With our help, ttag^TM was able to provide outstanding value added services to its Canadian clients by enabling a text-to-call feature. Customers just need to remember one simple phone number: (647) 800-0000. When they text this number, they’ll have the option to instantly connect to any phone number in the world. Customers don’t need to download an app, connect to the internet, or buy a calling  card. It’s all very simple:

Step 1: Costumers just register their Canadian phone number with ttag^TM and punch in the easy to remember number: (647) 800-0000.

Step 2: After sending a text to the above number, the customer will receive a response asking them to provide the international number they want to reach.

Step 3: After texting the name and the number the customer wants to call—whether in London, Lima, or Lahore—the system generates a local number—a ttag^TM—for the customer.

Step 4: The customer uses the ttag^TM to instantly reach the international phone number they provided. That’s what it means to make a long distance call ridiculously easy.

The test-to-call solution we provided to ttag^TM allows its customers to call destinations around the world without messing around with logins, apps, pin codes, calling cards, or anything else. They simply use the local number they are provided, and the call goes through.

Extra Features

Also, ttag’s text-to-call solution comes with voice information feature. Customers can call the (647) 800-0000 and get detailed instructions on how to use it. Also, customers can get more info by simply texting “H” to the number. Also, after receiving the local phone number to make international calls, customers receive information regarding the referral bonus program and link to the website where they can set up and customize their account.

ttag^TM added its own touches to the solution we provided. After registering, customers get a free $2.00 credit good for up to 133 minutes of long distance calling. Plus, the company offers its customers a way to make long distance calls without any hidden fees, contracts, or commitments. It’s all prepaid and the customer is in total control.

It Makes Customers Happy

A lot of customers don’t have regular access to the internet. The solution requires nothing more than a Canadian phone number. Plus, the feature we provided allows customers to make calls without putting their contacts into their ttag^TM account. TTAG’s system also has a feature to automatically store provided the ttag^TM in the customer’s phone, making their life a lot easier.

We help small and medium size businesses to enhance their communication channels. Contact your SMS Marketing experts today and add business texting to your marketing and communications toolbox.

Text messaging is everywhere. We use it for everyday tasks like keeping up with our relatives overseas to making doctor appointments. It’s easy, effective, and inexpensive. No wonder businesses, as well as individuals, are starting to use text messaging for more of their day-to-day operations.

But as a business owner, you may not know how to use text messaging better serve their customers and strengthen their bottom line. These real-life examples of business texting success provide useful case studies.

Live Audience Engagement

If your business requires you to give presentations in front of clients, customers, or colleagues, you know the importance of getting everyone involved. One organization, the Direct Marketing Association of Canada (DMAC), achieved that goal with business texting.

DMAC used an SMS solution for live presentations: presenters would put survey questions on the big screen, and audience members could answer via SMS messages.

This business texting solution helped DMAC get their audience involved during live events. This increased the amount of feedback they received, so they could better serve their members. Plus, it was relatively easy and inexpensive to implement.

Messaging-based Mobile POS

ttag^TM, a one-touch calling card replacement solution, used business texting to better connect with customers. Many of ttag’s customers don’t regularly use an internet connection, and the company was looking for a way to engage with them that didn’t require them to log on.

That’s why they introduced their mobile agent program, a system of SMS-based sales points. The system allows customers to top-up their mobile phones simply by sending a text message.

ttag’s mobile agent has been great for customers who are wary about making online payments or using credit cards, and it helped the company increase revenue by building a network of low-cost, mobile sales points.

Account Management

Your business probably serves customers by having them create a customer account. This may be an online or app-based account. TTAG decided they could best serve their clients by creating an SMS-based, web-free, app-free customer account management system.

ttag’s business texting solution integrated both web and texting platforms, making it possible for customers to manage their accounts online or through simple text messaging.

Now, customers can check their mobile phone balance by sending a simple text message. Plus, it made calling easier for customers without internet access.

