Text Messaging – SMS-Magic https://www.sms-magic.com Simple Business Text Messaging Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:58:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Unraveling 12 Essential SMS Marketing Myths for Ultimate Success in 2023! https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/12-powerful-sms-marketing-myths-debunked/ Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:58:41 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=61853 The world we navigate is connected at unprecedented levels. In this dynamic landscape, it’s intriguing how some misconceptions, especially surrounding business SMS communication, can persist. So, let’s embark on a conversational journey to debunk these SMS Marketing Myths and spotlight how SMS-Magic is revolutionizing the realm of SMS marketing.

SMS Marketing Myth 1: One Size Fits All in Messaging Solutions

Reality: Every car isn’t a Lamborghini, right? Initiated in 2008, SMS-Magic has never stopped evolving. Beyond traditional text messaging services, we focus on creating genuine engagement and fostering customer relationships. Our SMS platform prioritizes results, evidenced by clients experiencing a staggering 40% hike in conversions.

SMS Marketing Myth 2: It’s Just… Texting

Reality: Think of a master chef crafting a gourmet dish: whether they use secret ingredients or everyday food, they always deliver something fantastic. That’s how we view messaging! SMS-Magic elevates business text messaging into an art form. By prioritizing genuine, resonant content, we’ve become the go-to choice for high-stakes conversations such as finance and healthcare.

SMS Marketing Myth 3: Platforms are Too Complex

Reality: Ever tried assembling a 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle? Daunting, right? But with SMS-Magic, the experience is more like snapping together Lego bricks. By designing a user-friendly interface, we let businesses focus on what they excel at, leaving the SMS intricacies to us.

SMS Marketing Myth 4: Compliance is a Constant Battle

Reality: Imagine a world where you can set-and-forget rules and regulations. Welcome to the SMS-Magic realm! We actively monitor and adapt to regulatory updates and changes , ensuring your SMS campaigns remain compliant. Say goodbye to those tedious manual updates.

SMS Marketing Myth 5: Integration Nightmares Await

Reality: Imagine effortlessly blending paint on a canvas so every color is clear, bright, and tells a story. That’s the integration experience with SMS-Magic. Whether you’re using Salesforce, Zoho, or other CRM systems, our seamless integration ensures fluidity in your communication processes.

SMS Marketing Myth 6: Setting Up is Like Climbing Everest

Reality: With us, it’s more of a walk in the park! Begin your SMS marketing journey with SMS-Magic in a day. Should you encounter any challenges our top-notch support team is just a call away.

SMS Marketing Myth 7: Termination Equals Data Loss

Reality: Consider us the guardians of your digital memories. Even post-cancellation, your data is safely and securely maintained, ensuring your hard work and customer interactions aren’t lost to the void.

SMS Marketing Myth 8: Texts Play Second Fiddle to Emails

Reality: In our digital age, timeliness is the name of the game. While emails sit unread, SMS messages boast a jaw-dropping 98% open rate. Makes you wonder: Who’s truly leading the customer engagement race?

SMS Marketing Myth 9: Bulk Messaging Equals Spam

Reality: We believe in quality over quantity. Rather than bombarding users, our personalized SMS strategies ensure that each message feels personalized, leading to a whopping 75% of users feeling more connected to brands.

SMS Marketing Myth 10: SMS Lacks Engagement Power

Reality: If engagement was a dance, SMS would be leading the Conga Line! Brands that weave SMS into their strategies witness a soaring 30% uptick in engagement. It’s time to join the dance!

SMS Marketing Myth 11: Serious Businesses Don’t Text

Reality: Think of professional SMS communication as the modern-day briefcase: sleek, efficient, and indispensable. From appointment reminders in healthcare to transactional updates in finance, secure business messaging has become a keystone in professional communication.

SMS Marketing Myth 12: SMS Isn’t ROI Friendly

Reality: Here’s some economics 101: for every dollar channeled into SMS campaigns, businesses often see returns exceeding $40. It’s an investment that truly pays dividends.

The prowess of SMS marketing isn’t just about numbers or open rates. It’s about resonance. It’s about conversations that matter. Dive deep with SMS-Magic and watch your business narratives turn magical, one message at a time. After all, in this age of fleeting attention spans, it’s not merely the message, but the connection that counts. Stay ahead, stay engaged, and remember: Magic is just an SMS away! 

