In the past few weeks people have been glued to their mobile devices more than ever. There have been critically important breaking news stories about the COVID-19 global pandemic happening almost hourly, and most businesses have now moved to full remote working status. This ‘new normal’ as we all adapt to living and working in self isolation highlights the mission critical role that technology leadership must play in this new world. One where the need and ability to communicate remotely has never been more important for all of us.
Smartphones and mobile devices are now the primary tools people rely on to communicate with each other and to stay up to date, and the COVID-19 situation is revealing that there is urgency for enterprises to re-imagine what it means to be in the hands of their customers, literally and authentically. It’s also why more businesses are being compelled by their customers to engage with them in a variety of places on mobile devices – and not just text.
The situation requires re-assessment of old problems and attention to the behavioural changes that will be happening as the world continues this transition into a new era.
The services opening the door to real-time mobile engagement
Thanks to services like Facebook’s WhatsApp Business, Google’s rich communication services (RCS) and Apple’s Business Chat, the communications environment is opening new doors for real-time mobile engagement by extending beyond SMS to these popular social mobile platforms.
These social apps are beginning to see adoption because they’re more engaging than traditional methods and they offer logical connection points for companies and customers to meet and communicate time sensitive information. This could include confirming a doctor’s appointment, chatting with a real estate agent in real time, or queue management with a rental car company to avoid long waits or rescheduling.
To access these new, interactive social channels, businesses will need a solution that enables access within a trusted and compliant environment, with controls, that put them in command of the customer experience. This requires an omni-channel platform strategy to ensure getting the right information, to the right people, in the right format, at the right time, for the right business outcome.
Providing consistent messaging across various social channels
Businesses that want to access the new social channels offered by Google, Facebook and Apple are turning to communications platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) solutions like Soprano Connect, which can help to automate processes, reduce costs and deliver better and more consistent communication to customers, employees or citizens, and can provide the necessary administrative, security and policy control tools for engaging at a large scale.
For example, just because companies have the ability to message clients, doesn’t mean their clients want to receive communication from them, which is why it’s vital to have an opt-out option. Without a sophisticated CPaaS platform with consent management capabilities, giving that option would require costly development and constant maintenance.
The benefits and reach of mobile technology will only grow in relevance over the coming five years but the degree to which an enterprise remains successful in growing and engaging its audience is understanding it’s no longer about pushing out messages – companies need to develop capabilities that can pull people in actively.
Engagement opportunities of the future
The opportunity for these newer solutions such as RCS messaging will continue to skyrocket as businesses move onto CPaaS platforms like Soprano Connect which are able to make it easy for businesses to use a single platform to manage all of the relevant channels that their customers and employees are using.
With the changes happening in the world right now, engagement is more important than ever and now is the right time to really consider whether your mobile engagement tools are addressing the most recent problems, gaps and opportunities. People are seeking to engage to learn relevant and important information in secure environments that they can trust.
About the Author: Matt Thompson joined Soprano in 2013 to create and lead Soprano’s global product management and marketing efforts across all regions, including Asia, Australia, Europe, LATAM and the US. He helps shape and execute Soprano’s product strategy both globally and with individual regions and MNO partners. He oversees Soprano’s carrier revenue acceleration model, which includes direct involvement in new product launch activities, carrier-branded industry websites, B2B digital marketing campaigns, and ongoing product marketing. Matt brings more than 10 years of diverse leadership experience in the mobile messaging industry, with significant global product management success launching products for US mobile operators. Find out more about Matt here.
