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Bulk SMS in Africa: How SMS Is Shaping Up in Ghana

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Ghana is one of the most successful countries in Africa—for both the population and for business owners. But if you’re really looking to take your business in Africa to the next level, you’ll need to take advantage of one of the hottest forms of digital marketing around.

Bulk SMS in Ghana

That’s right—bulk SMS has become one of the most effective means to reach consumers in Ghana. As the nation digitizes, it’s becoming an increasingly-effective means of reaching consumers.

And it’s something that businesses aren’t looking to miss out on. If you’re looking to know more about the rise of bulk SMS in Ghana, consider the information below.

Ghana: An Overview

Bulk SMS has a growing presence in Ghana’s marketing sphere. Business owners who are looking to maximize their profits should consider this effective marketing tool.

But why is it that bulk SMS is as effective as it is? Consider the great reasons below:

  • Young Population

It should come as no surprise that the majority of smartphone users are young—and it’s here that Ghana holds a distinct advantage. With a median age of just 20 years old, Ghana has a young population that’s more receptive to the current technological revolution.

This helps the state of SMS marketing in the country, as the proportion of individuals who are likely to take part in SMS marketing continues to grow.

What’s more, because this young population is so receptive to technology, one can expect that the number of those who are benefitting from SMS marketing will only continue to grow in the years to come. This makes it an incredibly powerful form of marketing in the current landscape.

  • Growing Number of Smartphone Users

What’s more, Ghana has a growing number of smartphone users. This makes the country much more SMS friendly, as a higher percentage of the population will be able to receive texts.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, based on the average age of the citizens. In this way, it can be seen already that the age of Ghana’s citizens has helped it become one of the most SMS-friendly countries in the region.

As a growing number of individuals continue to use smartphones, businesses will be able to use SMS marketing with even greater effect.

Now, the smartphone penetration rate stands at 24%–much higher than that of even Nigeria.  

  • Digital Revolution Is Opening Doors

All of this works to say that the digital revolution is currently hitting Ghana and is opening doors. This is true for both consumers and for businesses, as they both work to understand new methods of contacting and finding one another.

For consumers, new techniques such as SMS marketing and resources such as mobile phones help them find businesses in their area.

For businesses, SMS marketing is starting to prove to be one of the most effective forms of advertising and marketing.

The Bottom Line

Ghana has an incredible urban population and a growing number of smartphone users—making it a hotbed for the growing SMS marketing trend. With more smartphone users certain to be on their way, Ghana proves to be one of the most SMS-marketing-friendly countries in all of Africa.

Bulk SMS in Africa: How SMS Is Shaping Up in Uganda

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With an urban population that accounts for nearly 20% of the country’s total, Uganda enjoys one of the fastest-growing markets for bulk SMS in Africa. Because of this, those looking to do business in Uganda can get ahead of their competitors with an effective bulk SMS strategy.

Bulk SMS in Uganda

What’s more, because Uganda is continually developing, retailers have more opportunities than ever to connect with their customers. Even better, as the technological revolution continues to take hold, more customers are able to be reached through new digital marketing avenues.

For these reasons, those looking to get ahead in Uganda should consider bulk SMS as their marketing tool of choice. If you’re looking to increase your business in this African country, consider the important information listed below.

Uganda: An Overview

Several reasons why business owners should use bulk SMS in Uganda exist. Three of these reasons are:

  • Growing Number of Smartphone Users

Uganda has seen rapid growth over the last decade, and this has translated to an increase in the number of smartphone users in the country. This makes it increasingly friendly to SMS marketing.

Recently, Uganda entered the list of the top 50 countries in the world by smartphone penetration. This indicates just how quickly the country’s number of smartphone users is growing.

This has important ramifications for those who are looking to use SMS in business. Notably, by becoming one of the first to really capitalize on SMS marketing in the country, businesses can get a serious leg up on their competitors. By doing so, they’ll lead the way on a popular new form of digital marketing and cement their business’s reputation.

  • Fast-Growing Economy

Uganda has one of the fastest-growing economies in all of Africa. This has led several businesses to open within the nation, particularly within in its capital city.

This economic growth has spurred on tremendous growth in the nation, creating a new urban class. This urban growth makes Uganda one of the most successful countries in Africa and is continually putting more spending money into the pockets of consumers.

  • Growing Consumer Base

What does a growing number of cellphone users and a fast-growing economy mean for businesses?

Only that the number of individuals who can be reached by bulk SMS is growing. That’s right—with these two factors, the market for bulk SMS continues to grow. As this number continues to increase, businesses can expect their SMS marketing to become even more effective. As of now, Uganda is home to approximately seven million smartphone users—a number that only looks to increase in the years to come.

The Bottom Line

The future of bulk SMS marketing in Uganda appears bright. Due to a number of social and economical conditions, Uganda appears to be on the cusp of their own digital revolution. Already, the efficiency of bulk SMS marketing is continuing to grow, as the country and its population continue to modernize

By keeping this in mind, companies can better make use of their digital marketing and bulk SMS strategies in Uganda.

Bulk SMS in Africa: How SMS Is Shaping Up in Kenya

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In recent years, Kenya has experienced massive urban growth. This has made it great for new retailers, as they cash in on a growing middle class. Despite extreme economic inequality, Kenya has been able to grow its consumer base. This means more business for those who know how to find it.

Bulk SMS in Africa

Even better, Kenya has worked to digitize its population. In this way, a growing portion of the population can now be reached through digital marketing methods, such as SMS. Companies in Kenya would do well to take advantage of these new digital marketing features to get an early leg up on their competition.

Below, we take a look at the state of bulk SMS in Kenya by looking at vital statistics that affect its efficiency.

Kenya: An Overview

Several factors are currently contributing to the rise of the use of bulk SMS in Kenya. What’s more, many of these same reasons work to make it a much more worthwhile practice.

Some of these are:

  • A Growing Urban Population

With an urban population that hovers just a bit over 25%, Kenya proves to be one of the most modern cities in Africa. Additionally, as a growing percentage of the population moves away from traditional practices to embrace modernity, the country has become a hub for new businesses.

What’s more, this population has become increasingly reliant on these businesses—and used to their methods. Even more importantly, however, this growing urban population is also growing in wealth, meaning that they now have the luxury of spending more money.

This makes them much more of a target audience for businesses.

  • More Smartphone Users

Perhaps even more importantly, Kenya has a high cellphone penetration rate. In other words, a growing proportion of the Kenyan population is now using cellphones.

It’s not difficult to see why this is a boon to SMS marketing. As more individuals have access to smartphones, they’re able to receive new SMS updates. This makes it a much more practical and effective method for business owners to reach potential customers.

Currently, Kenya’s cell phone penetration percentage is right at 20%–meaning that millions within the country make use of their cellphones. This proves great for Internet marketers, as they can be sure to reach a significant portion of the population.

  • More Opportunities for Retailers

So what does this all mean for retailers?

That’s an easy question—more opportunities for business. That’s right—with a growing number of people able to spend money, the number of potential customers a business has continues to climb.

However, in order to take advantage of it, businesses need to realize that they’re at the forefront of a digital revolution. This means taking advantage of new bulk SMS opportunities. Fortunately, the practice is becoming increasingly popular—giving retailers more opportunities.

The Bottom Line

Bulk SMS plays an integral part in the marketing methods of many in Kenya. Because of the growing urban and smartphone-using population, the nation is quickly evolving to meet new technological demands.

SMS, HTTP, and APIs and How They Shape Communication

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New digital technology is changing the face of communication. Specifically, the methods businesses use to get in touch with their customers is different than it ever was before.

With the rise of SMS, HTTP, and APIs, communication can now be handled in a quick and convenient method that’s unprecedented in the history of business-client communications.

SMS, HTTP, and APIs and How They Shape Communication

To understand the benefit these systems have for your business, you must first understand just how they have worked to change the game. Below, we’ll show you just how these processes have made communication easier and more efficient than ever before.

Before Legal Loopholes

One of the most beneficial ways that they have helped businesses is that they have closed legal loopholes. In order to communicate en masse to your customers, you’ll need to compile a large data list.

And this kind of information is the sort that’s long been protected by data privacy laws. Additionally, businesses would need secure storing methods, making it difficult to put together a cohesive marketing plan.

The introduction of new technology has changed that. And though there is new legislation, such as the GDPR, that works to limit what businesses can do, communication is now much easier than ever before.

By having opt-ins that are clearly visible to consumers, businesses can now get large amounts of consumer data and use it for their marketing campaigns. This proves a boon to businesses, as they can more efficiently run revenue-boosting marketing campaigns.

Now Can Be Done Easily Through APIs

But how do these new forms of communication work? Consider the following information.

For starters, one must not overlook the power of an API in their digital marketing campaign. APIs give businesses the functionality they need to reach their consumers in bulk.

With the right API, businesses can input their data and start to contact their customers en masse. This proves the perfect solution to any digital marketing campaign, including SMS marketing.

For example, the right API gives businesses the tools they need to start using bulk SMS. By inputting their SMS lists, businesses can use APIs to send our information to all of their subscribers at once. This, of course, proves to be beneficial for businesses that are looking to get in touch with their customers.

What’s more, with APIs becoming increasingly sophisticated, they can now support both one-way and two-way-SMS, making them even more effective. This gives businesses a way to track consumer wants, needs, and their information, making it a more effective form of digital marketing.

By making use of APIs, HTTP, and SMS, businesses can safely store and use consumer information to promote their own deals and brand. Working in unison, this increases a brand’s top of mind awareness and works to better position them in the marketplace.

If you’re looking to grow your own business, it’s time to consider what SMS and APIs can do for you. Make sure to choose the right API for your business—are you needing one-way or two-way SMS, for example, to get maximum results.

2-WAY SMS in a Conversational Bot Era

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2-WAY SMS is one of the most powerful features of a strong SMS campaign. With 2-WAY SMS, both businesses and politicians can start to take control and achieve better results.

To understand how to fully implement 2-WAY SMS in your marketing campaign, you’ll need to have an understanding of SMS autoresponders. With this in mind, you’ll be able to maximize your ROI and start to achieve better results.

SMS personailzation

Before you can do this, however, you’ll need to brush up on SMS autoresponders. Below, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about this powerful functionality, including what they are and how you can create them. Then, we’ll show you just how important SMS autoresponders can be for you.

What Are SMS Autoresponders?

First, let’s start with an easy question. What are SMS autoresponders?

How about only the best way to personalize your SMS marketing campaign? With autoresponders, you can make your bulk SMS strategy feel individualized. This works through the use of SMS short codes that are tailored to specific customers’ needs.

These autoresponders work by sending out a bulk SMS to which customers can reply with different shortcodes. These shortcodes prompt a different response from your automated system, and this is typically a response that works to address their issues. In this way, customers can get quick and accurate service without having to go through the hassle of speaking to customer service.

With these SMS autoresponders in play, you’ll be able to better handle the needs of your clients and increase your brand’s image.

How Can You Create SMS Autoresponders?

So far, SMS autoresponders sound like a pretty sweet deal, right?

But how can you start capitalizing on them to revamp your SMS marketing campaign? To do so, you’ll likely need the assistance of an autoresponder company. These companies can help you establish an SMS autoresponder platform for your business, allowing you to customize your texts as need be.

Remember that these will work through the use of short and long codes. You’ll need to make sure that you set the codes for each bulk SMS autoresponder to get accurate data.

Benefits of SMS Autoresponders

Several benefits to using autoresponders exist. Consider the following benefits below:

  1. Better Data Tracking

With SMS autoresponders, you’ll be able to better track and meet the needs of your customers. By being able to get customer feedback in real time, you’ll have access to the information you need to improve your business.

This will allow you to make the changes you need to better your ROI.

  1. Customer-Friendly Image

Customers tend to prefer businesses that make them feel as if they have value. With an SMS autoresponder, you can get this image, even if you don’t have a large customer support staff.

Because customers will be able to collect vital information from their autoresponder, you’ll be able to boost your image without relying too heavily on support staff.

What’s more, the quick, convenient nature of the autoresponders will help further boost your brand’s image.

Keep this in mind as you implement your own SMS campaign.

2-WAY SMS for Opinion Polls

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2-WAY SMS has proven an effective option for businesses and politicians alike. By creating a 2-way channel that allows for real-time feedback, 2-way SMS helps provide critical information to both parties.