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Ultimate Power: Text Messaging in Healthcare 101 – Boosting Adherence & Engagement https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/harnessing-text-messaging-in-healthcare/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:42:10 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=61739 In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, text messaging in healthcare has highlighted patient engagement and adherence as vital elements in ensuring optimal health outcomes. However, the problem of non-adherent patients—those who do not consistently follow medical advice, skip their medication doses, or miss their appointments—continues to pose challenges to healthcare professionals worldwide.

Increasingly, healthcare providers are turning to technology to solve this issue. At the forefront of this technological revolution is the power of Text Messaging in Healthcare, a tool that has shown great promise in improving patient adherence and engagement. But how exactly does this work? Let’s dive in.

Powering Medication Adherence Through Text Messaging in Healthcare

Patient preference and adherence is a critical component of effective healthcare, but nearly 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed. This non-compliance can lead to severe health repercussions and increased healthcare costs. Enter the game-changer: Conversational Messaging. You’ll be impressed to know that the ‘Impact of Reminders on Adherence’, A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that text message reminders improved medication adherence rates by 17.8%

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Source – JAMA Internal Medicine

SMS messaging for healthcare offers a straightforward, cost-effective, and patient-friendly solution to medication non-adherence. With personalized medication reminders delivered right to a patient’s mobile device, patients are more likely to stick to their prescription schedules. Messaging can further encourage Patient preference and adherence by providing clear instructions for medication intake, addressing common concerns about side effects, and offering timely support when patients need it.

Enhancing Appointment Compliance via Text Messaging in Healthcare

Missing healthcare appointments is a pervasive issue that leads to delayed care, disrupted treatment plans, and unnecessary healthcare costs. The U.S. healthcare system incurs over $150 billion in annual costs due to no-show appointments, as demonstrated by a study released in the BMC Health Services Research journal. This problem, too, can be tackled effectively through SMS messaging.

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SourceHealthcare Innovation

SMS healthcare text reminders for appointments significantly reduce the likelihood of no-shows. Moreover, by enabling two-way communication, text messaging allows patients to easily reschedule appointments if needed. This reduces the chances of empty appointment slots, enhancing clinic efficiency.

As the ‘Impact of Reminders on Appointment Attendance’ study in the Journal of American Board of Family Medicine, text message reminders reduced the rate of missed appointments by nearly 30%. Furthermore, it also fosters stronger patient-doctor relationships by maintaining consistent communication and demonstrating the healthcare provider’s commitment to the patient’s well-being.

Transforming Overall Patient Engagement through Text Messaging in Healthcare

Beyond improving patient preference and adherence and appointment compliance, messaging can transform overall patient engagement. For example, The survey conducted by the National Library of Medicine provided intriguing data about patients’ communication preferences. A remarkable 98.2% of patients found text messages to be a favorable mode of communication, and 95.5% felt a heightened sense of connection with their healthcare team through this medium. Additionally, 91.9% of respondents agreed that these text updates reduced their need to make calls to the office.

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SourceNational Library of Medicine

Equally noteworthy is that 91.9% of patients showed a clear preference for text updates over other communication methods such as emails, phone calls, or patient portal messages. By texting regular health tips, wellness checks, and encouragement, SMS marketing services can foster healthier lifestyles and a greater sense of connection between patients and healthcare providers.

This two-way communication also empowers patients, giving them a more active role in their healthcare journey. This empowerment not only enhances patients’ overall satisfaction but also improves health outcomes by promoting active participation in their healthcare.

Why Choose SMS-Magic: The Best SMS Marketing Services

With numerous SMS service providers in the market, it’s important to choose one that truly stands out. SMS-Magic offers the best SMS marketing services, tailored to meet the unique needs of healthcare professionals.

We understand the necessity of ensuring patient adherence and preference in the healthcare industry. That’s why our services are designed to deliver personalized, timely, and accurate messages. Through our robust platform, you can send appointment reminders, medication alerts, and follow-up messages that keep your patients engaged and compliant.

Moreover, SMS-Magic’s user-friendly platform allows healthcare providers to easily manage their communication with hundreds or even thousands of patients. Our services are HIPAA-compliant, ensuring all patient communication is private and secure.

At SMS-Magic, we’re committed to harnessing the power of conversational messaging to enhance patient adherence. We’re here to help healthcare providers leverage this powerful tool to promote better patient outcomes. So why wait? Join us in driving SMS healthcare forward with SMS-Magic, and let’s make non-adherent patients a thing of the past.

