Application-to-person messaging has grown to be a significant communications channel in recent years and the market shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, a recent report from Juniper Research estimated that 3.5 trillion A2P messages will be delivered by 2023, representing 40% growth over 2019.
A2P messages sent over SMS are highly effective for a number of reasons. All types of mobile phones can receive SMS messages, they don't require an internet connection, and they have significantly higher open rates compared with email.
Customers like them and businesses benefit from them. Here are three key ways to use A2P messaging at your organization:
1. Keep Customers Engaged
Organizations can leverage A2P messages at various points throughout the customer relationship to keep engagement levels high. From sending order confirmations to delivery notifications, the A2P SMS channel is a great way to keep customers informed.
Compared to other channels like email and push notifications, SMS makes more sense because it's easy to use and customers are likely to be familiar with the technology. In fact A2P 10-digit long codes are highly effective because they look and feel just like texting with a friend. Compared with shared short codes, which lack privacy features, 10-DLC feels more personal. Plus, they tend to be much more affordable thanks to the greater quantity of available numbers.
2. Add a Layer of Security
One of the most common ways to implement A2P messaging is in the form of two-factor authentication (2FA). To combat the global rise in cybercrime, 2FA makes it harder for criminals to break into user accounts using publicly available information.
For example, if a fraudster gains access to a user's name, address and phone number – which may be freely available online – they could use that data to gain access to sensitive information such as financial assets.
To combat this malicious behavior, 2FA-enabled systems can send an authentication token to the user any time a login attempt is made. This way, the user can verify their identity using their phone. It's a great addition to the limited security a password can provide.
3. Extend your Marketing Reach
Marketers can take advantage of the growing A2P trend to make deeper connections with consumers. A2P offers speed and affordability that marketers need. In fact, VentureBeat reported that the average SMS message is read within three minutes. Those same customers may take days to read an email – if they open it at all.
These messages don't always have to be sales-focused. The A2P SMS channel is useful for sending news about product updates and new features. When you want your message to be seen as soon as possible, A2P just makes the most sense.
If your organization's apps don't utilize A2P SMS, they're missing a crucial piece of functionality. To see how easy it is to get started, sign up for a free demo of Swift SMS Gateway today.
