
<h2><strong>Business Messaging in 2022, The Good and The Bad</strong></h2>



<p>Business messaging continues to grow in 2022. In fact, the number of automated messages sent by businesses this year is expected to exceed 2.7 trillion!<a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/automated-sms-messages-to-grow-20-percent-by-2022" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup> [1]</sup></a><sup>&nbsp; </sup>While this growth in yearly messaging traffic continues to show that text messaging is a trusted and reliable form of communication for businesses and consumers alike, it also presents a few challenges for brands.&nbsp;</p>



<p><br>As more businesses adopt message sending into their communication and marketing strategies, competition for consumers’ attention also increases. Likewise, the more messages consumers receive, the greater their concerns are for SPAM messages. It’s essential for businesses to make the right first impressions with their customers when connecting for the first time over a text message. However, it can be difficult to give customers the confidence that it is really your business on the other end with traditional SMS messaging. Thankfully, brands can overcome this challenge and stand out from the competition with <a href="https://www.tychron.co/services/messaging-services/verified-sms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">verified SMS</a>.</p>



<h2><strong>What Is Verified SMS?</strong></h2>



<p>Verified SMS enhances traditional messaging by including your business branding, a verification badge, and previews of links in your messaging. By including your branding and a verification badge, your customers can be confident that they are really interacting with your business and not some SPAM messenger.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To start, verified SMS is currently available for Android devices in 10 countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, India and the Philippines, with more to come.</p>



<p>Verified SMS works on a per-message basis, meaning that the verified SMS protocol verifies each message your business sends so that your customers know that every interaction is secure. This verification protocol is performed using unreadable, irreversible authenticity codes, keeping the content of your messages private.&nbsp;<br>Getting started with Verified SMS is quick and simple. Just message Tychron to begin integrating Verified SMS into your <a href="https://www.tychron.co/services/messaging-services/10DLC-messaging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A2P</a> message sending and we’ll handle all the heavy lifting in the backend. No API configuration needed.</p>



<h2><strong>Improve your Brand Perception</strong></h2>



<p>Verified SMS can be used to boost your brand awareness by including your business name and logo at the start of your text message interactions. It’s a quick way to let your customers know they are dealing with a familiar face. Likewise, visual link previews also provide an opportunity to catch the eye of your recipients and showcase products or services directly.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1000" height="807" src="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-SMS-comparison-1.png" alt="Use Verified SMS to highlight your brand and give your customers the confidence to know it's your business on the other end." class="wp-image-140" srcset="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-SMS-comparison-1.png 1000w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-SMS-comparison-1-300x242.png 300w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-SMS-comparison-1-768x620.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Market research conducted by Google shows that 77% of U.S. consumers prefer verified SMS over traditional SMS.<a href="https://developers.google.com/business-communications/verified-sms/files/introduction-to-verified-sms.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[2]</sup></a><strong><sup> &nbsp;</sup></strong>Businesses that use verified SMS are viewed as more trustworthy and experience higher customer satisfaction.<a href="https://developers.google.com/business-communications/verified-sms/files/verified-sms-brand-value-research-us.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup> [3]</sup></a> Naturally, these increases in consumer trust and brand awareness have led to higher conversion rates and larger customer bases for businesses that use verified SMS across various industries, including major brands such as Wish, Air Asia and Kayak.</p>



<h2><strong>Enhance Your Messaging Strategy with Verified SMS</strong></h2>



<p>From two-factor authentication and account notifications to sales alerts, order confirmations and more, verified SMS can enhance your customer journey at every step. By building trust with each text message interaction, businesses are able to improve their response rates and stand out from other businesses trying to reach your customers via text messaging.</p>



<p><br><a href="https://www.tychron.co/sales/">Reach out to Tychron today</a> to get started on building more trust with your customers with Verified SMS. We’ll get everything set up in the backend so you can start using Verified SMS without any extra configuration.</p>


Build trust with your customers with verified SMS.

