In March of 2015, an eMarketer article asked, “Are we watching the death of SMS?”
The author’s case is based on the fact that while the total number of SMS messages worldwide is projected to decrease in the near future, the total number of messages in over-the-top (OTT) mobile-messaging services such as WeChat is projected to skyrocket.
In the past, other experts have also suggested that SMS has peaked and will decrease in value as a marketing vehicle as time goes on.
However, others have made a case that the shear increase in messaging volume does not mean that consumers are getting more value from OTT mobile-messaging services than from SMS.
In fact, Michael Becker, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at mCordis, makes the case that consumers may be more concise in getting their point across when using SMS. He also points out that SMS has no fragmentation, it has reach, it can be used for a wide variety of purposes, and marketers can control the timing and content of interactions when they get their customers to opt-in to receive SMS messages from the business.
Jeff Hasen, founder and president of the mobile consultancy Gotta Mobilize, is also an advocate of SMS marketing.
In a Mobile Commerce Daily article, Mr. Hasen is quoted as saying, “The most savvy marketers have decided this is a quality game and not a quantity game.”
The article goes on to point out that SMS is proven to drive business results.
The article also points to the fact that the average texter is older than 40 years old and 80 percent of consumers who have a mobile phone text on a regular basis.
Furthermore, one of the most interesting stats out there comes from the recently released Modern Marketing Essentials Guide to Mobile Marketing. It states that, “90% of SMS messages are opened and read within the first 90 seconds of receipt.”
The Modern Marketing Essentials Guide to Mobile Marketing also states, “In recent years, mobile SMS marketing has pushed forward to become one of the most desirable forms of marketing available. The number of people with cell phones capable of texting has grown rapidly in the past few years and so it makes sense that texting is swiftly becoming the best way to reach a customer. The low cost and flexibility make it great for businesses, while its ability to deliver offers instantly leaves customers wanting more.”
Research sponsored by SAP confirms these findings.
Their report, titled “The SMS Advantage: How enterprises can leverage the power of SMS,” is based on a survey that looks at how consumers respond to mobile engagement and explores which mobile technologies are most effective.
According to this report, “Three-quarters of respondents state that SMS serves to improve the overall brand experience when communicating with businesses.”
The report also finds that “64% of consumers believe that businesses should use SMS to interact with customers more often than they do currently.”
Final Thoughts
There are many ways that consumers can communicate today.
While the projected volume of SMS messages is not has high as the projections for OTT mobile-messaging services, it doesn’t mean that SMS has lost its value.
In fact, SMS traffic is still at near record highs and most likely will continue to be used on a regular basis by many consumers in the years to come.
Furthermore, not only are many consumers still using it, but many think of it as a great way for businesses to communicate with them.
If businesses deliver quality and offer value to customers via text messages, SMS will continue to drive business results, now and in the foreseeable future.
Photo credit: Patrik Nygren on Flickr.
