By now, we’re all pretty familiar with multichannel marketing – using a mix of media to market to your customer. That includes older technology like phone calls, billboards, direct mail, television and radio, and newer technologies like email, internet ads and social media. Within the collection of newer technologies, however, we’re seeing the rise of multichannel messaging as a powerful tactic to reach customers.

What is multichannel messaging? It’s very much like it sounds – connecting with your customers via messages sent through a variety of messaging channels. Those channels could include SMS, MMS, email, web push or most social media. The reach they afford is huge.

Meta (formerly Facebook) reported that in 2019 more than 1.3 billion people used Facebook Messenger each month. People and businesses sent an average of 20 billion messages back and forth to each other every month in 2019. The numbers have only grown since then, and that’s only one channel. There are many others.

And by using a variety of channels, you are more likely to reach an audience that increasingly values personal connection. As you establish a one-on-one relationship, you can provide positive customer experiences, building brand identity and customer loyalty.

But what are the real benefits to using multichannel messaging? Here are 5 benefits for multichannel messaging and 5 benefits for using SMS-Magic:

1. Messaging is convenient.
   It allows your customer to connect with you through their mobile phones when they’re on the go rather than waiting until they’re sitting with their laptops or tablets. By then they could have forgotten all about you. Are you trying to reach a customer to make an appointment or to connect with a phone conversation? Messaging lets them tell you immediately when connecting would be convenient so that scheduling becomes possible with minimal fuss.

2. Messaging provides an immediate personal experience.
   Unlike a chat bot, that requires the customer to wait for an agent or the system to respond, messaging is immediate. And because the customer is interacting with a real person in real time, it’s personal.

3. Messaging is efficient.
   Because of the format, texts are shorter than emails. Your customers can ask specific questions and you can return specific answers. You don’t necessarily need to send tons of information, but you can if it’s warranted.

4. Messages can contain text only or a variety of media.
   SMS messages are faster and cheaper to send but still allow you to link to more information in any format. MMS messages allow you to include multimedia elements like images, videos, emojis and GIFs to liven up your message. They can be great attention getters.

5. Time zones become irrelevant – or irrelevant to you.
   You can schedule automated messages for delivery at any time, on any day. You can bridge a 12-hour gap with ease. Set up delivery when it’s convenient for your recipients with a process that convenient for you.

So what are the advantages to using SMS-Magic?

6. SMS-Magic helps you manage messages across popular messaging apps.
   SMS-Magic can handle messages from messaging apps around the world from Messenger to Whatsapp to WeChat. Working with your CRM, SMS-Magic consolidates all contacts from a customer into one record, including phone calls, emails and messages. You can consult with team members and respond to customers quickly because all the facts are at your fingertips.

7. SMS-Magic helps you stay compliant.
   We can help you keep up with the details like customer permissions as they opt-in (and perhaps opt-out) of your messaging campaigns. Our back-end systems are structured so that we can display individual requests, and we can prove you’ve complied with customer requests. You won’t have to worry about regulators asking to see your records. We use on-going processes to collect and store information about distribution and can share it with regulators, if necessary.

8. SMS-Magic helps you automate.
   SMS-Magic is perfect for sending automated messages to your customers and prospects. We provide templates for your use and have lots of information about creating effective messages and campaigns. You can switch from automated to live in an instant so your customers know they’re talking to a person.

9. SMS-Magic allows you to respond from anywhere.
   You can use our mobile app to respond to messages from your own phone. The app works with your CRM to log the message appropriately. No longer will your agents by tied to a desk and your customers will get the response time they expect.

10. SMS-Magic works with your favorite CRM.
    We work and play well with others. We are a preferred provider for Salesforce and Zoho, and we integrate easily with Litify. Contact us to see what we can do with your existing architecture.

We have experts ready to help you take SMS-Magic for a spin for FREE! Schedule a demo or start a free trial today! We think you’ll love what you see!