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Mobile Messaging
Magic
M A X I M I S I N G T H E M O B I L E C H A N N E LCommunication is a profoundly human activity and the primary driving force behind all technological development. Fixed-line telephones, radio, television and the Internet have all spurred on increasingly rapid advances, but one technology stands far above the rest - the mobile phone. While fixed-line telephones took around a century to achieve the one billion-user mark, the mobile phone took just 15 M A K I N G I T W O R K F O R S M E Syears, swiftly becoming the world's communication device For the small to medium-sized business, mobile messaging of choice. is a particularly attractive communications medium, whether The secret of the mobile phone's success lies not just in it's aimed at customers, suppliers or their own employees. its simplicity, but also in its adaptability. It is no longer just a This is because it's a great leveller in terms of business size - voice-enabled device, as modern phones are also able to it's equally accessible to an SME as it is to a large enterprise provide increasingly robust and rapid data solutions. With (versus television advertising for example), and if used 2.5 billion SMSs sent globally each day according to the correctly, an SME can achieve the same sort of results as a GSM Association, and ever more expansive communication large corporate campaign would. Indeed, mobile messaging platforms facilitating 'any message, anywhere', mobile is is unique in offering a smaller business the chance to 'punch a communication medium that has not only captured the above its weight' - using a highly effective medium to minds of users, but is increasingly capturing the imagination communicate instantly with a wide audience, and yet do so of businesses looking to communicate with them. at a fraction of the cost of other media. Not surprisingly, mobile messaging has exploded as a communications channel of choice for hundreds of thousands of SMEs globally. However, there are potentially a number of pitfalls along the way. Where do you get started? Do you build your mobile messaging function internally or do you make use of an external service provider? If you go the latter route, how do you decide between the many providers that are out there, all purporting to offer the best solution in the market?Clickatell, the world's leading mobile messaging provider, has put together this guide to help SMEs answer these important questions and more, and chart the best way to using mobile messaging within their business. W h y S M S m a k e s b u s i n e s s s e n s e. Cost effectiveness: As a communications medium, SMS is the most cost-effective way of communicating to any mobile audience. Data is transmitted at a fraction of a voice call; a cost that bulk buying can reduce even further.. High reach: In South Africa, there are around seven times more mobile handsets than there are Internet access points. This means that more people can be reached via SMS than through, for instance, email or fax. SMS also allows recipients to be reached wherever they are, with the correct gateway allowing for global reach at the cost of a local message.. High response rates: SMS is an extremely personal means of communication, and invariably an SMS is viewed immediately and the whole message read. This high level of attention induces a higher than average response rate to a call to action than an email or fax typically would.. Immediacy: An SMS is typically delivered within seconds, so is an extremely reliable means of transmitting time-sensitive messages as quickly as possible - often a critical business requirement. . Automation: Full integration with existing legacy environments ensures that SMS can be automated as easily as it is to automate the sending of an email. . Reporting: SMS messages can be saved on existing IT infrastructure as well as logged with a full message report (e.g. date, content, destination number and product or ID employed). This allows full tracking and reporting, which allows the business to exercise control over its communication.
S E R V I C E P R O V I D E R C H E C K - L I S TAs only the largest organisations can afford the cost and human resource necessary for a dedicated, internal messaging solution, if indeed they choose that route, most businesses turn to an SM... [download for more]
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