How to Stand Out in the World of Business Messaging with Verified SMS.


<p>A rate limit is a cap on the number of message segments a person or business can send per second (MPS). Rate limits are set by messaging carriers like T-Mobile and AT&amp;T to maintain a safe and efficient messaging ecosystem for businesses and consumers alike. Without rate limits, carrier networks would become quickly congested and unreliable.</p>



<p>While rate limits may seem like an obstacle to your message sending at first, they play a vital role in keeping the text-messaging ecosystem safe by reducing instances of spam messaging and snowshoeing. It’s thanks in part to rate limits that text messaging is considered the most widely available and reliable communication channel.<a href="https://earthweb.com/sms-marketing-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[1]</sup></a></p>



<h3><strong>Understanding your rate limits</strong></h3>



<p>To determine what rate limits apply to your messaging, it’s important to understand what your messaging use case is. While <a href="https://www.tychron.co/services/messaging-services/toll-free-messaging/">toll-free messaging</a> is capped by a set limit of 20 MPS, <a href="https://www.tychron.co/services/messaging-services/10DLC-messaging/">A2P 10DLC messaging</a> (10-digit long code application to person) rate limits can vary greatly. The default rate limit for 10DLC is 1 MPS but can increase up to 1000 MPS depending on your messaging use case. </p>



<p>Not sure what your messaging use case is? <a href="https://www.tychron.co/files/Tychron_TCR_SEPT_16_2021_OPT.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Download our use case selection guide</a> to learn everything you need to know and get started on registering your 10DLC messaging campaigns.</p>



<p>If you’re new to 10DLC messaging, it’s important to understand the campaign registry, a registration process for all message senders that helps protect the messaging ecosystem and lets senders benefit from higher rate limits. If you’re unfamiliar with campaign registration, <a href="https://www.tychron.co/blog/understanding-business-messaging-in-2021-campaign-registration/">check out our previous blog on it to gain a better understanding</a> before continuing to read on.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While some messaging providers leave it to their customers to determine what rate limits they require, Tychron takes on the heavy lifting of setting rate limits automatically in accordance with your messaging campaigns. This ensures that our message senders are able to benefit from the fastest message sending possible while staying compliant with campaign registry regulations. Tychron’s automatic rate limits also lessen the burden on your programmers as no extra configuration is required to get the most out of your messaging.</p>



<p>For inbound messaging, customers receiving messages through Tychron are not subject to any rate limits. However, these messages are still subject to carrier rate limits and the rate limits of whoever is sending the messages.</p>


Simplifying Messaging: Rate Limits


<p>As businesses and consumers continue to shift towards a remote-first mentality, the need for over-the-phone service continues to grow. While the use of communication products and conferencing software like Google Meet and Zoom has increased significantly over the past few years, voice calling is still the preferred channel among consumers when it comes to voice communication.<a href="https://blog.hiya.com/top-5-trends-in-voice-in-2022" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[1]</sup><br><br></a>However, while business and consumer use of voice calling continues to grow, cases of robocalls are also on the rise. In 2021 alone, more than 50 billion robocalls were made to U.S phones.<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-phones-were-hit-by-more-than-50-billion-robocalls-in-2021-says-youmail-robocall-index-301455319.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[2]</sup></a><sup> </sup>Overall, more than 5.7 million people filed fraud reports, totaling a yearly loss of $5.8 billion dollars among consumers and businesses.<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/03/top-frauds-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup> [3]</sup></a><br><br>As instances of fraud increase, the suspicion consumers have in who is really on the other end of the line is growing. In fact, only 21% of consumers are likely to pick the phone for an unidentified caller vs 68% for an identified caller!<a href="https://blog.hiya.com/hiyas-2022-state-of-the-call-webinar-the-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[4]</sup></a> With 79% of calls going unanswered, time and money are being thrown out the window by businesses that do not use enhanced identification for their voice calling.<br><br>For businesses that want to engage more with their customers over the phone and stop wasting resources, Tychron includes <a href="https://www.tychron.co/services/voice-services/verified-calling/">verified calling</a> with our <a href="https://www.tychron.co/services/voice-services/">voice calling services</a>. Similar to <a href="https://www.tychron.co/services/messaging-services/verified-sms/">Verified SMS</a>, with verified calling businesses can easily display their branding, reasons for calling and a verification badge when making a call. By including branding and a verification badge, businesses are able to extinguish the suspicion customers have of who is on the other end for every call.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1000" height="807" src="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-calling-comparison-1.png" alt="A graphic comparing verified calling with traditional calling." class="wp-image-149" srcset="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-calling-comparison-1.png 1000w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-calling-comparison-1-300x242.png 300w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Verified-calling-comparison-1-768x620.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Verified calling is currently available for Android devices in 9 countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, India and the Philippines, with more to come.</p>



