Sometimes we get questions from mobile businesses just starting out regarding which channels are the best ones to use for connecting with users.
Inevitably, our answer is: use the channels that your users prefer! And if you don’t know which channels those are, you MUST ask them.
However, there is a large amount of confusion and head-scratching when it comes to the difference between push notifications and SMS. Namely: when should a marketer choose one over the other?
Choosing push notifications vs SMS is tricky. There are certain situations when one is more effective than the other. So how are these two channels different, and when you should use push notifications vs SMS?
SMS Notifications: When to Use Them
If you recall, SMS stands for short messaging service.
It is the older text messaging technology that relies on mobile phone carriers, cell towers, and physical phones to get a message from sender to recipient, no WiFi necessary. Just a phone carrier signal and a mobile phone.
And yet, despite its age, it’s a powerhouse channel: response rates from SMS messages are 209% higher than from voice calls, Facebook, or email marketing campaigns.
In fact, according to a 2018 study by Emarsys, 29% of targeted customers respond to SMS with 47% of those responders making a purchase.
Push notification or SMS? Which should you use?
SMS Notifications are Trusted, More Personal
SMS messages are perceived to be more trustworthy than other forms of communication.
Think about it: who texts you?
Those near and dear to you: family, close friends, loved ones
Service Colombia Phone Numbers List providers, you rely on: doctors, dentists, daycares/nannies, lawyers, accountants, etc.
Your job: your boss, perhaps your co-workers
Overwhelmingly, text messaging is used as an immediate communication channel for the people — and the companies — you trust.
But also, SMS feels more direct, and somehow more personal. Sure, you may be sending a message to thousands of users, but the recipient will perceive it to be a direct message to them.
The trust in this personal mode of communication reflects in its open rates. SMS messages have open rates of 98%. Compare that to the 20% open rate of email, and you’ll see how much more trust customers place on text messages over emails. [01]
Use SMS Messages for…
This is a good rule of thumb to follow: reserve your SMS messages for conveying information that is urgent, time-sensitive, or transactional.
Urgent Information
When a service provider sends you a text message, it’s a good bet that the information you’ve been given is important. Think: banking alerts, weather warnings, or a doctor’s appointment reminder. If it will impact a user’s finances, health, or personal safety, use SMS!
The exception here, of course, is if you’re already running SMS marketing campaigns and are engaging your users successfully via text messaging games and promotions.
Push notification or SMS? Use SMS for transactional messages
Time-Sensitive Information
If you need to send information that must be acted upon, then text messaging is the way to go. Think: flight delays, appointment reminders, event cancellations.
Say an event or a flight is canceled on the day itself. You better send it by text message! SMS connectivity will be more universal and reliable than WiFi.
The danger with relying on a push notification is that your user may be in an area with no WiFi connectivity, or may not have a data plan. That means they’ll receive the push notification only when they finally get to a location with WiFi.
Push notification or sms? USe SMS alerts for time-sensitive info
Image: Yelp
Transactional Information
Finally, use SMS for stuff that is transactional. Think: delivery alerts, package tracking notices, even billing reminders.
Push notification or sms? Use SMS for transactional info
Image: How-To Geek
Do Not Use SMS Messaging for…
Reference Materials
Don’t use SMS for information that a user will need to refer to in the future. This includes receipts, set up instructions, and other help materials.
Firstly, text messages aren’t as easy to scroll or search through as email. Secondly, they may be deleted by accident.
Anything Long
Also, don’t use text messages for long-form content. SMS are limited to 160 characters.
Sure you can string them together to send a longer message. But why pay for the extra text messages (and why would you let your users pay for them as well) when you could send the same info through email for free?
What is Push Good For?
Push notification or sms? Push notification image
We’ve covered a lot about push notifications on this blog. They’re personalized messages sent to users nudging them to complete certain actions in your app. They can also be used to convey information like updates or announcements.
And they’re successful when they’re tailored to the users’ preferences or interests. According to our 2018 push notification study, personalized push notifications see 9.06% higher open rates.