With 93% of the UK’s population owning a mobile phone and therefore having the ability to send and receive text messages, it comes as no surprise that SMS is currently one of the most important mobile marketing channels.

Whilst one-way SMS has been implemented as a tool to keep people updated with news, discount vouchers or loyalty messages to a customer’s phone for a long while now, 2-way SMS is now emerging as a novel approach to mobile marketing. The success behind this technique is the deeper level of engagement it incites. 2-way SMS encourages consumer interaction by providing businesses with the tools they require to start a conversation with their customers and therefore opens the door to new levels of engagement from mobile marketing campaigns.

Though advertising provides a level of exposure of the services your business is offering to a customer, a large percentage of display ads don’t offer the customers a manner in which to respond and interact with the offer as soon as they see it. This is where 2-way SMS acts as an extremely valuable tool.

2-way SMS opens a direct line of communication between businesses and their customers in an effective and economical manner. Through the use of SMS keywords and short codes consumers can send an SMS allowing them to instantly receive offers which they just come across, for instance when passing a billboard or watching a television advert. The most effective short codes on such adverts will be memorable as people are often on-the go or only quickly see the advert in passing. This can also benefit businesses hoping to exploit consumer’s urge to make impulse-purchases, as 2-way SMS can make purchasing a product or finding out more information on a service, or even just gaining access to an offer effortless and immediate for potential customers.

Furthermore this form of interaction will also make the consumer feel more connected to your brand or business, enhancing their experience as a customer and creating a more personal encounter for them. This will increase the likelihood of them returning to make a purchase in the future. In addition, 2-way messages benefit businesses as messages they receive will come from interested customers, which will in turn help capture accurate customer data and perhaps aid in the improvement of future SMS campaigns.