Texting remains a very popular means of communication, but 5G's rollout is stalled

Of the many ways COVID-19 has affected the workplace, new research revealed a significant change in the way businesses and consumers communicate: The business texting platform Zipwhip found that 70% of businesses are texting customers. The 2021 State of Texting report charted the traction of business texting, which gained popularity due to the crowding of channels such as email. The advent of the pandemic dramatically accelerated the adoption of business texting. Research revealed that 83% of texts are read within 30 minutes, but many are seen and read within three minutes.

But don't look to 5G to immediately boost texting further. Only 33% of consumers use 5G on their personal phones today. 5G rollout has been slow, and it's now estimated it will take years before there is widespread availability.  Also, not every mobile device can support 5G. 

Of all businesses that began using text to communicate with their customers in 2020, 34% said they did so as a result of the pandemic, and 77% of those businesses said they plan to continue to use texting for business after the pandemic is over. With safety protocols in place for nearly a year, consumer behavior and demand have shifted, and the increased use of business texting has matched that need. More than half (58%) of consumers said that text is the best way for businesses to reach them quickly, compared to phone calls, or emails.

Fifty percent of respondents said they're sending more text messages since the pandemic, 36% said the number of texts hasn't changed, and 14% said they were sending fewer. The boost in text messages was for "checking in with family and friends" (87%) and "communicating with colleagues or my employer" (49%). Other texts were about appointments (44%), home deliveries (43%), curbside pickup of orders (39%), school updates (28%), and COVID-19 testing updates (22%).

Businesses were texting consumers—the report said 83% responded "yes" when asked if they were sent a business text in 2020, and only 17% said they did not.

"Most businesses have realized over the past few years that texting was their missing communication channel, and for the remaining few who hadn't yet, COVID-19 was a wakeup call," said John Lauer, CEO of Zipwhip, in a press release. "The overnight shift to remote work, remote socializing, remote errands, cemented the need for a quick and easy way to communicate with customers. After forming this habit for the last year, we're not going back."

SEE: Return to work: What the new normal will look like post-pandemic (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Consumer reliance on phones

In-person interactions were severely curtailed and even now, the minimum requirement of masks and social distancing continue to be encouraged—and people are relying on their phones to communicate, with 64% of consumers spending more time on their personal cell phones daily, and of those, 26% spend more than four additional hours a day on their devices. 

The need for news and to check in with loved ones was strong during the pandemic. Consumers start their attachment to their devices early in the morning, with 67% of consumers checking their phones within five minutes of waking up in the morning, and 34% checking devices immediately—a 62% increase from last year. 

Payment over text: A huge opportunity

This year, Zipwhip projects a big opportunity for businesses to meet a major consumer want: To make payments over text. Nearly half (46%) of consumers say they would like the option to pay by text—if done securely, of course—but only 29% of businesses responded that they would consider accepting payments by text. 

Shops that are currently open, even with reduced or limited hours, adopted contactless payments like Apple Pay or Square (45%). But the report stated that "the real opportunity" is in payments by text since the buyer and seller can be in different locations. Last year, the report sponsor Zipwhip, along with Authvia launched TXT2PAY, which lets customers make secure payments by replying to a payment request text with the last four digits of their phone number. 

Pay attention to consumer needs

This year, businesses should take advantage by capitalizing on additional texting preferences from their customers; consumers said that the most valuable kinds of texts they received from businesses in 2020 were appointment reminders (64%), shipment and delivery updates (48%), and discounts on products or services (29%). 

The pandemic wrought a slew of challenges, but 2020 brought natural disasters or other property damage to businesses (25%), revenue decreases (36%), and a reduction in staff (21%).

But most of the 2,000 businesses and consumers surveyed in December 2020 through SurveyMonkey said they were optimistic for 2021. When offered a scale of one to five, in which one is not-at-all optimistic and five is very optimistic, businesses responded with an average of three and a half.

There was also good news for those hardest hit during the COVID-19 crisis, small businesses as 36% of consumers said that since the start of the pandemic, they are buying more from small and local businesses. 

The pandemic, the report stated, amplified consumers' addiction to their smartphone devices and texting is the most frequently used feature, even "outpacing phone calls." The majority of users (63%) use their phone's texting app, followed by Facebook Messenger (15%), WhatsApp (8%), Snapchat (5%), and other chat services trailing behind with 1% to 2%, Line (2%), Google Hangouts (Gchat) (1%), and WeChat (1%).

5G adoption was stalled because consumers said there was "no need" to upgrade (28%) or the price of 5G-enabled phones was too high (20%). 

