A Guide on How to Increase Profits Using the Right SMS Gateway
Text messaging is one of the most successful communication channels. Our guide will help you use it efficiently. Overview In this e-book you will find useful tips on how to choose the right SMS gateway and to take your SMS marketing activities to a new level.
1. Introduction 2. SMS Gateway as a Get a glimpse into bulk SMS Rediscovered Treasure marketing tactics and strategies for Companies that will drive revenue to your Learn how bulk SMS can increase business. sales rates.
3. Use SMS Gateway in 4. Crucial Features of an the Most Efficient Way SMS Gateway Dashboard Text messaging is one of the most The SMS gateway dashboard is a successful communication crucial element of the system which channels. Our guide will help you makes the platform convenient. use it efficiently.
5. Bonus Content 6. Bringing It All Together Find out what two-factor These are the key elements of a authentication practices are powerful SMS gateway platform. employed by leaders across key industries. Thank you for downloading our e-book. Introduction In it, you will get an overview of some of the top trends in SMS marketing to Get a glimpse into bulk SMS date. You can pick and choose which marketing tactics and sections to focus on by clicking on the strategies that will drive sections above. Here is a short revenue to your business. summary of what is about to come:
DAS Solutions Team A short overview of what we covered:
Features and technologies that make SMS gateway a robust platform. Types of text-messages that can be sent. Best SMS marketing practices. What to look for in a good SMS gateway dashboard? Bonus Content
How and when to use SMS Gateway for one-time passwords?
Enjoy reading our e-book and remember that you are always welcome to contact us if you have any questions or comments. SMS Gateway as a re for Rediscovered Treasu Companies ates. can increase sales r Learn how bulk SMS
The length of SMS, or text messages is limited to 160 characters from the GSM alphabet. However, the shortage of characters does not stop text messaging from being one of the most successful communication channels, because SMS is enabled on virtually 100% of mobile and smart phones. That is why SMS marketing is being used by such companies as American Express, PayPal, Lufthansa, BMW, and many other well-known brands. To send millions of text messages, these companies needed a powerful tool that could get their message across. This is where SMS Gateways come into play.
What is an SMS Gateway and how can it increase my revenue?
In a nutshell, SMS Gateway is a web-based app (basically a website), which allows users to send text messages to their customers’ phone numbers (naturally, with their permission). At the same time, an SMS Gateway has the capacity to receive messages from users, which makes communication interactive. The SMS Gateway can be used for transactional and promotional purposes.
Transactional messages include: Promotional messages include:
Appointment reminders Location-based promotions
Call notifications Discount notifications
One time passwords Promotion alerts
Transaction alerts Information services
Payment reminders Result notifications
Booking confirmations Short surveys
Account updates 'Text & Win' competitions
The variety of messages that can be sent using an SMS Gateway gives the platform the possibility to become a useful tool for any business from any industry that wishes to stay competitive. A powerful SMS Gateway should do more than just send text messages, it will make sure that your message gets delivered. When choosing an SMS Gateway, look for an intelligent message sending feature. The platform will try to send the message several times, in case the message wasn’t delivered, you will get a notification. It will give you the possibility to check the phone number and see what can be fixed to deliver the message to the recipient.
Another feature to look for is for optimal real-time routing. The platform will support an intelligent algorithm that will manage flexible and dynamic routing. Flexible routing allows to create different rules for each destination one wishes to send messages to, and at the same time, to route a certain set of messages through different outbound routes or carriers to one destination.
Dynamic routing allows to change routing on the fly with no need to restart the system. Routing ensures your messages are delivered as quickly as possible – without compromising security or reliability in the process.
A user-friendly graphical interface is very important when it comes to user experience. No one is willing to spend an hour trying to figure out how a message can be sent. In addition to that, look for a reporting tool in the SMS gateway platform that will be easy to manage and understand. Your non-techie employees don’t have to struggle while working with the platform.
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Let’s imagine that you already own an SMS Gateway. Now you can communicate with your clients via text-messaging. But what are you going to do with the tool that you just got? How do you use the SMS Gateway in a way that increases customers’ loyalty? Our explicit tips will help you create SMS campaigns that drive revenue.
