SMS primarily is the most used text messaging service in the world. Businesses use SMS for marketing, customer service, etc. Numerous people receive text messages every day, so you’re perhaps aware of SMS from an end-user standpoint. Even at that, just receiving an SMS doesn't demonstrate how the technology functions. This takes us back to the question, "what is SMS"?
SMS stands for ' short message service' this is the texting message service used on most mobile phones and other electronic devices. Sms is based on standardized communication protocols to send text messages from one device to the other. This standardization of SMS is the basic reason why SMS is universal. However, you may know that SMS is not the only text messaging service available today. Some mobile devices use different text messages.
Apple devices use iMessage which is a separate texting service, while Android devices use improved RCS which is comparable to iMessage but for Android phones. Other messaging apps include Facebook messenger which gives a compatible acquaintance to SMS but is not widely used. These app-based messaging services are OTT (Over the Top) messaging services. They’re attainable choices to SMS, though they’re not as widely exploited as SMS. One advantage of SMS over OTT messaging service is that OTT services require internet connection, while SMS doesn't.
Another common alternative to SMS is MMS, MMS stands for ' Multimedia messaging service'.
How SMS works
We need to know how SMS works to better get acquainted with it. SMS mainly delivers data through a standard cellular connection. In most circumstances, SMS messages don’t require an internet connection to send, which is one reason why SMS messages are only able of conveying text.
When you send an SMS message, the message gets conveyed from the sending engine to the nearest cell tower. That cell tower sends the message to an SMS center (SMSC). Then the SMSC broadcasts the SMS message to a cell tower near the receiving device. Lastly, that tower sends the message to the recipient’s device.
Advantages of SMS
1. It's one of the most commonly used messaging services available. Billions of people use it.
2. People are prone to reading their text messages if they receive any. If you're a marketer, those who receive text messages from you would likely see and read it.
3. Another advantage is that it's affordable, you can send an SMS message to hundreds of thousands of persons if you use the right SMS software and messenger service.
Disadvantage of SMS
1. There is limited space in an SMS message. It has a limit of 160 characters. See why that is so here.
2. People can be skeptical of unsought SMS messages. Text deceptions have become more common as SMS has served as a universal broadcast tool.
3. There are privacy and data protection laws that you must conform with when you send marketing SMS messages. Penalties for violating data protection laws can be a little steep.
Uses of SMS
1. Take orders: Customers can use SMS to place orders by just sending an SMS message. It's convenient and easy to do.
2. Customer support: Without any doubt, SMS is an excellent way to enhance your other customer support channels. Many customer assistance problems can easily be settled with a few text messages. That can abolish a lot of time spent on hold or lingering for an email response. Yet, SMS is a remarkable tool for relating to customers, no matter what message you need to send or what you need to assist customers with.
3. Useful for Marketing (SMS and MMS): SMS and MMS can serve plays a very important role in marketing, you can send fast, personalized messages that are quick to read (and very likely to be read, given the remarkably high open rates of SMS).
If your marketing requires multimedia like images or videos, you can use MMS to send a more engaging message. It works well if you have to show new launches, coupons, and virtual gifts.
Do you need to get started with using SMS in your business? Learn more about SMS integration with SmartSMSSolutions.
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