Transactional SMS
Transactional SMS, an integral part of modern business communication, pertains to automated text messages that organizations deploy to offer valuable support to their customers at every step of their interaction. These essential messages fulfill a range of functions, including verifying orders, extending warm greetings to new customers, and ensuring customers stay informed about their deliveries, creating a seamless and engaging customer experience.”
What is Transactional SMS Actually
Transactional SMS, or text message alerts, are short, informative messages that businesses use for important transactions. These messages help businesses talk directly with customers and share important information quickly.
Businesses use transactional SMS for different things, like:
1. Order Confirmations: They send SMS to customers to confirm their orders, telling them what they bought, how they paid, and where it will be delivered.
2. Appointment Reminders: Customers get texts about upcoming appointments, including the date and time, and any special instructions.
3. Delivery Updates: Customers receive real-time updates on their deliveries, with details like tracking numbers and when it will arrive.
4. Account Balance Alerts: Customers get texts about their account balances, any changes in their transactions, or reminders about payments.
5. One-Time Passwords (OTPs): They send unique passwords to customers for extra security, like when they log in or make important transactions.
These messages help businesses run smoothly and keep customers happy by giving them the right information at the right time. Businesses that use transactional SMS build trust, make things more convenient, and make customers happier, which helps them have better relationships with customers.
Using Transactional SMS offers several advantages
Text messages prove to be an incredibly efficient communication medium, as noted by VentureBeat. An astounding 90 percent of recipients read their text messages within a mere three minutes of receipt. According to Gartner, the open rate for text messages soars to 98%, significantly surpassing that of email marketing.
In a mobile-driven world where people, on average, spend approximately 3.5 hours per day on their mobile phones, as reported by Rescue Time, email marketing emerges as a practical strategy. This extensive mobile usage presents a golden opportunity to effectively connect with and engage your target audience.
Many businesses embrace email marketing for its proven effectiveness in reaching and engaging a broad audience. However, integrating SMS into your marketing strategy enables your brand to establish connections with individuals across multiple touchpoints, fostering effective communication and engagement. By harnessing the power of SMS, your brand not only enhances its credibility but also strengthens its reputation and reliability.
What sets apart transactional and advertising SMS ?
Transactional SMS messages deliver essential information to recipients, setting them apart from the promotional messages that businesses use for marketing. The primary distinction between advertising and transactional SMS revolves around their timing. While promotional SMS are sent instantly, transactional SMS are configured once and subsequently sent automatically, ensuring a consistent flow of pertinent and timely information to the recipients.
Diverse Types of Transactional SMS
Beyond marketing, brands can harness transactional SMS for a range of non-marketing purposes, including:
- Monitoring Savings Account: Enabling customers to track their savings account transactions.
- Account Access via One-Time Passwords: Providing users with secure access to their accounts using one-time passwords.
- Password Reset: Offering users the option to reset their passwords.
- Order Verification: Ensuring order accuracy through verification.
- Delivery and Shipment Updates: Keeping clients informed about delivery and shipment status.
- Ticket Booking and Cancellation: Allowing customers to book or cancel tickets conveniently.
- Scheduling Appointments: Facilitating appointment scheduling with multiple customers, streamlining communication.
To enhance communication and streamline appointment scheduling, here are some helpful tips for sending transactional SMS messages.”
Comparison of Transactional SMS and Promotional SMS
Unlike promotional SMS, which businesses employ for marketing, transactional text messages offer customers valuable and informative content.
Additionally, promotional SMS is typically dispatched instantly or scheduled as part of a campaign, while transactional SMS necessitates an initial configuration and then functions automatically afterward.
Varieties of Transactional SMS
As a brand, there are numerous non-marketing applications for utilizing transactional SMS:
- Confirm or cancel ticket reservations.
- Verify orders with the intended recipients to ensure accuracy.
- Enable account access through OTP.
- Facilitate password resets.
- Expedite appointment scheduling, enhancing communication with multiple customers without the need for personal or email contact.
- Keep clients well-informed with shipping and delivery updates.