Customize text-messages
SMS campaigns teach you to get straight to the point. That is why it is a good idea to start your message with an attention grabber. A good attention grabber will make your customer want to read your message until the end. Usually, attention grabbers are spelled with capital letters, for example: ‘GOOD NEWS’, ‘UPDATE’, ‘GREAT OFFER’, etc. After you got your subscribers’ attention, use a clear call to action.
When sending a message, customize it. Use your client’s name or geographical (if known). This will help build a closer relationship with your customer. Don’t hesitate to congratulate your customers with birthdays, offer them discounts on anniversaries or other important days. Don’t use SMS only as a promotional channel, but rather as a communication channel that consists of various messages on different topics.
An example of a message you can send:
“Stephanie, your order is getting close to 123 Main Street. If you are not home, please call 350-598-2926 or reply to this text so we can make arrangements. Thanks!”Use Emojis
The way people perceive advertisement has changed, and this is especially relevant for Millennials. According to a report cited by the Times, 4 out of 10 Millennials report that they'd rather engage with pictures than text, so there is no need to always be serious. Sometimes it is effective to be more creative and less official. Add emotions to your messages by using emojis. They will grab readers’ attention, make the message funnier, and more memorable.
Insert shortened links
Don’t use the SMS gateway only for promotional messages. Embed SMS communication into your digital marketing strategy. If you have a promotion and you have a landing page for your offer, insert a clickable and shortened link in the text-message (remember, you have a limited amount of characters to spare). The link will redirect the recipient to your landing page.
At the same time, you wish to provide your clients with a pleasant customer journey, that’s why make sure that your website has a responsive design. Also keep in mind that the easier it is for users to engage with your content, the more likely they will complete the steps you want them to take. Send SMS Reminders
Engage with your customers by reminding that they had abandoned a shopping cart on your website. Let them know that they still did not buy that teddy bear for their daughter’s birthday, or a piece of jewelry for their special day with their significant other. Give your customers an option to respond to this text-message reminder, so that you can call them back and complete the order for them. You never know what stopped your client from buying on your website
Choose the best timing and frequency
Analyze the responses you receive from your target groups. Find the time and frequency that works best for your clients. If you send too many messages, there will inevitably be complaints and opt-outs. On the other hand, if you send messages infrequently, your clients may feel that your messages are out of place.
Place your contact info
Whenever it is relevant and possible, mention your company’s contact information in the SMS. Make it easy for the client to get in touch with you. It is much easier when the phone number is provided right in the text. They click it, and their phone does the rest of the job. When they call, make sure they don’t wait long before someone picks-up. So make sure the customer service team is always ready to take calls and be in the know about the text messaging marketing strategy
Give an unsubscribe option
If you mainly use an SMS gateway for promotional messages, give your clients an option to unsubscribe. Make sure you provide them with clear instructions how they can stop receiving messages from you. This can be a word that they need to send in response to your campaign or a link to your website they have to access.
Use a customized sender name
You don’t want your clients to remember you as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. They should know right away that they are getting messages from you, not from a random phone number, and definitely not your competitors. Make sure that you have customized your sender name, and that your customers see where those messages are coming from. Measure results and adjust
Your SMS campaigns won’t be effective if you don’t measure the results and adjust to make them even better. Create A/B testing campaigns for your target groups, and go with the ones that work best. Analyze your results and stay open to changes in your content and strategy.
If you follow these tips, you will have a good chance to turn your SMS gateway investment into a continuous revenue-driving mechanism. Next week we are going to analyze the important features of a user-friendly SMS gateway interface. n Crucial Features of a oard SMS Gateway Dashb t of the d is a crucial elemen S gateway dashboar The SM ient. the platform conven system which makes
There are many options when it comes to choosing a piece of software for your new SMS aggregation business. Some have been on the market for many years, and have established themselves as leaders on the market. Others have been developed more recently with the goal of seizing portions of this large market. The latter are generally more eager to impress, and have the ability to make their products much more tailored around their clients to earn their trust and become more visible. But regardless of how long a product has been on the market or how prestigious the company behind it, there are certain features that we are used to seeing in a robust SMS gateway dashboard. If these are missing, make sure to ask the developer how much effort it would take to implement them within their existing solution.