Thank you for reading our blog! Stay tuned for more insights on how messaging is shaping the future of various industries. Remember, with SMS-Magic, your communication possibilities are endless. Follow us to get timely updates. 

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Texting Top Talent: The New Wave of Revolutionary Recruitment https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/text-recruiting-messaging-guide/ Thu, 10 Aug 2023 11:26:51 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=61710 In the high-octane landscape of recruitment, time isn’t just money—it’s talent. The faster you establish contact with potential candidates, the quicker you can assess their profiles and secure top performers for your organization. So, how do we turbocharge this process? The key lies in the prowess of Conversational Messaging and Text Recruiting.

With an astounding average response time of a mere three minutes, it overshadows traditional approaches like email and voicemail, not merely by a few strides but by miles. But the benefits of SMS messaging extend far beyond the time limit to get a reply from your candidate. It has the potential to redefine your recruitment landscape, slashing your time-to-hire, and magnetizing the digitally-inclined millennial and Gen Z talent pool. 

In this comprehensive guide, we will navigate the intricacies of messaging as a recruitment powerhouse and equip you with 9 actionable insights to ensnare top-tier talent. But before we dive right into the crux of our discussion, it’s essential to highlight the powerful role of text messaging in modern recruitment. 

Why Text Recruiting is the Key to Streamlining your Talent Hunt

With escalating costs and extended time-to-hire, traditional recruitment channels are increasingly proving inefficient. Over 83% of talent leaders acknowledge recruiting and retaining talent as their chief priority, adopting cost-effective and time-saving strategies is paramount. Here’s where using text recruiting messaging steps in, slashing cost-to-hire and significantly boosting efficiency, even with heightened hiring volumes.

Messaging’s real-time simplicity stands out from other communication methods. It efficiently engages candidates, especially since 39% lose interest from prolonged hiring. It’s especially useful for connecting with passive candidates, letting recruiters nurture relationships for future needs. Later in this blog, we’ll discuss using Text Recruiting Software to enhance recruitment strategies.

Harnessing the Benefits of Conversational Messaging into Text Recruiting

Conversational messaging, with its superior response times and increased reach, can slash your time-to-hire significantly. It enables real-time interaction with potential candidates, accelerating the screening and interview coordination process, thereby landing you the desired talent swiftly and seamlessly.

Text Recruiting

Transition from Passive to Proactive

The transition from passive to proactive recruiting can be a game changer. Using messaging as a tool, recruiters can actively reach out to candidates, fostering an engaging two-way conversation. It not only enhances the candidate experience but also allows recruiters to glean essential insights about the candidates, paving the way for informed decision-making.

Speaking the Digital Tongue in Text Recruiting

Millennial and Gen Z candidates are digital natives. To attract this tech-savvy talent, recruiters must communicate via their preferred channels. Messaging serves as an effective platform to engage with these candidates, by offering the quick, informal, and interactive communication they prefer.

Text Recruiting

Agility Personified

Filling temporary positions quickly is crucial to maintaining business continuity and productivity. With text messaging, recruiters can instantly connect with a broad network of potential candidates, streamlining the sourcing, screening, and hiring process. It’s a game-changer when speed and efficiency are the keys to success.

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Crowning Practices

While the potential of SMS messaging in recruitment is vast, it must be employed strategically. From crafting engaging messages, and respecting candidate’s privacy, to timely follow-ups – best practices should be at the heart of your messaging recruitment strategy such as the Best SMS Marketing Services provided by SMS-Magic. This ensures optimal use of the tool while enhancing the candidate experience.

Text Messaging Templates 

Effective messaging demands the right blend of professionalism and personalization. To help recruiters navigate this balance, we provide proven text messaging templates. These templates, tailored to various stages of the recruitment process, ensure consistent, concise, and effective communication with candidates. So, to get these templates, get your sms-magic login and start conversing today to recruit the premier talent. 

Cultivating Personal Bonds

The power of messaging lies in its ability to cultivate personal relationships. Unlike formal emails, text messages foster casual and warm exchanges, making candidates feel valued and engaged. This personalized approach can significantly boost your brand image, leading to higher acceptance rates.