<h2><strong>Boost your answer rates by building trust</strong></h2>



<p>In a world where the average consumer faces up to 44 spam calls per month,<a href="https://developers.google.com/business-communications/verified-calls/partner-marketing-toolkit/files/introduction-to-verified-calls-pitch-deck.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[5]</sup></a> verified calling helps businesses to stand out from the scammers and give their customers the confidence to pick up the phone. Without branding, your outgoing calls are likely to go unanswered or worse, be blocked by customers who suspect spam. A picture is worth a thousand words, and creating a visual connection with your customers before they answer the call is the fastest way to gain their trust. According to market research by Google, businesses are experiencing 3x higher answer rates by using verified calling.<a href="https://developers.google.com/business-communications/verified-calls/partner-marketing-toolkit/files/introduction-to-verified-calls-pitch-deck.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[6]</sup></a><sup>&nbsp;&nbsp;</sup></p>



<h2><strong>Bring your customers up to speed with your reason for calling</strong></h2>



<p>By displaying their reason for calling, businesses are able to shorten the time needed to communicate critical information to their customers with verified calling. It’s a quick way to save time, provide your customers with a better service experience and boost the reputation of your brand.</p>



<h2><strong>Deliver better conversations with verified calling</strong></h2>



<p>Ready to make your answer rate skyrocket and deliver more? Tychron’s experts are here to help you get up and running quickly with verified calling and include it for free with our voice services. <a href="https://www.tychron.co/sales/">Reach out to us today to get started!</a></p>


A man receiving a verified call from Tychron.

How Verified Calling Can Make Your Answer Rate Skyrocket


<h2 id="h-what-is-hosted-sms"><strong>What is Hosted SMS?</strong></h2>



<p>Hosted SMS is a messaging service that enables Tychron customers to use their existing phone numbers from other voice service providers to send and receive&nbsp;<a href="/services/messaging-services/">SMS</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/services/messaging-services/mms/">MMS</a>. Hosting with Tychron is easy and will not interrupt or change your current voice services.<strong>&nbsp;</strong>It’s a quick and simple way to get more out of the number(s) you already have!</p>



<h2 id="h-what-are-the-perks-of-hosted-sms"><strong>What are the perks of Hosted SMS?</strong></h2>



<p>With hosted SMS you can start connecting with your existing customers in new engaging ways over the same phone number they are familiar with. From booking confirmations and appointment reminders to sales alerts and enhanced security with two-factor authentication, there are tons of ways your customers can benefit from receiving just a simple text from your business.</p>



<p>You might not know it, but approximately 43% of consumers have actually texted a business before even being first contacted by them.&nbsp;<sup><a href="https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">[</a><a href="https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics">1</a></sup><a href="https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics"><sup>]</sup></a><strong><sup>&nbsp;&nbsp;</sup></strong>That is a lot of missed potential for customer engagement if you don’t already have your business number text-enabled. With hosted SMS, there is no need to switch numbers or get a new one. It’s a simple way to give your customers more options when connecting with your business.</p>



