Adding Messaging for Business to Your Communication Channels
Striking a balance between providing exceptional customer experience and optimizing operations is a main challenge for brands today. Email has historically been a primary channel for communicating with customers. But, in today’s fast-paced world, should we continue to rely on email as the go-to communication mechanism?
Mobile use has skyrocketed, with 98 percent of adults in the US owning a mobile phone. Research estimates that by 2023, 8.2 billion people will use mobile phones. Customers have their phones with them nearly 24/7, and are using their smart devices to access social media and search engines and communicate via text message. In fact, 95 percent of text messages are read and responded to within three minutes of being received. In addition, SMS and mobile messages have a 19 percent click-through rate compared to 4 percent with email. 1
Tip:
SMS/Texting: mobile communication over a cellular network.
Instant Messages: mobile communication via the internet.
Both methods are easy, convenient communication channels for brands and customers. Make sure your messaging vendor supports both SMS and Instant Messaging to ensure your customers have the best experience through as many channels as possible.
Communicating with your customers via messaging allows you to be part of their daily life, because messages are instantly received, and very few people can resist the temptation of the notification ping. Often people must log into an email provider to check emails, which may not happen more than once or twice a day outside of work emails.
Does that mean you should replace email with messaging? Of course, email will always have a place in communication between brands and customers. However, embracing the mobile messaging option can provide customers with a much-needed—and wanted—method of interaction. Consider these reasons for adding messaging:
- Customers want to message their brands of choice.
Nine out of ten customers prefer to communicate with their preferred brands through text messages. Mobile communication allows customers to get the information they need on the go instead of being tied to a computer. - Messaging can create a better customer experience.
Texting or instant messages enhance the customer experience by allowing customers to be in control of the conversation. Customers can start and stop conversations whenever they need to handle other life events. In addition, messaging will enable brands to provide a personalized experience. Email is also extremely susceptible to spam, which typically frustrates customers quickly. Instant messaging partners like Apple and Google require business accounts to be validated before using their channels. WhatsApp also requires advanced validation, and outbound notifications must use pre-approved message templates. Utilizing templates ensures the intent of the message is known in advance. Whether connecting data and providing that data on the advisor’s desktop or leveraging bots to access customer information, the result is a customized experience for the customer. - It’s quick and easy.
Messaging is fast and always available. With so many people already using texting and instant messages to communicate with friends and family, communicating with their brands of choice through this channel is second nature. Messaging provides a quick and easy conversation between brand and customer. Email is more like reading a letter, while messaging is more like having a conversation.
Tip:
Providing your voice customers with the opportunity to switch their conversation to messaging allows them to get the information they need without disrupting their day. Defining the best use cases where messaging makes the most sense for your business can drive operational efficiencies and increase customer satisfaction.
- Texting isn’t just for the young.
While customers under the age of 44 are the most prominent digital communicators, 70 percent of adults over 50 have a smartphone, and 9 out of 10 people over 50 say they use their smartphone to send instant messages or texts.2
Adding messaging to your business communication channels will improve customer satisfaction and customer experience. Of course, email is still a primary channel to nurture clients and help drive education and awareness. However, through text or instant messaging, brands can proactively engage customers in transactional communication, such as new offers, confirming appointments, bill pay, or shipment status. In addition, you can use messaging for two-way service or sales conversations instead of phone conversations.
Messaging-trained advisors can handle several different conversations at one time, typically because there are usually pauses in the conversation when customers are distracted or called away. In contrast, voice conversations occur one at a time. Engaging several customers concurrently improves efficiency and allows you to do more with less—ultimately saving money. Whether customers are engaged in a bot-driven or advisor messaging conversation, the response is fast—and that’s what customers expect. Customers want the information they need, and want it quickly, so they can get on with their day.
The best digital engagement brands employ a more omnichannel approach, and messaging is part of that offering. Messaging allows for accessible communication, provides customers with a communication channel of choice, quickly gets information into customers’ hands, and is personalized. In addition, the best messaging solutions can integrate with other forms of communication to ensure a seamless experience for the customer, regardless of the communication channel.
Learn more about how Concentrix can help your business leverage messaging to improve customer satisfaction and save money.
1 “SMS Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2022,” Misty Casul, Thrive.
2 “Getting Connected: Older Americans Embrace Technology to Enhance their Lives,” G. Oscar Anderson, AARP Research, Feb 2018.