Having access to good SMS campaign features, comprehensive reporting, and role-based access are just a few things that make an SMS Gateway dashboard powerful. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of features that will impress even the most exigent SMS business owner.
Flexible SMS Campaigns
Sending SMS campaigns is the main role of an SMS Gateway. A robust product will have the ability to send and receive text messages in a myriad of formats and protocols, such as SMPP, SS7, SIGTRAN, SIP, or HTTP. But its interface is critical to being able to maneuver these powerful features of a good SMS product. Thus it is a good sign when a gateway’s interface has such options as:
Data uploads in different formats (think about your customers’ phone numbers)
When users have a variety of formats in which they can upload the information into the system, it gives them more flexibility. If the system is capable of reading CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, and vCards files, human error is minimized. Rules-based segmentation
Your subscribers may be at different stages in the sales funnel, therefore the ability to send specific messages to groups of people is important. Ensuring that your users can segment your audience in an easy and logical way will make your SMS business more successful.
Automatic action-based SMS campaigns
Interact with customers who clicked on your SMS offer but did not convert. Send them a reminder that the discount is about to expire or follow-up with a different time-based offer. Make sure your SMS gateway can do this automatically in order to maximize your SMS impact.
Campaign scheduling
SMS campaign scheduling is a must for any SMS business. It is even better when you can schedule campaigns for different time zones in which your text will be delivered. This option will send your message at the most optimized time, ensuring a higher engagement rate.
SMS campaign drafts and templates
Drafts and templates can be used to save your users’ time. They can also be a source of inspiration for your clients’ marketing team, as templates can be created for them based on certain needs and events.
Contact groups
If you can create groups within your list of subscribers based on their interests, industries, or lead source, your clients will be very happy. Generally the more customized the text message, the more impactful the SMS campaign will be.
Editing subscriber lists
Your clients will need to make occasional changes to their list of subscribers via your SMS gateway dashboard. Subscribers’ contact information changes, so being able to keep their information up-to-date is important.
Comprehensive Reports Inside the SMS Gateway Dashboard
Your clients will need the ability to gauge how well their SMS campaigns are doing. Therefore providing relevant, insightful, and intuitive data directly from your SMS gateway’s dashboard will make them happy.
Reports on performance, in terms of open-rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates will give managers the knowledge they need to make adjustments and plan their SMS marketing activities.
Note that certain protocols are better at providing accurate information on delivery than others. So ensure that the product you choose is versatile when it comes to various combinations of protocols such as SS7 to SMPP, SS7 to SS7, and many others. Carrier grade SMS products will support all possible ones
Inbox folder function
An inbox folder is a good feature to have in an SMS gateway dashboard. It acts like a regular email inbox, but in a centralized location, so that operators and agents can respond to clients’ inquiries in a timely manner, without exiting the dashboard. This feature can be improved even further if it has the ability to store “canned” responses that are basically templates to address clients’ most frequently asked questions. This will speed up the communication process and increase loyalty and retention rates.
Role-based access control
Make sure that your SMS gateway allows setting different user roles for your operators. This will ensure that the level of access to sensitive information is appropriate for all employees. Look for sophisticated role-based access control in the SMS dashboard, and ensure that only senior staff can access aggregate client lists, routing details, and other sensitive data from a security point of view.
The SMS gateway dashboard is a crucial element which makes the platform convenient for your clients operators and employees. That’s why it is important to choose a user-friendly interface with a set of useful features. Bonus Content e tication practices ar at two-factor authen Find out wh s. across key industrie employed by leaders
How to Set up a Two-Factor Authentication System Using an SMS Gateway?
A second layer of data protection is always a good idea, especially when you want to keep your customers safe from intruders. Authentication mechanisms that require only a username and a password are no longer intrusion-proof, as can be seen by recent experience at some internet giants who shall remain nameless. Your users will be safer if you implement a two-factor authentication system using an SMS gateway, and send customers one-time passwords (OTP) to enter your system.
