6 Solid Reasons Businesses Should Leverage A2P Messaging

It has become important for companies to create mobile-first strategies, as most people rely on smartphones to function in their daily lives. From account statements to delivery notifications, people demand fast and convenient communication. 

A2P messaging services allow enterprises to reach customers in real-time and receive instant feedback on products and services. Businesses are reducing their spending on old-school strategies like email automation and have shifted to A2P SMS.

1.3 trillion A2P SMS were sent in 2020, accounting for 70% of worldwide SMS traffic. This A2P share will only increase as the number of yearly A2P messages reaches 1.9 trillion by 2025.

Latest Trends in A2P SMS Market

Self-service

The demand for real-time cloud communication is escalating as businesses look to embed personalized self-service messaging APIs into their apps. Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) providers now allow operators to offer self-service capabilities by testing and deploying A2P messaging APIs. 

Self-service SMS onboarding with A2P has become as simple as signing up, choosing which products to use, and adding funds to the wallet. Businesses can easily create self-service A2P SMS campaigns to deliver personalized messages for alerts, reminders, offers, and feedback collection.

The Rise of OTT Apps

OTT (over-the-top) services have recently gained massive popularity. At first, OTT apps were speculated to overtake the A2P SMS revenue. However, OTT services have become a key driver for the A2P SMS growth.

As consumers adopt OTT apps for personal communication, A2P messaging has become a default choice for business and brand communications. CPaaS providers now collaborate with OTT apps, which makes it possible for A2P messages to reach users through their messaging app or channel of choice. For instance, companies can integrate A2P messaging APIs with the Facebook Messenger app to send OTPs via that specific channel.

Rich Communication Services (RCS)

RCS is the extension of business messaging services that improve how organizations communicate with consumers. A2P SMS plays a significant role in RCS since it allows two-way communication for high volumes of enterprise messages. Recipients can respond to RCS messages just with a single touch. 

Marketers and advertisers are expected to be among the top beneficiaries of A2P RCS SMS. It also facilitates personalized communication, leading to instant customer satisfaction. The RCS rollout has been slow until now. However, it will hit its stride in the next couple of years as mobile phone makers release new devices that support RCS by default.

6 Ways Your Business can Benefit from A2P Messaging

A2P Messages are Fast and Efficient

Short codes for A2P SMS enable the delivery of high-volume marketing messages and alerts at a more incredible speed than P2P SMS. Compared to business emails, A2P SMS are concise and to-the-point, leading to faster and more efficient communication. With the high open rates of A2P SMS, recipients are more likely to read and reply to messages instantly.

Push notification is another significant usage of A2P messaging that allows operators and businesses to reach mobile devices over IP. If the user receives a notification on their device, the chances of the user reading it and taking action becomes much higher.

Controlled and Secure Environment

A2P messaging platforms allow MNOs to employ role-based access control to gain complete control over all A2P SMS solutions. Consequently, operators can offer a secure view of reports and marketing campaign management. 

The growing interconnection of devices has increased the risk of potential exploits and malware attacks. A fully monetized A2P messaging platform, including an SMS firewall solution, provides more comprehensive encryption and advanced authentication technologies to prevent malware attacks.

Universal Reach

SMS, in general, is ubiquitous as anyone with a mobile phone can access them regardless of operator, Operation System, or country. A2P messaging service providers leverage this universal reach to offer vernacular support for businesses to serve international markets effectively.

This global reach also enables businesses to benefit from location-aware A2P messaging. Telecom operators and companies can utilize the location of their clients to set up more impactful messaging campaigns.

Smart Analytics and Reporting

A2P messaging systems integrated with intelligent analytics and reporting tools offer better communication transparency. The system helps build a social community for its end-users across the globe. It makes possible connections between users and vendors and between users and enterprises. 

These connections on the A2P SMS system empower businesses, including operators, with detailed insights into service usage and delivery reports. The reports can be the graphical representation of the campaign’s health in real-time. Such report tracking helps companies to understand their customers’ behavior better and strategize effective campaigns for the future.

Increased User Satisfaction

A2P messaging has become a powerful tool for status tracking, reminders, alerts, news, etc. Enterprise messaging platforms offer seamless collaboration between the organization and its customers, increasing user engagement. Businesses can further stimulate this engagement by implementing targeted A2P campaigns for one-on-one customer interactions via chatbot channels. It allows users to take action instantly for fast issue resolution.

Cost-effective

A2P SMS is a cost-effective marketing channel that provides brands with accelerated time to ROI. Operators can benefit from A2P messaging services in many ways:

• No upfront CapEx and no OpEx on system maintenance or special staff
• Rapid time to cash because A2P removes bottlenecks at all stages, from deployment to feedback
• Enhanced protection against frauds by managed A2P service providers reduces revenue leakage to grey routes 

Hold Sway Over Enterprise Messaging Using A2P Messaging Platform

A2P messaging holds a lot of potential as a tool for exchanging critical information in a highly secure environment. It helps operators and businesses run cost-effective campaigns, foster customer loyalty, and communicate efficiently. A2P SMS will remain at the forefront of enterprise communication as operators continue to provide value-added, innovative A2P messaging services.

Broadband Telecom’s highly customizable, plug-and-play A2P messaging system can help you meet your unique communication demands.