Decoding the Generation

Messaging resonates with younger candidates due to its immediacy and informality. This digitally-adept cohort prefers quick, concise interactions over lengthy, formal communication. Understanding this preference is crucial in tailoring your communication strategy, enabling you to attract and retain young talent more effectively.

The Recruitment of Tomorrow

With digital transformation permeating every aspect of business, recruitment is no exception. Embracing messaging as a key tool is not just about staying current; it’s about anticipating and adapting to the future of recruitment. Leveraging the power of Text Recruiting Platforms today can set your recruitment strategy on the path of success for years to come.

In the dynamic realm of recruitment, standing still is not an option; evolution is the key to success. As we’ve journeyed through the various ways text messaging can revolutionize your recruitment process, it’s clear that the power of Conversational Messaging is undeniable. By harnessing this tool, you can attract and engage top talent, reduce your time-to-hire, and enhance client satisfaction, all while future-proofing your recruitment strategy. As we navigate the digital age, embracing messaging is not just a strategic move—it’s an imperative.

Ready to revolutionize your recruitment strategy? Let’s embark on this journey together! Contact one of the Best SMS Marketing Services Provider SMS-Magic today and allow us to guide you through the transformation. With our cutting-edge messaging solutions and expertise, we’ll help you unlock the full potential of text messaging in your recruitment process. Start your journey to recruitment excellence today — because your future talent is just a text message away. 

Connect with us now, and get full insights about what we have to offer. 

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Why SMS Marketing Automation Should be a Priority for Wealth Management Firms https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/why-sms-marketing-automation-should-be-a-priority-for-wealth-management-firms/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 08:15:00 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=60727 It’s no secret that engagement with your wealth-management customers has moved from primarily in-person communications to the digital space, and SMS marketing automations can make that shift easier for you. Financial Advisor has reported that the need for a digital marketing presence in the financial industry has grown over the years, becoming even more imperative after the pandemic as in-person meetings became infrequent.

Offering your marketing digitally can also give your leads and clients access to resources and information about your products and services. If this seems overwhelming, don’t worry. With some front-end work and a reliable messaging partner, automations can make your digital marketing more manageable — and cost-effective.

Automate marketing messages to improve your customer's experiences

1. Automate marketing messages to improve your customer’s experiences

It’s likely that your potential customers are looking for financial information at all hours of the day, and you can greet them each time with personalized messaging automation. Your first step in creating this positive experience is to ensure you aren’t sending any messages, directly or with automations, without their express written consent. Giving your leads and customers the ability to opt in to messaging can be painless when you add opt-in and compliance language to your digital and printed marketing materials or with a button on your website. Once you have the tools to capture consent, you can automate with a little upfront content creation.

One of the easiest ways to start your customer off with a positive experience with your company is by sending an automated welcome message. When a lead submits a form from your website or asks for more information and agrees to opt in to your messages, your preset welcoming message automation can send them an instant response. 

Filling out the form and submitting it triggers this message, and it doesn’t have to stop there. Your welcome message can also lead to an automated message flow that can gather information about your lead’s user metrics, like their financial goals and knowledge level. These messaging flows might ask your lead questions and ask them to reply using a keyword. Each keyword response triggers another automated message that may provide them with links to resources or applications, or it can trigger a response that explains when you will contact them.

These flows and automations improve the customer’s experience from the initial interaction and can keep it going throughout their journey with your company.

Increase profitable hours without sacrificing personalized interactions

2. Increase profitable hours without sacrificing personalized interactions

With marketing automations in place, you and your team won’t have to spend their profit-making hours responding to each customer request personally. Your automated marketing responders can handle many tasks on your behalf, whether an initial welcoming message or one aimed at nurturing clients with links to educational posts or newsletters catered to their interests. 

Remember that data collecting flow mentioned above? This crucial data, combined with your CRM database, can help you personalize each automated marketing campaign. You’ll save time without sacrificing the quality of each interaction when you add personalized touches to each automated message.

Automated marketing doesn’t mean you’ll relinquish complete control of your marketing and communications to automations. With messaging services like SMS-Magic, you can easily switch from automated to personal conversations. Plus, your automations should be reviewed and adjusted regularly based on your read and response rates to your automated marketing campaigns. This will require updated content creation and adjustments to your keyword triggers and flows to keep automation marketing working its best for you.