What businesses can learn from the report

Businesses use texting primarily for scheduling and customer services, and businesses that offer texting should make it clear that is a way they can be reached—via their website, social media, and even employee email signature. They can also add a "Text or Call" or "Click to text" button on their website. Phone calls are becoming less effective, with respondents because many do not answer phone calls from unrecognizable numbers, and voicemails are often left not returned.

Key insights from the report: Texting is the fastest way for a business to communicate with customers; more businesses adopted texting in 2020 as COVID-19 created a need for better communication; the pandemic prompted consumers to send more texts than usual; texts about appointment reminders and shipment updates were most valuable to consumers in 2020; businesses lack awareness around TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) best practices; text payments may be a missed opportunity for businesses, and lastly, COVID-19 and natural disasters had major impacts on businesses in 2020, but their outlooks are optimistic.

Source:

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/texting-remains-a-very-popular-means-of-communication-but-5gs-rollout-is-stalled/

SlickText Named an ‘Organization of the Year’ by Business Intelligence Group

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —

Proven text marketing leader recognized for superior martech innovation in the 2021 Sales and Marketing Technology Awards   Nashville, Tenn. — July 26, 2021 — SlickText, a proven leader in text marketing, announces receiving recognition as an ‘Organization of the Year’ by Business Intelligence Group in the 2021 Sales and Marketing Technology Awards program, also known as The Sammys. The Sammys honor organizations and products working to solve challenges in connecting and collaborating with prospects and customers.

“At ​​SlickText, we provide solutions and services that help advance our customers' marketing initiatives, creating real results and genuine, one-to-one experiences for consumers everywhere,” said Brian Wilson, CRO of SlickText. “Our goal has been to build a versatile, scalable marketing platform that’s able to integrate into a variety of verticals and use cases — from data collection and loyal customer touch points to new lead engagement. Great company culture and leadership, technical innovation and our partners and customers have enabled us to accomplish our goal.”

SlickText’s flexible, easy-to-use text marketing platform provides its customers with an outstanding user experience, enterprise-level functionality and scalability. The feature-rich text marketing solution sets itself apart from other text marketing platforms by enabling users to design and execute versatile mobile campaigns. Best-in-class messaging quality, high-caliber usability and exceptional customer service have cemented SlickText's position as a leader in the text marketing space.

SlickText’s platform has helped businesses of all sizes and types achieve outstanding results. For example, marketing agency Pola Marketing obtained a 900% ROI when their team incorporated SlickText into multiple client campaigns, where it worked seamlessly with other communication methods already in place. Also, eight Midas locations adopted SlickText to increase customer loyalty. While these locations had previously relied on direct mailers and email to reach customers, they found emails only had a click-through rate of about 5% — on a good day. Using SlickText increased ROI by 200% and click-through rates to 15%.

“We named SlickText an ‘Organization of the Year’ because of their commitment to helping their customers achieve marketing and revenue growth and results,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group. “Their technical innovation and creativity help cultivate and support positive one-to-one brand and business experiences between consumers and leads in a channel most of us use every day: texting. It was clear to our judges that their efforts have improved how we connect with brands we love today and those efforts will only continue to strengthen those connections in the future.”

Source: https://www.marketingdive.com/press-release/20210723-slicktext-named-an-organization-of-the-year-by-business-intelligence-grou/

How young workers are changing the rules of 'business speak'

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201204-how-young-workers-are-changing-the-rules-of-business-speak

Professional communication has traditionally been buttoned up. But a new generation entering the workforce may help us relax – at least a little.

If you’ve ever tried to explain a meme to your grandparent – or if you’re the puzzled grandparent – you know how big the cultural divide among generations can be. And while all-caps ‘yelling’, misunderstood emojis and other crossed wires are harmless in a family group text, business communication is much more fraught. Send your boss the goat emoji, and instead of realising it’s a compliment (she’s the greatest of all time!) she might think you’re calling her, well, a goat.

Workplace harmony, culture and productivity all depend on successful communication. And while language gaps between senior leadership and newer hires aren’t unusual, they’re usually bridged by a shared lexicon of 'business speak'. But now, the first generation of true digital natives is entering the workforce, and a pandemic has forced us into virtual offices. Workplace communication is undergoing a major shift, with some huge potential pitfalls.

“With the ways we communicate now, there are so many more chances for miscommunication,” says Giselle Kovary, generational researcher and president of Toronto-based consulting firm n-gen People Performance, Inc. “There’s lots of noise in a digital environment, and unless we’re chatting live, things can be misinterpreted. To younger workers, the formal business communication of older generations can come off as very cold and a little harsh, while the criticism is that younger people are too casual.”

