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The future of mobile messaging? Apple supports RCS and we are joining in!

Mobile Marketing
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The biggest advantage of SMS is that every mobile phone is able to receive it. RCS has long been planned as the successor to SMS, but until now it seemed difficult to establish it as the new standard – not least because Apple refused to support it. However, in November 2023, Apple announced that it would now support RCS after all. This takes the standard a big step further towards universal messaging.

We are pleased to announce that we too will soon be offering our customers the option of sending RCS messages, or the business version RBM. You can find out everything you need to know about this in this article.

What is RCS?

RCS is short for Rich Communication Service. It is regarded as the successor to SMS and is set to replace it to a large extent as the new standard. With RCS, you can send various media, such as images, videos or locations, in much the same way as you are used to with messengers such as WhatsApp.

However, the interactive possibilities offered by RCS are particularly interesting for companies. Among other things, chatbots can be realised or carousels can be created with various offers that your recipients can interact with.

What is changing now?

The implementation of RCS as a new universal messaging standard has been planned for many years. Even though RCS has been rolled out more and more over the past four years, one thing in particular stood in the way of becoming a messaging standard: Apple did not want to implement RCS. In view of the large number of iPhone users, it was therefore not possible to establish it as a universal standard.

Now that Apple has agreed to the use of RCS, it will take a big step towards universal usability. This means that RCS, or RBM, will also become increasingly important for companies in the future if they want to reach customers efficiently.

RCS = Rich Communication Service

Messaging standard that is intended to replace SMS in the long term and allows a wide range of different media and interaction options to be used.

RBM = Rich Business Messaging

The company version of RCS. Companies can have themselves verified and send RCS messages to customers.

RCS for companies – Rich Business Messaging

There is a professional version of RCS for companies. Rich Business Messaging, or RBM for short, enables you to establish a diverse communication with your customers that can include various media and interaction points.

Offer your customers a special experience and send interactive offers. Let recipients choose from ready-made responses and guide them through a personalised sales or support conversation. These comprehensive dialogue options are sure to improve customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. Current figures also show that the conversion rate is higher in RBM conversations.

RCS and RBM at seven.io

We are pleased to announce that we are actively working to integrate RCS (Rich Communication Services) and RBM (Rich Business Messaging) into our platform. With Apple’s recently announced support for RCS, this messaging standard is poised for wider adoption and will provide an enhanced communication experience for both consumers and businesses.

For customers wishing to send messages to Germany, we can already offer the use of RCS, or RBM, via API. Sending to certain network providers in other countries is also already possible. Please contact us to find out whether your desired provider is available already.

We will continue to work on integrating RBM extensively in order to offer our customers innovative communication solutions that help them to interact effectively with their target groups. If you are interested in sending RBM messages, please send us a message. We will be happy to contact you to discuss your options.

The way to your first RCS message

  1. You get in touch with us. We tell you what data we need to register with the network operators and you provide us with this data.
  2. As soon as the agent has been set up, you can implement the API and carry out tests with test numbers stored for the agent.
  3. Are your tests successful? Then we apply for approval of the agent with your desired network operators. There are often some more questions from the network operators, so this process can take a few days.
  4. You are ready to go! Send RCS messages and inspire your customers.

Advantages of RCS for companies

RCS offers a number of advantages from which companies can benefit. The rich features help to strengthen customer loyalty and make communication more effective. In addition, it is easy to send professional and engaging messages, which can lead to a positive perception and an improved brand image. Use these advantages to optimise your communication strategy.

  • No additional effort on the customer side

    RCS is natively integrated into mobile phone messengers. This means that your recipients do not need to download an additional app to receive RCS messages – provided their phone is RCS-enabled.

  • Integrate media

    Add media such as images or videos to your messages and create appealing and informative messages that will inspire your customers.

  • Use interactive elements

    Incorporate interactive elements into your messages to give your customers a better experience – and a better choice.

  • Use chatbots

    Design chatbots for your customers’ most common concerns and save time and resources.

  • Your brand is verified

    Company accounts are verified when they want to send RCS messages. This leads to your customers having great trust in your messages and interacting with them more.

  • Customise the branding

    Customise your chat to match your company and increase the recognition value of your brand.

  • Use payment services

    Integrate payment services into the chat so that customers can complete their purchase entirely within the conversation.

SMS vs. RCS

What is the difference between SMS and RCS? Take a look at the key points where the two standards differ.

SMSRCS
Sender IDCan be up to 11 alphanumeric characters or up to 16 numeric characters long.Can be longer than 11 alphanumeric characters, numeric not necessary.
Replies to Sender IDRecipients cannot reply to alphanumeric Sender IDs.Recipients can reply to alphanumeric Sender IDs.
Verified SenderVerified SMS were discontinued and are therefore no longer available.All senders have to be verified.
Rich MediaCan contain links to media.Can show various kinds of media, basic or interactive.
ContentOne SMS is up to 160 characters long. Concatenated SMS can be up to five SMS long.Content can be longer.
InteractiveRecipients can answer and click links. Recipients have a lot more chances to interact with the content.

Use cases for RCS – Our examples

Basically, there are virtually no limits to your imagination when using RCS. However, if you need a little inspiration, we have put together some use cases for you here.

Marketing

Clearly, in marketing, RCS messages have the potential to make a huge difference. The integration of different media makes it easy to make products of all kinds look as good as possible directly on the customer’s mobile phone. Interactive elements such as carousels also mean that customers can choose from several options at once without being completely overloaded with offers.

Videos can also be used, for example, to explain complex products or better visualise processes.

RCS offers great opportunities for retail

Support

When it comes to customer support rich messaging also impresses with its interaction options and the use of various media. The option to create chatbots helps with smaller issues. Predefined response options make it easier to pre-sort customer enquiries.

Support staff can integrate images to show diagrams, for example, or clarify their explanations in a different way. In the same way, videos can help your customers to carry out simple troubleshooting themselves or at least test their product themselves.

RCS is great to help organise customer support

Appointment reminders and scheduling

With predefined responses and the integration of appointment booking tools, appointment reminders can be sent effectively via RCS, which customers can then confirm immediately with one click or make another appointment. This saves your team additional steps when a new appointment needs to be made and simplifies the process for your customers.

Doctors offices of all kinds profit from effective appointment reminders via RCS

Tickets

Another interesting use case is the direct ordering and delivery of tickets via RCS. The integration of payment services enables orders to be processed directly in the messaging app. If your customers want a mobile ticket, this can also be delivered directly in the app – it couldn’t be simpler.

RCS is great for sending all kinds of tickets

FAQ about RCS and RBM

We receive many questions about Rich Business Messaging. You can find the most frequently asked questions and their answers on our RCS product page.

Do you have any other questions, suggestions or criticism? We look forward to your comments. Please also visit our feedback page and take the opportunity to help shape our service.

Would you like to try sending RCS?

Would you like to be one of the first to use Rich Business Messaging to inspire customers?

Register your interest here. Our team will get in touch with you.

All the best
Your sms77 team

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