Promote efficiency and reduce event no-shows with automations

3. Promote efficiency and reduce event no-shows with automations

Reminders about upcoming meetings or seminars or gentle nudges to download or read marketing content are other benefits that make adding marketing automation a priority. Once a client agrees to a set appointment date and time, it, unfortunately, isn’t set in stone. You can reduce no-shows by setting up automations to send reminders days and hours before the meeting. Add in the ability for clients to reschedule, and you’ll have time to slide another client into a vacant slot — keeping you on track and increasing your productivity.

SMS-Magic’s analytics lets you see what marketing messages aren’t read or responded to. This vital data — paired with your CRM database — can fuel your follow-up campaigns, specifically targeting those groups that haven’t taken action. Follow-ups and reminders are crucial to maintaining your customers’ forward momentum so they can experience all you offer. Automating these follow-ups frees you up and keeps you moving toward your business goals. 

The Bottom Line

Engaging in thoughtful marketing tactics means you’re nurturing leads and delighting your existing customers, but that doesn’t mean you’re always doing it from your mobile phone or computer 24/7. With a little up-front message creation, you can set SMS marketing automations to work for you — any time of day.

Ready to get started using messaging automations to work for your wealth management firm? To get started with SMS-Magic, contact our customer support team for a demo or a free trial!

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Don’t Risk Denial of Service! Register Your Long Codes & Verify Toll-Free Numbers https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/dont-risk-denial-of-service-register-your-long-codes-verify-toll-free-numbers/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 10:01:00 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=60666 We have two important alerts about your messaging campaigns!

Due to changes this year from carriers in the United States and Canada, you may be at risk of filtered delivery or possible denial of service if:

  • your company is sending SMS messages in the U.S. using 10-digit long codes (10DLC), or
  • your company is using toll-free numbers in campaigns in the U.S. or Canada

Ensuring delivery requires just a few actions on your part, and SMS-Magic can help you.

A2P 10DLC Registration

To ensure delivery of your messages, major U.S. telecommunications carriers, like Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, US Cellular and others are now requiring companies sending application-to-person (A2P) SMS messages within the U.S. to register their 10DLC. This is in addition to the requirements specified in regulations like GDPR, TCPA and others.

The goal of registration is to protect consumers, improve message deliverability, and to encourage trust within the system while delivering high customer engagement. Registration should also help reduce SMS text spam and fraud.

When you register, carriers want to know two things: who you are and what you’re sending. They ask you to provide:

  • Company brand registration – you must identify who you are to carrier networks.
  • Standardized campaign use-case registration – you must identify the type of messages you are sending, such as account updates, marketing campaigns, customer service, etc.

To submit your 10DLC registration, please complete this form. We’ll take it from there.

Toll-Free Verification

In addition to A2P 10DLC Registration, you must also verify the toll-free numbers you use in the U.S. and Canada. Unverified numbers in Canada can be blocked, and in the U.S., traffic may be subject to increased filtering and daily limits on sending.

To submit your toll-free numbers for verification, please complete this form.

If you have any questions about registration, contact us at care@sms-magic.com.

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Is Your Company Ready for Conversational Messaging? https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/is-your-company-ready-for-conversational-messaging/ Tue, 21 Jun 2022 23:10:00 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=59990 The short answer is: Yes, you’re ready for conversational messaging!

How you implement conversational messaging, however, will depend on several factors. Here are our suggestions for evaluating your messaging readiness:

  1. How many messages do you expect to send per month?
    SMS-Magic is a powerful tool, no matter how many messages you send, but our platform really shines as your volume increases. You can send thousands of text messages in just a few minutes, or you can send eye-catching multimedia files at a slightly slower pace. It’s easy to tailor your message volume to your goals and budget.
  1. Do you work with a CRM like Salesforce or Zoho?
    If you send just a handful of messages each month, you can use SMS-Magic without using a customer relationship management tool like Salesforce or Zoho. If, however, you have conversations with more than a few clients or customers, a CRM can help you track your conversations, segment your delivery lists and customize your messaging campaigns. SMS-Magic is a top-rated partner for Salesforce and Zoho, and it integrates with them seamlessly.
Do you need to track all your conversations in one place
  1. Do you need to track all your conversations in one place?
    Once you’ve integrated messaging and your CRM, SMS-Magic will store all your messages to a single customer in one record. If you use a practice management tool like Litify, you can see the conversation history in Litify – there’s no need to open both applications. Accessing a conversation history allows contact centers to work more efficiently and reduces customer frustration. Customers don’t have to repeat their stories time and again because the conversation is available to the rep immediately.
  1. Do all your employees need the ability to message?
    We can provide messaging access to all your employees – not just your marketing team – if that helps you respond to your customers faster. Some of the law firms that use SMS-Magic have found that empowering all their employees with messaging access allows their staff to respond to client questions and concerns, even if the lead attorney on the case is in court. The message history is available to everyone, so staff members can relay information to clients, follow-up on missing documents or send appointment reminders.
  1. Do your employees need messaging access on the go
    The SMS-Magic Mobile App is a great solution when your staff members can’t be in the office. One of our customers, a property management company, has streamlined maintenance requests by converting to messaging. Tenants can use their preferred communication method to report maintenance issues, and staff members can respond promptly, even if they are visiting a property at the time. Because SMS-Magic is integrated into Salesforce for this customer, all conversations are stored for easy access back at the office.
Do your employees need messaging access on the go

