SMS is dying as a messaging platform. There was a time, decades ago, when SMS as a service had revolutionised the world. Soon text messages became a thing and gave birth to sms marketing.
SMS has since gained prominence as a marketing tool and is regarded as the most prevalent channel since it allows users to connect with several people simultaneously.
One would even say that SMS is one of the fastest, simplest and easiest ways to engage clients and build credibility.
But the times are changing. WhatsApp is what's hot right now.
The ones who know the value of WhatsApps various powerful features are already leveraging WhatsApp bulk messages.
With over 2 billion active users across the world, WhatsApp definitely stands in comparison to SMS in terms of technological development and meeting customers' demands.
And let's face it; we only use SMS's to receive one-time passwords or maybe check out the transactional messages from the bank. Nobody really likes to engage via SMS anymore.
Therefore, it feels safe and a little urgent when we say that bulk sms providers need to opt for WhatsApp before time (and their business) runs out.
Still confused? Let us help you by moving step-by-step.
What is a bulk SMS service?
Bulk messages are a kind of communication and distribution used to draw in, engage, distribute, and conduct promotional advertising campaigns for a particular good or service. It is typically a ‘broadcast’ type of message used mainly as a marketing device by almost all industries.
It is important to note that bulk messages are not free and need to be bought.
These bulk messages, when offered by sms service providers, are typically known as a bulk messaging service.
It is also important to mention that this kind of bulk messaging campaign can also be implemented on other channels like Email, WhatsApp and Telegram.
Having said that, for the longest time, most bulk sms providers have been profiting only from selling SMS packs.
Now the question is, is that enough to suffice in today's time?
To understand that, let us dip into the limitations of bulk sms or sms marketing.
What are the Limitations of SMS marketing ?
Bulk SMS messages have certain limitations on the number of characters that can be sent, along with restrictions on sending multimedia messages and the unavailability of read receipts and status updates.
You can read more about the limitations of sending bulk sms messages here.
On top of that, the SMS market is a highly lucrative and cutthroat business that heavily depends on the calibre, volume, and speed of any communication. There are a number of difficulties that bulk SMS service providers and white-label SMS resellers need to overcome, regardless of whether they are operating locally or internationally.
Some of the main problems faced by these sms service providers are:
1. Telecom infrastructure is complex
Given the rate and volume of its growth, business-to-person texting cannot be accommodated by the standard telecom infrastructure. Traditionally, in order to reach SMS aggregators, wholesalers, or operators, resellers have to communicate with a number of intermediaries. SMS package costs are high on the market as a result of the divide between resellers and telecom operators. Operators are compelled to use several SMS middleware, such as SMPP SMS Gateway Server with SMS Routing capability, to distribute their messages because they cannot rely just on resellers.
2. Jumping network for receiving SMS
Any SMS delivered from one operator network to another travels through several detours before arriving at its destination. In order to arrive at the destination on time, a new SMS route must be taken in case the SMS route network is crowded or busy. Due to congested routes, there are occasional delays and/or cancellations. In this situation, it is crucial to choose the appropriate platform with dynamic routing capabilities in order to provide clients with SMS delivery services that are quicker.
3. Costs for Bulk SMS Packages are Sky-rocketing
Aggregators and wholesalers must invest in a significant infrastructure to run a large volume of SMS operations, which makes the majority of bulk SMS packages expensive because resellers do not have direct access to the SMS. Enterprises and distributors ultimately pay exorbitant prices for each SMS. Due to pricing competition, resellers lose a lot of business in such situations.
Why adopt WhatsApp NOW?
The primary advantage of WhatsApp over SMS is its two-way communication, which gives clients the chance to ask questions, get answers to their concerns, and improve overall personal interaction.
What is WhatsApp bulk messaging service?
WhatsApp bulk message service allows you to send a WhatsApp bulk message to a much larger audience without the 256-contact limitation using a WhatsApp business platform. There are a lot of advanced features that come with WhatsApp API, such as its multi-user functionality, user segmentation, broadcast scheduling and template messaging.
Advantages of adopting WhatsApp Bulk messages
There are a lot of reasons a bulk sms provider should adopt WhatsApp bulk messages. Let us discuss the benefits of WhatsApp to consider them more closely:
1. A Versatile Marketing Tool
Sms has proven to be a great marketing tool for companies over time, it is said to have a 90% open rate and is extremely reliable as it doesn't require an internet connection to work. Having said that, WhatsApp is a way more versatile marketing tool compared sms.
