Engaging Consumers with Text

Somos

The Value of Text-to-Toll

Background

There used to be a disconnect between how people communicate with each other and between companies. Just like every other user interaction, users want to do what is a natural trend and engage in simple, spontaneous ways. As of 2016, nearly 98% of smartphone owners communicated via text messages on a daily basis. But here was the disconnect: at the time, only 14% of businesses corresponded with customers over text. Network traffic analysis shows that 170 million texts are sent to landline numbers every day, although most of those lines are still not text enabled. The result? Missing connections, frustrated customers, and lost opportunities. The solution? A simple, fast and easy way for companies to enable business texting. Somos, the trusted, neutral provider of Toll-Free Numbers allows companies to enable business texting through their Texting & Smart Services (TSS) Registry.

Text isn’t just for mobile

Customers want to send texts to businesses. Traditionally, if a customer wanted to talk to a customer service representative, they would call the company’s phone number. If they wanted to send an email or text message, they had to find an email address or short code. But with texting to Toll-Free Numbers, customers can now send a text message or make a phone call to one number. And businesses can choose from a wide variety of software options that aggregate each customer’s activity into one streamlined customer journey using their toll-free number. Businesses that have adopted texting to toll-free numbers have reported improved engagement, reduced operating costs, and increased customer retention.

While text messaging is often seen as a marketing platform, it is capable of so much more. We use text messaging in our everyday lives to ask questions, confirm plans, and convey thoughts and opinions. Customers want to engage with companies in the same way. As a matter of fact, research shows that many customers prefer to receive text messages over voice calls or email. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the most popular applications for business texting involve high-touch communication such as customer support and appointment scheduling, marketing communications, reservation and appointment confirmations, account management and order status among others.

Somos Ecosystem Enablement

Gartner predicts that by 2020, 85 percent of customer relationships will be managed without speaking to a person and business texting is contributing to that trend. In the report, surveyed organizations identified many ways text messages delivered better business value than voice calls. This interactive series created for Somos provides service providers, Service Registrars and all partners in the ecosystem an overview of the value of texting to Toll-Free Numbers to deliver businesses higher customer response rates, extended functionality, increased sales and marketing conversion, improved productivity and greater efficiency.