With the transition to remote work that depends on digital fluency, younger workers now have a larger influence on workplace communication (Credit: Alamy)

Gen Z, born in the year 2000 and later, is the largest generation in human history. Over the next 10 years, 1.3 billion of its members will enter the global workforce. Traditionally, the onus has been on younger workers to assimilate into office culture. But with the culture itself changing as the office moves online, the eldest and youngest employees of organisations may find themselves having to meet in the middle.

Australia-based social researcher Mark McCrindle, co-author of Work Wellbeing: Leading Thriving Teams in Rapidly Changing Times, says every generation “has their own youth slang and pop-culture code” that they use in social situations. But although older generations, and even millennials, are likely to ‘code switch’, sticking to a more codified type of professional communication, Gen Z is keeping things much more casual. McCrindle says, “We’re starting to really pull down those barriers between our work and personal or social life. We’re working from home, or in a mobile work environment, and that’s naturally creating a more relaxed workplace.”

The digital workplace is where Gen Z is already comfortable, explains Jonah Stillman, the 21-year-old co-author of Gen Z @ Work: How the Next Generation is Transforming the Workplace. “Since we were born, nearly every physical element has a digital counterpart. So, whether I put something in my cart at the supermarket, or click ‘add to cart’ is one and the same. This is a generation that defines being together as either FaceTiming or being in the same room.”

This is a generation that defines being together as either FaceTiming or being in the same room – Jonah Stillman

Stillman’s consulting firm, GenGuru, found in a recent survey that 84% of Gen Z still prefers in-person communication over email or text. But, crucially, “Gen Z defines things like Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams as being face-to-face”.

The move to remote work in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic means younger generations, who are digitally fluent, suddenly have far more influence over communication and culture. It goes beyond slang and internet-speak abbreviations. Gen Z, used to informal, near-constant contact, spurns the prim email in favour of a quick Slack message. But that can be a tough pill to swallow for older generations, who are accustomed to dictating the professional rules of communication.

Kovary points to a former client: a company who came to her for advice after a run-in with a young intern. “On the first day, she emailed the CEO because she couldn’t find access to information she wanted. At the end of week one, she sent a company-wide email, to 8,000 people, with all her ideas. They called me and said, ‘obviously, we let her go’.”

New workplace platforms that encourage real-time communication and collaboration – and, yes, emojis – are helping break down some of the traditional formality (Credit: Alamy)

Kovary explains that while the company’s leadership felt the intern “totally violated the unspoken rules of the communication chain”, what really happened was a generation-gap issue. “Most companies don’t want a new hire to email the CEO directly, even if that CEO has said, ‘I’m always available!’ They don’t really mean it, but the new hires don’t understand. I tell executives all the time, don’t tell young people ‘message me with your ideas’, and then be surprised when you get them.”

Stillman says Gen Z values authenticity above all else. It's why younger employees are less willing to do the same 'code-switching' that past generations have. Forced assimilation to a shared lexicon isn’t sustainable anymore, says Nicky Thompson, a London-based business psychologist with a background in linguistics. Code-switching can be especially harmful for people of colour; research shows it can hinder performance and increase burnout. And Gen Z won’t put up with it.

Thompson says, “Younger generations are coming into a world where diversity and inclusion is at the forefront. It’s not an exercise of ticking a box anymore. It’s taken seriously. Creating a more diverse and inclusive workspace is about language, tone, who I am as a person, and being able to actually express that in the workplace.”

Creating a more diverse and inclusive workspace is about language, tone, who I am as a person, and being able to actually express that in the workplace – Nicky Thompson

Often, especially for younger people, authentic expression involves more than words. “Slang’s not a new thing, and that changes with the generations, of course,” says Stillman. “But part of the Gen Z ‘slang’ is a totally non-verbal kind of communication: emojis. They’re not a fun add-on to a sentence. It’s a new language."

But the nuance and subtlety of a cartoon-symbol language isn’t all that easy to translate to non-native speakers, and that can create friction between young emoji-users and their superiors. Whether that friction is resolved by keeping emojis out of corporate communication, or by making sure leadership understands remains to be seen, says Stillman. “Are we three years away from there being emoji policies in communication? Are we going to be having meetings explaining to our bosses what emojis mean?”

Although older leadership can encourage newer employees to maintain decorum (and maybe go easy on the emojis in client emails), mentorship is no longer a one-way street.