<p>To get a better idea of how you can use SMS to streamline the way your business communicates, check out our&nbsp;<a href="/blog/understanding-business-messaging-in-2021-how-to-develop-your-text-messaging-strategy/">blog on business messaging in 2021</a>.</p>



<h2 id="h-how-do-i-get-started"><strong>How do I get started?</strong></h2>



<p>Reach out to us today to get started with Hosted SMS. We’ll walk you through the entire process for text-enabling your number and can advise on how to get the most out of your business messaging.</p>



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A business women sending a text with her landline number over hosted SMS.

Hosted SMS with Tychron


<h2 id="the-secret-is-out-on-business-messaging">The Secret is Out on Business Messaging</h2>



<p>For businesses that are already using SMS to reach their customers, the SMS marketing success stories that are often highlighted online are no surprise. The incredibly high open rates (98%!&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/279237" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[1]</sup></a>), reply rates (4.5x more likely than email&nbsp;<a href="https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics"><sup>[</sup></a><sup><a href="https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2</a></sup><a href="https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics"><sup>]</sup></a>)&nbsp;and direct customer engagement that comes with text messaging give businesses a leg up over the competition. But the truth is, the SMS landscape is getting more crowded as the industry continues to grow.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enterprise-a2p-sms-market-105018" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[3]</sup></a>&nbsp;</p>



<p>As more businesses adopt messaging into their communication and marketing strategies in 2021, SMS is becoming less and less of marketers’ best-kept secret. However, there are still plenty of ways to stand out from the crowd with text messaging. One tool many businesses don’t realize the full utility of is&nbsp;<a href="/services/messaging-services/mms">MMS (multimedia messaging service)</a>.</p>



<p>With MMS, businesses can send their customers and employees pictures, videos, GIFS, audio files and a text message longer than the 160 character limit of a typical SMS segment. For internal communication, Tychron takes MMS a step further by enabling multiple senders to engage in a fluid group conversation through our MMS API.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While MMS might not seem like that big of a deal on the surface, it can actually be a gamechanger for businesses when used with a little bit of creativity. Here are a few ways to add more to your business messaging with MMS.</p>



<h2 id="mms-and-marketing">MMS and Marketing</h2>



<p>When it comes to marketing, the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” nails it. Take a scroll through your favorite social media platform and you’ll be bombarded with companies using vibrant color pallets and eye-catching design in an attempt to get a second of your attention. And to an extent, their strategies work well. Marketing content that features visuals is found to increase view rates by as much as 94%<a href="https://venngage.com/blog/marketing-psychology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">.<sup>[4]</sup></a>&nbsp;</p>



<p>The only problem? Businesses that save their creative visual content for only their social media channels or email marketing are drowning in a sea of competition. All the hours of design work and wordsmithing you put into promoting your latest sale doesn’t amount to much when the majority of your audience is being pulled away by your competitors that are just a scroll or two above your post.&nbsp;</p>



<p>So why not connect with your customers directly?<br>When it comes to marketing, MMS can be a conversion-generating powerhouse for your business. It takes the high open rates of SMS and pairs it with the ability to send sales-converting engaging visual content. The average consumer is already on their phone for fours a day.<a href="https://learn.g2.com/sms-marketing-statistics"><sup>[5]</sup></a>&nbsp;Instead of waiting for customers to possibly see your post while social media scrolling or by chance check their email promotions inbox and see your latest newsletter, send a direct MMS that is likely to get read within minutes.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="get-business-done-faster-with-group-messaging"><strong>Get Business Done Faster with Group Messaging</strong></h2>



