The average American adult spends 5hrs a day on their mobile devices and 73% of these adults use the text message applications on these devices. This makes for a massive audience and one that is connected and in touch. This article looks at the power of the text and how this power is being exerted for marketing.
The internet is now mobile
Modern mobile devices have serious computing power through their connectivity and access to the cloud. They are used for communication, photography, social media, videography, and shopping tools, but the main and most prominent development is that all these functions are on the internet.
The meaning of all this for business
Being able to meet with and communicate with your customers and clients where they spend most of their time and in a way that will suit their needs is key. Currently, some of the best spaces and systems in this regard exist via web SMS. The text is immediate, with the research showing that these short, less than 160-character messages are read within minutes of their receipt. This is the main reason that they are now also being used by emergency services. As a business, it is thus one of the fastest and most easily acknowledged means of contacting and communicating with clients and customers. Emails are still used, but given that they may take over an hour to read and respond to, it’s a much more longwinded process that the text has been able to shorten and improve. Its personal, direct to the customer marketing works best with texts and SMS. Yes, the bulk message is still used and important for certain messages, but to build a real customer relationship sending personalized messages based on previous interactions is unsurpassed. Has Enormous reach. The text message has enormous reach, and its simplicity means that it can be sent to an entire customer contact list, who can also forward it on and share it, creating momentum like never seen before. Simply look at the latest political campaigns that have used text-based apps like Tatango to spread their messages, gain support and raise funds. Versatility, the text can be used as a general alert to announce new products and services or to send a specific update or reminder message to one customer at a time, based on previous purchase history. Nonprofits use it for fundraising and local government for safety notifications. As a marketing tool, the text retains this versatility and can continue to communicate with customers throughout their journey with your business. The text has made a major comeback and will arguably form the basis of ongoing and future customer relationship-building processes. Lastly, just as social media marketplaces have blossomed, the texting and SMS platforms now used for communication and notification are certain to be adapted to provide a seamless shopping experience. The general understanding is that anything that can be done on shopping Apps can also much easier be done via text.