Workplace superiors may find Gen Z's casual approach to office communication frustrating – if not bewildering, too (Credit: Alamy)

“We have a generation entering the workforce that innately knows more about operating in the modern world than any other generation,” says Stillman. “That ability is something boomers are starting to tap into, with communication and beyond. Gen Z will give you a plug-in that will save you 12 hours, tell you what you need to know about navigating our culture, what things to say and not say. This idea of two-way mentorship is about aligning older and younger generations on the same goal in different ways.”

McCrindle adds another major way to bridge the generational gap at work is to establish common ground. “A workplace is a community. It’s important for its members to have a shared culture. That means communicating what the brand’s voice is, maybe distributing a written style guide. It’s important for businesses to double down on their brand story, invest in a workplace culture, and create shared experiences that give people commonality even among differences.”

After all, McCrindle says whether you’re 22 or 82, on Zoom or in a cubicle, everyone wants to relate. “We’re humans. It’s a human value to communicate across the generations. People want that connection.”

7 Ways to Use Text Messaging for Customer Service

SOURCE: https://www.business.com/articles/text-message-customer-service/

business.com Contributing WriterMar 25, 2021

This guide explains how to use SMS messaging for customer service. Text message marketing services sometimes offer this feature as well.

Most people are familiar and comfortable with communicating with their friends and family through text messaging. Conversational SMS messages have also become a regular part of the business messaging environment. As a result, businesses are increasing their use of text messaging as a way to communicate with customers and support their customer service strategies. These seven ways to use text messaging for customer service can help improve your customer satisfaction rating.

Benefits of using text messages for customer service

Text messaging for customer service offers several benefits over other types of business communications.

• One-on-one communication: Text messaging enables your business to engage in two-way communication with your customers. Customers can interact with your business via SMS, and you can respond to their messages directly.
  
  

• Constant connection: Many people carry their mobile devices everywhere and use them regularly, so text messaging enables you to reach customers anywhere and at any time.
  
  

• Scalability: Text messaging enables you to communicate with large groups of customers at the same time. You can send text messages to every customer in your mailing list or to specific groups of customers. Text messaging is also less expensive and easier to scale than phone calls.
  
  

• Immediate responses: Text messaging is the quickest way to communicate with customers and get responses. Customers are more likely to read and respond to a text message compared to a phone call and will respond more quickly to text messages than emails.

7 ways to use text messages for customer service

Businesses can use text messaging for customer service to do the following:

1. Send timely and personalized messages to customers.

2. Respond quickly to customer requests.

3. Schedule messages to automate the customer service experience.

4. Use autoresponders to provide instant answers to customer service questions.

5. Provide appointment reminders and alerts.

6. Use polls and surveys to collect feedback.

7. Collect Google reviews.

1. Send timely and personalized messages to customers.

Treating customers like individuals and sending timely messages will help you build strong customer relationships. Personalized text messages enable you to connect more strongly with customers.

Emails are more effective than text messages when you need to provide more detailed information to customers or tell a story (as in marketing and case studies). However, text messaging is more personal, as you can speak directly to customers on a first-name basis and answer questions immediately.

Phone calls and text messages are both effective for one-to-one communication. Text messages can be just as personal and deliberate as talking to the customer on the phone. However, text messages are easier to scale than phone calls. You can respond immediately to customer questions by text message, which helps to make customers feel heard and understood, builds rapport, and supports customer retention.

Here's how you can personalize text messages in customer service interactions:

• Use a text messaging platform that provides the ability to include customer information (e.g., first name).

• Start the message with your name and the name of your business.

• Greet customers in a personalized way.

• Sign off conversations politely and clearly.

• Keep individual customer responses separate from the group chat.

Tip: The timing of your text message can determine its effectiveness. Send text messages during regular business hours, not on the weekend or in the middle of the night (although the nature of your business might allow for off-hours text messages).

2. Respond quickly to customer requests.

Email can be relatively slow for sending information, with extended periods between responses, which can reduce the effectiveness of the communication. Phone calls also take time and can cause frustration when customers are left on hold or the phone call is not handled properly. Slow responses to customer requests can lead to loss of customers and negative reviews of your business.

Text messages are faster than email and phone calls, as people can respond to text messages in the middle of another task. Text messages also enable you to exchange information quickly, resulting in quicker responses. Make sure to respond to inbound text messages as soon as possible. Some data suggests the response time should be between 90 seconds and one hour, but it depends on your business and the complexity and urgency of the message.

Text messaging is more convenient from a customer's perspective, as they can respond or reach out at their convenience. Customers tend to prefer conversing via text message because they don't have to deal with automated phone menus or wait for you to reply to an email. This puts the customer in control of the buying journey and the speed of communication.