This proves an invaluable asset for individuals or organizations looking to get feedback from their customers. In this way, 2-WAY SMS allows for these parties to better adapt to customer or constituent needs.

2way-SMS

It’s not hard to imagine how this proves incredibly beneficial to both businesses and politicians alike. However, it can be a bit harder fully understanding just how this 2-WAY SMS works. However, with this understanding, you’ll be better on your way to using this powerful functionality for yourself.

Below, we’ll take a look at just how 2-WAY SMS works, but first, let’s consider some of its powerful benefits. Keep these benefits in mind as you work to establish or upgrade your own SMS campaign.

Benefits of 2-WAY SMS

There are several benefits to using 2-WAY SMS. Some of these benefits include:

  1. Better Adaptability

By using 2-WAY SMS, businesses and politicians can get real-time feedback on the needs and wants of their customers. This provides for better adaptability, allowing them to better tailor their campaign structures.

For businesses, this allows management to tailor their practices to better suit consumer tastes. This can increase sales, boost one’s top-of-mind awareness, and even make the business appear more customer-centric.

On the other hand, for politicians, it can have an equally important effect. By understanding the needs, wants, and attitudes of their constituents, politicians can tailor their campaigns for more favorable outcomes. In this way, 2-WAY SMS has become an integral part of the political trail, allowing politicians to increase their chances of winning.

  1. Better Familiarity

What’s more, by having 2-WAY SMS, customers will feel as if their opinions are more appreciated. In this way, businesses can boost their business-friendly image.

This will help set them apart from their competition, as customers tend to gravitate towards businesses that make them feel more appreciated.

How Can 2-WAY SMS Collect Information and Supply It in Real Time

With this in mind, it’s time to consider another question: how does 2-WAY SMS work?

Think of it this way: let’s say you’re a politician sending out bulk SMS. You’re wondering what your constituents think of your stance on a certain issue—say immigration.

By using 2-WAY SMS, you can track this data in real time. 2-WAY SMS works by allowing those on your SMS list to text back a shortcode in the reply. This code will then be translated into trackable information—in our case, a “yes” or a “no,” based on their approval.

As you may be able to tell, 2-WAY SMS provides for a number of creative marketing opportunities. Most importantly, though, it makes for a solid way to collect mass information and keep track of it. In this way, businesses and politicians can keep a better eye on the data that matters to them. For this reason, make sure to add 2-WAY SMS to your campaign.

How Bulk SMS Shapes Retail and Rewards

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Bulk SMS has become a popular marketing method. So popular, in fact, that it’s starting to change the way that businesses do business.

This proves especially true in the retail and rewards sector, where bulk SMS is opening new avenues of communication. By understanding just how SMS is affecting these areas, you can start to capitalize on it for your best benefit.

SMS marketing creative tips

Don’t know where to get started in researching SMS and retail? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! Below, we’ll walk you through the information you need to know about SMS and retail. Our comprehensive overview will give you the insight needed to start using this marketing form to your advantage.

SMS and Retail

So just how is SMS shaping retail? Let us count the ways.

The introduction of this powerful new marketing form has caused a transformation in the industry. And if you’re not keeping pace, you may find that your business is going down. By staying on top of these trends, you can ensure that you’re making more business and enjoying a better ROI.

To understand the impact of SMS on retail, consider the following.

  1. Offering Discounts

One of the most effective methods of using SMS in retail is to offer discounts to customers. Make sure that your customers are up-to-date on all of your sales and specials to further drive your business.

And there’s no better way to let them know that through convenient SMS services. With SMS, you can make sure that your customers are aware of what’s going on at your business—helping them come out.

What’s more, if you make sure to offer exclusive discounts for those who sign up for text alerts, you can expect to see an increase in the number of individuals on your SMS list.

This strategy, known as enticement, can be a great way to encourage customers to opt-in to your SMS list.

  1. Offering Rewards

This can also be done by offering rewards. Can customers receive a special discount or coupon for using SMS? Are they eligible to take part in a special event or promotion?

By working to increase the benefits of joining SMS, you can make it much more appealing for customers in general. This will allow you to build a loyal customer base, as well as a solid SMS list. This will help pave the way for long-term success.

  1. VIP Services

In a nutshell, this means that you’ll need to treat your SMS almost like VIP service. Though customers don’t have to pay to enter, they do get quite a few perks—including specials and rewards that weren’t announced elsewhere. You may even choose to limit some discounts to coupon codes that are found in your SMS marketing.

In this way, you can build an effective SMS list that will start boosting your ROI. By implementing this as part of your digital marketing strategy, you can be sure to start increasing your profits in no time.

How Do You Start with SMS Marketing?

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So you want to get started with SMS marketing—and we can’t say that we blame you. This proven-effective method of marketing has shown to have some of the highest ROI on the market.

But if you’re just starting out, it can be difficult finding just where you should start. The truth is that a mismanaged SMS marketing campaign won’t provide you with the results that you want, and could, in fact, land you in a good bit of trouble.

How Do You Start with SMS Marketing?

For this reason, it’s important to understand just how to get started running your SMS campaign. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. Below, we’ll walk you through the important information that you need to know in order to run an effective SMS marketing campaign.

By following this guide below, you’ll be able to maximize your ROI and cut down on any issues that you may face while implementing your marketing strategy.

Getting Started

To get started with SMS marketing, consider the following information:

  1. Stay Compliant

First and foremost, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re following compliance regulations. Most notably, you’ll want to meet the standards of the GDPR, European legislation that governs what companies can do with consumer information. It also places strict limits on how a company can collect this private information.

There are three main takeaways that you should keep in mind regarding compliance:

  • Provide Opt-Ins—You’ll need to get the consent of any party you use for your SMS marketing campaign. In other words, ask permission to use their number (and emails) before adding them to your list.
  • Provide Opt-Outs—You’ll also want to allow them to optout of your marketing at any time with an unsubscribe option.
  • Data Deletion—Finally, you’ll need to be able to delete all consumer data upon request of a customer.

Build an SMS List

With this information in mind, you’ll want to build an SMS list. This list contains the customers you will be targeting in your SMS campaign. The better your list, the better your ROI will be. For this reason, make sure that you’re taking the time to maintain your list and tailor your marketing methods to suit your customers.

You may also decide to invest in an SMS verifier to make sure that your list stays accurate. With an SMS verifier, you can be sure that the information you have on your list is correct, helping you not target fake or out-of-service numbers. By doing so, you can increase your ROI and start to make higher profits.

The Bottom Line

Starting an SMS campaign may not always be easy—but it’s worth it. With the right SMS strategy, you can start to grow your brand and position your company as a leader in your local market.

To do so, make sure that you start from the basics: putting together a great SMS list. With a great list, you’ll be able to start reaching your customers and driving sales faster than you ever thought possible. Remember to be careful as you do so, however, as you’ll want to meet strict compliancy regulations. In this way, you can ensure that your business stays on good footing.

Why SMS Marketing Beats Email in Any Possible Markets

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Much has been said about the power of email marketing for businesses. And while it’s still an effective means of marketing that businesses shouldn’t ignore, it no longer holds the crown for the best digital marketing method.

Instead, that title now belongs to SMS marketing. This powerful marketing method has come to be used across a variety of industries, from finance to retail to even political campaigns.

Why SMS Marketing Beats Email in Any Possible Markets

If you’re not using SMS marketing, you’re missing out on an incredibly effective way to grow your business. And trust us: it’s not something that you’re going to want to miss out on.

To illustrate just how effective SMS marketing is, consider the following information.

Why SMS Marketing Is King

Just why is it that SMS marketing has an advantage over other forms of marketing—including email? Consider the information below.

  1. Most of the World Has a Cellphone

In today’s day and age, most of the world has a cellphone. And, depending on the industry, you may find that the proportion of individuals with a cellphone is even higher.

This means that you can stay better connected with your customer base. Because you’ll be able to send messages straight to their phones, you can be better sure that your audience is receiving your messages.

This makes SMS marketing an incredibly convenient method for both your and your customers. In this way, you can start increasing your top of mind awareness in a way that’s beneficial for all involved.

  1. High Clickthrough and Response Rates

But that’s not the only reason that SMS marketing is so effective. Not only are you sending your messages straight to their phones, you’re also ensuring that they’ll respond.

That’s right—studies have shown that customers are more likely to respond to SMS marketing than they are to emails and other forms. This results in higher clickthrough rates and a boost to your business.

  1. Brevity Necessitates Quality

When sending an SMS, you’re going to be bound by a strict character limit. This will force you to come up with a quick, catchy message to entice your customers.

This makes customers much more likely to read and to respond to your messages than if you had sent a wordy email. Not only that, but you’ll be forced to make your short words extra powerful, helping to leave a deeper impression on your target audience.

  1. Cheaper for Businesses

Don’t forget that SMS marketing is cheaper than email. Several factors play into this, such as the smaller word count and different platform, helping make SMS a more cost-effective means of reaching your customers.

When combined with the fact that SMS marketing also produces a greater ROI, it’s not difficult to see why it’s become the marketing platform of choice.

The Bottom Line

SMS marketing offers a powerful ROI that you’ll be hard-pressed to find with any other form of digital marketing—including email.

By making SMS a part of your marketing strategy, you can boost your ROI in no time.

Bulk SMS in the UK

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Bulk SMS has become an important part of marketing strategies for many retailers in the UK. With a growing number of mobile phone users, the country has a growing SMS market.

Those looking to maximize their business in the UK should capitalize on this expanding bulk SMS market. With a high number of cellphone users and a sprawling urban environment, the UK has become a hot market for those looking to conduct bulk SMS marketing.

Bulk SMS in the UK

In fact, bulk SMS has made its way through several different sections of the UK market. Join us below as we take a look at how SMS has affected the UK and then look at just why SMS has proven so effective.

SMS Uses in the UK

Sow, how is SMS being used in the UK?

How about in just about every way imaginable. That’s right, businesses of all types in the UK have come to understand the importance of SMS marketing to their profits.

Retail

Retailers in the UK have discovered the important benefits of SMS marketing. From showcasing new, hot deals to keeping in touch with customers, retailers make use of SMS marketing to maintain their top of mind awareness.

Loan Providers

Does someone owe you a payment? Do you need to remind them of their upcoming obligations? If so, join other lenders in the UK who make use of SMS marketing to keep their customers on track.

With SMS marketing, you can help ensure that your payments come in on time—allowing your business to run even more smoothly.

Medical Providers

Are you a general practitioner? Do you need an effective way to remind your patients of their upcoming appointments?

Make SMS marketing your option of choice.

Like thousands of other practices across the UK, you can start using SMS marketing to better connect with your patients.

But why, exactly, has bulk SMS become so effective in the UK? Consider the following reasons below.

The Rise of Bulk SMS

Bulk SMS has become an effective means for marketing in the UK for several reasons. These reasons include:

  • High Smartphone Penetration Rate—The UK currently enjoys a smartphone penetration rate of over 70%. This is an increase of almost 50% when compared to figures just eight short years ago. This meteoric rise has made SMS a much more effective marketing means in the nation. With so many individuals now having access not just to cellphones, but smartphones as well, SMS has become increasingly effective.
  • Modern Population—What’s more, the UK enjoys a high urban population rate. These individuals generally stay more technologically-connected and up-to-date with the latest trends—such as SMS marketing. This has helped SMS become a bigger player in the UK market than other forms of marketing.

The Bottom Line

SMS in the UK has become a common and powerfully effective way to market. With businesses of all types and sizes now realizing the power of SMS marketing, it’s come to be a major player across a variety of industries. No matter what field your business is in, it’s time to consider using SMS marketing to get ahead in the UK.

SMS Marketing in Cyprus

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SMS marketing has become an increasingly popular and effective means of reaching consumers in Cyprus. With the population now staying more connected than ever, it’s time for businesses to modernize and accept this powerful digital marketing method.

SMS marketing in Cyprus

Several reasons exist as to why bulk SMS has become so effective in Cyprus. By understanding these methods, you can start to grow your business. With a heightened understanding of SMS marketing, you’ll be able to start making bigger profits and increasing your ROI.

To do this, consider the following important information that you need to know about SMS marketing in Cyprus.

Population

Cyprus has a modest population, standing at just a little over a million people. However, with the population enjoying many of the benefits of modern society, multiple business opportunities exist.

In order to capitalize on these opportunities, however, business owners should start utilizing SMS marketing.

