As a business owner, it is important to interact with your clients, either by following up on leads, market your product/service or remind clients about their appointments with you. At the same time remaining prompt and professional.
In this blog we will look at the difference between conventional Bulk SMS and instant messaging apps such as Whatsapp their place in the business environment.
In my previous blogs we have looked at a lot of advantages of Bulk SMS, but one of major advantage of Bulk SMS compared to that of instant messaging is that you do not need a internet connection (WiFi) to send or receive an SMS. So for instance if you are in secluded area with no internet, you can rely on SMS for communication. As long as there is cell phone reception and SMS can be sent or received!
Even though smartphones are taking over the mobile world, SMS is still used to communicate if people do not own a Smartphone or you might not have data.
SMS messages tend to be short and informative, around 160 characters roughly, which gets the needed message across without dragging on for too long.
Instant messaging apps do have some good points, they are generally free to download, and a great communication tool for exchanging instant messages with friends and family. Another nice feature to most instant messaging apps, you can send voice recordings, images and group chats. But the big disadvantage is to receive the message you need to be connected to the internet and images do use up a lot of data.
Why instant messaging does not work in a business environment? If you need to get a message to a client, without any internet connection or mobile data, you will not be able to send or receive messages. Messages will deliver once you are re-connected to an internet source or purchased more data. This is not very professional if you want to send a message quickly to a client or if they are waiting for information from you.
Another big factor most instant messaging apps are generally considered social media which consists of family and friends, therefore not ideal for business purposes. Instant messaging apps cannot be used to send bulk customised/ personalised messages to clients. This will make it informal and not professional.
If you want to use texting in a professional way, bulk SMS is still the best option for you. I can recommend SendEasy, which is an easy to use bulk SMS platform. SMS cost from as little as 23c. Sign up for free at www.sendeasy.co.za
