Companies and organizations are recognizing that SMS is transforming sales, marketing, and operations everywhere.
Two-way instant messaging with virtually every adult on the planet, in apps that everyone has in their phone, push notifications already enabled. If it was invented today, the hype would be sky high.
The challenge is how to use this channel well. The first step to leveraging SMS is to use the right tools for the job. A programmable SMS API provides a powerful and flexible way of incorporating SMS into your workflows and systems.
In this Telerivet article, we’ll cover:
Programmable SMS is a way of sending text messages that is automated by software. SMS is the most common way of sending text messages to mobile phones, and it's the most popular protocol to use for a range of different communications.
When we talk about programmable SMS, we're talking about a system that can achieve a few different things. Programmable SMS is likely automated, integrated with other systems, highly scalable, and connected to a series of triggers or APIs. Most people's contact with programmable SMS may come when they receive a two-factor authentication code when logging in to software they use for business or work.
Equally, many businesses use programmable SMS to communicate with customers about essential things, for example, confirming appointments and similar activities.
When we talk about a programmable SMS API, what we're referring to here is normally a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) that software developers can connect to via an API. This allows software developers to build their product and integrate the third-party software into their product, making for a seamless integration between different platforms. As a result, when something happens in the software, it can easily and simply trigger an SMS to be sent to a customer.
This can happen on an individualized basis, customer by customer, or on a bulk basis, sending a lot of text messages all at the same time. Programmable SMS or transactional SMS are simply ways to incorporate text messages into the functionality and features of software.
Many customers now live their lives mobile-first, and for short informative updates or two-factor authentication, sending a text message makes the most sense because people always have their phones on them. Unlike email, nearly everyone has notifications enabled for text messages.
A programmable SMS API allows developers to integrate text messaging capabilities directly into their applications and workflows. This integration opens up a world of possibilities, from enhancing customer experience to improving internal communication. Key benefits include:
With SMS APIs, businesses can create personalized interactions that resonate with customers. Whether it's appointment reminders, order updates, or tailored promotions, SMS ensures your message reaches customers instantly. You can use it for surveys and feedback, easily getting improved response rates on NPS submissions versus email. Check out our user guide to creating SMS polls.
Automate routine communications and notifications to save time and reduce human error. This allows your team to focus on high-value tasks that drive growth. Baking most communications into either your product or marketing campaign management tools means that nearly every SMS sent will be done automatically and at the right time.
SMS APIs can be easily integrated with your existing CRM, marketing automation, or customer service platforms, creating a cohesive ecosystem for your business communications. The beauty of APIs is that they give you complete control over integrations and stop you from being trapped in the walled garden of a single software ecosystem.
SMS remains one of the most ubiquitous forms of communication worldwide. Leveraging an SMS API allows you to connect with customers across borders and devices. This benefit is magnified for real-time instant communication as signal coverage for SMS is much broader and more consistent than for internet connectivity - particularly on a global scale.
In an age where instant gratification is the norm, SMS provides the immediacy that email often lacks. Critical updates and time-sensitive information can be delivered in seconds. People understand SMS and using it is built into their existing habits. SMS allows you to reach your customers where they are - geographically and digitally.
Many SMS APIs offer analytics capabilities, allowing you to track delivery rates, engagement, and other metrics to continually refine your communication strategy. This is one of the core advantages of having highly orchestrated systems; you’re constantly measuring everything and able to A/B test changes and iterations over time.
We've already touched on a number of key programmable SMS use cases, but let's drill down on them a little further.
First, using programmable SMS for authentication is a super common use case. It's very popular because it verifies a second channel, often by a second device. Typically, someone is logging into a professional website on their laptop or desktop computer. To verify the user against a second known device or a second known channel is a very good way to make sure that this person is who they say they are.
While this is an effective use of programmable SMS, it is not the only way to enable multi-factor authentication and security. Best practice now is to try to have more than one confirmation method. Other tools that are used might include passkeys, authentication apps, or biomarkers like thumbprints and face scans.
The same applies for updates, and probably the most common use case for this is deliveries. We live in a world with more deliveries than ever before, and programmable SMS has been crucial in providing updates for expected delivery times or windows and confirmations of whether anyone will be home or not, impacting the choices the delivery person makes on coming to the property. Programmable SMS is the most common way of providing these types of updates and notifications.
The third key use case for programmable SMS is emergency alerts and notifications. Depending on the situation and the severity, different organizations might use different channels to communicate emergencies. However, SMS is a crucial channel for this kind of communication as it has incredibly high reach and reliability.
While some people may not carry their mobile phones, in modern society, the level of mobile adoption and frequent use is higher than it has ever been and has almost blanket coverage across the country. Equally, while internet signal is not guaranteed for all mobile devices, the chances of receiving an SMS are significantly higher.
Many organizations rely on SMS as the most important channel to communicate emergency broadcasts. Different protocols can also be useful for essential communications situations, for example, USSD is useful for handling critical inbound inquiries in certain regions. You can find out more about USSD and how Telerivet provides programmable API access to leverage it here.
One of the key advantages of programmable SMS is its cost efficiency and value versus certain other methods at scale. It's a competitive environment because transactional email can be so affordable. However, as we've outlined in the context of this article, transactional email cannot achieve the same results as SMS.
According to the email marketing platform Selzy: “Compared to email, SMS marketing has a decided advantage in terms of open rate. Text messages have an overwhelming average open rate of 98%, as opposed to 19.8% of emails.”
One challenge with SMS is affordability. When comparing different services that provide programmable SMS APIs, there can be significant differences in the pricing for each SMS message. However, companies like Telerivet realize this is a channel in which you can be very competitive. Telerivet has made this an incredibly affordable channel for its customers by enabling developers to connect multiple providers to the same platform. This means consumers can shop around, utilize a mix of local and international providers, and create gateways and broadcast tools of their own.
In addition to affordability, another significant issue is the geographic availability of two-way SMS in the countries where they operate. In many countries, it is difficult to find any viable option for a two-way SMS API.
For SMS API users, one of Telerivet's differentiators is the ability to connect an Android phone to use as a two-way SMS gateway in countries where traditional SMS providers don't have two-way SMS capability.
The combination of these features creates a platform with full connectivity completeness.
There are a few things that a service needs to provide to make themselves useful to a developer audience, which you should check for before making any major purchasing decision.
Firstly, the communications platform should provide extensive and detailed documentation for fully leveraging the API and getting the most from it. This seems like a simple requirement, but some tools offer a much greater array of options than others. Some APIs are capable of many different things, while others are quite limited. To see past the marketing speak and really understand whether a tool can do what it promises to do for you, it's vital to read and assess the docs in order to discover how you could leverage it in your business.
A final thing to consider is what the service offers in regards to formal support. If you're an indie dev or a solopreneur building something small and playing with the service, you can rely on your own initiative and the community as much as you like. But if you are servicing millions of users, as the clients of Telerivet do, then you need more formal guarantees and assurances.
This is where it's vital to have a great support team you can be in contact with, to help you overcome any challenges you face, particularly if a mistake has been made and something goes wrong in production.
Trusted by Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, governments, cutting-edge tech firms, and universities in 150+ countries, Telerivet's cloud-based platform makes it reliable, resilient, and flexible to communicate at scale via text and voice.
“Our lives are a million times easier because of Telerivet. We're growing exponentially, doubling our reach every year... and it's Telerivet's technology that makes this all possible.” - MyAgro
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