More personal customer messaging
As digitalization continues to advance, companies and organizations need to develop entirely new and further deepen existing ways of communicating with their customers. They need to be able to deliver a specific message to the customer with the highest possible attention value and, in certain cases, receive acknowledgement from the customer, for example in the form of an order or opinion.
Improving communication sounds easy and straightforward, but from a technical perspective, there are quite a few different things that need to be taken into account.
What channels are used? Text messaging works well, of course, but is our target group the kind of person who would benefit from sending a WhatsApp message? How do we open communication channels, where do we manage the messages we send, how do we respond to messages, and how do we integrate them into marketing automation, for example?
Messaging services in the cloud
Marketing automation is one of the most talked about topics in digital communications today. Various marketing automation software is being implemented in more and more organizations, both in the private and public sectors. The software offers many opportunities to enhance customer communication and improve the customer experience. The combination of automation and SMS/instant messaging provides efficiency in sales, customer relationship management, customer experience creation and upselling.
For example, Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 CRM software is widely used for customer management, which helps keep customer data under control and allows marketing functions to automate communications.
A one-way message works very well in many cases, but often the customer wants a confirmation message for something, in which case the communication needs to be implemented in a two-way manner.
Concrete use cases for two-way messaging include:
- Marketing automation sends a reminder to the customer about the end of the subscription or contract via text message or WhatsApp. The customer renews the subscription by replying to the message with a specific keyword or action button.
- Marketing automation sends a notification to the desired channel about an upcoming event (for example, a test drive weekend). The recipient can reply to the message to book a test drive.
- Marketing automation sends an automatic order confirmation to the customer’s phone regarding an online store order. The message includes an opinion poll about the order and the message can be responded to with, for example, a rating and a free comment.
In addition to Microsoft software, the use cases work in cloud service environments such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Liana Cloud.
Implementing messaging channels
The introduction and implementation of services into other software is straightforward and secure with an expert partner. When using the services of a domestic operator, it is easy to agree on contract terms, personal data processing principles and information security issues. In the technical implementation, measures related to communication, data transmission and necessary additional services are agreed.
The partner will handle the opening and connection of virtual longcode numbers or shortcode numbers to the service. They will also provide instructions on what type of number is best to use in each case.
SmartDialog’s connector, service features, and keywords are used to direct different responses to the desired location. Responding can be paid or free for the customer.
How do I get started?
You can utilize the modern APIs, connectors, or web management interface messaging services of the SmartDialog service platform according to your needs. We handle the connection and maintenance of messaging connections on a turnkey basis, and we support the use of the service platform and connections 24/7.
Does your company use a CRM system or marketing automation that you would like to get more out of by incorporating SMS and instant messaging channels into your communication paths? Let’s talk more!
Discover SmartDialog and Integrations
Read also:
Instant messaging applications as part of other software
Instant messaging applications as part of marketing automation