3. Schedule messages to automate the customer service experience.

The time you save with automation can accumulate significantly over the course of a business day. You can automate many elements of the customer service process. Automated text messages can include these singular messages:

• Welcome texts

• Payment reminders

• Order notifications

• Delivery notices

• Sales receipts

You can also use automated text messages as part of marketing campaigns, sending messages to everyone on your contact list. These are some examples of text message marketing campaigns:

• New product announcements

• Notification of recently published articles and blog posts

• Promotional rewards

• Links to charitable donation pages

Your business can use an automated texting application, customer relationship management (CRM) software, or other applications to schedule and send text messages. This can make your customer service and marketing teams more efficient and proactive in their communications. Automated text messages also create greater transparency with customers and enable you to answer questions immediately.

4. Use autoresponders to provide instant answers to customer service questions.

Customers will often contact customer service or visit your website to find answers to questions about orders, service requests, delivery issues and other topics. Allowing customers to ask questions by text message enables them to receive answers more quickly, reducing their time spent trying to resolve a problem. Customers can send a text message when they are not satisfied with their experience, which enables you to address their issues immediately and prevent their dissatisfaction from growing too large.

Reducing your customer service response time improves brand perception, increases the likelihood of repeat business, and encourages more positive reviews of your business. Setting up autoresponders enables you to provide immediate answers to common questions, such as your hours of operation, location and current availability. Automated response sets help you to meet customers' expectations and create a more positive customer experience.

To make autoresponders more effective, follow these tips:

• Personalize the message where applicable.

• Give an estimated response time so customers know when to expect an answer to their question or comment.

• Include alternative ways for customers to connect (e.g., an email address or phone number for a specific contact person who can handle their request).

• Use a friendly tone in the body of the text message.

• Explain the next steps in the process.

5. Provide appointment reminders and alerts.

It makes good business sense to be proactive in reminding customers of appointments. This reduces the number of canceled or missed appointments, which keeps customers satisfied, employees busy, and your calendar full. You can set up your text messaging or calendar app to send appointment reminders when the customer makes the appointment, several days before the appointment, and on the date of the appointment. Include a call to action that compels the customer to confirm the appointment, as well as a way for the customer to reschedule or cancel the appointment.

You can use text messaging to send alerts about limited-time offers, changes to seasonal inventory, updates on new arrivals, links to special events, and more. This form of proactive text messaging can boost sales, increase traffic to your business and website, and spur customer interest.

6. Use polls and surveys to collect customer feedback.

Collecting customer feedback is a great way to find out what customers like and don't like about your business. However, the traditional ways of conducting polls and surveys are time-consuming and require investments in software and other resources. Sending out text-based surveys is a more efficient way of collecting customer feedback, as you can include a link to a Google Form with a poll or survey in the body of the text message. This enables you to get immediate responses to your surveys and increases your interactions with customers.

Polls and surveys are designed to collect customer feedback in slightly different ways:

• Polls ask one multiple-choice question about the person's preferences or choices and require very little analysis.

• Surveys ask several questions of different types (e.g., multiple-choice and long-form answers) that must then be analyzed and grouped into categories.

Polls and surveys can be sent by text message:

• As a link to a review or survey website

• As a multiple-choice poll

• As an open-ended poll

• As a customer experience survey

• To solicit votes for a decision

7. Collect Google reviews.

Many customers check Google reviews before visiting or buying from a business, typically reading the newest reviews first. Google reviews increase your search rankings; the more reviews you receive, the better your business's credibility. Positive reviews also provide social proof that a business treats its customers well. That's why it's important to check your business's Google reviews to learn what customers are saying about you.

You can use text messaging to follow up with customers to make sure they have had a good experience. You can send a timely message (i.e., soon after a sale or a customer visit) requesting a review, with a link to your Google Reviews page in the text message. A message to the customer right after a positive interaction is more likely to result in a positive review.

Follow these steps to increase your number of Google reviews:

• Claim your Google My Business page.

• Verify your business information so that it appears on Google's search results, services, and maps.

• Create a short link to Google Reviews.

• Ask your customers to provide reviews.

• Reply to reviews to build trust with customers.

The Who, What, Where And When Of Personalization In Your Marketing Strategy

Picture this: You’re striving to supercharge your business's engagement strategy and are reviewing a variety of business intelligence solutions that will help your company reach future customers. You have your eye on one solution in particular and are strongly considering making the purchase; you even opt into their newsletter.

Conceivably, all the business intelligence company would have to do to sell their product to you would be to reach out and make a credible impression... but they don’t. In fact, when you do finally receive an email from them, it’s promoting a product that you never interacted with and aren't interested in.