<p>MMS isn’t only a conversion generator for businesses but can also be an essential tool for internal communications with&nbsp;<a href="/services/messaging-services/group-messaging/">group messaging</a>. When you’re managing dozens of employees at a time, coordinating shift schedules or managing promotions, it can be hard to keep track of things. Whether it be a missed email, or trying to find the right information that’s buried in a stack of replies and forwards, we’ve all been there.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" src="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/man-looking-at-text-1024x684.jpeg" alt="A man reading a group message text from his employer." class="wp-image-43" srcset="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/man-looking-at-text-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/man-looking-at-text-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/man-looking-at-text-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/man-looking-at-text.jpeg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p><br>Group texting with Tychron’s MMS API takes the frustration of missed emails and inbox sorting by providing businesses with a fluid group that everyone can connect to on their favorite device. For the messages that are really crucial, text messaging’s incredibly high open and response rates really come in handy.<br><br><strong>Looking to upgrade your business messaging?</strong></p>



<p>Engage thousands at a time around the world with Tychron’s MMS API. Convert the lead, keep your employees in the loop, and get a better ROI with your messaging. Tychron provides transparent pricing on all your messaging so you can do more while keeping your overhead down.</p>



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A man in New York reading a MMS message on his phone.

How to Get More Conversions and Better Engagement with Your Business Messaging


<h2 id="want-to-reach-your-customers-every-hour-of-the-day">Want to reach your customers every hour of the day?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>How about every 5 minutes? With continually increasing cell phone usage around the world, it’s never been easier to reach people today than with a simple text message. In fact, the average American checks their phone 262 times per day.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[1]</sup></a>&nbsp;For millennials, checking their smartphone has become a part of their daily morning routine, with 66% of younger Americans checking it before even getting out of bed to start their day.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportlinker.com/insight/smartphone-connection.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[2]</sup></a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/couple-using-phone.jpg" alt="A man and woman looking at an SMS message together." class="wp-image-124" srcset="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/couple-using-phone.jpg 1000w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/couple-using-phone-300x200.jpg 300w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/couple-using-phone-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>People love their cellphones, so what? Higher usage equals more engagement.&nbsp;Every time your customer glances at their cell phone, it is an opportunity for you to connect with them as a marketer or business owner. That’s once every 5.5 minutes per average customer! It’s no wonder that more and more businesses are adopting text messaging in 2021.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But just because you text-enable your business phone number and start filling up your contact list, it doesn’t mean you’re ready to thrive with business messaging. Just like any other communication tool out there, it takes an informed strategy to succeed as a business with SMS.&nbsp;Here are a few ways to develop your business’ text messaging strategy and take advantage of the most responsive communication channel there is.</p>



<h2 id="1-understand-where-text-messaging-shines">1.&nbsp;<strong>Understand where text messaging shines</strong></h2>



<p>Whether sending a booking confirmation to an individual client or promoting an upcoming sale to tens of thousands of your customers, SMS allows for fluid, direct communication. Unlike email marketing or social media, text messaging is also a much more personal way of communication. While this does lead to some “gotchas” when creating your text messaging strategy (see section 2), it also enables your business to create more meaningful, personalized connections. The high trust rate consumers have in SMS provides key opportunities for your business to get a better ROI for your marketing spend.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When it comes to open rates, SMS is king. Your customers are 78% more likely to open a text message from your business than an email and will probably even open it within the first 90 seconds of receiving it.<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/279237" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[3]</sup></a>&nbsp;When you compare text messaging to the click-through rates of other traditional marketing channels like pay-per-click advertising (2%)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wordstream.com/average-ctr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[4]</sup></a>&nbsp;or social media&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/872099/social-media-advertising-ctr/#:~:text=Recent%20evaluation%20of%20social%20media,media%20CTR%20was%201.2%20percent." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[5]</sup></a>, there is even less of a competition. SMS is hands down the most direct way for your business to reach its audience.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The high engagement rate found with text messaging doesn’t just stem from typical text-based SMS messages.&nbsp;<a href="/services/messaging-services/mms/">MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services)</a>&nbsp;allows businesses to connect with their customers more by sending highly interactive content like photos, videos, GIFS, and more. With MMS, it’s easy to send engaging visual content typically found in email or social media marketing but through the fast and reliable channel of text messaging.</p>