You know how powerful conversational messaging can be. Your customers love it! They read 98% of the messages they receive and respond within three minutes to 95% of them. You can deliver a message at your convenience and your customer can respond at theirs.

Billions of people use messaging platforms like SMS, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp – allowing them to make payments, talk to their bankers, and submit applications from their mobile phones. Conversational messaging has become the preferred business communication channel around the world.

Are you ready to switch to conversational messaging? We’d like to help make your decision easier. Our customer support team would love to show you how SMS-Magic can make reaching your customers easier and more effective with a demo or a free trial!

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Understanding the Long and Short of Messaging Codes https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/understanding-the-long-and-short-of-messaging-codes/ Wed, 25 May 2022 04:54:00 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=59890 Before you plan your first messaging campaign, you will need to choose the inbound number your customers will use to talk to you. Will you choose a short code or a long code? Either one will work, but one may be better than the other for your use case.

Long codes are essentially phone numbers, complete with an area code. Short codes are generally five or six digits. Keep reading and we’ll give you some great information about short and long codes to help you make decisions for your campaign.

Characteristics of Short- and Long-Codes

Let’s start with short codes. As we said, short codes are generally five or six digits. They are fixed and easy-to-remember, and they must be registered with your carrier. Think of a short code as your mobile marketing address. For example, Burger King’s is 287437.

Most companies create short codes to drive their messaging strategy. They combine short codes with related keywords and automated responses to deliver specific content or answers to keyword responses and questions.

For example, a pizza chain may prompt you to text the word “PIZZA” to a 6-digit short code by offering a coupon or discount. When you text, they reply by immediately sending a link to a coupon. The response is generated automatically.

Here’s a drawback to using short codes: short codes can only be used to send either SMS or MMS messages. You can’t use them to send faxes or make calls.

Characteristics of Short- and Long-Codes

Here’s the upside: short code delivery is usually faster than long-code delivery, the margin of error is smaller, and carriers don’t tend to mark messages using short codes as spam as often as they do with long codes.

By contrast, long codes are 10-digit numbers and are tied to specific area codes. They can be used to send and receive texts and faxes, as well as to make calls. Toll-free numbers also can be used as long codes.

The choice of short or long codes depends on several variables. Here are the five most important:

1. Speed of sending/receiving text messages

  • SMS long codes have a limit of one message per second; therefore, long codes are used primarily for person-to-person communication.
  • Short codes can be used to send 40 messages per second. They work better than long codes when a high-volume response is expected, such as voting during a television program.

2. Inbound-to-outbound message ratio

Carriers limit inbound long-code messages to one for every four outbound messages. Short codes don’t have a limit – you can send and receive as many as you’d like.

3. Difference in use cases

Typically, long codes are used by courier companies, banks, airlines and other service sectors for customer-service communications. Here are a few examples:

  • A courier company could use a long code to inform a customer that their package is out for delivery.
  • A bank could message clients their account balances every month.
  • An airline could reply to a passenger’s seat preference request.

Short codes are used by companies for marketing and security or to disseminate urgent information. Short codes examples include:

  • Marketing promotions. Use short codes to send coupons, sales alerts, and other promotional information. If your company is US-based, it’s mandatory to have a short code for all marketing messages.
  • Two-factor authentication. Since a message sent via short code can be delivered quickly, short codes are preferred for these applications.
  • Alert notifications, including hurricane warnings or flight delays. These notifications are urgent and important. They are effective because of fast, reliable delivery.