Even without looking at the highly favourable features of its API, WhatsApp was always a more advanced messaging channel. WhatsApp has a broadcast feature that helps with easy bulk messaging, a higher character limit for messages, provides message delivery indicators through read receipts and allows two-way communication between businesses and their customers. WhatsApp also facilitates sending multimedia messages and making voice and video calls that would previously require one to opt for separate apps altogether. This makes WhatsApp a brilliant platform for marketing as it doesn't just depend on messages being opened but allows customers to respond and go through the entire marketing and sales funnel.
2. Incredible Features
The WhatsApp API platform provides businesses with incredible features that they can leverage from. WhatsApp Business API was specifically designed to enable WhatsApp marketing and sales for businesses, and hence the features are built to help support brands to the bone.
Here are some of WhatsApp business platform's incredible features:
- Business Profile
- Quick replies
- Automatic Greeting and Away message
- Contact labels
- Message statistics
- List messages and reply button
- Template Messaging
- WhatsApp Payments
- Facebook and Shopify integration and catalogue
Such features help businesses bring authenticity to the business investing in WhatsApp bulk sms and aid in the impending marketing processes ahead of them.
Click here to learn more about leveraging the Benefits of a WhatsApp business account.
3. Brand Authenticity
WhatsApp business platforms make it mandatory for businesses to get their accounts verified. What is WhatsApp account verification? It is when a brand proves its authenticity to WhatsApp and receives a green tick beside its name on WhatsApp. Once a business is verified on WhatsApp, contacted users can see the name of the company instead of their number even without saving the business number, followed by the glorious green tick. This confirms the authenticity of the brand for its users and lets them know that they aren't being spammed or, worse, scammed by anyone. WhatsApps normal business profile feature, though not as backed by assurance, also provides customers with a profile for a brand that gives them access to important information on the business and its working hours to help gain authenticity and trust from customers.
4. Higher conversions
Sms marketing has a conversation rate of approximately 29%, whereas WhatsApp has a 98% open rate and a 45-60% conversation rate. Due to the interactive nature of WhatsApp and the high user activity rate on the channel, it automatically attracts more customers into opening messages and responding to them. WhatsApp also supports sharing of multimedia like pictures, videos, stickers, gifs and interactive CTA buttons, which makes broadcasts way more appealing for customers who have a tendency to look through services and shop in their free time.
5. Supports eCommerce
Unlike SMS which can only dabble in text messages and links, WhatsApp also supports conversational commerce. This means that customers can use the bulk message promotions to check out the store's catalogue and shop directly on the app itself. Businesses also use WhatsApp for customer support, covering all bases of digital commerce and customer satisfaction. This makes WhatsApp an incredibly useful platform and tool, especially for e-commerce and a greater asset for digital marketing than most other platforms.
6. Added revenue source
SMS is still an active marketing channel that acts as a source of revenue for bulk sms providers, therefore, adopting WhatsApp would act as an extra resource. Message providers can upsell WhatsApp bundles to existing customers and attract new customers through WhatsApp conversation bundles. This makes WhatsApp an added source of revenue for bulk sms providers who are looking to grow and earn more for their business.
7. Survival
Last but definitely not least, you might go obsolete without it. Yes, sms as a marketing channel is still active, but fewer and fewer users are actually using it. In today's time, sms packs are getting expensive in most countries, and people are using the channel to receive OTPs, account recovery codes and bulk sms marketing messages. A lot of sms providers are already shifting to and/or including WhatsApp bulk messages to their services. Therefore, it is important, no, necessary, to keep up. We cannot estimate how much longer sms will thrive in this fluctuating market, but we do know that WhatsApp is here to stay. It is a platform that enables bulk sms marketing, sales and support, which is the ultimate funnel for customer satisfaction.
And adding WhatsApp bulk sms to your services isn't that hard either, all you have to do is invest in a direct partnership with a Whatsapp solutions provider like Engati, and you can resell as many WhatsApp conversations as needed under your own name.
How to become a WhatsApp bulk message reseller?
The answer to this is simple. All you have to do is become a partner with Engati.
With engati, you can provide your customers with WhatsApp business API along with a smart WhatsApp chatbot that can be trained to automate and take full advantage of the WhatsApp experience.
Give your customers the upper hand with automated lead generation, 24/7 customer service, unlimited bulk broadcasting lists, customer segmentation, WhatsApp commerce and much more on the active and interactive conversational platform to date.
Click here to know more and become a WhatsApp chatbot reseller with Engati’s Partnership Plans.