To understand why SMS marketing is so effective in Cyprus, consider the following information.

High Smart Phone Penetration

By far the most important consideration to make when starting SMS marketing is the cellphone usage rate in a certain area.

Think of it this way: if the population doesn’t have a cellphone, you’re not going to be very effective at reaching them through SMS. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that the area has a high cellphone penetration rate.

The good news is that Cyprus enjoys a high cellphone penetration rate, especially among the younger generation. The truth is that most people in Cyprus have smartphones, making it incredibly useful and convenient to reach your consumers in this manner.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the different businesses that are making use of smartphones in Cyprus.

Local Businesses

Several local businesses in Cyprus make use of bulk SMS marketing. Consider how the following businesses make use of this popular marketing technique.

Insurance Companies

Insurance companies enjoy incredible benefits from SMS marketing in that they can start cutting down on missed payments. With SMS alerts, customers will be reminded to make their payments when they come due—helping prevent the occurrence that they forget to make a payment.

This allows customers to better plan for their payments—helping insurance companies get a better ROI.

Pet Examinations

Veterinarians know the hassle of having customers miss their appointments. Not only can this be frustrating, but it can result in lower profits.

If you’re looking to avoid this, consider investing in bulk SMS. With bulk SMS, veterinarians can set up appointment reminders in advance, helping ensure that people won’t miss their appointments.

Payments

But it’s not just insurance companies and veterinarians that can benefit from payment reminders. In fact, any business that relies on recurring payments can benefit from SMS marketing. By setting up reminders with customers, businesses will be able to take better care of their finances.

Special Offers

Does your company have any special offers? Do you have any great deals that your customers should know about?

Let bulk SMS help you spread the word. With the right bulk SMS technique, you’ll be able to promote your special offers to increase your ROI.

Retail

Retail, in particular, can take advantage of bulk SMS to better inform customers of any current deals or specials taking place. This will help drive business and lead to sustained growth.

GDPR

Finally, keep in mind that while doing SMS in Cyprus, you’ll need to consider the GDPR. This European-passed legislation imposes strict requirements on data collection, meaning that you’ll need to get opt-in permission to use a customer’s information.

By keeping this in mind, you’ll be better equipped to run a successful SMS campaign in Cyprus.

GDPR and SMS Marketing: What to Watch

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SMS marketing has proven to be a highly-effective form of digital marketing. However, if you’re not careful, you could be landing your business in serious legal trouble.

That’s because several regulations governing the use of SMS marketing exist. Without staying on top of these regulations, you could be risking legal fines and other measures.

The GDPR, a measure recently passed by the European Union, is the largest legislation you need to be aware of when conducting your SMS marketing campaign. Though the legislation only affects companies that deal with customers in the European Union, it’s best to abide by this legislation entirely if you’re going to be running a business online. Because it can be difficult to determine where your customers are from, by meeting GDPR regulations across the board, you can avoid legal headaches for later.

With this in mind, consider the following information that you should know about the GDPR.

Stay Compliant

First and foremost, you’re going to want to stay compliant. Under the GDPR, this means giving your customers full consent and control over the data that you collect of them.

For instance, they’ll need to give express consent to have their data used for marketing purposes—including SMS and email. You’ll also need to be able to delete any of their information should they request it.

In this way, make sure that you set up your business in such a way that you can give control to your customers.

Gather Opt-in/Consent-Based Numbers

To do this, first, you’ll need to get opt-in permissions from your customers. During your online signup forms, you can add this option. Just be careful that customers can clearly see the opt-in and that they understand they’re using their mobile number for marketing purposes.

In this way, you can meet the requirements to gather opt-in numbers. By having permission from your customers, you’ll be able to start adding them to your marketing campaign.

Keep in mind, as well, that you’re going to need to store this sensitive information in a secure place—and that you’re going to need access to it rather quickly if an issue arises. For this reason, take care in how you store your data—as it can be just as important.

Provide Optout Links or Unsubscribe Options

Remember that just having an opt-in option isn’t enough. In order to stay GDPR compliant, you’re going to need to give your customers an opt-out option as well.

This will allow them to leave your marketing campaign and drop off your list if they no longer wish to subscribe to your messages. Obviously, your goal is to run a marketing campaign that will attract customers so much that they don’t opt out—but should the need arise, you’re going to want to be compliant.

For this reason, you may wish to attach a clear unsubscribe option to your messages. This will help make sure that you’re staying compliant and giving customers the resources they need.

Bulk SMS in Eastern Europe and How It’s Shaping Retail: Greece

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Introduction

Greece is one of the most modern nations in Europe, with an urban population of nearly 80%. Extensively developed and rich in infrastructure, the nation makes a prime target for businesses that wish to engage in SMS marketing.

Bulk SMS in Greece

With the advent of smartphone technology, the growth in SMS marketing in Greece has been steady over the last decade. As more and more Greeks turn to their phones, this number is likely to increase in the coming years. For this reason, it’s crucial that we take a more detailed look at the state of bulk SMS marketing in Greece and examine how the practice could be shaping retail in the small Eastern European nation.

Greece Overview

One of the oldest nations in Europe, Greece is surprisingly modern. As of 2019, 78.2% of the population live in urban areas, making the country one of the most developed in terms of population and infrastructure. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how and why SMS marketing could be effective in Greece.

  1. Smartphone Penetration: Nearly seven million of the (nearly) eleven million Greeks own a smartphone. This makes smartphone penetration in the country an impressive 63.4%. These numbers are even higher among younger Greeks and those who are interested in e-commerce shopping and non-traditional means of retail and marketing. Essentially, this means that SMS marketing is an effective means of advertising for Greek businesses or businesses that wish to break into the Greek market. With the number of smartphone users only increasing by the year, it’s likely that this statistic will carry even more weight at the end of this decade. For this reason, it’s crucial that business owners take advantage of the current opportunity to invest in a quality bulk SMS marketing campaign so that they can get a head start on their competitors and secure their future market space.
  2. Affordability: Greece has a solid SMS infrastructure with over six different mobile networks. Because of this, the country boasts affordable SMS rates for companies that wish to take their operations to the next level. Simply put, it’s never been easier to engage in SMS marketing in Greece. This means that the time is now for businesses to take advantage of low prices and maximize their outreach!

The Bottom Line

One of the most developed nations in Eastern Europe, Greece has positioned itself as one of the prime locations for SMS marketing. With smartphone penetration rates high and a booming urban population, the nation only looks to embrace this form of marketing more in the future.

This means that businesses that wish to protect their assets and secure their market space must act now to invest in SMS marketing campaigns in Greece. It’s clear that the practice is already changing retail in the nation, and with more and more Greeks turning to smartphones every year, it’s only reasonable to assume that the SMS revolution has just begun.

With this in mind, it’s time to invest in your own bulk SMS marketing campaign in Greece!

The Effectiveness of Bulk SMS for Election Campaigns

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The benefits of SMS for business are no secret. But one of its most useful applications is one that many probably haven’t heard of: election campaigns.

That’s right—bulk SMS has proven to be an effective means of campaigning for a number of politicians. In fact, even in the last US election, both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton made widespread use of bulk SMS to further their campaigns.

SMS election campaign.

Below, we’ll examine the utility of bulk SMS for election campaigns, focusing on its utility in past election cycles.

Bulk SMS in the 2016 US Presidential Election

SMS marketing played a large role in the 2016 US Presidential Election. Compare how both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton used SMS to reach their voters.

Donald Trump

The winner of the US Presidential Election, Trump may be argued to have had the better SMS strategy of the two. A look at the two candidates’ approaches reveals that Trump did use his SMS a bit differently than Hillary.

Could these differences have helped him get elected? It’s possible.

Perhaps one of the largest differences between the two candidates is that Trump made more creative use of MMS. In fact, Trump became the first politician ever to send an MMS video to his voters—something that Hillary would never do.

In doing so, Trump was able to tie in his long-standing Trump brand into his election campaign. A branding master, Donald Trump perfectly utilized his SMS campaign to get contributions and donations from his supporters.

Even more importantly, Trump still maintains an active campaign and has done so throughout his presidency, helping him stay connected to his voters while in office. This unprecedented strategy is expected to give the President a boost in the 2020 election, as he has made sure to stay on the campaign trail for a number of years.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary also made use of a far-reaching SMS campaign, and though she didn’t win the election, she did manage to win the popular vote. This speaks to the utility of her approach.

Unlike Trump, however, she did not make use of MMS video, though she did make pictures a part of her campaign. Additionally, studies have shown that she tried for a more casual style and way of reaching her voters.

Neither candidate was the first to make use of SMS in an election. For example, former US President Barack Obama had a comprehensive campaign that made use of SMS to his ultimate advantage.

With SMS an increasingly popular option for elections, it would benefit all politicians to invest in a robust SMS marketing strategy. With a great SMS campaign, politicians can stay better connected to their constituents and potential voters.

What’s more, as SMS continues to evolve, these leaders will need to stay on top of current trends. By missing out on the latest innovations, they can find themselves down when compared to their competitors. For this reason, be sure to make use of the latest-and-greatest in SMS technology as you prepare your election campaign.

Bulk SMS ROI Compared to Email, Social, and Other Channels

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Are you a business owner looking for an effective way to market? If so, it’s time to turn to bulk SMS advertising. This growing field, which uses automated text campaigns to offer special deals, key information, and other business data to consumers, provides businesses with many benefits.

Still, you may be wondering how it stacks up against other forms of advertising such as email and social media. In this post, we’ll examine the benefits of bulk SMS and analyze its ROI compared to traditional marketing channels.

The Facts

When compared to email, social media, and other marketing channels, bulk SMS offers several key benefits. Notably, the service is highly cost-effective and quick to use. Unlike traditional marketing, which requires extensive paid advertising, SMS allows you to market to your consumers for just a few cents per text.

And the results are quite clear. With over 98% of consumers checking their SMS alerts, it’s evident that SMS marketing is driving the future of business marketing. While emails and other text promos are left unopened in a consumer’s inbox (or even spam folder), SMS marketing texts are generally opened within the first three to five minutes.

What does this say about bulk SMS? Simply put, it means that bulk SMS offers a much higher return on ROI than other forms of marketing—even social media. Data consistently bear out that consumers will always check their text messages, even if they deactivate their Facebook accounts.

For your business, this signifies the importance of an effective bulk SMS campaign that can reach thousands of individuals for low costs. If you are looking for an advertising method that can give you the greatest return on your investment, there’s simply no better strategy than bulk SMS.

Let’s put it this way: who doesn’t want to make thousands of dollars simply by paying a few cents? If you wish to be part of this, it’s time to invest in SMS marketing. No matter whether you’re a startup or a major player, SMS can offer you high-end benefits for a fraction of the cost.

The best part? Bulk SMS marketing has been proven to drive business, grow customer loyalty, and increase brand recognition. This means that this marketing strategy goes far beyond giving you simple monetary returns on your investment.

In other words, what you’re really getting with bulk SMS is an ROI that yields strong and sustainable customer loyalty—which can drive business for months and even years to come. Bulk SMS marketing offers more intangibles than any other form of digital or mobile marketing. For this reason, businesses that have not yet embraced SMS services should seek to do so in the near future in order to remain competitive. With a majority of businesses seeking to increase their SMS budgets in 2019, it’s imperative that businesses start now to mold the perfect SMS campaign.

SMS.to offers businesses with an easier way to do SMS marketing. With this top-end service, you can increase your business’s name recognition and start generating more profits and traffic to your company’s website.

SMS Marketing Statistics in 2019

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SMS marketing has exploded over the last decade, with businesses across a variety of sectors embracing SMS platforms. Still, it’s hard to imagine the current state of SMS marketing without looking at a number of key statistics.

SMS Marketing Statistics

In this post, we’ll examine some of the most important SMS marketing statistics of 2019 and analyze the current state of this increasingly-important advertising technique.

  • 61% of Businesses Have Yet to Embrace SMS

Despite the SMS “boom,” a majority of businesses have still not embraced the platform. With 61% of businesses still out of the loop on SMS, engaging in targeted SMS campaigns for your business could give you a distinct competitive edge.

This means that businesses should focus more on developing effective SMS strategies that could put them ahead of their rivals and increase their brand loyalty and recognition with consumers.

