Contrary to many beliefs that the internet, especially internet-based messaging platforms have dislodged SMS as a messaging tool, SMS is still a powerful platform whose power is not fully understood and leveraged by marketing and communication decision-makers.
According to the UCC Q4 2022 Market Report, there were 38.1 million connected devices, up from 37.2 million in Q3 2022. Of these, 25.8 million or 68% of all connected devices were either feature phones (23.8 million) or basic phones (2 million). This is nearly 2 million more than than the traditional media audience- estimated at 24 million by the Ipsos 2022 National Audience Measurement Survey.’ By contrast, smartphones were only 12.2 million- even though smartphone owners are also an addressable audience via SMS.
According to the Q2 2022 report, SMS remained the foundational communication channel especially, for Digital Financial Services. Of the 11.8 billion SMSs sent in this quarter, 9.01 billion were Application-to-Person (A2P) messages and 2.76 billion messages were Person-to-Person (P2P) messages.
SMS, above its ubiquitous nature, has other unique unrivalled advantages over other messaging channels, namely:
- Exceptional Open Rates: SMS boasts an impressive 98% open rate, far exceeding that of Facebook Ads, WhatsApp, voice, and radio advertising. This means your message is almost guaranteed to be seen by your target audience, ensuring maximum reach and impact.
- Instant Delivery and High Engagement: SMS messages are delivered within seconds, allowing you to communicate time-sensitive offers or information quickly. Furthermore, people tend to read and respond to text messages much faster than other communication channels, leading to higher engagement rates.
- Cost-Effective Solution: Unlike Facebook Ads and other digital marketing platforms, SMS services offer a cost-effective way to reach your target audience. You can send bulk messages at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising channels, maximizing your return on investment.
- Personalized and Targeted Messaging: SMS services enable you to segment your audience based on their preferences, purchase history, and demographics. This allows you to send personalized messages tailored to individual needs, resulting in a more meaningful connection with your customers and higher conversion rates.
- Unaffected by Algorithm Changes: Unlike social media platforms like Facebook, SMS services are not subject to algorithm changes. This means your message will always reach your intended audience without being hindered by ever-changing platform rules. By embedding SMS services by Service Cops into your marketing strategy, you’ll be tapping into a powerful communication channel that will significantly enhance your business’s growth and success. Our team of experts is ready to help you implement a seamless SMS marketing campaign tailored to your unique needs.
Allow me to introduce you to Service Cops Limited a Ugandan Fintech, ICT and BPO firm whose primary focus is to develop solutions that not only change how organisations work, but also cut costs, and increase efficiency and competitiveness. Now over 12 years old, we have grown to become a regional player in four countries with a stack of technology solutions across various industries. Service Cops partners with over 12,000 education institutions, 18 commercial banks, 5 major telecoms and a number of other payment aggregators in Africa to extend our service touch points to over 30 communication channels.
We are an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/ICE 27001:2013 certified company for Quality and Information Security Management respectively and our solutions are certified to International Standards.
To understand how Service Cops’ cutting-edge SMS solutions can be integrated into your current stakeholder communication as well as sales/advertising/marketing strategy/mix, reach out to us.