SMS

SMS messaging is indelibly woven into the fabric of everyday life for many people. Which makes sense because we’ve been texting — the more commonly used term for SMS — since long before the iPhone even existed. In fact, the first SMS message was sent 30 years ago. (Seriously.) If you’re a marketer in your…

The COVID-fueled e-commerce party couldn’t last forever. Businesses knew that it was only a matter of time before consumers reverted to their pre-pandemic shopping habits of mixing online and in-person shopping. That time appears to be upon us. A recently released Mastercard SpendingPulse report showed a year-over-year (YoY) retail sales increase of 7.2 percent in…

While the COVID pandemic brought dramatic shifts in employment that disrupted many lives, it also created a record-breaking number of entrepreneurs — driving the largest increase in new business applications in history. But as many of these new retailers adjusted to a “click to brick” economy, finding the time to build their brand in a…

While many industries have embraced short message service (SMS, or more commonly referred to as texting) as a meaningful way to communicate with customers, many retail brands still haven't adopted the practice with regularity. As retailers consider changes in marketing tactics, increasing text message campaigns should be part of the discussion. People are on their…

Bringing in new customers to your business is a challenge itself, but retaining them and building a meaningful relationship is a whole other feat. Brands often struggle to find the right communication channel and messaging to grow customer engagement. With so many new small businesses booming following The Great Resignation, building customer loyalty is paramount…

The holidays are behind us. The November and December rush leaves most companies exhausted and in a turbulent cycle of catch-up after the hectic time from Black Friday through Christmas. Before you know it, spring will be here and planning for the 2022 holiday season will kick off. You might not have taken more than…

Consumer expectations and shopping habits are constantly evolving. How brands adapt to the constant evolution, from logistics and staffing to marketing strategy and tactics, ultimately determines whether they stay relevant in consumers’ eyes and their business continues to grow. We’re witnessing another evolution in purchasing behavior, ushering in a new breed of consumers — the…

The use of SMS as a customer engagement channel, including for customer service and marketing, is a growing trend that retailers are seeking to capitalize on. With consumers increasingly shopping with retailers across multiple channels, including mobile, it's not surprising that they're more willing to communicate with those businesses via SMS. Consider the following data…

Evolving customer engagement platforms and advanced SMS capabilities make it easy to start sending text messages. However, this channel remains underutilized or neglected as most retailers struggle to find their voice and identify meaningful activations. Rather than covering the basics, I will focus on the journey to define use cases for an integrated and elevated…

The business messaging landscape constantly evolves as new technology advancements and innovative ways to engage customers disrupt the ecosystem. Nearly 70 percent of consumer-brand interactions shifted to messaging during the pandemic, and this trend will likely continue as nearly 65 percent of the global population sends and receives SMS messages. There are several SMS messaging options available to businesses,…