4 Awesome Marketing Benefits of A2P Messaging

4 Awesome Marketing Benefits of A2P Messaging

What is A2P Messaging?

Application-to-person messaging -- or A2P, for short -- is a different kind of communication system. Unlike regular texts (person-to-person messaging), A2P users don't expect the recipient to reply. Marketers can use this system, therefore, to send out personalized messages to customers and clients.

Marketing Benefits of A2P Messaging

1. A2P streamlines appointments

Business owners use A2P marketing to send out appointment reminders to patients, customers, and clients in mere seconds. A2P automates this entire process, so there's little human intervention. The result? People receive information about forthcoming appointments in a speedy timeframe without any of the fuss.

Users can customize A2P messages so recipients receive personalized details about an upcoming booking direct on their smartphone -- the type of appointment, the time of the appointment, etc.

2. A2P is more effective than email

For years, companies have used email to send important messages to their customers. The problem is, emails have a notoriously low open rate, and most messages end up in the Trash folder. SMS messages are completely different. In fact, research shows that texts have a 98 percent open rate (compared to around a 20 percent open rate for email). That's a huge difference.

Why is there such a discrepancy? Well, people are less likely to ignore text messages. The majority of texts come from friends and family, while the majority of emails come from companies trying to sell things. If marketers use A2P, they could reach customers who no longer engage with emails.

3. A2P delivers messages fast

Another benefit of A2P marketing is the speed that marketers can deliver important messages to clients and customers. Research shows that a huge 90 percent of people read text messages in the first three minutes of receipt. Emails, on the other hand, linger in inboxes for much longer. Regular mail takes even longer to reach people.

Brands will have a lot less scope to get their message across, of course. But this is a good thing. Marketers might have more space to include information in mail and email, but A2P messages are clear and concise. As a result, marketers can convey valuable information quickly.

"SMS is precise and to the point. When you only have 160 characters to work with, you learn how to become economical with words," says Venture Beat.

4. A2P is cheap

Marketing a business can be expensive. Investing in A2P, however, will provide brands with a return on their investment. Not only will they save on mail costs with this technology, but they won't have to deal with postal delays and letters going missing.

It's safe to say, then, that A2P is a cost-effective marketing channel that brands can incorporate into their business for growth and engagement.

These are just four of the marketing benefits of A2P messages. If marketers want to streamline appointments, improve open rates, get their message across fast, and save money, this new technology will provide them with a solution.