Gathering Employee Opinion

A good manager keeps up with the suggestions and needs of their employees. Business texting can make that easier. One of our customers replaced its existing survey hardware for a text message-based survey system.

The company’s employees were able to answer internal survey questions by SMS, a faster, more convenient way of providing feedback. By knowing more about their employees, ownership could better run the company.

What’s more, shifting to an SMS system saved time and was less expensive; the cost of hardware maintenance disappeared entirely.

Late Payments SMS Reminder

Sometimes you need to get simple information to customers as quickly as possible. VMEDIA, a telecoms company, was able to do just that by implementing a text messaging system to remind customers about payment due dates.

Customers would receive a simple text message a few days before their payment was due. This reminder reduced the number of late payments, which was good for both the company’s bottom line and customer satisfaction. Plus, it was easy and inexpensive. All it required was to ask customers to “opt-in” to receiving the text messages.

We help small and medium size businesses to enhance their communication channels. Contact your Toronto SMS Marketing experts today and add business texting to your marketing and communications toolbox.

By Vahagn Aydinyan

The rapid pace of technological development means that marketers and business owners engage with new concepts all the time. That includes everything from NFC-enabled billboards to user-generated content. It also includes concepts like SMS marketing, text message marketing, and business texting.

What do these terms mean and why have they suddenly become relevant for the advertising, communications, and direct response marketing industries? Let’s look at some of the key facts and consider what business texting means for your business.

Where business texting is used:

Advertising

Text messaging is a great tool for engaging customers. However, not when it refers to annoying bulk messages, the kind which has created the common misconception that text messaging is SPAM. When done correctly, it’s far from it.

SMS Marketing can be integrated at different engagement points to attract and engage the audience. This example illustrates how to engage customers through smart posters.

Customer Support

Text-based customer support is probably the most novel way in which businesses use text messaging. Imagine if every time a customer needed information about your products or services, or needed a tech professional to walk them through an activity, all they had to do was enter a simple text message code and receive instant support?

That’s the power of SMS-enabled customer support.

It’s also important to upgrade your customer support system with a toll-free feature. You really don’t want to charge customers every time they send a text message to your support staff.

Internal Communications

Text messaging helps you better serve your customers in less direct ways, too. For example: implementing a firm-wide text messaging system makes it easier for your employees to communicate.

It also means that when someone has left the office, they can still be easily reached. SMS group chat means that you can conduct meetings with the click of a smartphone.

You can quickly get information to employees in the event of an emergency, event cancellations, upcoming events, closure dates, tech failure, and any other important dates. You can even use messaging to conduct employee surveys.

Events

Have you ever given a presentation, keynote speech or Ted Talk that required you to engage with the audience? Maybe you needed audience members to ask/answer questions, fill out surveys and interact with each other. Could that process have been made easier by allowing them to engage with you by text messaging?

Live event polling is efficient, inexpensive, and allows you to track analytics in real time. Knowing how your audience felt about the event will help you prepare an even better one for the next time around.

Example: the Direct Marketing Association of Canada used live SMS event polling to learn more about their audience, leading to better results down the line.

Survey and Research

Getting feedback from customers is essential, but it’s not easy. Most people don’t want to be bothered to answer questions about the quality of your burger joint or the helpfulness of the staff at your boutique clothing store.

You need to make giving feedback easy and rewarding. Text messaging is one way to do that. Stores across Canada have found success asking customers to fill out a short in-store survey with their smartphones. Offering an instant reward (coupon or promotion) also boosts response rates. It also allows marketers to more easily track analytics.

In fact, market research has shown that customers prefer to give feedback by text message than by other means. It’s faster, simpler, and doesn’t require an internet connection.

Expect to see more text message surveys. The City of Vaughan is experimenting with an SMS system to get feedback from residents regarding the quality of the city’s public services.

