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SMS 1.0
The very first SMS was sent in 1992. The most well-known usages of SMS are the notifications we get. Your dentist appointment, order delivery statuses and Two-factor Authentication, all directly sent to your mobile phone. But perhaps you’ve once received your festival tickets through SMS just before the start of the event or received the latest sales items of your favorite store? SMS has the power to deliver the right information at the exact time you need it most. No need to go looking through 5.000 messages, to find the message you are looking for. Plenty of possibilities with SMS 1.0, though in this day and age it would be nice to be able to add rich content.
SMS 1.1
When you combine SMS with a mobile landing page, you can send messages beyond the initial 160-character. Use this too, for example, attach the festival tickets the recipient has bought. Send this the morning of the event and add directions to the nearest entrance. Or promote your store’s relevant SALE items or latest arrivals. Include a link to your webshop for instant shopping. As you can see, mobile landing pages elevate your SMS to a whole new level. Adding rich content like videos, QR codes or surveys to your mobile-friendly page offers a whole world of extra possibilities.
SMS 2.0
Though that’s not all. Right now, we are reinventing SMS, as SMS will turn into RCS. RCS stands for Rich Communication Services, adding rich content to your SMS app. At this moment, this is still a work in progress, but imagine using SMS like you use your WhatsApp or Viber. RCS is going to change the way we SMS and take communication with customers to a whole new level. What is this going to look like?
Also read: RCS: Busting the 5 biggest myths
For starters, you will be a verified sender, which will gain the trust of your customers as they will know who is reaching out to them. You will be able to add rich content like pictures, GIFs, audio, and even video. Compatible with all Android phones and offered by all providers, you will be able to inform, instruct, and promote with a complete range of tools. Engaging with your customers like never before.
Also read: RCS vs. SMS Messaging: A Comparison >
To manage these new conversation flows, you will even have the possibility to implement chatbots for support, automate your calls, and use live chats. You can use all these features to increase your conversion rate. And instead of simply measuring your click rates in SMS or email, you can now truly get in touch with your customer.
