As technology continues to expand the ways businesses address their audience, the forms of communications also change. Text messaging used to be seen as a fad among the younger crowd, filled with text speak and emojis without adding any value to a conversation. Not anymore. Text messaging has entered the realm of business with full force, reshaping the way executives and organizations collaborate with their colleagues and customers.

How can text messaging help your business?

The possibilities text messaging offers businesses are limitless. For internal communications, text messaging can send company-wide messages in the event of an emergency when the system is down, or can add value to an internal meeting when notes must be shared among colleagues. For the executive who is meeting with a client, a text message can alert them of their next appointment, or some other important communication. There are times when email doesn’t work anymore, especially when it’s no guarantee that the employees are at their desk. If they don’t have the email set up to display on their phones, the message will never reach them.

Texting has its advantages, because the likelihood of someone responding to a text message is far greater than that of someone responding immediately to an email. For the executives always on the road, this is a good way to collaborate with colleagues without having to use an email system that may fail. With smart phone technology being so advanced, it would be rare if a text message did not go through.

Externally, a text message can have the same effects. Text messaging has been found to be very useful, especially in retail. Customers receive special discounts by joining the text message club, and get notifications of new items in stock, resolutions to questions, can deal directly with customer service via text message, which adds a personalized touch. For those shopaholics, getting a “today only” text message that all shoes or clothing items will be 70% off when they show the text message is a bargain shoppers dream come true. Not only are these customers using these incentives, but have become accustomed to this type of communication from the vendor.

Banks have also entered the text message market by allowing customers to transfer funds and conduct other transactions via text messaging. This is useful because if there is no Wi-Fi connection, these transactions could not take place. Text messaging removes the burden of needing a hard connection, replacing it with simpler, streamlined solutions for getting the job done.

Every industry where communication can take place can be considered a business. One example of a text message system that was used effectively was when the FSU campus had to be shut down for a tornado. The system alerted all students via text, and parents of students out of town as well so that everyone would be aware of what was going on and things could be handled on one accord.

How can you use text messaging to your advantage?

As a business, here are a few ideas:

• Be smart. Do not overload customers with text messages. Some businesses send text messages every single day. This is overkill and can make customers opt-out.
• Make sure the technology works well on both ends. One of the reasons companies are choosing text message over email is that when you need to retrieve the message, it is much easier than having to sort through emails to find what you need. Emails can be cumbersome; text messages are on a thread.
• Have a strategy in mind. When formulating your communication strategy, whether internally or externally, knowing what the end goal is will make a tremendous difference in how smooth the transition goes.
• Choose text speak carefully. Although text speak can still be managed effectively in some arenas, going back to the basics of correct grammar is important for businesses. There should never be any grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.
• Plan for crises. Unfortunately, having a crisis control plan in place is necessary for every business. Now is the time to determine how your system would work in the event of something happening and the public, and employees must be addressed.
• Stay professional. No matter what – when speaking to a colleague or sending messages to clients, staying professional is always a priority. Your brand and image depend on it.

These are just a few ways a text message strategy can help and enhance your business to do great things. Staying on the cutting edge of technology demonstrates your commitment to excellence and in meeting the needs of your customers and audience. The continued implementation of techniques and tactics that will make the customer and client experience better should always be a major priority.

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