Should You Use an App or SMS Messaging? Or both?
![Should you use an app or SMS messaging?](https://dox4euoyzny9u.cloudfront.net/images/fastsms/Should-You-Use-an-App-or-SMS-Messaging-Or-both-.png)
It’s an app world out there. The average mobile owner has about 40 apps installed at any one time. But they usually use approximately 15 regularly. That’s all according to the Harvard Business Review. Personally, that’s about right. Though I would bet I’ve had many more than 40 apps before, but I get around to deleting some eventually.
And that’s the point. Most apps aren’t used and are often deleted. As a mechanism to engage your customers, an app may not be all that you think it will be. The Harvard study also showed that app usage tends to cluster around five major types:
- Social
- Entertainment
- Communications
- Navigation
- News
Shopping doesn’t make that list because only 5% of consumers spent time in shopping apps. If you’re a retailer, that has to give you pause when you think about creating an app to reach out to customers. But for the moment, let’s say you have an app and it fits into one of those categories.
You still have the issue of getting the customers to open and engage with the app. Currently, notifications are the most used way to get their attention. But is that the only way?
Do notifications work?
At first blush, notifications are awesome. You get updates right on your screen without having to open the app. But it doesn’t take too long before they become the bane of any existence. If you have the average 40 apps, you’re notification screen is probably on fire most of the time – at least it can look that way as the messages pop up over and over. That is, until you turn them off.
A study by Brand Quarterly shows that consumers turn those notifications off about 50% of the time (for me it runs closer to 80-85%. But I’m very particular). The phrase “notification spam” is rampant on the web where you’ll find all sort of articles telling you how to turn them off.
Even if your customer sees your notification among the sea of messages scrolling across the screen, another study, this one by Acengage suggests only 6% of notifications succeed in getting people to open the app mentioned in the message.
That really isn’t a great open rate. The conclusion is you may get a small percentage of your customer base that is enthused about your app to the point they use it regularly. The rest are lost to you on mobile. Unless you get smart about how you connect with them.
How SMS messaging can fit in too
If you’re determined to engage customers on mobile, and through your app, you may want to consider a multi-channel approach. First, segment your customers into one group that uses the app and responds to notifications, and another group that doesn’t do either. The second group is prime ground for SMS messaging.
Despite the growth in use, consumers still aren’t jaded about SMS messages. It’s a primary form of communication for them so they still read nearly everything that comes through. And they read it fast. Here are a few more benefits of SMS:
- Consumers already know it. There are no new apps to learn and navigate
- It doesn’t rely on a high speed internet connection which many apps can (video and images primarily)
- Recent studies show consumers want to be contacted via SMS by brands
By using SMS messaging to contact customers that don’t use the app (or haven’t for a long time), you can get them engaged again. You can drive them back to the app or try sending links to mobile websites to see if they prefer that. Or you can even interact directly using SMS (with two-way messaging).
This two channel approach means you still have the opportunity to reach all your customers on some level. If they ignore your notifications, text messages will probably get their attention. So the question isn’t notifications vs. SMS anymore. The question is: how do I use both?
Do you have an app for your business? Does your experience resemble these latest studies? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject in the comments.
Related Articles
Clean Data for Optimised SMS Marketing
SMS marketing, like any well-planned advertising strategy, should be developed as a targeted campaign, rather than left (as it all too often is) with a scattergun approach. Simply put, send the message to the people it is pertinent to, and avoid being seen as another 'spammer' sending junk messages to those who do not want to know.
The Truth About SMS Opt Out Rates
You’ve read all about getting subscribers, the legal and recommended guidelines, and put great offers out to your list. But people still unsubscribe. Should you be worried? Are you doing something wrong? That depends. As the saying goes, you can’t make 100% of the people happy 100% of the time. You will have opt-outs, but whether you have too many is the question you should be asking.
5 Top Converting Power Words for SMS Marketing
7 Statistics That Show Why You Should be Using SMS Marketing Right Now
You might have heard about SMS marketing and thought it wasn't for you. Maybe you're unconvinced by this method of reaching customers and are just not sure it could help your business thrive. But any business, big or small, can benefit from an online SMS service and the facts are plain to see.
How to send the perfect SMS marketing message
Always Follow Through on Your SMS Marketing Promises
The other day I received a text message promising me ten days of deals. All I had to do was reply “DEALS” to the shortcode each day and they would send me a coupon for their service. This was great I thought, because my kids had been asking about the company for a while. A deal was just what I needed to get me to let my kids have their way...
Is SMS Marketing Complicated?
How hard is it to use SMS marketing? If you’ve been told it’s complicated, you heard wrong. Using SMS is simple, though there are a few things you should know. This blog shows you how simple it can be, and provides links to useful resources.
Suggested templates for back-to-business SMS communications
3 Common Errors That Will Ruin Your SMS Marketing
You worked hard to get those customers on your SMS marketing list. But now they are unsubscribing like crazy, or maybe just no longer responding to your messages. What happened? Maybe you’ve committed one of the following common, but easy to fix, errors that can completely drive your customers away.