  • 98% of SMS Alerts Are Read by Consumers

Businesses might not have fully embraced SMS, but consumers have. In fact, data reveal that 98% of SMS alerts are read by consumers. This rate is significantly higher than the rates for email and phone responses.

This means that SMS will likely play a much more significant role in future business marketing. For businesses that haven’t yet capitalized on the success of SMS, low SMS competition and high success rates dictate that the time to start employing SMS marketing strategies is now.

  • 33% of Businesses Plan to Target Loyal Customers through SMS Rewards

Brands are always looking for ways to reward their loyal customers. With SMS, they have an effective way to do just that. That’s perhaps why 33% of businesses plan to target their loyal customers through SMS rewards in 2019.

This means that brands are increasingly seeing the impact that SMS can have on developing a sense of loyalty and connection between themselves and their consumers. Over the coming year, it’s likely that even more businesses take advantage of this trend to better position themselves in the eyes of their consumers.

  • 47% of Marketers Believe Retail Uses SMS Most Effectively

When it comes to SMS, it seems one industry is a clear winner. According to 47% of marketers, the retail industry leads the way in terms of SMS API marketing. This means that SMS competition in the retail market may be fiercer than in other fields.

Still, it also means that businesses looking to start successful SMS campaigns of their own should look to the retail industry to find a catalogue of effective work from which to draw inspiration.

  • 73% of Businesses Plan to Increase their SMS Budgets

With all this being said, it seems that even businesses that have not yet embraced SMS will do so in the near future. Specifically 73% of businesses plan to increase their SMS budgets in 2019, marking a dramatic shift in marketing strategy. With the effectiveness of SMS marketing no longer in question, it’s imperative that marketers in a variety of industries take advantage of SMS to grow their businesses and increase their brand recognition amongst consumers.

Bulk SMS in Africa: How SMS Is Shaping Up in Ethiopia

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Ethiopia’s strategic location makes it a regional powerhouse. And with approximately 20% of the population now living in urban areas, the country continues to use its location to increase its overall development.

Ethiopia

Because of this, there are now more business opportunities than ever in the country. Even more importantly, however, is that this growing population has put more money in the hands of Ethiopians. In turn, this has led them to embrace new-age technology—such as smartphones.

Due to this, Ethiopia is on the cusp of its own digital revolution—and business owners and marketers should take note. Under these conditions, bulk SMS has become an increasingly important form of marketing in the nation, and it just might help your business, too, if you’re looking to open shop in Ethiopia.

For these reasons, check out the following information relating to the state of SMS marketing in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: An Overview

Though much of Africa continues to lag behind when it comes to digital development, Ethiopia is looking to be a trailblazer in its region. Because of its proximity to a number of trading areas, Ethiopia enjoys a robust population. Additionally, businesses make use of SMS marketing for all of the following reasons:

  • The Country Continues to Digitize

Though Africa is one of the last continents to feel the effects of the digital revolution, one may now say that it’s in full swing in Ethiopia.

Already, the country is one of the highest-rated in Africa in terms of smartphone penetration. In fact, some studies show that it’s ranked thirty-second overall in the world.

From this, it’s easy to tell that Ethiopia is looking to digitize. This participation in the digital revolution has helped make Ethiopia one of the most prosperous and business-friendly countries in the region.

  • The Population Is Becoming More Modern

All of this means, too, that the population is becoming more modern. As they continue to accept new modern trends and take advantage of them, businesses are now seeing a boost in the number of overall customers they can reach.

What’s more, it’s also likely that these same customers are more likely to reply or respond, as they’ve become connected through a number of new digital avenues—of which SMS marketing should be included.

  • It’s Becoming Increasingly Effective

All of this works to make SMS marketing in the region increasingly effective. With a growing number of citizens using smartphones, and with a growing urban population, Ethiopia is becoming a great country for businesses to target with their bulk SMS marketing

With the proper SMS marketing tactics, businesses in Ethiopia can start to see an upswing in their overall profits and in their customer participation rates.

The Bottom Line

Due to a number of factors, Ethiopia is becoming a receptive recipient of SMS marketing. With a growing number of the population now connected with smartphones, this popular form of marketing is more effective than ever.

For this reason, it’s becoming used by a growing number of businesses that are looking to capitalize on its effects. If you’re looking to boost your business in Ethiopia, consider adding this great technique to your marketing strategy.

7 Reasons You Need a Reliable SMS Gateway for Your Business

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If you’re a business owner, you may have considered using an SMS gateway for your business. You’ve seen others use them to great success, but you’re still not sold on whether or not SMS is right for you.

SMS gateway

In this post, we’ll tell you seven of the most important reasons why you need a reliable SMS gateway for your business. Ready? Let’s start!

  1. Cost-effective

SMS wouldn’t be so popular if it weren’t so cost-effective. Whereas traditional print and digital marketing schemes can cost your business thousands of dollars, SMS marketing can be completed for just a few cents per text. This dramatically reduces the cost of advertising while ensuring that you reach a wider demographic.

  1. Universal Accessibility

In today’s world, nearly everyone has a smartphone. This means that it’s never been easier to advertise through texts. By connecting with various service providers, SMS marketers can provide businesses with a platform that can be used just about anywhere.

This can only mean one thing. With universal accessibility, businesses can capitalize on a broader market and enjoy greater sales.

  1. Widespread

What’s more, the use of SMS gateways to market business products and services is becoming increasingly widespread. This means that businesses that don’t take advantage of this amazing marketing technique are in danger of losing out to the competition.

For businesses that wish to stay on top, embracing SMS technology is a must headed into the next era. Though the technology has been around for decades, its prevalence and effectiveness only look to increase in the coming years.

  1. Ease of Integration

No two businesses are the same. For this reason, SMS technology is compatible with a variety of different business formats. Whether you use HTTP, REST, SOAP, or any other platform, you can count on SMS to have you covered.

How is this possible? Simply put, API integration can seamlessly connect existing business software with valuable SMS systems. This ease makes SMS an attractive option for businesses looking for a cheaper, easier way to market.

  1. Speed

If you’re a business owner, you have a few options. You could cold call your consumers, but that might make them angry. You could email them, but they might not respond. Or, most wisely, you could text your customers… and likely get a response.

Data indicates that text messages have a response rate eight times higher than that of email. This means that the speed of SMS marketing is a game changer for businesses everywhere. If you’re looking to increase the speed of your advertising campaigns, SMS marketing may be the way to go.

  1. Measurable

SMS marketing also provides businesses with a way to track progress. This means that businesses who use SMS are able to see what’s working and what’s not and make modifications to their marketing strategies where necessary.

Having a system that’s can be measured is huge for any business looking for real growth. This means that businesses striving for competitive gains should turn to SMS for their marketing needs.

  1. Highly-effective

The proof is in the pudding: SMS marketing is highly-effective for businesses around the world. As a cheap alternative to traditional marketing, SMS offers surprisingly beneficial results. In fact, it could be said that SMS marketing is a key component of any future business’s marketing strategy.

For this reason, it’s time for businesses to turn to SMS and see directly how it can benefit them.

Bulk SMS in Africa: How SMS Is Shaping Up in Nigeria

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Nigeria has become one of Africa’s best-known success stories. With an urban population at nearly 50%, this African powerhouse is home to some of the most affluent in the region.

This sprawling urban center is home to one of the largest customer bases in the area. This makes it great for businesses who are looking to get off the ground in Africa. Because of their cosmopolitan attitudes, Nigerians prove to be some of the most up-to-date on the continent.

Bulk SMS in Nigeria

Coupled with this is the fact that Nigerians are at the forefront of the technological revolution in Africa, and you can see why bulk SMS has become an effective marketing means in the country.

In fact, for those who are looking to do business in this African nation, bulk SMS proves one of the most effective marketing methods. But what do you need to know about bulk SMS in Nigeria? Let’s take a look.

Nigeria: An Overview

The state of bulk SMS in Nigeria proves strong for several reasons. For those looking to take their businesses to the next level, consider the following reasons why bulk SMS is a powerful tool that may help you.

  • Large Urban Population

One of the most important factors leading to the success of bulk SMS in Nigeria is its large urban population. This large population has more cosmopolitan attitudes, making them much more likely to respond to marketing schemes.

What’s even more impressive is that Nigeria’s urban population currently stands right at 50%–one of the highest in all of Africa. This makes it one of the best places for business—and means that it has one of the most affluent customer bases.

For this reason, bulk SMS proves especially effective in Nigeria—and this will only continue to increase in the coming years, as the nation continues to develop.

  • Growing Number of Smartphone Users

With over 25 million smartphone users, Nigeria has a large number of consumers who can be reached through SMS marketing. This makes it an especially effective strategy in the nation, as a number of people own smartphones.

Even better, this number continues to increase as the country modernizes. This means that there’s room to grow. Currently, smartphone penetration in this African nation stands at just 13%–meaning that millions more can be expected to start using smartphones in the coming years. This makes SMS marketing an emerging, yet effective, means of digital marketing.

  • Increasing Business Opportunities

Because of both of these factors, there’s a growing number of business opportunities. And as these businesses grow in number, they’re also increasing their marketing tactics.

And yes, that means that they’re not using SMS marketing, too. Because of this introduction, Nigerians are familiar with SMS marketing and may respond more favorably to it.

The Bottom Line

Nigeria is one of the most successful countries in Africa. Because of its high urban population, it proves one of the most susceptible to the benefits of SMS marketing.

With a large proportion of the population now modernizing and beginning to use smartphones, one can expect SMS marketing in the region to become a powerful force in the years to come.

Creative Ways to Engage Your Audience with Bulk SMS

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Are you a business owner looking to take full advantage of bulk SMS to grow your marketing campaign and connect with a wider demographic of consumers? If so, then it’s time to find out how you can SMS creatively to engage with a broader audience.

SMS marketing creative tips

In this post, we’ll tell you some of the best insider tips and tricks on how to use SMS marketing to grow your clientele and your business. By following the information in this guide, you can be one step closer to gaining that competitive market edge.

So let’s dive in!

  • Links

Smart businesses know how to integrate SMS API Gateway campaigns with other aspects of their marketing strategies. This means that they use valuable linkbacks that can connect their text messaging campaigns with email marketing strategies and traditional web-based promos.

This is accomplished through links that redirect consumers to landing pages that generate traffic to business websites and ask consumers to sign up for email notifications. With this more connected approach, businesses can stay on top of their marketing at all times.

  • Competitions

Several businesses make use of innovative competitions that can be used to drive increased involvement and sales from their consumers. These competitions can ask consumers to find certain purchases that contain specific codes that can be used to redeem rewards.

Consumers love the idea of competitions, and they love the convenience of accessing these competitions straight from their mobile devices. With over 90% of consumers checking their mobile devices every five minutes, businesses that take advantage of these competitions are priming themselves for increased sales and greater brand awareness.

  • Special Offers

Similarly, businesses can offer consumers links and codes to special offers that can be redeemed for discounts, vouchers, and other rewards. This will help drive consumer loyalty and increase consumer interaction with your brand. For businesses looking to increase sales, offering mobile-based special offers is a great way to mobilize a consumer base hungry for deals.

The best part? Depending on your business, the number of special offers you can provide is limitless, so SMS marketing offers your business a fool-proof and sustainable marketing advantage!

  • Follow-ups

Another way that businesses are using SMS is to follow up with customers. This can be done to measure customer satisfaction and gain valuable feedback pertaining to customers’ unique experiences. With these follow-ups, businesses can glean key data that can be used to modify ineffective marketing strategies and increase conversions and re-buying intentions for “colder” customers.

With an increase in SMS technology, businesses are taking advantage of the above creative strategies to drive consumer engagement with their products and services and generate more sustainable sales. If you’re ready to try SMS marketing for your business, remember that there’s no better time to start than the present. With SMS.to, you can take advantage of these marketing pros to increase your market space and grow your business. This means that it’s time to see what you can do to expand your profits through bulk SMS today!

Viber Messenger and Why It’s Quickly Shaping into an Important Business Channel

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Are you ready to find out why businesses around the world are turning to Viber Messenger? In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this increasingly-popular social app and find out why it’s become one of the most important business channels of 2019.

Viber Messenger and Why It’s Quickly Shaping into an Important Business Channel

In general, Viber Messenger is increasingly favored by businesses because of its high popularity, ease of use with customers, high levels of encryption, and ability to promote brands. Let’s take a look at each of these points, in turn, to see what Viber Messenger can do for your business.

