The ever-increasing presence of cell phones, laptops, and other highly connected devices has opened more ways for businesses to engage with customers. But despite the changing technological landscape, SMS texting remains one of the most effective ways to interact with clients. Fortunately, with an SMS API, you can integrate texting into your software to ensure this important communication channel is always available.

SMS APIs are a massive upgrade to any text marketing strategy. For instance, they enable valuable features like omnichannel support, two-way communication, and automated texting. All these benefits save your business money and give your clients a superior customer experience.

It’s important to understand what an SMS API is so you can effectively integrate it into your text marketing. Let’s break down the key concepts you need to know and the benefits you’ll see.

Photographer: Rodion Kutsaiev | Source: Unsplash

What Is an SMS API?

API stands for “application programming interface”; though for most, this doesn’t shed much light on what an SMS API is. To send an SMS or text message, one typically needs a mobile phone and a SIM card connected to a network carrier. But with SMS APIs, you integrate text messaging into existing software platforms. Simply put, you can text using computer software such as web applications.

It’s easy to see why businesses would want this. A mobile phone is adequate for personal use. However, it can’t accomplish the tasks a company with thousands of clients might want to achieve. Moving things to a computer and using an application with a wide range of features lets marketers perform more complex tasks, such as sending bulk texts, scheduling texts, and forming groups. Best of all, the recipient doesn’t need an internet connection to receive the text—it’s sent as a regular SMS.

SMS APIs are extremely useful for businesses that want to maximize their connectivity. With the right SMS marketing software, your business can send and receive text messages 24/7. This lets customers acquire any information they need instantly and without waiting for business hours.

The convenience this provides is significant. Data shows 77% of consumers say the best way a business can give them good online customer service is to value their time. If you want to leave a good impression on your customers, don’t keep them waiting.

Several businesses have found SMS APIs useful. For example, financial institutions may use them to notify customers and provide them with important information outside normal business hours. Delivery and shipping companies could also use SMS APIs to enable clients to check the status of orders at any time. Airlines could trigger a confirmation SMS when customers book a flight online.

The Benefits of SMS APIs

Regardless of what industry your business is in, you stand to benefit from SMS APIs. Providing a good customer experience is an essential part of ensuring your business’s success. In the modern world, good customer service involves speed and open communication. With an SMS API, you can satisfy both these demands and many more.

1. Automation

As discussed, with SMS APIs, you can send text messages using SMS marketing software that allows for automated texts. This is great for sending bulk texts instantly. You also save on human resources when certain responses are automated.

Your business can use automated texts in a variety of ways. For example, you can alert customers of security concerns when there’s been suspicious activity on their account. Automated texts can also be sent to enable two-factor authentication, which strengthens the security of online accounts.

What’s more, it’s quite normal for customers to forget about appointments and other important dates. This can be inconvenient and even costly for your staff. Using SMS APIs, you can send reminders to clients via automated texts. Customers will be less likely to miss appointments, and you won’t waste time and money preparing for clients that never show.

2. Message Tracking

Once you click “send,” that isn’t the end of your text’s journey. There’s plenty of information you may be interested in. For instance, you may want to know how many texts actually reached their recipients, as well as how soon texts are opened after they’ve been received. You can gain access to this information using message tracking.

This is vital data if you want to determine which communication platforms are best for sharing urgent communication with clients. It also lets you know which communication platform has the highest open rate. With an SMS API, you can use software that grants you access to this data, enabling you to make informed decisions when crafting your marketing strategies.

3. Analytics

In addition to message tracking, paying attention to analytics is also important when assessing the efficacy of your marketing campaign. For example, if you’re sending out texts containing a link to a survey, you may want to know how many recipients are following the link.

Through SMS APIs, you can use an analytics platform to gain useful insight into consumer behavior. This could include how your text messages are contributing to goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as increased sales and engagement.

Photographer: Courtney Clayton | Source: Unsplash

4. Enhance Customer Service

An SMS API turns texting into another way for your business to provide impeccable customer service. For instance, it enables you to adopt an omnichannel approach, which is becoming increasingly important in today’s world. There are many ways for customers to communicate with businesses: emails, social media, texts, or calls. Sometimes, customers may find they have to migrate from one communication platform to another when attempting to solve a problem.

