand of hardware SMS gateways. Designed for reliability and easy integration with existing systems, SMSEagle supports bi-directional SMS communications via your web browser, email system, or an API. It also converts email messages to SMS and can send SMS alerts from network and security monitoring systems and SMS tokens from authentication systems. For more information, visit smseagle.eu.

Are you connecting via your customers’ preferred channel?

Skip phone calls and emails and start texting.

Here’s why.

With an open rate almost five times that of email, Gartner states that “SMS remains an effective, yet underutilized, mobile tactic among marketing leaders.” And that’s not surprising. According to some sources, 98% of text messages are read—and 90% within the first three minutes. That makes SMS the most effective means of improving customer engagement by far. With every mobile phone able to send and receive SMS messages, no other messaging channel approaches SMS in its reach.

Text messaging allows businesses to share snippets of information and start meaningful conversations with individuals or groups. With 75% of consumers wanting to receive special offers and 64% asking for more communication via text,  SMS marketing is the optimal channel for brands to engage—especially with time-sensitive promotions.

Two-way SMS offers the ultimate personalized customer experience. As a direct message to a specific customer and either a real, live agent or well-trained bot on the other end, it’s easy to carry on text-based conversations using your customers’ preferred channel. Irrespective of your business’s size or the interaction’s complexity, customers prefer two-way SMS because they get an immediate response.

Include 2-way SMS in your omnichannel marketing strategy

With millennials (24 to 40 years old) overtaking baby boomers, holding much of the buying power (along with Generation Z  comprising those 18 to 23 years old), and preferring digital to human communication, using SMS marketing to reach them is essential for your survival. Used in conjunction with other channels, 2-way SMS can boost your marketing by simply speaking the native language of your customers and increasing:

• Engagement: Reach your audience where they are—on their cell phones. With Gen Z on their smartphones an average of five hours or more each day—and with other generations not far behind—text messages deliver real-time alerts and messages with push notifications, nearly instant open rates, and rapid response times.
• Intimacy: With personalization a critical differentiator in an impersonal world, 2-way SMS marketing positively impacts brand awareness, with retailers personalizing communications and recognizing special days with offers and promotions tailored to each customer.
• Reach: Since it isn’t dependent on an internet connection, SMS is unique. It offers a far wider reach than channels built for the internet, even in remote areas or developing countries with limited infrastructure.

So if text message marketing hasn’t been on your radar and you’re fed up with receiving little response to email campaigns, it’s time to look at 2-way SMS.

Analyze campaign stats, refine your approach, and increase efficiencies

Text message marketing is also easy to track, allowing you to monitor your metrics and ensure the success of your campaigns. With up-to-date stats of messages sent, texts received, and overall contact counts, you’ll be able to analyze the data, see when engagement spikes, refine your approach, and increase your revenue and profits.

Unique versatility of SMS communications

Despite the vast number of messaging apps on the market—including Messenger, Signal, Skype, Telegram, Viber, WeChat, and WhatsApp—the versatility of SMS communications remains unparalleled. Anyone with a mobile phone can receive and send SMS messages without needing to install a messaging app, making it easy to engage in two-way communications with your target audience anywhere in the world—even with local numbers.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to nurture future generations of customers—today.

About SMSEagle

SMSEagle is a leading global brand of SMS gateway hardware. Designed for reliability and easy integration with existing systems, SMSEagle supports bi-directional SMS communications via your web browser, email system, or an API. It also converts email messages to SMS and offers the ability to send SMS alerts from network and security monitoring systems and SMS tokens from authentication systems.