SMS Applications are About More Than Just Marketing
I talk a lot on our blog about using SMS for marketing. That’s because SMS messaging is an amazing channel for marketers. But it can be used for so much more than that. In this blog I wanted to highlight a couple of example SMS applications that just might get your “little grey cells” thinking about how to use SMS messaging for your organisation.
Logistics
Managing staff, deliveries, or inventory is a necessarily complex job. Communication is the key to keeping everyone informed and things moving smoothly. And the faster the people in your organisation can communicate, the better able they are to stay on track, make adjustments, or avert disaster before it happens.
For example, a warehouse manager can get text alerts when inventory of a critical supply drops below a certain level. The manager can take immediate action and prevent any shortages or delays. Even if you already use email or computer notifications, these take time to arrive and may never be seen by a busy manager. But SMS offers almost instantaneous delivery directly to the manager’s mobile, which could make the difference between a successful shipment or an expensive delay.
Unique SMS Applications
The great thing about technology is how people are always finding new ways to use it. This next use case comes from the US and a group called VetAdvisor. They help returning American soldiers transition back into civilian life by offering coaching, career advice, and financial education.
Every veteran is assigned a wellness coach who keeps in touch with them and helps them with their specific challenges. The coaches send them real-time encouragement and advice via SMS. The service even integrates with some devices, such as the Fitbit. The coaches can see their progress and issues through the Fitbit data, then send them SMS messages to offer support, ask questions, or set up a meeting.
VetAdvisor is one example of a service thinking out of the box and trying new technology together with SMS in a way that provides a valuable service to its members.
Can you think of any new ways SMS applications could support your organisation? Share your ideas in the comments.
Related Articles
Can You Use SMS Messaging in B2B Sales?
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. B2B marketing really is business to one person. It’s just that one person is playing a role in the buying process, rather than making their own purchasing decisions. But you already know that if you’re in B2B sales or marketing. What you may not know, is how willing those various people are to use their own mobile for business.
SMS Mаrkеtіng fоr Bеаutісіаnѕ and Spas
Proof SMS Messaging Gets Results: Increase Traffic
One retailer increased their online mobile traffic by 93% year over year using SMS messaging. Another increased foot traffic by 21% after adding mobile coupons to their marketing. Do you want to know how? Find out in our blog on increasing traffic with SMS messaging.
OFCOM Report Proves SMEs Reliant on SMS Messaging
A recent OFCOM report answers the age-old question: Do SMEs use SMS messaging? Maybe it’s not such an old question, but the answer is quite interesting if you work in an SME. That’s because SMS turns out to be one of the most relied on communications methods available.
SMS Messaging for Uncertain Economic Times
If there’s one thing most of us can agree on, it’s that our economic future is uncertain. The world economy reacted to the Brexit vote with unstable and falling stock markets. And no one knows exactly what the Leave vote means for the UK. But there are other uncertainties too. How can SMS help your business in these uncertain times, not just now but in the future.
Gathering Data with SMS Marketing
SMS Marketing for Tradespeople
SMS Marketing – Steering Clear of Spamming and Harassment
Executed properly, SMS direct marketing is a hugely effective and successful means of building customer loyalty and improving sales. But even genuine and honest marketing companies can suffer huge damage to reputation or even break the law through simply lacking knowledge or not double-checking before releasing campaigns. Read this article to learn more about the definitions of spamming and harassment, current UK law and how to avoid simple but costly mistakes.
SMS Alerts! SMS Messaging for The IT Industry
The life of an IT administrator or manager is a constant battle with the equipment and software they manage. If an issue isn’t fixed in a reasonable time, there are usually consequences in one form or another. So how can you use SMS alerts to make sure your IT team is always aware of issues and the need to fix them quickly?