The following table shares an overview of the key aspects concerning short and long codes.

Difference in use cases

4. Acquisition Process

You’ll need to have long- or short-codes before your campaign launches. Depending on your choice, it could take months to acquire the codes you need. Here are common time requirements:

  • Long codes. You’ll have your code within a day after you complete an online form or make the call to your carrier.
  • Short codes. May take six to eight weeks to attain. Short codes must be registered with the US Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) and carriers, and they all must approve your registration.

We recommend you keep a set of short codes available for campaigns. At SMS-Magic we keep

pre-approved short codes available for our customers.

Acquisition Process

5. Coverage Around the World

  • Long codes. You’ll use the same long code across the globe.
  • Short codes are country specific. They provide delivery receipts, which are needed in cases such as two-factor authentication or when message delivery is critical.

Let SMS-Magic Help You

The SMS-Magic team helps clients with short- and long-code decisions every day. We would be excited to share our experience and help you decide which one is best for you. Or if you’re already sure which would be best for you, we can help you implement your choice.

Does the SMS-Magic team sound like the partner you’ve been looking for? We hope so!

Contact us to set up a demo or to start your free trial. Let us show you how SMS-Magic can help you build and automate your messaging campaigns!

automate your messaging campaigns
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How Kwartler Manus Converts More Prospects into New Clients with Conversational Messaging https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/how-kwartler-manus-converts-more-prospects-into-new-clients-with-conversational-messaging/ Wed, 18 May 2022 09:49:22 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=59672 Joshua Kwartler identified his law firm’s communications problem in one sentence, “People don’t answer their phones.”

As chief operating officer for Kwartler Manus, a personal injury law firm based in Philadelphia, Kwartler’s job is to help the firm’s staff convert prospects into clients. Often, he said, when people are seeking representation because of an injury, they contact several law firms to compare services and expertise. Law firms that can quickly connect with prospective clients have the best chance of earning their business.

When Kwartler started working with the firm three years ago, he realized that emails and phone calls were not the best way to start those relationships. He said it was difficult to get people on the phone.

“We’re all busy,” he said. “People can’t answer the phone right away or it’s inconvenient for them to return a message.”

Conversational text messaging, however, allows the firm to reach out quickly and personally. Clients can ask questions in a live interaction at their convenience.

reach out quickly and personally

Research about messaging shows that we prefer texts because globally we send 5 billion texts a day and open 98 percent of them. Conversely, we only open our emails 22 percent of the time, according to Gigaom. Research from Asurion shows that we look at our phones at least 96 times a day or once every 10 minutes or more. Kwartler knew that the firm’s prospective customers were just like the rest of us.

He said it was quickly apparent that his firm needed a conversational text messaging solution, and he contacted SMS-Magic. He chose SMS-Magic because it is integrated with Litify, his firm’s management software.

He was interested in getting the most out of both platforms by synching messaging with his management tools. He has had some advanced training with Salesforce and Litify and has become a Litify advocate. SMS-Magic is designed so that all client contacts are recorded in one place within the Litify environment. Anyone in the firm can see exactly what has been communicated, and they don’t have to open a second platform to do it.

“With SMS-Magic, we’re able to respond quickly to initial client queries via text,” he said. “We can start the conversation and tell the client who we are and then make sure we’re talking to the right person. It’s a conversation between the client and one person at the law firm. Clients really like the personalization.”

In addition to personalization, Kwartler Manus clients appreciate the quick response, as well as the opportunity to either move forward with their inquiry or end the contact altogether. And they really like handling it all without actually talking to anyone.

Everyone in the firm has a license to use SMS-Magic. “That way, if a principle or associate is in court, someone else can respond to the client,” Kwartler said.

Kwartler Manus doesn’t market by sending mass emails to potential clients. Instead, the firm includes space for phone numbers on ads and other materials prospective clients can return to the firm to indicate their interest. The firm uses phone numbers to contact prospects by text messaging.

“We wanted to start conversations.” Kwartler said, “So we wanted a texting platform that allowed us to have conversations with our clients. As a client’s case progresses, our staff can text them one-on-one.”

text them one-on-one

Working with SMS-Magic has been very easy, Kwartler said. He gives SMS-Magic high marks for creating a product that works well and then supporting it with engineers, developers and staff members who care about their customers.