Business Texting Benefits:

Low cost

Text messaging is inexpensive. You just need to sign up for a business-wide texting plan, and each message sent out to customers, employees, or clients costs just pennies. When compared to more traditional forms of marketing such as billboards or TV/radio advertisements, it’s an unbelievable bargain.

Everyone has access (No connection, no apps required)

The problem with email marketing is that it requires internet connectivity. Posting information on your business’s web page has the same problem. Enter SMS for business.

Everyone with a mobile phone has the ability to receive and send text messages, so there are no connectivity problems. Plus, research has shown that roughly 98 percent of text messages get opened, a much higher number than you find with email.

It’s easy and simple

Sending text messages to customers requires very little effort. You just draft a short message and send it out to your mailing list. If you plan to use SMS for internal communications, it’s even simpler.

Everyone know how to use text messaging, so there is little complexity involved.

Easy Integration

Perhaps best of all, SMS solutions don’t need to disrupt your current business or marketing model. You can integrate it with what you’re already doing, improving your operation rather than replacing it.

For example, you probably already provide customer service via telephone and/or instant messaging. Why not augment that with text messaging? It won’t cost much more, and it won’t get in the way of your existing system.

Or, why not add text messaging to your offline marketing strategy? You can still use those tried-and-true billboards, banner ads, and radio spots, but now they’ll feature your company’s text messaging code. A small investment of time and money can result in a lot of new customers coming through your doors.

Who it Works For:

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Text messaging is a good tool for small businesses to scale up in an efficient way. It’s easy and affordable to subscribe to a service, get the software and start a marketing campaign or launch internal communications activities or text-based customer support. Expensive overhead isn’t required, so it’s cost-effective.

Large Corporations

Large corporations usually have their own CRM and customer support tools, as well as advertising channels and analytics software. Each of those things can be made more effective, however, by integrating them with SMS-powered software.

For example, text messaging has made CRM easier than ever. Plus, integrating offline marketing channels with SMS is an efficient, effective way to track offline advertising performance as well.

We help small and medium size businesses to enhance their communication channels. Contact your Toronto SMS Marketing experts today and add business texting to your marketing and communications toolbox.

We live in a competitive world. Whatever you strive for—professional and commercial success, the admiration of your friends and neighbors—you have to put in the work to earn it. Nothing comes easy, and as the owner of a small or medium-sized business, you’re under a lot of pressure to produce a superior product and boost your company’s bottom line.

SMS marketing is one tool that can help your business to new heights. Text messaging is a simple, efficient, and cost-effective way to engage with potential and existing customers. Your competitors have access to the same very set of tools, however. Gaining an edge for your business means using text messaging in the right way. Here are some examples:

#1 Promote Social Media Accounts

SMS marketing involves the compilation of a text messaging subscribers list, a master list that you can also use to promote your social media accounts—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

Getting your customers to follow you on these social channels means reaching them in different formats and with different types of content. Plus, it’s all shareable, so engaging with the right customers can have near limitless promotional value. Social media promotion is where the emotional engagement between your brand and your customers begins.

Perfect for: Any new business working to build an audience and positive reputation

#2 Send ‘Sales & Promotions’ Texts

This example is obvious. As a savvy marketer, you can use text messaging to notify customers about sales and promotions, so they can come bursting through your doors and take advantage of these special offers as soon as possible.

Before you can engage customers by text, you need to have them opt-in to receive digital communications from your business. A good way to achieve this? Offer to pay customers the chance to opt-in while they’re physically in the store.

Perfect for: Apparel stores, electronics stores

#3 Send SMS/MMS Coupons

SMS communications allow you to quickly provide coupons and other offers to those customers who engage with your offline outdoor ads (such as billboards, TV commercials, and radio spots).

The marketer’s job: stamp your offline advertisement with a special text-only code (this can be written or spoken). The customer’s job: take advantage of the offer by texting the special code, thereby receiving the redeemable and trackable SMS or MMS coupon for your company’s goods and services.

