+ Latest SMS: the communication explosion of the decade. How do your business
tap into this marvelous medium?
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SMS: the communication explosion of the decade. How do your business tap into this marvelous medium?
By LC Yoong
It's considered a cardinal sin in this modern era never to have heard of the SMS (Short Messaging System).
It has been THE medium of communication for the past decade. It's simple, fast, cheap, efficient and ubiquitous.
Generally, there are two type of SMS services available:-
- Broadcast- This is a one-way SMS service, mainly to broadcast info from provider (your business) to the recipient (e.g. public) e.g. festive greetings, promotion updates etc.
- Interactive-This is a two-way communication between the provider(business) and the recipient(e.g. public). The communication usually involves:-
- A client requests for information by keying in the Keyword acquired for the service and send to a Short Code number, unique to the provider.
- The provider, upon receiving the request SMS, would interpret the request and respond with the appropriate information (E.g. chatting services, contest services, voting services, games download services, coupons download services etc.) back to the sender.
Businesses should not be surprised that the interactive SMS service could turn out to be a lucrative cash cow, despite the fierce competition around.
How could this simple little thing be applied into your business?
- SMS alerts and updates (promotions, customer service, season greetings, traffic updates, latest news)
- Dedications
- Customer feedback
- Games and interactive service downloads
- SMS contests
- SMS voting (e.g. Malaysian Idol)
- Booking placement
- Order tracking
- SMS payment
- Rate and product enquiries
- Results query
Costing Overview
Before deciding to go ahead with the SMS solution implementation, it is crucial to understand the cost involves.
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Broadcast Services
- Setup fee- This is the one-time setup fee to enable a business to acquire the SMS services from the provider
- SMS unit pricing- This is applicable for the Broadcast services whereby every SMS unit used is chargable. Most providers will offer prepaid package. The unit pricing ranges from RM0.10 to RM0.15 per SMS. It is important to know if there is any expiry for the prepaid package.
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Interactive Services
- Setup fee- This is the one-time setup fee to enable a business to acquire the SMS services from the provider
- Monthly fee- This fee may not be applicable for all providers. But, it is important to know if there is any before deciding to take on the package.
- Dedicated Short Code fee- A Short Code is the number the sender will send the SMS to. It is actually the number to identify the SMS Hosting provider. Most businesses use a shared Short Code provided by the provider. But, for those that require a dedicated Short Code to their service, there is the Dedicated Short Code fee.
- Profit sharing- For each SMS chargable to the clients, a busines needs to take into account the profit sharing between the telco, SMS provider and the business owner. For more information about the profit sharing, you may contact the providers.
SMS solutions are becoming a mainstay, not just as the communication tool for the masses, but as a vital business tool. For more inquiries into this service, you may contact us here.
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