Using software with omnichannel support, you ensure the agent who helps the client has all the customer’s history from their prior communication on other platforms. This makes things much more convenient for customers because they won’t have to repeatedly explain their issue if they, for example, switched from email to SMS.

SMS APIs can also be used to speed up customer support. With automated responses, customers receive the answers they need instantly. This is far superior to making a call, where a customer may be put on hold for minutes just to ask a simple question or get an update on their order.

5. Streamline Processes

Your business may use several communication platforms to stay in touch with customers. This could include chat apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, in addition to more traditional forms of communication such as email. Having separate software for all these channels can result in a complicated and unwieldy tech stack for your business.

The ideal solution streamlines things, making it possible to handle all your communication needs with one software application. This is possible thanks to SMS APIs. With the right software, you can handle your SMS needs along with internet communication apps all in one place.

6. Increase Profit

Using an SMS API, you’re also able to schedule when your text messages are sent. This is important, as the time at which customers receive a text impacts how many will engage with it. For instance, sending texts late at night may result in them getting ignored or missed. The same is true for texts sent on Monday, as people are often busy dealing with work communication that has accumulated over the weekend.

If you want your text marketing to have maximum impact, send your SMS messages between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. or between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays. Using software that supports scheduled texts ensures your business never misses these golden hours. By getting messages in your clients’ hands when they’re most likely to see them, you can drive sales.

SMS API Integration Best Practices

When implementing an SMS API integration, there are some key best practices to follow:

Personalize Your Messaging

To get the most out of your text marketing, it’s a good idea to personalize texts. The right SMS marketing software makes this easy—even when you’re sending out bulk texts. When customers receive a personalized message, it has more of an impact on them. As a result, they’re more likely to respond positively to your business and its brand.

Identify Your Business

When messaging clients, it’s also important to identify your business. There’s no use talking about the fantastic deals you have this weekend if the recipient doesn’t know they’re being hosted by your business.

When your customer opts in to receiving text messages, it should trigger a welcome text from your brand that introduces the contact number. Put your business name at the beginning of the text. And, be sure to identify your company each time you send a text: “Hi [client first name], it’s [employee] from [business name]!”

For even more recognition, you could select a vanity SMS short code that’s easy to remember, such as 121212, or relates to your business.

Keep Texts Brief

Whether you’re sending out an SMS survey or marketing material, keep it brief. Text messages typically have a 160-character limit. Within these boundaries, you have to introduce your business, state your message, and maintain your brand’s voice. So, get creative and stay concise. You can always send two or three messages in quick succession if you need more space to make your point.

Comply with Regulations

As is the case with all forms of marketing, there are legal considerations you must be aware of. Most importantly, you can’t send texts to people who haven’t consented to receive promotional material from your business. Similarly, if you contact numbers on the Do-Not-Call (DNC) Registry, your business could incur large fines.

To get around this, you need a way for your customers to opt in. This can be done by offering rewards and discounts to customers who sign up for SMS marketing. You must also provide a way for customers to opt out if they no longer wish to receive texts from your business.

SMS API: The Future of SMS Marketing

SMS API enables you to fully utilize text messages to increase the reach of your marketing campaign and improve the quality of your customer experience. For instance, consumers now expect instant service, which SMS API lets you deliver. This saves time for your customers and money for you, as less human input is needed.

Using SMS marketing software, you can also schedule your texts. With the right wording and perfect timing, your messages will reap the maximum return on your investment.

Complying with regulations and keeping costs to a minimum are top priorities. So, you should avoid texting landline numbers—otherwise, you could waste up to 30% of your budget. Most can’t receive texts, and none can reply. Landline Remover, which uses APIs, can help you solve all these problems.

Landline Remover easily scrubs landlines and numbers on the DNC Registry from your contact list. Simply upload your CSV file of contacts, and mobile phone numbers will be sorted from unwanted ones in seconds. Plus, with Landline Remover, you only pay for what you use. At $0.002 per number checked or $2 for 1,000 numbers, it’s a highly affordable option.

Sign up with Landline Remover today and receive 1,000 free credits free.