SMS has come a long way since December 3rd, 1992 when Engineer Neil Papworth sent the first ever text message. While adoption started off slow, by the time SMS turned 20 back in 2012, CNN reported that 8.6 trillion SMS were sent worldwide each year. Today, only 8 years later, it’s reported that 8 trillion SMS are sent worldwide each day. 

Needless to say, SMS is now a mainstream method of communication that dominates how conversations take place. It’s the preferred method of communication for many, and everyone from individuals to businesses are using SMS to stay connected. Many businesses have long taken advantage of SMS capabilities, but more and more businesses are recognizing the benefits of SMS and are starting to utilize it for everything from customer service to marketing. SMS is proving to be a gangbuster tool for businesses, helping them to stay top of mind with their consumers, and many are starting to utilize SMS in very creative ways. 

A lot can be done with the right SMS technology, and many businesses are thinking outside the box to enhance communication with custom notifications, streamline processes, and create automations. Here are some successful use cases we've seen:

Restaurants:

• Let your patrons know that they’re next to be seated and have 10 minutes to check-in at the host stand
• Send a confirmation text of a to-go or delivery order, and updates on the order’s status
• Remind customers of their upcoming reservation via text and ask them to respond to confirm or cancel the reservation

Retail:

• Send a confirmation text of an order, invoice, or update on shipping
• Send sales promotions, discount codes, vouchers, etc.
• Let customers know when high-demand items are back in stock
• Send store managers up-to-the-minute sales updates

Customer Support:

• Notify a Call Center manager if all agents are offline, or if more than 2 calls have been missed
• Send a text when someone in your support queue is about to receive a callback or let them know what number they are in the queue
• After providing support to a customer, send a follow-up survey via text  

Marketing:

• Receive a text notification that someone has submitted a form on your website or send a text to a new subscriber after they’ve signed up on your website
• Send a notification about product launches 
• Send lead alerts to your sales team for immediate follow up

Security & Monitoring: 

• Connect it to your security system and receive text notifications if someone is at the door or has entered/exited the office
• Receive a text notification when a server goes down or any incidents are reported on your network
• Send a text notification whenever a security breach is discovered 
• Remind users to change their password after a breach or after every 90 days

Today SMS is so much more than just text messaging. The possibilities are endless, and with the right SMS solution, you can have the flexibility to create custom notifications, automations, and processes that will enhance communication and streamline workflows. If you can dream it, chances are it can be done. Learn more about SMS and all that you can do with it here.