The mobile marketing industry has gone from strength to strength over the years, the UK is fast becoming a ‘mobile-first society’ -there are more 80 million active mobile phones in the UK alone which has transformed the way we interact on a daily basis. It is predicted that by the end of 2018, 79% of internet usage will be through a mobile device growing from only 40% in 2012. To take advantage of this opportunity, every business, large or small, should try and stay in front with the current trends.
We have highlighted 6 predictions in this space, which we hope you will find of interest;
The Rise Of RCS ?
RCS (Rich Communication Service) is a system designed to offer enhanced capabilities over and above that of the good old SMS such as branding, logos and clickable buttons for your calls to action. RCS isn’t a new concept launched in 2008 Google announced in 2015 that they would be adopting RCS across all Android devices. In 2017 Google acquired Jibe and invited messaging platform providers to work with them to develop the technology. There is a long way to go before RCS becomes a reality, there are many hurdles to overcome before it becomes a usable common platform not least that IOS and Android have yet to reach agreement – so it would be very premature to announce the demise of SMS which is still the only common native platform across all mobile devices and is not reliant on having a Wi-Fi signal!
We believe there is a will for the technology to become a reality and no doubt that 2018 will bring new ideas to the arena. This is very exciting for an industry which has been wondering what the next evolution of native messaging will look like. TextAnywhere are closely monitoring future developments of RCS and our team is exploring how this technology can be incorporated into our platform when it is ready.
What do you need to do? For the moment nothing – just watch this space – we will let keep you updated on any developments.
The Year For GDPR
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most significant piece of European privacy legislation in the last twenty years. GDPR will come into force on the 25th of May 2018, and we will see substantial changes in how businesses connect with their customers. We see this an excellent opportunity for companies to focus on connecting and engaging with their customers. Studies show that 75% of consumers are likely to read a message from a business they have opted in to give their details to compared to just 22% if the customer is unfamiliar with them. This means businesses can save time and money by only contacting those who are engaged with their products and services.’
GDPR will provide every organisation with an opportunity to update and build a loyal contact base of people who are more targeted and focused. To help you in your GDPR journey, we have put together a brief guide for you – further information can be found on the ICO website.
Mobile payments will continue to grow in 2018
Mobile payments have increasingly grown over the past few years across the world. More than 50% of consumers in India and Thailand are using mobile payments as a form of payment. Countries such as the US and UK have not adopted this method as quickly but will continue to grow in 2018. The largest supermarket chain in the USA, Kroger, has partnered with JP Morgan Chase. In 2018, they will begin implementing mobile payments into some of their markets. The slow growth has encouraged banks and other similar industries to start creating products that will entice consumers to start making mobile payments. As the trend continues to grow across the globe, consumers will become more comfortable with the idea.
What this shows is that mobile technology is becoming an essential part of daily life, we’ve all seen the statistics of how many times people look at their phone each day which gives companies the ideal platform to communicate with their customers.
From Mobile-First to Mobile-Only
More people are turning their attention away from desktops and reaching for their smartphones. This year we will see a shift from mobile-friendly to mobile-first and only. With Google’s recent announcement of Mobile-first Index, the search engine will index the web from the point of view of a mobile user, using the mobile version of a site as its primary search engine index. This significant shift from desktop to mobile represents the change in which users almost 70% of people use mobile devices for their searches. It is therefore crucial for businesses to keep mobile in the forefront of all their messaging, whether it’s simply including a URL in a text message or how your adverts are displayed on mobile devices. Campaigns and any other content should be designed to fit mobile purposes more than ever.
Increase of marketing engagement automation
In previous years marketing automation has typically been used in email marketing; however, this has grown to additional options such as text messaging and other mobile apps. The way in which we use mobile marketing has changed. In order for businesses to capture customers attention, there needs to be a carefully targeted plan and strategy. Text messaging can be integrated into virtually any software or CRM system. Integration can be beneficial to businesses who want to develop an omni-channel approach and develop their customer experience. By the end of 2018, 79% of internet usage will be through a mobile device, which means companies should decide what their messages will look on a mobile device compared to desktop.
The Rise Of Chatbots
The use of chatbots for businesses are expected to rise with 63% of people willing to use a chatbot, especially when looking for quick answers. In the busy world we live in today, sometimes we need an answer quickly, and this is where chatbots can be so useful. With technology such as ‘artificial intelligence’ getting smarter, businesses can step up their game and provide the ultimate customer service. For example, as text-messaging is the preferred service for text-based support you could develop an SMS chatbot into your software. The vast majority of people wouldn’t mind talking to a bot, however, don’t break your customer’s trust by making them think the chatbot is real.
For more information in text messaging for your business or would like to know more about our services talk to our friendly customer care team on 0845 122 1302 or email [email protected].