“The SMS-Magic team responds to our texts right away,” he said. “They get back to us within an hour or two – at all times of day. When we’ve needed extra help, they’ve worked with us without the extra charges other companies use.”

After the dramatic initial increase in messages during the first three months – from 89 messages to 2,634 – Kwartler Manus has sent more than 182,850 conversational messages to its clients. The increase in usage has been steady and is currently averaging just under 7,000 messages a month. Kwartler said he couldn’t be happier with the integration of the two systems and the addition of messaging to the firm’s communications tools.

“Integrating SMS-Magic with Litify has given us a real competitive advantage,” he said. “It’s made life easier for our legal teams and has helped us serve our clients better.”

“I think the numbers will show that we’re converting more prospects and earning business we were leaving on the table before we made the switch,” he continued. “I highly recommend SMS-Magic to any law firm or company that needs fast, personal communication that’s trackable.”

SMS-Magic Free Trial

If you’re interested in exploring how SMS-Magic can help you respond to your customers, book a DEMO or FREE TRIAL.

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6 Things Your Boss Expects You to Know About Text Messaging Compliance https://www.sms-magic.com/blog/6-things-your-boss-expects-you-to-know-about-text-messaging-compliance/ Wed, 04 May 2022 13:16:47 +0000 https://www.sms-magic.com/?p=59652 If you’re launching a new text messaging program in your business, we’re sure you’ve done your homework. But as you explore the possibilities of reaching your customers with text messages, you should be sure you understand the laws and regulations that govern how you use text messaging.

Launching Text Messaging for your business

To help you master this part of text messaging campaigns, we have compiled 6 things that we’re sure your boss wants you to know. Here they are:

  1. You must have express written consent before your company can legally send text messages to anyone. That means more than just asking for their phone number. It doesn’t matter who it is – an existing customer, a former client, a trade-show lead, or someone on a purchased marketing list. Before that first message goes out, your customer must say it’s okay. In other words, they must opt in.
  1. Several governing bodies regulate commercial text messaging. They include individual countries, including the U.S., consortiums of countries like the European Union, state or local governments, and the carriers who deliver messages around the world. Your text messaging partner, like SMS-Magic, should be able to help you navigate the rules for your campaigns.
  1. Include the following in your first text:
    • Your company name. Don’t make your customers guess who’s sending the message.
    • The promotion premium. If you’re offering a coupon, discount or e-book in exchange for permission to text, do it at the beginning of the text.
    • Message frequency. Let your customers know how often you plan to send.
    • Message and data rates. Remind customers that they might be charged to receive SMS messages.
    • How to opt out. “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” works well.
    • How to reach customer service or ask questions.

You’ve probably received opt-in requests from companies you do business with. Take a look at how well they’ve provided information to their customers. Some of the offers we’ve seen have been really creative. One was on a parking meter. Learn from the best.

First text should looks like this
  1. Track opt-in and opt-out requests so that you send only to the customers who have specifically asked you to. European laws also require you to “forget” a customer at their request. That means purging all their information from your system and being able to show your work. If regulators ever ask, you must be able to prove you have permission to text.
  1. In the United States, commercial text messages are governed by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). It prohibits the following types of text messages:
    • Unsolicited Text Messages – businesses are not allowed to text consumers without their permission.
    • Requesting Payment – businesses may not request payment or additional identifying information before revealing the actual message.
    • Scrambled Messages – businesses must send readable texts. They may not scramble the message or use unintelligible audio.
    • Do Not Call Registry – businesses must respect the Do Not Call registry established by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.
    • Robocalling & Automated Dialing – businesses may not use robocalling to generate phone numbers or send text messages.
Meeting text compliances
  1. The last thing we think your boss wants you to know has nothing to do with rules and regulations. Instead, it’s about being authentic in all your customer interactions. Behaving like a trusted friend helps you build customer relationships that can last for years. Text messaging is the perfect channel for building trust.

Staying in touch with your existing customers and getting to know your potential customers has become a requirement in today’s business world. SMS-Magic, through conversational and automated text messaging, can help you reach out to customers in new ways.

SMS-Magic offers a free trial so that you can get a feel for our product. If you’re as pleased as we think you will be, you can choose the level of service that’s best for your company.

Contact us to set up a demo or to start your free trial. Let us show you how you can engage your customers in new ways!

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