{"id":9646,"date":"2023-08-16T07:26:34","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T07:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/startups\/how-two-way-sms-enhances-cx-and-the-bottom-line-and-how-to-get-started\/"},"modified":"2023-08-16T07:26:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T07:26:34","slug":"how-two-way-sms-enhances-cx-and-the-bottom-line-and-how-to-get-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=9646","title":{"rendered":"How Two-Way SMS Enhances CX And The Bottom Line\u2014And How To Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

President at <\/em>Sinch<\/em>, the global leader in cloud communications.<\/em><\/p>\n

The past few years have been a rollercoaster for businesses. From supply chain issues and inflation, to staff shortages and the impacts of a pandemic and global conflict, business owners have had their resilience tested like never before. Now, every investment they make must be done with the bottom line in mind. There\u2019s no sense in nice-to-haves if they\u2019re not driving any tangible, positive impact\u2014especially if you\u2019re running a small to medium-sized business.<\/p>\n

Amid the height of the pandemic, digital customer experience (CX) became paramount for businesses of all sizes\u2014and it remains so. That said, not all digital investments are equal, or deliver the same ROI for today\u2019s companies. Investing in building a branded app, for example, may be advantageous for large companies, but smaller businesses often don\u2019t have the development teams (nor the resources) for that to be realistic.<\/p>\n

However, as the president of a company that helps with customer communications, I’ve noticed one of the most ubiquitous digital channels has potential for businesses of all sizes: SMS.<\/p>\n

The Benefits Of SMS<\/h2>\n

<\/fbs-ad><\/p>\n

The SMS inbox is impressively active. According to Gartner’s data from 2016, SMS has a 98% open rate. It\u2019s designed for 1:1, real-time engagement, and while it started as a way of communicating with peers, now consumers are truly eager to interact with businesses via SMS. SMS has a 16% average ROI.<\/p>\n

The immediacy of SMS is one of its greatest strengths. Just think about how convenient it is to quickly digest a short text message from a brand and click through to enjoy a personalized offer. One-way SMS is a natural first step for businesses to connect with customers on a channel they\u2019re checking almost immediately, but I think two-way SMS conversations are the magic opportunity for boosting customer experience.<\/p>\n

One-Way Vs. Two-Way<\/h2>\n

Inviting customers into a conversation is often more welcomed than the traditional one-way \u201cblasts,\u201d which are impersonal and don\u2019t give customers any say into the content they want to receive. Plus, it feels more natural to respond to business messages over SMS\u2014much like you\u2019d respond to texts from your friends\u2014and there\u2019s customer demand for it: My company’s research found that 89% of customers want two-way conversations via messaging channels and apps.<\/p>\n

Many customers want to text back because it\u2019s easier for them to manage text messages than phone calls amid their busy lives. And two-way SMS gives power back to your customer: They can respond to your inbound messages and expect to hear back within that same channel. Letting customers get a word in or ask questions not only helps you learn about them but makes them feel listened to and valued.<\/p>\n

Determining When Two-Way Messaging Is Best<\/h2>\n

There are quite a few use cases that benefit from two-way engagements.<\/p>\n

1. Appointment Confirmations<\/h3>\n

Perhaps you\u2019re a service provider looking to remind a customer of an upcoming appointment. You could <\/em>send a one-way text with a link for the customer to confirm their appointment on their browser. But that extra step forcing them outside of the SMS inbox could mean they forget to click confirm.<\/p>\n

By contrast, sending an appointment reminder via two-way SMS lets them simply respond directly in the SMS inbox. Removing friction is a win-win for you both and gives your team peace of mind that their next appointment won\u2019t be a no-show.<\/p>\n

2. Promotional Offers<\/h3>\n

Sending promotional offers to customers via two-way SMS can also enhance that 1:1 customer experience. Instead of merely blasting your SMS list with the same generic offer message and a link to register for sale reminders, try wording your initial message to encourage a customer’s response. For example, \u201cSale coming up\u2026you in?\u201d is inviting and intriguing and will give you a better sense of what kind of results to expect from your promotion.<\/p>\n

3. Customer Support<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Finally, two-way SMS is a powerful solution for simple customer support queries. Customer call centers are costly to run, so anything that cuts queues and service time helps. If a customer has a question, they can reach out to your dedicated SMS number, confident in a timely response from your team. It’s a quick and easy way to answer questions, so that customer support teams can focus on more difficult queries.<\/p>\n

Getting Started With Two-Way SMS<\/h2>\n

Whether your business already has a messaging provider in place, or you\u2019ve been handling customer communications in an ad hoc manner, one of the greatest barriers to achieving meaningful two-way messaging is scaling your communications\u2014especially if you have a smaller team. Opening up your messaging channels for customers to respond is great, but if they\u2019re not hearing back from you then you\u2019re sacrificing customer relationships.<\/p>\n

For businesses with a more localized and smaller customer base, tapping one of your team members to respond to inbounds will likely suffice. If your customers are more spread out (and across time zones), it may be worth setting up automated responses. Since 72% of customers expect immediate responsiveness from brands, automation is a great way of ensuring customers who message outside of your business hours still feel heard and valued until you\u2019re back online.<\/p>\n

It can also be challenging if your messaging solution doesn\u2019t integrate with all of your marketing or CRM tools\u2014making automated campaigns or contact sharing a headache. With relatively new technology like this, it\u2019s not uncommon for some solutions to be slower to integrate than others. If you\u2019re shopping around for a messaging solution and have a strong allegiance to your existing tools, make sure to ask whether prospective messaging vendors offer integrations with what you\u2019re already using.<\/p>\n

In the shift from face-to-face to digital CX, what\u2019s often lost is the 1:1 interaction that your customers have grown to love. Two-way SMS is a straightforward\u2014and cost-effective\u2014way of strengthening your CX and bottom line while also catering to your customers\u2019 digital preferences. It\u2019s a two-way street.<\/p>\n

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President at Sinch, the global leader in cloud communications. The past few years have been a rollercoaster for businesses. From supply chain issues and inflation, to staff shortages and the impacts of a pandemic and global conflict, business owners have had their resilience tested like never before. Now, every investment they make must be done […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-startups"},"yoast_head":"\nHow Two-Way SMS Enhances CX And The Bottom Line\u2014And How To Get Started | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"President at Sinch, the global leader in cloud communications. The past few years have been a rollercoaster for businesses. 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