This is what happens when companies fail to personalize communications with their customers, leads or prospects and ignore their behavioral data. There is a tremendous opportunity for brands to stand out by nailing their communications with consumers in the digital landscape. In particular, brands can lean on behavioral data to develop positive consumer experiences and drive product engagement. 

As the VP of marketing at a company that offers a growth marketing automation platform that leverages behavior data, I believe it’s important to understand and correctly use behavioral data to create impactful customer experiences across every digital channel. Of course, companies have to get it right by understanding the who, what, where and when of personalization in their marketing strategy:

The Who 

If businesses aren’t asking themselves “Who is my audience?” then they’re doing it wrong. Gone are the days of treating all customers like they are the same — because they aren’t. In a connected digital era, I've found that customers expect brands to communicate with them personally and provide value throughout their buying journey. This is why it’s important that businesses know who their audience is on a deep level. 

Who are they? What are their interests? What does their online behavior say about them? Are they a lead or an existing customer? What are their demographics? These are just examples of the many questions a company should be asking. 

For example, if a business sends an email to a CMO and a CFO, it’s likely that the message will resonate differently because each person has unique business needs. When customers receive messages that are completely irrelevant to them, not only do they not receive value from the message, but they might also be less inclined to engage with the sender in the future. Brands that understand and appreciate the differences between their customers will be able to provide more tailored experiences that will only make their consumers like them more.

SOURCE https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/07/27/the-who-what-where-and-when-of-personalization-in-your-marketing-strategy/?sh=483bba8c1159

Gleaner's Food Bank Used Text to Serve of 1,000,000 Meals #TextInTheWild

Joe Melillo talks with Gleaners Food Bank to show you how they use text to feed the hungry.

Joe Melillo gleaners food bank Indianapolis Indiana, Text for Business, Text in the wild

Gleaners was founded in 1980 by a group of concerned citizens who felt strongly that no one should go hungry. Since that time, they have distributed nearly 600 million pounds of food and critical grocery items through a committed network of more than 300 food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, and community partners. Text Gleaners to 55433 and people can order the food they need. SMS can help diagnose what someone needs QUICKLY.

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Hit me up online: Website: Text-Joe.com YouTube: Joe Melillo Youtube Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joemelilloLive To contact me directly, TEXT "JOE" to 55433. Whenever you’re ready, here are the 2 best ways I can help you… 1) Click the Subscribe button 2) 1-on-1 SMS/MMS Consulting: https://meetings.hubspot.com/joseph-m... ****************************************************** I work with KLaunch to help businesses use Managed Text Messaging Services to better their business. Find out more about KLaunch: https://www.klaunch.io https://www.facebook.com/Kerauno https://www.linkedin.com/KLaunch ****************************************************** It’s no secret that pretty much everyone has a phone, and uses their phone. A lot. Like a lot a lot. Probably an unhealthy amount, but I’m not here to judge, just to present you with the facts. And the fact is text message marketing provides one of the fastest and clearest paths directly to your customers. This equates to business texting. Texting is the future for businesses and it can make you more revenue. -98% open rate means Text Message Marketing Strategies (SMS Marketing) will be vital to your business future -8% of people would welcome a text from a brand they work with. -98% of people see a text message. 92% of people open the text within 90 seconds of receiving it. -60% of millennials want to be able to text their preferred businesses, but most currently receive five or fewer messages a week from companies. -And a non-millennial related statistic, 77% of consumers have a positive perception of companies who use text messaging. ****************************************************** #TextInTheWild is a series by Joe Melillo to show how SMS/MMS text marketing is being used in the real world by businesses and individuals. I went to see one of my clients in action, Levi Riggs. He uses a text number and keyword to get his fans to request songs live. The goal is to grow his opt-in phone number list AKA his followers and fans so he can communicate with them directly at a moment's notice. In 3 Months, our business is driving more merchandise sales, more ticket sales and better overall fan excitement. It can be used for text for business as well. This is how SMS/MMS marketing can be used in the real life stuff that is happening right now. #marketing #digitalmarketing #marketingstrategy #textexpert #Textinthewild #sms #mobilemarketing #textmessaging #textmarketing #smsbulk

Could Gen Z Free the World From Email?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/10/business/gen-z-email.html

By Sophia June

July 10, 2021

Despite the reasonable qualms of older generations, Generation Z — generally defined as people born between 1997 and 2012 — is pioneering the return of chaotic trends like low-rise jeans, pop-punk and Ed Hardy.

But members of Gen Z do seem to agree with their elders on one thing: Email. Ugh.

