Bulk SMS has become an extremely important and effective business tool. Numerous bulk SMS systems exist and all of them have their own unique way of sending and receiving SMSs, managing contact lists, and integrating with other software. Namhost has also previously developed a bulk SMS system and has recently moved it, along with a few other helpful APIs, to its own website - Check it out at www.completeapi.com/sms (sign up now and receive N$5/R5 SMS credit to test out the system)
Here's a list of ways bulk SMS can be used for business:
1. Marketing Campaigns
We've all received SMSs advertising a company, product, or service. These SMSs are part of direct marketing campaigns and make use of bulk SMS systems. Contact lists are usually obtained through competitions or made up of client lists and the SMSs usually offer a way to unsubscribe from these lists.
Bulk SMS is a very convenient and personal way to contact clients and/or prospective clients because everyone carries a phone with them most of the time.
2. One Time Pin (OTP)
Most online banking users already understand the use of OTPs. Simply put, it is a way to verify that the person logging in is who they say they are by sending them an SMS with a code they then need to enter into the website. So if someone obtains your username and password somehow they will also have to have access to your phone in order to be able to log in.
OTPs have become the norm in online banking and are increasingly seen to be used for other major online accounts that store sensitive information.
3. Password Recovery
Password recovery usually makes use of a system where a user enters an email address, an email with a password reset link is sent to that email address and when clicked the user can create a new password. This means that every time a password is forgotten it needs to be reset instead of being recovered.
By using SMS a new layer of security is added when a user tries to recover a password. The flow of events could then be as follows: The user enters an email address online, a confirmation link is sent to the email address, and when the confirmation link is clicked the password is SMSed to the phone number associated with that account.
There are of course many other ways SMS can be integrated into password recovery systems, this was merely one example.
4. Billing Notifications
Another way to make sure your clients receive their invoices, quotations, payment-due notices, etc. The more ways a client is being contacted regarding billing issues the better the chances of them being resolved.
As emails tend to sometimes get unnoticed or end up in a spam folder it is best to try and contact clients regarding important billing issues via more than one channel. SMS is perfect for this because it opens a direct line of contact from your company to a device the client will probably have on their person most of the time.
5. Customer Satisfaction Feedback
Because of the personal nature of SMS, it serves as a great way to ask your customers for feedback. Ask them about their experience with your customer support, if a recent account query has been resolved to their satisfaction, how they would like to see your products/services improve, etc.
These SMSs can be sent out periodically (every few months for instance) or after certain events (after a support query has been closed for instance) and can entice the receiver to write a short review or give a rating out of 5 or 10. Responses can be recorded and used in various ways to improve your customer service.
As you can see there are many ways to use bulk SMS systems to your company's advantage. Contact us today if you need assistance in setting up your own bulk SMS system.