  • Volume of Users

Businesses love Viber because it’s popular. Simply put, having more people means more marketing opportunities—and Viber’s got plenty of people. According to the app’s official website, the service has over one billion unique users worldwide.

Needless to say, not many apps can say that.

What’s more, with over seven million interactions every minute the app is one of the most widely used and popular in the world. It’s no wonder, then, that businesses have turned to Viber as a prime marketing source.

It’s this simple: Viber offers a massive and diverse client base that businesses can use to their marketing advantage.

  • Instant Communication with the Customer

Additionally, Viber offers instant communication with customers. Because of the app’s instant messaging nature, businesses can now connect with customers at record rates. This means that customer service has never been easier. Brands like Coca-Cola and Shakira have already partnered with Viber to offer high-level customer service and gain quicker feedback from their fans.

With this instant communication comes better marketing opportunities, as well. Brands are now able to direct concerned customers to their webpages and generate traffic to their websites. This makes Viber a superior marketing option.

  • Encryption

Viber advertises high-end encryption that’s designed to keep business and personal data safe. For this reason, it’s become an increasingly popular option for brands that wish to keep their data private. With top-level security, the app ensures a seamless business experience.

For the consumer, Viber allows for a convenient way to interact with established brands without fear of data breaches. For this reason, an increasing number of businesses and consumers look to partner with Viber in the years to come.

  • Create Accounts to Promote Your Brand

In the past, Viber allowed for Profile Accounts that could be used to promote brands. Now the app is working on Communities that will allow brands to get their stories out there and interact with a wide base of consumers.

This makes Viber an attractive landing spot for business for several reasons. For starters, brands now have the ability to market to a wide demographic for low rates. On top of this, they can see their consumers’ feedback in real time, ensuring effective changes can be made to their marketing strategies when necessary.

As you can see, Viber looks to play a major role in business in the coming years. Due to its ease, security, and marketing opportunities, the service is quickly becoming one of the hottest social apps for business in the world.

Bulk SMS in Cyprus

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For those looking to get into the bulk SMS market in Cyprus, it’s worth going over a bit of information. In general, Cyprus poses a great market for bulk SMS advertising, with several nationwide carriers and a high population of mobile phone users.

Let’s take a look at some specific data concerning mobile phone use in Cyprus and how that can affect bulk SMS marketing there.

Bulk SMS in Cyprus

For starters, there are several notable networks in Cyprus: CYTA, MTN, and PrimeTel PLC to name a few. With the right bulk SMS service, you will find it easy to market through all these major carriers—plus more! With the popularization of SMS technology, more and more carriers are embracing the prospects of SMS notifications and marketing.

But just how prevalent is mobile use in Cyprus? You may be surprised at the numbers. As of 2019, nearly 100% of residents own mobile phones, with over 94% of residents reading their texts within the first four minutes of receiving them.

Those are some pretty impressive numbers, and they should encourage anyone looking to do business with SMS in Cyprus. With a vibrant community of mobile phone users, there’s never been a better time to market in Cyprus. In fact, with the nation’s large percentage of mobile phone users, it can be considered a mobile hotspot and a prime location for your SMS campaigns.

As of 2015, Cyprus enjoyed an average mobile penetration rate of 96%. What’s more, the nation boasted around 2.3 mobile phones per household. Those numbers alone are strong indicators of the nation’s readiness for SMS campaigns. With this data, it’s clear that SMS marketing in Cyprus is the way to go! Reach more people than ever before with targeted text ad campaigns that can reach nearly 100% of Cyprus households.

For businesses and consumers alike, it’s important to realize that Cyprus falls under the jurisdiction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The law, passed by the European Union in 2016, seeks to protect consumers against unfair data collection and sharing. For business owners, this means that any data collected as part of SMS campaigns must be willingly disclosed to the consumer. What’s more, the regulation requires that businesses follow proper data collection protocols and seek measures to protect personal data.

Those seeking business in Cyprus must understand the current regulatory climate and adjust accordingly. For the most part, however, businesses should be thrilled to participate in proven-effective SMS campaigns in Cyprus. With nearly one million individuals, an overwhelming majority of whom have mobile phone access, the nation is a prime location for future SMS marketing.

With the diverse applications of bulk SMS marketing, a variety of businesses should capitalize on Cyprus’s readiness to do business by investing in SMS ad campaigns in the island nation. Data indicate that businesses that do will notice a substantial financial return.

SMS.to offers businesses a high-quality SMS tool that can be used to promote business, grow sales, and increase brand loyalty. If you’re looking for a top-end SMS service, there’s no better time to invest than now!

How Supermarkets Keep More Customers Engaged with SMS Marketing

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Over the last few years, supermarkets have joined an increasingly large number of businesses that have turned to SMS marketing to keep customers more engaged with their services. With interactive opt-in features, these supermarkets are using bulk SMS strategies to effectively market to an interested and passionate demographic, thereby boosting sales and generating profits.

 How Supermarkets Keep More Customers Engaged with SMS Marketing

In this post, we’ll look at some of the specific ways that supermarkets are using SMS marketing to keep customers involved with and excited about their services.

  • Send Regular Special Offers

No one likes saving money more than the average grocery shopper. That’s why we have extreme couponing. Now, with SMS-delivered special offers, consumers have a completely modernized way to shop discounts. Instead of waiting for coupons to be delivered in the mail or searching them out in the store, customers can now have regular special offers delivered straight to their phones.

This streamlines the shopping process for the average consumer and increases the supermarket’s chances of hosting a successful sale. As you can see, then, SMS marketing provides the perfect platform for increased growth and consumer interaction for your business.

  • Providing Methods to Unsubscribe

Another way that supermarkets are keeping their customers engaged is by providing them with ways to unsubscribe. In general, customers choose to sign up for text message alerts, and they can choose to stop receiving those alerts at any time.

This makes SMS marketing pressure free for the consumer. Unlike past marketing strategies that sought to junk up consumers’ mailboxes with spam ads and flyers, SMS offers no disadvantages to the consumer. For this reason, more and more consumers are choosing SMS alerts as a hassle and pressure free way to do their shopping.

  • Competitions and Freebies

Nothing keeps consumers engaged more than competitions—for free stuff. Supermarkets know this and regularly take advantage of the fact through SMS alerts. By promoting special deals that come available through competition, store owners are making sure that consumers focus on their brands and invest money into their goods.

For both the consumer and the business owner, then, bulk SMS alerts provide for a better shopping experience. Customers engaged in competitions (such as who can find the winning text code featured on a select few of a certain product) are more likely to patronize a particular business, thus driving sales and increasing customer loyalty to the brand.

  • Targeted Approach

What’s more, supermarkets are able to use SMS alerts to target a specific demographic of customers that are willing to spend more money and invest more time in shopping at their location. Because customers must opt-in for SMS alerts, businesses can be sure that their SMS strategies are targeting a more passionate and interesting demographics.

This drives consumer spending in what’s arguably a business’s most important demographic and helps supermarkets increase sales. For this reason, bulk SMS API alerts look to be a central part of supermarket marketing strategies moving forward.

With this in mind, it’s time that businesses check out the versatile and powerful SMS.to! This highly-effective bulk SMS service can revolutionize your business’s marketing and help grow your business.

Sell 18% More Real Estate with SMS Marketing

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With SMS marketing, real estate has never been easier. Gone are the days of endless phone calls, where you may or may not reach the customer on the other end. With data suggesting that 90% of text messages are read in the first five minutes, you can be sure that your real estate SMS texts are reaching your intended audience.

Real Estate

If you’re looking to see how you can sell 18% more real estate with SMS marketing, you’ve come to the right place. In order to answer this question, let’s take a look at four of the most commonly used SMS marketing tactics in real estate. Understanding these tactics and applying them in your own business could be the difference between stagnation and a boom in total sales.

  • Include Your SMS Opt-in on Your Signs

For starters, you must let potential clients know that your opt-in exists. What better way to do this than by including your opt-in information on your real estate signs? By doing so, you will attract a wide consumer base who is interested in your property. Most customers will find it much easier and more convenient to opt-in to SMS alerts than they will be calling for information. In this way, SMS alerts can help you expand your outreach and attract potential customers.

  • Autoreply Functionality

With SMS’s convenient autoreply functionality, you can send automated texts to anyone who opts in to your service. This means that you can provide interested customers with immediate information regarding the listing of their choice. This streamlines the selling process and makes it more likely that you connect with a buyer who is willing to look at the home.

By sending automated replies, you are also saving significant time for yourself. By freeing up time, you are making it easier to focus on other aspects of your job, such as in-person meetings and sales.

  • Remind Potential Customers of Open Houses

Want to become a bulk SMS expert? Use the service to send automated reminders to potential customers about upcoming open houses. By doing so, you can greatly increase the attendance of your next open house. This increases the probability that you find an interested buyer and saves you the hassle of calling around.

When you send out automated reminders, you are connecting with an interesting client base who may otherwise have forgotten about the event. For this reason, you can expect SMS services to greatly increase your selling potential.

  • Follow Up

Want to check up on a customer? You can use SMS to ask them to rate their experience, remind them of certain agency events, or even provide them with other listings. Follow-ups are particularly useful in connecting with clients who fell through during your first sell.

Simply put, with SMS, it’s never been easier to turn stubborn customers into great sales. Use bulk SMS services to increase your conversion rates and begin selling more real estate today! With SMS.to, you can be on track to selling more real estate in no time!

How Airlines Use SMS Notifications and Marketing in Their Business

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The impact of SMS marketing on the airline industry has increased in certain years, with several airlines turning to the strategy to reach wider demographics and build stronger relationships with their consumers. Unlike marketing strategies of the past, which largely targeted consumer emails, bulk SMS notifications allow airlines to target the specific needs and desires of consumers in a quick and highly-effective way.

With certain research indicating that around only 2% of text messages go unread, SMS marketing offers airlines with the perfect strategy for reaching out to willing customers. Let’s take a look at a few specific ways that airlines use SMS notifications and marketing to increase their business.

  • Offer Deals

Sever airlines have capitalized on the ease of SMS marketing to offer exclusive deals to consumers. This means offering consumers discounted tickets for flights that did not sell out or cheaper rates for certain seats. By offering these discounts through SMS, airlines are increasing their consumer interaction and raising awareness of their brands.

  • Reward Customers

Perhaps most importantly, however, airlines are using SMS marketing to reward loyal customers. Major companies are now offering loyal passengers with first cracks at upgraded seating, exclusive vouchers, discounted prices, and more.

For customers who frequently fly with a certain airline, SMS “rewards” are becoming another reason to stay loyal to their favorite brands. What’s more, for customers who do not fly with a particular brand, these types of rewards may serve as the impetus for brand loyalty.

This means that airlines wishing to promote loyalty formation amongst customers may use SMS marketing as a primary tool. With such heavy implications on the line, it’s no wonder that more and more airlines are turning to bulk SMS to effectively market to wider demographics.

  • Provide Flight Information

Airlines also have a more pragmatic reason for offering bulk SMS opt-ins for their customers. Increasingly, customers who elect to receive SMS notifications from their airline of choice are receiving valuable information about their upcoming flights.

Specifically, airlines are using these notifications to alert customers of changes in their flight schedules or information. This means that airlines now have a quicker way to notify passengers of any potential delays or influential weather conditions.

This, too, has the power to strengthen customer loyalty and perhaps play a role in the brand formation. With bulk SMS, airlines can now give consumers the immediate impression that they care about them and their scheduled trips.

By preemptively showing concern, airlines can sympathize with their customers and reassure them that everything will be okay. In this way, bulk SMS is providing airlines with an effective way to reach out and subtly market with its consumers.

But what does all this mean? Simply put, it indicates that the future of marketing is in bulk SMS. That’s why we specialize in providing top-end bulk SMS services that businesses can use to increase their profits and their loyal customer base. With SMS.to, your business can take advantage of cost-effective elite marketing techniques that can put you squarely on the map.

6 Clever SMS Marketing Ideas for E-Shops

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Are you the proud owner of an e-shop?

Then it’s likely that you want to increase traffic and business to your e-commerce website. Luckily, SMS alerts provide you with the ultimate marketing tool to grow your consumer base and increase your profits.

In this post, we’ll look at six of the best ways to market your e-shop! Let’s begin!