And, if we’re lucky, maybe they can one day save everyone from overflowing inboxes.

According to a 2020 study from the consulting firm Creative Strategies, there’s a generational gap in primary work tools. The survey found that for those 30 and above, email was among the top tools they used for collaboration. For those under 30, Google Docs was the app workers associated most with collaboration, followed by Zoom and iMessage.

Adam Simmons, 24, prefers to communicate using “literally anything but email.” Mr. Simmons, who is based in Los Angeles, started his own video production company after graduating from the University of Oregon in 2019. He primarily communicates with his eight employees and his clients, which are mostly sports teams, over text, Instagram messages and Zoom calls.

“Email is all your stressors in one area, which makes the burnout thing so much harder,” he said. “You look at your email and have work stuff, which is the priority, and then rent’s due from your landlord and then Netflix bills. And I think that’s a really negative way to live your life.”

The turning point for Mr. Simmons was when a work email from the Seattle Mariners got lost in his spam folder.

“It’s actually crazy how outdated it is,” he said of email, becoming increasingly animated during the interview that we set up over text. He noted that messages show up in spam that aren’t spam and that he has to upload video clips elsewhere before emailing them. “It’s painful to use Google Drive.”

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“Part of the whole reason I don’t want to work for someone else is because I don’t want to constantly check my email and make sure my boss didn’t email me,” Mr. Simmons said. “That’s the most stressful thing.”

In a recent survey by the consulting firm Deloitte, 46 percent of Gen Z respondents reported feeling stressed all or most of the time in 2020 and 35 percent said they had taken time off work because of stress and anxiety.

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Members of Generation Z are often portrayed as constantly glued to a phone without questioning the cost. But Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet and Erica Pelavin, who co-founded a nonprofit focused on youth and technology, explained in a 2019 article that digital natives are perhaps best equipped to think critically about digital habits. Members of Gen Z “are remarkably perceptive about the ways that technology has changed their world and have a much more nuanced view than adults give them credit for,” they wrote.

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• Americans are now trying to borrow as much as they did before the pandemic.

• Microsoft had its most profitable quarter.

• Starbucks sales climb 83 percent.

Inbox stress is, of course, not unique to people born after the email rom-com “You’ve Got Mail” hit theaters (’98) or who were entering kindergarten at the dawn of the Gmail era (2004).

In April, in response to a reader callout on pandemic burnout, The New York Times received dozens of messages specifically about email, or what one reader described as “the eternal chore.”

Another said: “It has, on the worst days, brought me to tears.”

Others put it more bluntly: “Every time I get an email, it is like getting stabbed. Another thing for me to do,” a student wrote.

The shortcomings of email have only been exacerbated by the pandemic because it has replaced too much: Decisions that were once made by stopping by a co-worker’s desk have been relegated to inbox ping-pong. Some people wrote about feeling a sense of guilt for not being able to reply faster or for adding emails to their colleagues’ inboxes. Others described how responding to a barrage of emails caused them to lose track of other tasks, creating a cycle that’s at best unproductive and at worse infuriating.

“After the email is sent, I have to think hard about where I was and what I was doing. It’s the digital equivalent of walking into a room only to forget why you went there,” wrote Vishakha Apte, 46, an architect in New York.

Some have been trying to get rid of email for years. Writers like Cal Newport, whose book “A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload” was published in March, have long argued that the “tyranny of the inbox” causes us to lose our ability to concentrate. Switching rapidly between email, Slack and other tasks creates a pileup in our brains. “We also feel frustrated. We feel tired. We feel anxious. Because the human brain can’t do it,” Mr. Newport told The Times’s Ezra Klein in March. He has been singing this same song since at least 2016.

In 2017, a study found that the average inbox had 199 unread emails. And here, almost 16 months into remote work for many white-collar employees, inboxes have only become more bloated.

But younger workers, who were disproportionately hard-hit by the instability of the pandemic, appear to be reassessing their professional priorities. And maybe they will really be able to do what the work of Mr. Newport — who at 39 is on the elder cusp of millennial — has not been able to do.

Harrison Stevens, 23, started a vintage clothing company while attending the University of Oregon and opened a brick-and-mortar location after graduating in 2020. He started giving clients his personal number and has them text or call him, which he says helps alleviate the load but introduces a new problem of not having clear work-life balance.

Emailing is “almost like a social anxiety people have,” Mr. Stevens said. “I think a lot of people find it easier and more convenient to send a text than compose an email. It almost feels like there are other eyes looking, like, I have to be so professional in this setting and make sure everything is perfect,” he says, noting that there’s something less formal about using your fingers and thumbs on a phone keyboard, rather than a computer keyboard.