Perfect for: Restaurants, grocery stores, Nightclubs, apparel stores

#4 Send “Be the first to know” notifications

Your loyal customers and qualified buyers deserve the opportunity to receive exclusive and fresh offers as well as breaking news about your company. Let them be the first to know about the things that are important to them.

Customers want to receive the star treatment, and they respond to it positively. Giving them the first crack at special offers is a key step in building a loyal, lucrative customer base.

Perfect for: apparel stores, online stores, fashion boutiques, and pretty much any small or medium-sized business

#5 Add SMS Customer Support Feature

Taking care of your repeat customers means signing them up for SMS Customer Support services. You can ask customers to opt-in to joining your SMS Customer Support program, which means they can immediately receive customer support regarding your products and services by simply texting the support number provided.

Supporting customers by SMS has been shown to increase customer satisfaction, and happier customers quickly translate into a stronger bottom line for your company.

Perfect for: doctors’ offices, car dealerships, real estate agents, and online service providers

At TTAG Systems we can help you to launch your next messaging campaign. Let our experts bring your business to the next level. Contact your Toronto SMS Marketing experts today for your next project.

At the time of writing, most companies provide customer support services through traditional channels. Those channels include tickets, phone calls, emails, and instant messaging, among others.

These methods inevitably fall short. All of us have been in a situation where we found ourselves deeply frustrated by poor customer support.

Those disappointments and frustrations didn’t come because companies or customer support representatives didn’t do their jobs. Rather, those shortcomings are built into the channels through which customer support is provided.

The contemporary customer support professional has more tools at her disposal than ever before. However, a lot of companies still fail to implement the kind of innovative solutions that optimize customer support.

In the current landscape, where it so easy to integrate different communications and support systems, there are no excuses for failing to move forward.

One example: numerous studies have shown that text messaging is the communications channel most favored by customers. Customers are interested in receiving promotional and informative communications and want to be in direct contact with the brands they love.

Keeping this in mind, what are the factors preventing organizations from implementing innovative solutions? More importantly, what do enterprising organizations have to gain by moving forward?

Myths Creating Barriers to Change

Many businesses fail to innovate. This is largely due to the following misconceptions about the use of SMS applications.

Misconception #1: SMS messages are spam. Customers don’t want to receive them.

This is true, to a point. But only if you pummel your customers (without their permission) with one-way conversations promoting your products and services.

However, what if your customers want to ask you a quick question via text, but you can’t provide a convenient answer because your customer support system lacks the capacity? What if your customers opt-in to receive SMS messages from you?

SMS messaging capabilities absolutely have their time and place. Learning how to optimize them is essential.

Misconception #2: The technology is old.

Your tech capabilities are aging, but certainly not outdated. More than 97% of people use SMS messaging for everyday communication. This “old” technology offers the advantage of being well-established, and nearly everyone knows how to use it.

SMS communications also require no preconditions (such as apps and/or internet connectivity).

Misconception #3: Text messaging can be expensive.

Not anymore. The relatively high cost of messaging means it used to be the exclusive privilege of large corporations. However, rapid technological development (and falling prices) means that text messaging is now available to any SME at competitive prices.

Misconception #4: You don’t have the time, information, and resources to implement and maintain an SMS communications system.

Engaging your customers via text messaging is a lot easier than you think. The only thing your company needs to do is find a local solution provider. Fortunately, there are numerous local SMS solution providers who can easily integrate SMS messaging into existing helpdesk systems.

Current Trends in SMS Communications

Text message communication is easier and more inexpensive than ever. Just as important, survey results show that the market still has a lot of room for growth. Consider the following data points:

• 52% of customers would rather receive customer support via text than by other means.
• 44% of customers would prefer to receive information about their favorite products via text.
• 79% of companies report the belief that their customers want SMS support.
• Among marketers that currently use text messaging, more than 60% report that SMS messaging is “effective” in reaching customers.

The figures prove two important points. Firstly, a large proportion of customers is interested in connecting with their favorite products and services via text message. Secondly, that demand is far from being satisfied.