  • Provide Order Updates

When customers order online, they want to know that they are ordering from a reliable source. For this reason, you want to provide your customers with valuable order updates that let them know the status of their order.

Did their order just ship? Let them know that! Is it expected to arrive in three days? Let them know that, too! With order updates, you can keep your customers in the loop and feeling satisfied.

  • Let Customers Know about New Products

Customers love buying new stuff. This means that you should take advantage of SMS alerts to advertise your new products. If you’ve got a new product sitting in your inventory, take advantage of SMS marketing to get it out there to consumers.

With a simple text message, you can let consumers know about your product and pique their interest in buying it. What’s more, with a link to a specific landing page, you can increase traffic to your website—and the chances that you make a sale.

  • Do a Follow-up

It’s a fact: consumers prefer businesses that care about them. For this reason, make sure you do a follow-up with your customers through SMS. With a follow-up, you can show your customers that you care about their shopping experience and encourage them to come back.

Importantly, follow-ups provide you with a way to connect with customers who potentially had a negative experience. By showing these consumers that you care, you can positively alter their revisit intentions.

  • Offer Exclusive, Time-Sensitive Promos

Want to increase sales? Then use SMS marketing to offer exclusive, time-sensitive promos that your customers simply can’t turn down! These SMS promos give you a double advantage when it comes to winning over customers.

For starters, their exclusivity makes customers hesitate to turn them down. In addition, their urgency makes customers feel as if they should capitalize on them immediately. With SMS promos, you can catch your customers’ attention and increase the probability that they buy from you.

  • Provide Customers with Birthday Wishes

SMS for e-shops allows you a great way to interact with your customers on their special day. Show them how much you care by sending them automated birthday texts. This will increase your brand loyalty and bring your shop to the front of their minds.

This strategy is more effective than traditional email marketing. Let’s face it: the last thing you want to do on your birthday is to check your email. By sending alerts directly to consumers’ phones, you are making sure your voice is heard—and that your sales go up.

  • Collect Data via Surveys

Want to know how your customers feel about your business? Use SMS to link to surveys that allow customers to give valuable feedback. With this information, you can make your business more consumer-friendly and attractive to potential buyers.

7 Creative SMS Marketing Ideas for Travel Agencies

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These days, everyone is taking advantage of SMS marketing. This means that you should, too. If you are the owner of a travel agency, it’s time to see what creative SMS marketing strategies you can employ to grow your business and strengthen customer relationships.

Marketing Ideas for Travel Agencies

In this post, we’ll cover seven of the most creative SMS marketing ideas for travel agencies. Let’s start!

  • Provide Real-Time Updates

Customers hate delays, and while an SMS alert won’t change the situation, it can help consumers prepare for them. For this reason, travel agencies should consider sending out targeted SMS alerts that give consumers real-time updates on a variety of travel information such as delays and flight change information.

Doing so, companies can begin to foster a sense of oneness with their customers and be seen as more reliable and trusted from a consumer standpoint.

  • Ask Customers to Take Surveys

Want to know how effective your marketing strategy is? Don’t be afraid to ask consumers to complete a survey. Surveys can provide you with great data that can be used to modify your marketing strategies and increase their effectiveness.

For this reason, use a survey tool and send out customer surveys that ask consumers to rate their experience. By sending alerts directly to consumer phones, you are increasing the likelihood that customers will actually complete the survey—thus giving you more data.

  • Confirm Travel Bookings

Customers want to know that their trips are in order. This means that travel companies could seriously benefit from sending out SMS alerts that confirm consumer travel bookings. With this information, consumers can be confident that their trips are going according to plan.

What’s more, consumers can more easily check their text messages than their emails. This means that confirming travel bookings through SMS allows agencies to streamline the customer experience and provide better customer service.

  • Update Customers on Seat Availability

Unless a plane fills up, there’s likely to be some variability when it comes to flight seating. This means that travel agencies can send pointed alerts to consumers whenever a seat opens up or when upgrades become available.

Consumers are always looking for that seating upgrade. This means that by sending SMS texts that keep customers in the loop, you increase the chance of securing more customers and growing your profits.

  • Offer Discounts and Vouchers

SMS provides travel agencies with the perfect way to offer discounts and vouchers. Advertising a particular hotel, flight, or rental? Let customers know through SMS! Have free vouchers that allow customers access to airport amenities? Let them know that too!

  • Advertise New Destinations

Travel agencies can also advertise changes in their services through SMS. That new destination you just added to your list? You can let customers know that you now service those areas. By doing so, you increase the likelihood of securing more business.

  • Provide Customers with Weather Updates

Customers like to know that you care. For this reason, provide them with valuable weather updates concerning their destination. For example, if they are headed to Korea, let them know that the temperature is currently 10 degrees and that they should bring a heavy coat.

By following these marketing tips, you can greatly expand business for your travel agency. With SMS.to, you can grow your marketing campaign and your profits—today!

4 SMS Marketing Tips for Small Retail Businesses

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SMS marketing has exploded in recent years and is helping businesses radically transform their advertising strategies. If you are the owner of a small retail business, you can use SMS marketing to modernize your business’s advertising campaign and give yourself that desired competitive edge.

Retail Businesses SMS marketing tips

In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the most valuable SMS marketing tips for your small retail business.

  • Coordinate Your Marketing Efforts

While SMS is a highly effective form of marketing, you shouldn’t forget about your other marketing campaigns. In fact, you should do your best to make sure that all your advertising strategies are in line.

What does this mean? It’s simple. Say you have an online website with special promotions, offers, and deals. You can include valuable links to your website in your text messages.

This means that SMS marketing essentially allows you to kill two birds with one stone. Take advantage of these multi-layered marketing techniques to grow your business in the future!

  • Make it Fun

Who says that text messages have to be dry? Spice up your messages with fun language, great style, and incredible deals. Let’s face it: your consumers likely read several promos every day. Whether they’re checking their emails, their phones, or simply scrolling through Facebook, they are exposed to some form of advertising.

That’s why you should do your best to differentiate your business. By making your texts fun and engaging, you can keep your consumers’ interest and increase your conversions.

  • Don’t Sign Everyone Up

This one’s important, so it’s worth stressing: don’t sign everyone up for SMS alerts. Even if you have a customer’s mobile information, you should ask for their permission before signing them up for any marketing campaign.

Here’s why: no customer likes being spammed with text messages they didn’t ask to receive. For this reason, you should ask your customers if they are willing to receive SMS alerts. This basic form of etiquette can go a long way to growing your business and ensuring the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.

  • Send Out Automatic Purchase Information

Want to make your customers feel like a part of your business? Send out automatic purchase information that will make them feel like you care. Say that a customer buys a new outfit from your retail business. You can use that as an opportunity to send them a nice “thank you” text.

What’s more, if they are buying online, you can send valuable delivery information that consumers can use to estimate the delivery time of their order. For good measure, text when a product is shipped out and when it is expected to be delivered. By doing so, you can keep your customers up to date and ensure their loyalty to your brand.

For customers looking to grow their retail marketing campaigns through SMS, SMS.to serves as a valuable tool. If you are looking for a great SMS marketing platform to get your retail business to the next level, it’s time to see what SMS.to can do for you.

5 SMS Marketing Tips for Insurance Companies

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Advancements in mobile technology have made SMS marketing a prime tool for a variety of companies and industries. Fortunately for you, the insurance industry is no exception. In fact, many insurance executives are turning to SMS marketing to provide their customers with a better experience—and thus grow profits.

insurance company

For this reason, let’s take a look at 5 clever SMS marketing tips for insurance companies and see how they can be used to grow your business.

  • Remind Customer of Policy Expiries

Want to be at the forefront of your customers’ minds? Then show them you care. With SMS alerts, you can send automated notifications to customers when their policies are set to expire. This will bring the future expiry date to the forefront of your customers’ minds and make them more likely to resign with your company.

  • Include Linkbacks in Messages

Businesses that include linkbacks in their SMS messages can generate heavier traffic to their website. This means that this highly-effective SMS strategy could see a stronger influx of potential customers to your homepage.

With the right links, you can send customers directly to landing pages where they can purchase your goods, read about your policies, or even find out valuable contact information for your business.

Using linkbacks is a great way to get customers involved with your business and with your website. For this reason, make sure to include linkbacks whenever possible in your SMS alerts.

  • Advertise Special Offers

Insurance companies can also use SMS notifications to advertise their special offers. If you have any deals, coupons, offers, or exclusives, make sure you let your customers know through SMS alerts. This is a great cost-effective way to market your services and drive more individuals to your business.

By bringing your marketing campaign to your consumers’ phones, you are setting yourself up for higher clicks and greater conversions on those special offers. This means more profit for you and greater loyalty from your consumers.

  • Remind Customers of Payment Dates

You can also use SMS alerts to remind customers of upcoming payment dates. Your customers will appreciate the information, especially if you send reminders a few days in advance. This will help you keep your customers’ payments on time and will also ensure that you build stronger brand loyalty with consumers.

The great thing about SMS? It offers amazing flexibility. You can offer daily reminders or simply send a one-time message—it’s really up to you.

  • Don’t Spam Your customers

With this in mind, remember that you shouldn’t spam your consumers. While insurance companies can use SMS alerts to their (significant) advantage, it’s important to keep in mind that customers don’t want their phones blown up every few days. Try and keep your SMS alerts to a minimum and only to important notifications and offers.

In doing so, you can keep yourself at the forefront of your consumers’ minds without making them feel overburdened or pressured to buy into your services. It goes without saying overselling your products and services could actually lead customers to opt out of your SMS campaign.

How Delivery Companies are Making the Most of SMS

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“Your pizza is on its way.”

Chances are, you’ve gotten a text just like this one if you’ve ever ordered pizza. With the advent of SMS messaging, an increasing number of delivery companies have taken advantage of text alerts to keep consumers in the loop with their orders.

How does this work, exactly?

When a customer makes an order, the company immediately send an SMS alert to the customer’s phone. Keeping with the pizza example, this would mean that the company notifies the customer that his order has gone through.

How Delivery Companies are Making the Most of SMS

With SMS, consumers receive periodic alerts about the status of their order. Essentially, customers can follow through the stages of their order with SMS alerts designed to keep them involved and up to date. This means that customers can know the estimated delivery time of their orders—making their night more convenient and increasing their reordering intentions.

Basically, SMS alerts make the delivery process more enjoyable for the consumer. With specific updates, time estimates, and friendly interaction, consumers can feel like they are in on the process. This means that delivery companies can increase brand strength and customer loyalty with targeted SMS campaigns.

What’s more, SMS alerts can be used to provide customers with special offers. Bring your marketing straight to a consumer’s phone with exclusive SMS deals. These deals will help grow your business by giving customers a convenient way to order—for cheaper.

SMS.to specializes in bulk SMS alerts and marketing and can give your delivery business the edge it needs to succeed. With our services, you’ll be able to interact with your customers and take a more personal approach to the way you do business.

The results are quite clear. Businesses that make use of bulk SMS services like the ones offered at SMS.to are able to strengthen their brands and attract a wider client base of loyal customers. By giving your customers valuable updates that pertain to their individual orders, you can make your customers feel as if you are speaking directly to them. In other words, SMS services allow you to show your customers how much you care.

Think about it this way: what are you losing by not choosing SMS.to? Simply put, you are missing out on a great opportunity to make your business more convenient and attractive for a wide array of consumers. You are also turning down one of the greatest marketing schemes of our age.

For this reason, businesses should turn to SMS.to to increase their profits and their brand loyalty. By keeping customers updated with their orders and in the loop with special offers and exclusive deals, businesses can take advantage of an audience that’s more willing to buy their services—again and again.

This means that it’s time to check out SMS.to and find out exactly what it can do for you. Simply put, if you are looking to:

  • Grow Your Business
  • Streamline Customer Service
  • Increase Brand Loyalty
  • Raise Profits

Investing in SMS.to could be the smartest thing you’ll ever do!

2-factor Authentication and OTP: How SMS Plays a Role in Security

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SMS goes beyond just being a great marketing tool.

It also allows consumers and businesses to enjoy greater peace of mind when it comes to security. With both sensitive personal and business data constantly under threat from hackers, it’s important that businesses offer a secure means of protection.

Security, OTP, 2Fa

Importantly, SMS has grown to fill this role—providing the tool necessary to keep consumer data safe. Through the use of SMS, businesses can help make sure that their customer data is protected.