Typically, one-time passwords are four- to eight-digit numerical codes that are valid for a short period of time, and only for one interaction, session, or transaction. They make authentication safer, because they are sent directly to the customer’s mobile phone. Authentication via OTP gained popularity across industries because it’s a cheap, easy to implement, and ubiquitous way to communicate with customers. The user does not have to install a third-party application to receive the one- time passwords, so it is also a very user-friendly option.
To set up OTPs, you will need an SMS gateway that supports this authentication method. It is configured to generate and send one-time passwords for the user via text. Some OTPs are generated based on time-synchronization, while others use mathematical algorithms.
Text-messages can be delivered in two ways: (1) you can attach a GSM modem to your server with a data cable, or (2)you can send messages through an SMS service provider. If you decide to go for the latter option, text-messages will first be sent to the short message service center (SMSC) of the service provider, and from there, based on connections with other SMSCs, the text-messages get sent to your recipients.
For security reasons, setting up a VPN channel between the SMS Gateway and the SMSC of the service provider is always a good precaution. The first option is usually more secure because it is integrated in your infrastructure and does not require an internet connection. The second SMS delivery option is a good choice if you need to send a high volume of text-messages. SMS-based OTPs are an Option if You Operate in One of these Industries
Everyone understands text messages. Thus implementing two-factor authentication using SMS will not introduce a steep learning curve for your customers. SMS-based OTPs can be implemented regardless of your industry. Here is an extensive list of industries already using this type of authentication successfully!
Education and Training Food industry Retail Travel and Tourism Healthcare and Hospitality Web Design IT and ITeS Real Estate Two-Factor Authentication Use Cases
Registration
Ask for a user’s phone number during the first registration attempt. Display a message where it is clearly explained that their phone numbers will be used only for verification procedures. Afterwards, send a one-time password that will allow the user to access their new account.
New Device
If the user logs in from a different device, a new IP address, or even a new country, you can add extra verification steps like SMS OTP or by answering qualifying secret questions.
Unusual Behavior
Usual behavior such as making a lot of purchases in a short amount of time, or in different time zones can serve as red flags. Prevent fraudulent activities by verifying whether the actions were performed by the user. Changing Account Information or Settings
Set up additional verification steps when the user requests certain changes that could put their information at risk, such as changing the account name, or phone number. You could encourage users to opt in to extra verification steps by rewarding them for choosing to add the second security layer (some companies offer discounts if their users protect themselves in this way).
When Is It Better to Use Multi-Factor Authentication Technology?
With the rise of fraud attacks such as Emmental that affected banks in Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, and Japan, banks are looking for alternatives to OTPs through SMS. During Emmental operation, millions were stolen from both consumer and commercial bank accounts.
Cybercrooks mislead people into installing fake applications on their devices. There were cases where such apps waited for text- messages from banks that contained session tokens, and silently hijacked communication, forwarding the info to attackers’ servers. Cybercriminals are keen on finding ways to undermine SMS OTPs, but this is still an infinitely safer alternative to the ID and password-only option.
SMS two-factor authentication verifies a user’s identity in a fast, easy, and non-disruptive way. It is relevant for a range of industries, it is cost effective, easy to implement and works on a global scale. Reach out to a telecom consultant and discuss your two-factor authentication needs. r Bringing It All Togethe S gateway platform. ents of a powerful SM These are the key elem
An SMS Gateway is a powerful tool that is being used for marketing and communication purposes by well-known brands in a range of industries. In this guide we have shown how this is particularly the case for organizations that rely upon a continuous relationship with a wide range of clients. Usage varies from delivery of marketing offers and promotions to sending automated action- triggered messages. Text messaging is particularly important for authentication purposes in a variety of circumstances (password change, double- authentication, etc.).
Most importantly, a powerful platform used timely and wisely facilitates customers' loyalty and drives revenue for any business. Whether you come from insurance, finance, banking (and the list goes on), your business will only have to gain from implementing a communication solution based on such a well-recognized medium as text messaging. Everyone already knows how to use it!
On the back end of the platform, such features as intelligent message sending and real-time routing ensure that your message gets delivered. An intuitive interface of the dashboard, on the other hand, guarantees that it is easy to use.
Get in touch with us and schedule a demo of a live SMS gateway platform to see how it works.