What Companies That Still Rely on Traditional Support Tools Are Missing

Failing to utilize an effective communications channel means missing an opportunity to fill customer needs. Improving your company’s ability to meet customer needs increases their satisfaction. This directly affects the bottom line and commercial viability of any company, boosting customer lifetime value and rates of customer retention.

Too many companies have failed to pick up on this, however. The failure to utilize appropriate channels can result in the failure to develop long-term relationships with entire segments of customers; most notably younger customers and females, two demographics which use text messaging more than anyone else.

The Additional Advantages of SMS Messaging

A notable but often ignored advantage of text messaging is the opportunity to deepen engagement with disabled customers. For example, customers with hearing problems can use SMS to easily contact the customer support desk and receive immediate help.

SMS messaging makes the recordkeeping process easier. Companies like yours can more efficiently log and organize the needs and preferences and customers when communication is done via text messaging. Modern data analysis tools are making this easier than ever.

Another advantage to texting? Your company can more easily engage customers with multimedia content. Messages can be enhanced with URLS, pdf attachments, downloadable information, apps, images, and videos. Those are things you simply can’t do with old-fashioned means of communication.

Our Concierge – SMS Customer Support Platform is an intuitive and user-friendly customer support platform that can be customized and scaled to suit needs of any organization in any industry. Contact us today for your no-obligation demo.

Did you know that Canadians send over 270 million text messages per day? This statistic equals about 2,500 messages every minute; a number that has increased by almost 40% over the course of just 4 years. Text messaging now far exceeds the number of phone calls we make in a day and recent studies have revealed that Americans spend almost 5 hours per day on their smartphones.

Data like this shows that text messaging has changed the way we communicate.

But that’s not all it’s changed. The rise in text messaging has also spurred innovation. Faund is one of those innovations. Using an NFC-enabled fob and text messaging service, Faund is North America’s most innovative and unique lost and found service. Interested? Let’s take a closer look.

Faund is Unlike Other Products

There are other devices on the market that help owners find their lost items. For instance, several companies offer tracking apps with GPS tags that owners can attach to specific items. However, these devices don’t come at a small price. And with apps to be downloaded and batteries to be changed, they can be time-consuming to set up and maintain. The longest battery life currently available is one year, meaning they risk failing at the time they’re needed the most.

How Does Faund Work?

Faund is different. It is simple to use, cost-effective and never needs batteries. By harnessing the power of text messaging, Faund connects a finder with the owner of a lost and found item while also ensuring everyone’s privacy.

It’s simple: After you’ve purchased your Faund fobs, attach them to your valued possessions. Then, follow the instructions to quickly and easily activate your fobs by text. If one of your items happens to get lost, the easy-to-follow instructions engraved on the fob will ask the finder to send a text message to the service number provided. You will then receive a text message with the finder’s mobile number so that you can be reunited with your lost item.

What the best part? All of this happens while ensuring your privacy. No more writing your name on your possessions or taping business cards to your luggage.

What Gives Faund Its Competitive Advantage?

Convenience

Text messaging helps owners reunite with their lost items without relying on apps, batteries, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Faund is perfectly simple and perfectly effective.

Confidentiality
How wonderful is it to feel assured that not only your items are protected, but your identity? Faund allows users to keep their name private while at the same time being in direct communication with the person who found their valuables.

Flexibility

Faund can be used anywhere. Whether you travel down the street or around the world, Faund lets you reconnect with your lost valuables using simple SMS services that are available in every country.

Extra Features
Every Faund fob is enabled with Near-Field Communication (NFC) that allows users to initiate a text message with just a tap of their smartphone.

What Items Can I Protect With My Faund?

You can attach a Faund fob to almost all of your valuables. With its low price point, Faund is an affordable means to peace of mind. Here are just some ideas of the many possessions you can protect:

• Keychain
• Purse
• Luggage
• Pet’s collar
• Mobile phone
• Wallet
• Camera
• Umbrella
• Passport holder
• Document folder
• Instrument case

Faund replaces old nametags and luggage tags that compromised your identity by displaying your name to the world.