By using SMS in your own business, you can better secure your consumers’ data, while also establishing a better record for your brand. This win-win situation reflects why you should start using SMS for security—if you haven’t already.

Below, we’ll explore the different ways that SMS impacts security, looking at the processes of 2-factor authentication and OTP in particular.

What is 2-factor Authentication?

2-factor authentication offers a leg up on traditional online security measures, as users are required to provide two pieces of information in order to enter an account.

For instance, they may need a password, as well as a text code.

Here, you can see how SMS comes into play. Through the use of 2-Factor authentication, businesses can help make sure that consumer information is protected.

With 2-factor authentication, businesses can also help ensure that a user’s account will not be compromised. Under traditional settings, if a hacker managed to secure the username and password of an online user, they would then be able to hack into their account.

However, with 2-factor authentication, this is becoming much more difficult. Instead of just needing a user’s information, they would also need a code texted to the user’s phone.

Presumably, this phone will be on the user—and not on the hacker. This means they would be unable to access the code needed to enter the user’s account. In this way, SMS has become a vehicle for protecting consumer data at some of the world’s most secure institutions. Banks, for instance, use 2-factor authentication on their websites and mobile apps. You may even come across this on other sites when attempting to change sensitive user information—such as a password.

In this way, SMS has worked to provide security to millions of Internet users across the globe. However, the role of SMS in cybersecurity does not stop at 2-factor authentication. It also plays a significant role in OTP.

What Is OTP?

One-time passwords, also known as OTP, provide high-level security. These passwords are generally codes that can be submitted, allowing users to log in one time into a specific site or software.

These generated passcodes ensure that no unauthorized users have access to restricted content. These codes typically get delivered to the phones of authorized users, making them unavailable to anyone else.

This can help protect businesses and the sensitive information they have stored. By utilizing OTP within your own organization, you can better protect your company’s private information—and that of your customers.

Receive SMS for Free with 2-Way SMS

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Looking for a powerful way to receive free SMS? With our 2-Way SMS, now you can. 2-Way SMS brings you the powerful benefits of SMS marketing for free.

2way-SMS

Want to learn more and see if 2-Way SMS is right for your business? Below, we’ve put together a guide of the information you need to know.

Who Is 2-Way SMS For?

If you own a business, 2-Way SMS is right for you. This powerful service can help you achieve the engagement you need—from the people you need it from.

That’s right—from SMEs to large-scale corporations, 2-Way SMS offers the same powerful benefits. If you’re looking to grow your business by staying actively engaged with your customer base, 2-Way SMS is right for you.

Why Use 2-Way SMS?

This powerful virtual SMS service provides you the same great benefits of all other types of SMS. This means that you can start building an SMS strategy that will grow your business.

Our platform makes sure that you can send and receive SMS, allowing you to grow your company’s top-of-mind awareness while boosting its bottom dollar.

Want to know more about 2-Way SMS? Let’s take a look at some of its great benefits.

Benefits of 2-Way SMS

2-Way SMS provides some of the best benefits of any digital marketing campaign. Consider how the following benefits may help you grow your business.

  1. Track Your SMS

Importantly, 2-Way SMS provides the tools you need to keep track of your SMS marketing strategy. With 2-Way SMS, you get insight into the valuable data you need in order to know just where you stand.

Because 2-Way SMS allows you to understand the health and feasibility of your SMS strategy, you can make sure that you’re achieving the best results possible.

This includes any types of sales and promotions that you may be sending through your SMS. By having this data, you can see which advertisements work—and which ones don’t.

  1. Work with All SMS API

Even better, our virtual SMS platform boasts amazing compatibility. Great for all SMS APIs, you can be sure that you’ll enjoy the same great reliability and functionality as other all other types of SMS.

This means that you never have to miss a beat in your SMS marketing approach.

  1. Stay Engaged with Customers

Finally, 2-Way SMS allows businesses just like yours to stay engaged with your contacts.

By running deals and promotions, or surveys and polls, businesses have the flexibility they need in order to capture their contacts’ attention.

By staying in touch with your customers, you can start building a positive brand image. And with fast, real-time 2-Way SMS, you can even supplement this by providing prompt customer service to your contacts.

In many ways, 2-Way SMS allows businesses to add a new layer of convenience for customers in dealing with a variety of transactions. Successfully incorporate it into your marketing strategy to start seeing real results in no time.

7 Bulk SMS Campaign Ideas for the Summer

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Summer’s just one season out—and with it, a bucketload of fresh, new SMS marketing opportunities.

If you haven’t already, it’s time to get started building an SMS campaign for the summer. By starting early, you can make sure that you get the most out of your summer marketing.

SMS campaign tips

We’ve come up with seven unique ways that you can add a bit of flavor to your summer SMS marketing strategy. Consider these ideas as you look to build your own campaign for this summer.

  1. Let Customers Know About Your Hot Deals

Have any summer discounts going on? Make sure that your contacts know about it.

Consider having a countdown to summer or other engaging activity that regularly reminds your contacts of any summer deals you may have. This way, they’ll start to see the start of summer as being synonymous with your deals.

This can boost your brand’s top-of-mind awareness—and its bottom dollar.

For this reason, don’t waste any time in letting your customers know exactly what you’ve got in store.

  1. Hold a Sizzling Giveaway

Everyone loves free stuff—and the chance to win it. With a sizzling-hot summer giveaway, you can start to win the attention and the favor of your contacts.

You can increase participation by making sure that you incorporate SMS personalization. By making people feel involved, you can start to mobilize your customer base for better marketing throughout the summer months.

  1. Inform Customers of Limited-Availability Opportunities

Caribbean cruises, trips to the beach, tanning out in the warm weather—these are among the many things that we associate with summer.

And they’re things we typically don’t do other times of the year. If your business specializes in providing certain services only in the summer, make sure that your customers are aware of any exclusive opportunities you may offer.

By emphasizing their exclusivity, you can make your products and services more appealing to your contacts—and increase your sales.

  1. Host an Event—and Invite People to It

People have more time in the summertime enough to go to any events that you may be hosting.

For this reason, plan a block party, cookout, or some other form of community activity in your local area. Then, be sure to text your contacts to invite them out.

  1. Offer and Advertise New Products

If you’ve got anything new hitting your stores in the summer, be sure to let your customers know. By sending personalized SMS informing your contacts of new and upcoming opportunities, you can make them feel as if they stay in the loop. This builds a sense of trust and familiarity and keeps them coming back for more.

  1. Have Regular Surveys and Polls

Looking for a way to keep your contacts engaged while receiving valuable feedback? Consider adding surveys and polls to your SMS marketing strategy. These will provide you with the information you need to craft a better campaign, as well as see where your business should head.

  1. Offer Special Discounts to the First 100 Customers

Looking to quickly catch the attention of your contacts? Offer a special discount or offer to the first 100 people who reply to your text. You can be sure that you’ll get responses faster than you thought possible!

6 Creative SMS Marketing Ideas for Easter

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With Easter just around the bend, it’s time to get creative with your SMS marketing. The holidays provide incredible marketing opportunities for businesses—so make sure that you don’t miss out.

SMS Marketing Ideas for Easter

Because Easter is one of the first major holidays of the year, you’ll want to make sure that you have a targeted SMS strategy in place.

Don’t know where to start? Check out these six creative SMS marketing ideas for Easter below!

  1. Have a Contest

Perhaps one of the most fun and engaging forms of Easter SMS marketing is holding a contest. In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, you can have your own “text-to-win” contest.

Everyone loves a good egg hunt on Easter. By holding your own contest, you can get into the competitive spirit of the day and effectively market your brand.

You may even consider setting up and advertising your contest weeks in advance. You may have, for instance, different clues related to your brand, with the first person texting the final answer the winner.

How you decide to run your contest, however, will ultimately be up to you.

  1. Hold a Promotion

You may instead choose to hold a promotion that allows consumers to take part only if they message a certain number.

For instance, your promotion may read “Text EASTER to 8888 for holiday discounts and savings!” Those taking part in the promotion and responding will then be given discounts on certain goods.

This type of promotion is one of the easiest and most-effective ways to get your contacts involved with your business.

Additionally, you can advertise such a promotion in other forms of media—on the radio, in a newspaper, or even on TV. In this way, your SMS marketing can supplement your overall marketing goals.

  1. Advertise Your Seasonal Products

If you’ve got any Easter products, make sure that you’re using your SMS marketing to tell your contacts about them.

This works especially well if you’re using SMS personalization.

For instance, your texts may read something to the effect of:

“John, you could be missing out …

On all the great supplies you need to make your Easter cookout a blast. With up to 15% off select goods, we’ve got what you and your family need to make your big day a success!”

Even better, you could play on the fact that customers won’t have to hunt for their Easter goods by finding them all at your shop. This creative SMS marketing strategy is sure to win over more than a few of your contacts.

  1. Let Contacts Know of Limited-Availability Opportunities

Additionally, if you have any limited-availability opportunities—such as an Easter flight to the Bahamas—let your contacts know. People enjoy taking advantage of exclusive opportunities—especially during the holidays.

  1. Tell Contacts of Any Events You Sponsor

Even if you don’t have time to host an event, you may be sponsoring one. If so, take the time to allow your contacts to know. Depending on what it is—a community Easter egg hunt, for example—you may even wish to invite people out.

  1. Have a Giveaway

Finally, consider holding a giveaway. Allow customers to compete by answering surveys, polls, or through text-to-win strategies. Whatever you decide, your contacts are sure to love the opportunity to win.

By following these SMS strategies, you can boost your Easter marketing campaign.

5 Clever Ways to Use SMS Personalization and Mail Merge

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Mail merge allows businesses to add a new level of personalization into their SMS marketing. With proper use of mail merge, companies can start better connecting with their contacts to see powerful results.

SMS personailzation

Below, we walk through some of the key aspects of SMS personalization, as well as how you can start using it to further your own marketing strategy.

What is SMS Personalization?

First and foremost, what is SMS personalization? Perhaps the simplest way to describe it is the process by which you incorporate personal details into your bulk SMS messages.

Another way to think about it is that you start individualizing your contacts list. Instead of seeing the data as different numbers, you start thinking of it as different people.

This can have several benefits for you’re the utility of your strategy, as customers tend to respond better to personalized SMS. Remember, no one likes to feel like a cog in the wheel.

With the right use of SMS personalization, you can make sure that your contacts genuinely feel like you care. Additionally, it provides a number of other benefits that can help boost the effectiveness of your SMS marketing campaign.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can start using SMS personalization to boost your business.

How Can You Use SMS Personalization?

How can you use SMS personalization? Fortunately, with products like SMS.to, it’s never been so easy! Below, we break down five of the cleverest ways for you to start incorporating it into your marketing strategy.

  1. Notifying Customers

As noted, SMS personalization allows you to add an individualistic touch to your messages. In other words, while you’re still sending them in bulk, you can include individual personal details—such as a name.

This can be a great way to stand out from other SMS and really catch your contacts’ attention. This proves especially useful if you need to remind them about upcoming appointments, or even deals or promotions. By making them feel involved, you’ll keep your customers actually engaged with the SMS you’re sending.

  1. Staying Connected

This offers a great way to stay connected. Because you’re increasing the chances that your contacts are actually reading your messages, you can start to reach more people.

This keeps your business connected with the right people. Through the constant use of bulk SMS personalization, you’ll be able to start increasing your brand’s top-of-mind awareness to win over more contacts.

  1. Building a Relationship

One of the ways you can do this is by building a relationship with your contacts. Because you’ll be addressing them personally, your contacts will begin to feel as if you care. This will allow you to build a stronger—and more financially-beneficial—relationship.

  1. Tie Contacts into Your Brand

Through long-term use, you can start to feel like a part of your contacts’ families. By staying with them wherever they go and becoming a part of their daily lives, you can successfully incorporate them into your brand—or at least make them feel that way.

  1. Raise Awareness

Finally, you can use SMS personalization to raise awareness about any projects or issues going on with your business. Let’s say, for example, that you have decided to put together some form of donation or activity to raise awareness for breast cancer month in October. With personalized SMS, you can reach out to your contacts to ask for their support as well, unifying everyone under a common cause.

By using these five SMS personalization strategies, you can add value to your marketing approach.

9 Ways to Upgrade Your SMS Marketing with SMS.to

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Is your SMS marketing not providing the results you expected?