For some people, adding texting can complicate communication, introducing multiple ways to be expected to get in touch with someone.

Aurora Biggers, 22, a journalist who recently graduated from George Fox University, said she used to give out her personal number but was getting so many texts that it was infringing on personal time. She thinks her generation is less inclined to use email as their main form of communication. While she likes the work-home boundaries that email offers, she said what she finds most difficult is that there isn’t one standard form of communication. The main problem with email then is not necessarily that there is too much of it, but there is too much competition.

“It’s impossible to expect email to be the main form of communication because so many people aren’t working office jobs or are sitting in an office with an email notification coming through,” she said. “I don’t think it’s the most relevant way to expect people to communicate with you.”

Gen z and millennials that prefer texting

Research

Just text me: Policyholders' communication preferences revealed

By maintaining contact while not being intrusive, insurance companies can build tighter bonds with consumers.

It is not only Gen z and millennials that prefer texting, as 72% of respondents aged 54 and older said they prefer to text with businesses, Hi Marley Inc. found. (Credit: Вадим Пастух/stock.adobe.com)

When it comes to how they want to be engaged, more than 80% of consumers said they prefer texting with an insurance company or agent, according to a survey by, which reported 80% of consumers feel insurance companies that text build closer customer bonds.

Further, 84% of respondents said they would save an insurance company’s text number in their contacts. Speed of response was the most important expectation when texting with an insurance company, the survey revealed, followed by 24/7 availability.

https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2021/07/16/just-text-me-policyholders-communication-preferences-revealed/?slreturn=20210627223737

Survey: Small Businesses on What's Needed to Find a Service Provider Coming Out of COVID-19

CHICAGO, July 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent UpCity survey of over 1,000 businesses seeking services, more than 50% of businesses cited either average star rating of reviews or number of reviews as most important when evaluating a service provider to partner with. Additionally, when asked about the most challenging part of shopping for a service provider, finding a partner respondents could trust or finding one that has the right skills were more challenging than finding a provider within budget.

UpCity surveyed business leaders about shopping for a provider partner over the course of 2021. You can read the full results and analysis on UpCity.com. Trust and skills are top of mind for businesses seeking services:

The most challenging part of shopping for a service provider is finding one…

• I can trust. 26.6%

• with the skills I need for my project. 24.9%

• in my budget. 23.7%

• with experience in my industry. 20.9%

• with the bandwidth for my project. 3.8%

While cost plays a role in a world where businesses are always looking for ways to do more with less, trust and capability still carry more weight. And, as seen in the next group of responses, that trust and sense of capability is driven by review ratings and the overall quantity of reviews.

When choosing a service provider, what information is most important to you?

• Star rating of reviews 33.2%

• Number of reviews 18.4%

• Awards & certifications 16.8%

• Portfolio images & videos 16.1%

• Company size 15.4%

"Virtual word-of-mouth has become table stakes in B2B partner selection. Businesses have limited budgets and when choosing an extension of their team to grow, trust and credibility are paramount," said UpCity SVP of Product & Marketing Heidi Sullivan. "That makes it more important than ever for B2B service providers to build their reputation online."

About UpCity

UpCity is a resource that helps connect businesses to service providers they can trust. With more than 70,000 listed providers—from marketing agencies to accounting firms to IT services companies, and many more—1.5 million businesses (and counting) have visited UpCity to identify the best partner for their needs.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survey-small-businesses-on-whats-needed-to-find-a-service-provider-coming-out-of-covid-19-301342265.html

CAN PEOPLE HAVE CLOSER RELATIONSHIPS TO THEIR INSURANCE COMPANIES?

For the insurance industry in particular, the results highlight texting as a means for providers to deliver a more seamless, desirable customer experience. More than 80 percent of insurance policy holders said they would prefer to text with their insurance company or agent if that service was offered. 84 percent even said they would save an insurance company's text number into their contact lists.

Respondents in favor of texting with their insurance companies were also open to "group chats" with other providers within the insurance ecosystem, such as rental and towing companies, auto and home repair businesses, glass replacement shops, and medical providers.

A majority (32 percent) of respondents chose "speed of response" as the most important expectation for texting with an insurance company, followed by 24/7 availability (18 percent).

While cost and coverage were unsurprisingly the most important factors for purchasing an insurance policy, nearly 20 percent of respondents ranked customer service and personal touch as more important -- meaning that, in an industry that typically differentiates on small increments of price, smart insurance companies recognize the need to go above and beyond just cost and coverage to delight customers.