For more information or to purchase your Faund fobs today, please visit Faund page.

In case you didn’t get the memo, mobile devices are rapidly becoming the prime medium for communicating with current and potential customers. Traditional advertising mediums like billboards, TV spots, and even email messaging are overly costly and becoming increasingly ineffective when mobile-targeted content is missing.

If you still have doubts that text message marketing is the right strategy for your business, the below statistics just might change your mind.

66 percent of smartphone users have used their phones to verify something they saw in a TV commercial.

This interesting fact from Google demonstrates how often we use our phones. The fact that so many people use their phones to search for information about products and services creates opportunities for marketers to use mobile/Internet features as engagement points.

For instance, providing your audience with a ‘text to get a link for more info’ call-to-action is a great way to engage potential customers with the perfect link to comparisons, reviews and purchasing options. Better engagement means more conversions.

According to HubSpot, 44 percent of consumers want to receive coupons and deals on their mobile devices, especially when those coupons are timely and relevant.

Using coupons to generate sales is a time-honored strategy. However, the advent of new technologies and engagement tools are making the use of coupons even more relevant. There are also many more exciting ways to use them.

Enter mobile. When nearly half of all consumers prefer to receive coupons on their mobile devices, we can take it as an indicator that physical coupons are set to disappear in the not-so-distant future.

This is a trend that can be capitalized on by both Internet and text message markers. We now know that a large portion of mobile users are open to receiving coupons. The key, then, is getting them to opt-in to receiving text message communications. That’s where a good engagement strategy can do wonders.

The average person checks the phone 85 times per day.

Whether your business is an apparel store, grocery store, or laundry, keeping your customers informed about products or services by engaging with their mobile device is a great idea. Considering that people check their phones nearly 100 times per day, the opportunities are limitless.

This statistic shows that people love to receive notifications, messages, and texts to their phones. Why not fulfill that need with information about your company’s products and services?

Consider the following example. Rebecca Minkoff’s clothing boutique is a “connected store” that uses communications technology to make its clients’ experience as pleasant as possible.

Interactive touch screens and NFC-enabled merchandise allow shoppers to easily request inventory in their desired size and color, as well as read ratings and reviews before they make a purchase. Customers can seamlessly integrate their mobile device with the store’s communications system, thereby accessing all the information they want at the swipe of a screen.

Connected stores like Minkoff’s also optimise the client’s time. In-store systems hold the shopper’s place in a fitting room queue and alert them via text message when the nearest changing room is open.

How’s this for rapid response? 35 percent of business professionals can’t go 10 minutes without responding to a text.

Now that texting has come to occupy a significant space in our lives, it definitely must be the focus of marketers. Text message marketing is the perfect channel for engaging customers in real-time and providing fresh, relevant product messaging.

Marketers are spending a noticeable amount of resources to build email lists. That’s fine, but a more efficient (and effective) strategy is to start gathering phone numbers and consent to receive text message communications.

Marketers can then contact potential customers via text, something that’s been proven to get more (and faster) responses.

Stuck with technology? At TTAG Systems we can help you to adopt technology easier and faster for you and your company. Let our experts bring your business to the next level. Contact your Toronto SMS Marketing experts today for your next project.

You already know that coupons are great incentives build your customer base and strengthen your brand, but you might be curious about what kind of coupons to offer. Compared to traditional paper coupons, SMS coupons check off a few extra boxes that make reconsidering your campaign worth the effort.

Great Tool to Build Brand Loyalty

Text coupons are incredibly convenient for your customer and with an opt-in or -out giving them control, you can build a better relationship with them by putting choices directly in their hands. As Vibe’s 2016 Mobile Consumer Report finds, 59% of people say their opinion of a retailer would become more positive if they received offers that could be saved on their phone. This makes sense because it shows that consumer that you’re in touch with what they want.

