SMS
(Short Message Service) is a service used on a daily basis in business and private life. However, many people may be using it without fully understanding its outline. SMS can be very useful in business if used properly.
Therefore, in this article, we will explain the overview and characteristics of SMS, as well as introduce an example of when SMS is used. We will also explain the differences from SNS, so please refer to it.
What is SMS (Short Message Service)?
First, let’s start with an overview of SMS (Short Message Service). SMS is a service that allows you to send messages to users who know your phone number.
SMS can be sent not only between specific carriers, but also to other carriers. In addition, SMS is already installed on any device, so there is no need to add it later.
Another advantage is that you can send messages to users overseas as long as you have a device.
Characteristics of SMS (Short Message Service)
Earlier, I gave an overview of SMS (Short Message Service). From here, we will introduce more detailed features of SMS.
- Number of characters that can be sent per message
- Fees apply when sending
- High open rate
- Can be sent all at once
- There are cases where it is not possible to send data using a cheap SIM card.
Let’s look at each in turn.
Number of characters that can be sent per message
The maximum number of characters that can be sent per SMS (Short Message Service) is 670 characters, regardless of which mobile carrier you use. Therefore, although it is an advantage to be able to send only a phone number, it is a disadvantage that you cannot send long messages. Naturally, this is useful when you want to send short messages.
Fees apply when sending
SMS (Short Message Service) is a service that uses telephone lines (telephone networks), so charges are incurred when sending. If it is between 1 character and 70 characters, it will be around 3 yen, and after that, the amount will be added depending on the number of characters. However, the upper limit of the sending fee will be around 33 yen.
The above is not the total number of characters sent to multiple recipients, but the fee required for one recipient. So, for example, if you want to send a 50-character message to two people, it will cost about 6 yen.
High open rate
SMS (Short Message Service) also has a high open rate. For example, if you send an email newsletter to multiple lists at once, there is no charge for sending it. However, since email is a method used by many companies, it has the disadvantage that your company’s information can easily be lost. Therefore, if you do not send out information that is of interest to users, your open rate will inevitably be low.
However, although SMS is expensive to send, it has a high open rate, which increases the chances that companies will be able to convey the messages and services they want to convey. As a result, it may be possible to increase sales by more than the cost of sending SMS.
Can be sent all at once
SMS (Short Message Service) can be sent to multiple lists at once. Therefore, it can be said to be extremely useful when you want to send similar content to multiple people.
However, if you want to send SMS to multiple lists, you will need to use the “SMS sending service”. In addition, when using an SMS sending service, there is an advantage that there is no upper limit on the number of characters that can be sent.
If you want to send messages in bulk, use an SMS sending service as well.
There are cases where it is not possible to send with a cheap SIM (SIM).
Finally, some cheap SIMs may not be able to send SMS (Short Message Service). Basically, if your SIM is equipped with a voice calling system, you can also send SMS.
However, you cannot send with a data communication SIM that does not have SMS (Short Message Service). Therefore, if you are currently using a cheap SIM, make sure to check in advance whether it is a SIM that can use SMS.
An example of an occasion where SMS (Short Message Service) is used
Up to this point, we have explained the overview and characteristics of SMS (Short Message Service). Here we will introduce an example of an occasion where SMS is used.
- missed call
- Identity verification
- Notices from financial institutions
- Earthquake early warning
- Communication from carrier
- Out of office notification
For example, if the notification is from a financial institution and your bank account cannot be debited for some reason, you may receive a notification via SMS. You will also receive alerts when some kind of danger is approaching, such as earthquake early warnings or heavy rain/flood warnings.
Differences between SMS (Short Message Service) and other SNS
Earlier, I explained an example of an occasion where SMS (Short Message Service) is used. From here, I will explain the differences between SMS and other SNS. Let’s take a look at LINE and KakaoTalk as representative examples.
LINE allows for two-way communication
SMS (Short Message Service) is basically a one-way communication. Typical examples are the earthquake early warnings and notifications from financial institutions that I explained earlier. Of course, there are cases where communication is two-way between individuals, but most of it is one-way.
However, LINE is an SNS whose purpose is two-way communication. Therefore, it is used when you want to easily contact friends or take minutes at a company meeting. If you’re not sure which one to use, consider the purpose of your communication.
KakaoTalk is for communicating with acquaintances on the Internet.
KakaoTalk is a slightly different SNS from LINE mentioned above. KakaoTalk is used to communicate with acquaintances on the Internet. In addition, as is common to LINE, KakaoTalk also allows video calling.
SMS (Short Message Service) can be said to be a big difference because it mainly involves text messages.
Also, the major difference between LINE and KakaoTalk is the penetration rate by country. LINE is a widely known SNS in Japan, but KakaoTalk is a widely popular SNS in South Korea.
Business usage scenarios for SMS (Short Message Service)
Although SMS (Short Message Service) is used by individuals in their daily lives, it is more widely used in business settings. Here we introduce two typical examples.
- Use with voice guidance
- If you want to confirm your identity
Let’s look at each in turn.
Use with voice guidance
SMS (Short Message Service) is often used in conjunction with voice guidance. For example, when you want to sell a product or send a message while connecting with a dedicated operator.
Additionally, if there are users trying to apply for a product over the phone, but the phone line is busy and you cannot connect, there is a risk that the application will be lost, resulting in an opportunity loss. In such cases, it is advantageous to be able to prevent opportunity losses by sending an SMS to inform the customer of the best time to connect by phone, or by sending a separate link to apply online.
If you want to confirm your identity
Free email addresses are relatively easy to spoof. Therefore, if you want to perform important identity verification, email addresses have the disadvantage of being unreliable. However, phone numbers are difficult to spoof or disguise, and are considered reliable when verifying your identity. Therefore, SMS (Short Message Service), which allows messages to be sent over the telephone network, is also used when you want to verify your identity.
summary
In this article, we explained SMS (Short Message Service). SMS is widely used in daily life and business situations. There are also benefits such as being able to prevent user opportunity loss and verifying the user’s identity, so it is well worth considering introducing it for companies.
Why not start by deciding what kind of content you want to send via SMS?