The use of SMS for reaching out to customers has been around for a long time. In fact, as soon as SMS gained popularity in early 2000s, companies started using SMS to send messages to their customers. As the number of people who own smartphones increase, the role of SMS remains crucial as a media of A2P (Application-to-Person) messaging. A more particular example would be the 2010s, when there was a surge in A2P messaging that was in line with device availability around the world.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the growth of A2P messaging didn’t stop. In fact, it seems that the pandemic has been a catalyst for the growth of A2P messaging. Recent reports published in Yahoo Finance and GlobalNewswire explain that A2P SMS market will generate billions of dollars over the upcoming 5 years. This means that businesses have relied on will continue to rely on A2P messaging, especially during this difficult time. Why is A2P SMS important for businesses that have been hit by Covid-19?

A2P SMS effectively reaches out a large number of people

This has been true for the past decades, and this is more crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic. A2P SMS has a wide coverage area, and it can even reach people with low internet infrastructure. During the pandemic, when mobility is limited, business managers must find more effective ways to reach out to customers who may live far away from major cities. In addition, a number of studies mention that SMS is read 98% of the time, so you can rest assured that your customers actually get your messages.

A2P SMS keeps customer engagement alive

Not only does A2P SMS reach out to a lot of people, it also sustains the relationship between your business and your customer, without relying heavily on social media algorithms. During the pandemic, your customers may look for alternatives, and this is why businesses should monitor their customer engagement. A2P SMS can be a solution for maintaining customer engagement during the pandemic. A2P SMS allows you to easily tell your customers that you’re still operating, whether there’s a change of operational hours, or if you have new products.

A2P SMS helps your customers mitigate fraud

Security issues are a major turn-off for your customers. Unfortunately, the number of cybercrime cases and smishing (SMS-based phishing) significantly increases during the Covid-19 pandemic. A2P SMS can offer a solution for your business to overcome this risk. A2P-related tools such as two-factor authentication through OTPs can add another layer of security. This is especially important for large corporations and government institutions, who need to sustain credibility during the pandemic.

A2P SMS can help businesses to survive better during the pandemic. As mentioned above, your business can transmit messages to a lot of existing and potential customers with A2P SMS. Existing customers can also stay up-to-date with recent developments and inventions that your businesses make. Last but not least, A2P SMS can help maintain your business’s credibility and secure your customer trust with two-factor authentications that can mitigate the risk of scams, which increases exponentially during the pandemic.

Businesses and organizations can only experience maximum benefits of A2P SMS through a collaboration with a reliable A2P provider. A trustworthy A2P SMS service provider can guarantee that your A2P communication can be monitored easily, conveyed effectively, and transmitted securely. Whether your business has utilized A2P SMS for a while or wishes to start using A2P SMS soon, make sure that the A2P provider that you work with can deliver the most reliable, trustworthy, and effective experience for your business communication purposes.