Related: 5 Reasons Mobile Coupons are Primed to Take Over

Efficient Revenue Generator

What you want is to make your brand experience easy for customers. Tucking a wad of coupons into a wallet isn’t handy, no matter how much money they save. If your customer can keep all of their coupons in a convenient place such as the phone always tucked in their back pocket, they’re more likely to use them.

And according to Mobile Marketing Watch, with targeted marketing, 65% of consumers redeemed their coupons within 5 minutes. Of course, there’s hard work and creativity behind this statistics, but it’s an impressive number. Giving your customers easy gains, through just a bit of thoughtfulness, can go a long way in creating repeat customers.

Cut Costs, Not Coupons

Traditional paper coupons are not easy to get into the customer’s hands. Delivery costs and time clipping coupons are deterrents to redeeming them, especially if the reward of saving 20 cents isn’t worth the effort.

SMS coupons are easy to deliver and 75% of consumers say they’d prefer to have SMS coupons rather than see ads while browsing. Mass texts are also a cheaper alternative because your customer gets the coupon directly without you having to go to the printer or pay for delivery.

Create Measurable Events from the Start

Redeemed coupons usually have to be scanned to apply the discount and that’s a trackable event. Through this, you can measure how many people your coupons reach versus how many people clicked on them and further still, how many redeemed them. You can take this data and adjust accordingly for the future.

A statistic in an eMarketer article revealed that in 2013, 47.1 million people redeemed a coupon from an app, mobile internet, QR code or SMS. We can’t get this data from traditional paper coupon marketing. Online coupons make ROI analysis easy and accurate when running a campaign, so improving the numbers is a precise and concentrated effort rather than costly trial and error.

MMS and SMS marketing will continue to grow during the coming years. Fortunately for you and your business, reaching customers with mobile coupons is now easy, efficient and inexpensive thanks to textLab – the industry leading SMS Marketing Software that allows you to create different SMS, MMS and audio marketing campaigns place.

We use our mobile phones for everything from sharing pictures of our mailman’s cat to getting directions to that new pizza place downtown. Given the vast and growing power of mobile, more marketers are becoming aware of the near-limitless potential of text message marketing.

What’s more, research shows that text messages have an open rate of roughly 95%, much higher than the 20% open rate for emails.

For some, that makes SMS marketing intriguing enough. But if you need more persuasion, consider the following facts:

1. 44% of consumers prefer to receive product details and other marketing messages through text over any other channel.

This is obvious. Consumers hate receiving sales calls, no matter the greatness of your product or service. Email marketing often simply annoys customers as well, and spam filters mean that your communications may never see the light of day.

The best way to reach customers is by SMS, and the above statistic from the Direct Marketing Association shows that your messages won’t fall on deaf ears.

2. Over half of customers said they would be likely to text with a customer support agent. Similarly, 52% would rather text customer support (if available) than use their current preferred form of communication. (eweek.com)

This means that there is still unfilled demand for SMS-based customer support. A number of industry leaders have recognized the modern customer’s preference for texting over other forms of communication such as email and telephone.

Companies that make investments in this area will have happier customers and more return-on-investment.

3. 38% of contact centers currently offer SMS, and 23% more plan to add it in the next 12 months. 61% of contact centers will offer SMS support in 2016.

Digital contact with customers, through email, web chat, SMS, social media, and self-service channels, is growing in importance as an engagement strategy. That’s why companies have contact centers to manage their business-to-customer communication.

That communication takes many forms, but SMS contact is especially important. It’s one of the fastest-growing methods of business-to-consumer communication for companies, and 61% of those surveyed will make use of it in 2016.

4. 79% of companies believe that their customers want SMS/text support.

Again, we see evidence of the unfilled demand for SMS services among customers. A poll from the International Customer Management Institute found that nearly four out of five companies believe that their customers want SMS support.