Let SMS.to help. SMS.to offers several great benefits that work to upgrade your SMS marketing in no time. This powerful service uses reliable APIs to connect you with hundreds of mobile networks.

SMS marketing tips

Want to learn more about how SMS.to can take your SMS marketing to the next level? Check out the nine great benefits below!

  1. Price Beat

SMS.to offers incredible value for the price you pay. Our low cost helps more businesses just like you connect with the people they need.

Even better, with SMS.to, you can start adding much more value to your company in no time!

  1. Scheduling

Want to make sure that your customers keep track of their appointments? Whether you work in a doctor’s office or as a loan provider, it can be more than frustrating when your customers don’t show.

It can be costly.

With SMS.to, you can send your customers real-time reminders to make sure they won’t miss any more appointments.

  1. Shortlinks

SMS.to shortlinks provide the functionality you need to get more insight into your SMS marketing. Additionally, these attractive links can allow you to keep tabs on your customers’ interests.

  1. Promotional Deals

Have a new deal that you’re sure your customers will love? SMS.to will make sure they see it! With our software, you can make sure that your promos reach more of your target audience!

  1. Surveys

Do you need a better way to keep your contacts engaged?

SMS.to gives you all the tools you need. By giving you the option to set up surveys, SMS.to gives you the flexibility you need to find out what it is that your customers really want.

By properly incorporating these surveys into your digital marketing, you can start improving your strategy to see real results.

  1. Autoresponders

Need a quick and easy way to get people to sign up for your mobile SMS marketing?

SMS.to’s autoresponder-creation capabilities will do the trick. With our autoresponders, you can make signing up and opting-in to your SMS marketing easier than ever before.

These convenient opt-ins allow customers to text a number to sign up for updates and alerts from your business.

  1. Tracking

A good SMS marketing strategy is one that allows you to track your progress.

SMS.to provides all the tracking features you need so that you can know just where your SMS marketing stands at all times.

With our tracking, you can find out what works—and what doesn’t—so that you can start crafting a better marketing campaign in no time!

  1. Alerts and Notifications

Have something that your contacts just need to see?

SMS.to can make sure that they do.

With our alert and notification options, you can make sure that your customers stay informed. From allowing them to know everything from weekly deals to appointments, these alerts make sure that your customers stay in the loop. They can also be sent to confirm online payments and logins, as well as perform a variety of powerful functions.

  1. Polls and Feedback Requests

Finally, SMS.to makes it easy to organize and understand the feedback you get from your contacts. Start taking advantage of our polls and feedback requests to boost your marketing strategy in no time.

Using 2-Way SMS to Create Surveys, Autoresponders, and Campaigns

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2-Way SMS allows businesses to build closer relationships with their contacts than ever before. By properly taking advantage of 2-Way SMS, businesses can increase their top-of-mind awareness by taking their message straight to consumers’ phones.

Using 2-Way SMS to Create Surveys

If you’re looking for a powerful new avenue that will connect you to your customers, consider how 2-Way SMS may be right for you.

Below, we’ve put together three of the most important ways that 2-Way SMS can benefit a business: through the creation of surveys, autoresponders, and campaigns. We’ll look at each one in depth so that you can decide how to best incorporate this functionality into your own SMS campaigns.

What Is 2-Way SMS?

First, let’s start with a brief recap of 2-Way SMS. This form of SMS differs from A2P (Application-to-Person) communication in that it allows for consumers to respond to automated messages.

As you may have already noticed, this provides a number of benefits to businesses employing 2-Way SMS. Notably, because it gives your contacts the ability to provide instant feedback, 2-Way SMS can offer a sense of community and trust between your business and its customers.

With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the game-changing benefits offered by 2-Way SMS.

  1. They Allow Businesses to Create Surveys

What better way to keep your customers engaged or get feedback than by creating surveys? From helping chip companies develop their next flavors to getting real feedback about customer experiences, surveys allow businesses to perform a wide range of services.

When used correctly, these surveys can help improve a business’s SMS marketing campaign. So what might these surveys look like?

With SMS.to, you can prepare the survey from our software and have it hit the phones of all your contacts. Let’s say that you own a local pizza restaurant, for instance, and you survey your contacts about which special to run for the upcoming weekend. Your contacts could then message you back from their phones—giving you access to the critical information you need.

As you can expect, your survey questions can range in seriousness. Used wisely, they can provide both the short-term and the long-term critical insight you need to get started growing your business.

  1. They Let Businesses Establish Autoresponders

Autoresponders are particularly useful for businesses that attract large crowds—such as bars or restaurants. This is because autoresponders allow individuals to opt-in to your SMS marketing campaign by texting a number. When doing so, they give their consent to join your contact list.

How might businesses use these? Again, let’s look at our pizza restaurant example. You may announce to your customers that they can text the word “PIZZA” to a certain number to sign up for alerts, updates, and more. Or, you may choose to add this to your receipt.

Customers who accept the offer will automatically be part of your SMS campaign.

  1. They Give Businesses the Opportunity to Start a Campaign

Finally, these SMS services give businesses the flexibility they need to start a true SMS campaign. With this campaign in place, you can be sure that you will be able to send updates and notifications to your customers—no matter where they are.

These powerful benefits can strengthen any business’s marketing campaigns.

Clever Ways to Utilize SMS.to Shortlinks

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SMS.to does more than provide businesses with bulk SMS services. Instead, not only do we allow companies to get in touch with their customers, we also provide greater insight and tracking through our very own shortlinks.

If you’ve delved into SMS marketing already, it’s likely that you’ve come across the term “shortlinks” before. But what are they? And how can you cleverly use SMS.to shortlinks to spice up your marketing campaign?

Take a look below at three ideas that you should consider while planning your own SMS marketing strategy.

  1. See the Number of Clicks

SMS.to allows users to see exactly how successful each link is. This allows businesses to see critical information. For example, you can use SMS.to shortlinks to measure just how many people are reading your messages, on average, or to see what type of content your contacts are most interested in.

This can be done, of course, by measuring to see which content got the most click-throughs. In doing this, you may find that you need to change up the focus of your marketing strategy to better resonate with your consumers.

Keep in mind, too, that this will allow you to track the base-level health of your overall SMS marketing campaign. For this reason, businesses have made shortlinks one of their top tracking sources for their marketing data—and you should, too.

  1. See What Consumers Do After Clicking

Even more importantly, however, you can start seeing what your customers are doing after clicking the link. For instance, you may decide to track the number of people who sign up for a promotion or who buy a product.

Additionally, depending on the link, you may even manage to see how engaged your contacts are. Say, for instance, that following clicking the link, customers were prompted to fill out an online form of some kind. This would allow businesses to measure not just the initial interest contacts have in the message’s content, but also how motivated people are regarding the subject.

By using SMS.to shortlinks to track this data, businesses can get a leg up in their SMS marketing strategies.

  1. Use Links to Track Ad Effectiveness

Perhaps one of the most important and out-of-the-box ways to use SMS.to shortlinks is to track advertisement performance.

Fortunately, there’s a lot of room in this regard when it comes to businesses. Depending on the type of link sent, businesses have a number of different ways to track the effectiveness of their ads.

For instance, as we’ve noticed, you may have some opt-in promotional only offered through the link. This would offer a very straightforward way of knowing just what type of advertisement content is preferred by your contacts. By collecting an aggregate of this data over time, businesses can start to refine and hone their SMS marketing strategies to be as effective as possible.

With a little creativity and a lot of focus, businesses can use SMS.to shortlinks to diagnose the health of—and even improve—their SMS marketing strategies.

Implementing SMS in Your Workflow with SMS.to

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Implementing SMS into your workflow doesn’t have to be difficult.  At least not with SMS.to.

Our SMS API gateway offers simple and affordable services that allow for minimal disruptions. If you’re one of the many business owners wondering how SMS can be incorporated into your workflow, don’t worry.

Implementing SMS in Your Workflow with SMS.to

SMS.to has got you covered. Consider the information below as you considering implementing SMS into your workflow.

How Does SMS.to Work?

SMS.to provides a powerful SMS API gateway that connects online merchants with mobile networks. In turn, these mobile networks can transmit your bulk SMS messages to your customers.

In some ways, you can think of our API as the bridge between you and mobile network providers. Through our system, you can make sure to get your bulk SMS out to your target audience.

Our powerful API provides benefits that your company would otherwise lack on its own. For this reason, investing in an SMS gateway such as SMS.to allows businesses to finally get in touch with their customers en masse.

SMS.to connects with hundreds of mobile networks so that you can get your message out to the people you need to contact.

How Does SMS.to Work with HTTP?

Yes!

SMS.to features a reliable HTTP to SMS API that can get your site connected with the mobile networks you need. This digital infrastructure will allow your website to send automated messages or notifications to your customers via our various mobile networks.

Our API works to transmit your message to these networks—something that you wouldn’t be able to do on your own. And without getting this bulk message to the networks, you’ll find that getting in touch with your customers isn’t an easy task.

For this reason, SMS.to’s bulk SMS services provide the reliability you need to run your online marketing campaign.

With SMS.to, you can streamline your digital marketing communications by sending messages and alerts straight to customers’ mobile phones. With this powerful approach, you can easily reach consumers without hassle!

Our API boasts incredible functionality that can be easily incorporated into your workflow. With SMS.to, you’ll never have to miss a beat. Simply connect and integrate our API with your software to start enjoying these powerful benefits.

What Do You Need?

So what do you need to use SMS.to?

The good news is that many find that their software is already compatible to be used with our API. If not, some custom coding may be required in order to secure your connection.

Even better, so long as you—or someone on your staff—has enough programming knowledge, making this connection should be effortless. Within no time, you can have our powerful API integrated with your software—giving you the access you need to start sending bulk SMS to your customers. You can also access some other great benefits straight from your SMS.to dashboard—such as free HLR lookups that can make sure that your database is accurate.

Questions? Contact us to find out more about how our SMS, REST, and HTTP API can be incorporated into your business’s workflow.

The Future of SMS and CPaaS

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SMS and CPaaS have changed the way businesses communicate with their customers. However, as technology continually develops, businesses can expect that these technologies will continue to evolve as well.

The Future of SMS and CPaaS

Because of this, it’s important that businesses stay abreast of technological changes. By understanding the future of SMS and CPaaS, business owners can better prepare for a game-changing technology—and get a competitive advantage in their markets.

Below, we’ll look at some of the most important predictions for the future of SMS and CPaaS.

  1. Voice Recognition Will Be Increasingly Incorporated into SMS

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and voice recognition software, the future of SMS looks to be much different than today.

Experts predict that it won’t be long before advanced voice recognition software and AI makes it possible to conveniently send voice-powered SMS. Once this is done, businesses will have more flexibility than ever to up their SMS marketing campaigns.

  1. SMS Will Become Even More Business Friendly

But that’s not the only way that SMS will become better for businesses. Studies predict that more and more businesses will begin to take advantage of the growing benefits of SMS marketing.

Because of this, it’s important for businesses to get an early start in the field. By taking advantage of bulk SMS before your competitors, you can get an edge up in your local niche. As digital marketing campaigns of the future increasingly incorporate SMS, it’s important not to get left behind when it does.

  1. Costs of SMS Will Go Down

As SMS technology becomes more advanced, the cost of using it will go down. Overall, this will increase the value of SMS services for businesses.

So what does this mean for you?

By starting an SMS marketing strategy, you may even experience a decrease in marketing costs for the same or even better results over time!

However, it also underscores the importance of starting your SMS marketing campaign early. As prices fall, more and more competitors will start to take advantage of the powerful benefits of SMS. For this reason, businesses that start early can capitalize on a growing market trend.

  1. Cloud Technology Will Be More Important in CPaaS

Finally, CPaaS systems themselves look to change over the course of the next decade. Businesses across the globe have already begun to feel the effects of cloud-based technology—and as this begins to expand, businesses will have to start shifting more of their practices in that direction.

The growth of cloud-based technology remains among one of the most important tech trends for businesses to consider according to the Future Today Institute’s 2019 Tech Trends Report.

The Bottom Line

For businesses, it’s important to anticipate and prepare for the upcoming changes in both SMS and CPaaS. By having a concrete plan in place—and by starting an SMS campaign early—businesses can create a lasting advantage in the marketplace.

By keeping the above information in mind, you can start taking advantage of these benefits for your business.