Using text message technology to engage customers is also shown to boost conversion rates. One study found that following-up a sales call with a direct SMS message increased conversion rates by over 40%.

5. Nearly 25% of marketers currently use text messaging. Over 60% of them report SMS as being “effective.”

We were surprised to learn that less than one-half of marketers currently make use of text messaging as an engagement tool (according to statistics from ExactTarget).

The good news? This industry still has tons of growth potential. And lots of room for new companies to break in.

Among marketers who currently use it, nearly two-thirds consider it to be effective, and another 32% consider it to be “somewhat effective.” Joining the relatively small club of SMS believers can be a boon to your business.

Stuck with technology? At TTAG Systems we can help you to adopt technology easier and faster for you and your company. Let our experts bring your business to the next level. Contact your Toronto SMS Marketing experts today for your next project.

The blog post first published at The Huffington Post Canada.

Getting customer feedback is an art of the business in itself. It shouldn’t be an afterthought, especially when so much great information is there if you just scratch the surface.

The majority of fast food restaurants offer rewards for answering a survey on the back of their receipt. It’s a fantastic idea in theory because it targets current customers who have just had an in-store experience and can give valuable data. But there are a few flaws in execution that make this method inefficient.

In one of my posts about my experience with quick surveys, I suggested switching from online surveys to something more convenient: text messaging. We conducted a survey among Canadian fast food diners, Who Completes Fast Food Receipt Surveys and Why, to present results that show what areas need to be kicked up for a better response rate to receipt surveys.

SMS Infographic illustrating ‘Fast Food Receipt Surveys: Who Completes Them and Why’ survey results.

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Better Call-To-Action

Customers can’t fill out a survey they aren’t aware exists. Forty-five percent of respondents don’t even notice the offer on their receipts and this could be the result of an inconspicuous call-to-action. The receipts, with their instructions printed on the back or the bottom, are easy to miss when most people tuck it away or only check it to make sure that their purchase is correct. Cashiers, who would be able to point this out for the customer, don’t always have time to explain the steps when they have long line ups to cash out.

A better call-to-action can increase exposure to make customers aware of the survey. A different medium, like an interactive poster or video on TV, can direct attention effectively. But it’s got to be clear for the customer — every step should be convenient and clearly outlined, from how to reach the survey to getting a reward for their effort.

Easier Surveys

While there are a lot of customers who noticed the survey, a considerable amount didn’t bother with it. The most common reason was that it was too complicated, but others simply forgot or lost their receipt.

An easier survey that can be filled out on the spot is the answer then. The research pinpointed that type of survey is problematic: online questionnaires with their logins and websites are time-consuming, even on a convenient data-enabled phone (that not everyone has). A simple text message survey takes three short minutes and can be done before they step foot outside of the restaurant.

The facts say everything necessary to know: 85 percent of respondents said they’d consider taking the survey — if the restaurant offered a better way to do it.

Better Incentives

Almost a third of respondents said that filling out the survey was simply not worth their time. The effort put into logging online, navigating to the website and checking off bubbles didn’t add up to the chance of winning $500. A valuable use of their time could be offering a reward as simple and convenient as a 20 percent coupon for their next visit.

After filling out a short five-question text message survey, they can receive an SMS or MMS coupon, a guaranteed reward rather than a gamble not worth their time. The coupon also gives them an incentive to visit the store again and possibly fill out another survey, creating a great feedback loop. Best of all, this kind of small but definite reward doesn’t depend on the customers’ willingness to take their chances on maybe winning a prize.

Conclusion

There are three key factors to do right in order to get a high response rate: attract, engage, reward. Customers are ready to give you their opinion, and most want you to know how you’re doing. It’s your job to make it easy for them to provide it for you. The more effort you put into your survey, the less they’ll exert to take it.

If your company is interested in learning how to collect better feedback from your customers, we are offering a free consultation and a highly efficient text messaging survey at no cost for a limited number of restaurants. Contact us to take advantage of this offer today and start seeing better marketing results tomorrow.