<p>MMS also can be used to streamline your typical customer-related interactions. Need to show where your delivery driver hid a package? Just send a picture of the delivered package. Offering customer support over text? Sending a picture can help your customer solve whatever problem they may be facing in a flash rather than sending lengthy, detailed written instructions.</p>



<h2 id="2-know-the-rules-of-the-sms-landscape">2.&nbsp;<strong>Know the rules of the SMS landscape</strong></h2>



<p>We mentioned the high trust rate consumers have in SMS earlier, however this trust doesn’t come from nowhere. The text messaging and telecommunications industry as a whole is fairly regulated. While this regulation may seem scary at first, it actually is a part of what makes business messaging such an efficient tool for communication. Thanks to the regulations in place, consumers are protected from SPAM messaging, and businesses have a reliable way to connect with customers directly to their most personal device, their cell phones.</p>



<p>When strategizing for your text messaging campaigns, one of the most important things to keep track of is customer consent. For any text messages you send as a business, it is essential to ensure that you have proper consent from your customers and a solid understanding of what messaging activities classify as SPAM. If a customer hasn’t opted in (formally consented) to receiving SMS or MMS messages from your business, your messages can be marked as SPAM and your phone number even blacklisted. Likewise, it is always essential that your message receivers have the option to opt out of receiving messages from your business. To get a good base understanding of consumer consent and the do’s and don’ts for business messaging, we recommend checking out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/industry-commitments/messaging-interoperability-sms-mms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CTIA’s (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association’s) comprehensive best practices guide</a>.</p>



<p>We at Tychron also advise businesses on how to develop successful and regulation-abiding text-messaging campaigns as well as provide insights for how to maximize your customer engagement. Developing the right text-messaging strategy for your business can seem overwhelming at first, but with the right guidance business messaging can be a powerful tool for customer engagement and increasing conversions.</p>



<p>Another key step for setting up your business messaging strategy is understanding The Campaign Registry. It is the latest shift in the business messaging landscape and presents new requirements for businesses that benefit from text messaging. Essentially, businesses are required to register their messaging campaigns (use cases) with the official&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.campaignregistry.com/" target="_blank">Campaign Registry&nbsp;</a>or a registered campaign service provider (CSP) like&nbsp;<a href="/the-campaign-registry/">Tychron</a>. To get a better understanding of the Campaign Registry, read our previous blog on&nbsp;<a href="/blog/3-important-things-about-the-campaign-registry/">business texting in 2021</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/the-campaign-registry/">visit our campaign registration page</a>&nbsp;to register your messaging campaign and get access to useful resources like our use case selection guide.</p>



<h2 id="3-optimize-your-message-sending">3.&nbsp;<strong>Optimize your message sending</strong></h2>



<p>Just like managing email marketing, PPC, or social media campaigns, the work never truly “ends.” The more you prepare for your text-messaging campaigns, the better. But there will always be things that can be tweaked and improved. If you are looking to get a better ROI with your business messaging and lower your overhead, consider supercharging your messaging strategy with informational services like&nbsp;<a href="/blog/how-to-gain-more-control-over-your-network-traffic/">Enhanced Location Routing Number Lookup (eLRN)</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/blog/how-to-save-on-business-messaging/">Message Carrier Lookup (MCL)</a>. They are two powerful tools that give businesses more control over their messaging and provide insight into how to save on messaging.</p>



<p>Beyond giving you a better understanding of where your message traffic is coming and going, MCL can be used to audit your billing. Ensure you are being charged the correct amount for your messaging by both your network carrier(s) and messaging service providers.</p>



<p>Of course, the easiest way to save on your business messaging is to partner with a messaging service provider that offers transparent pricing. Tychron provides messaging services on&nbsp;<a href="/our-network/">a dynamic and intelligent global network</a>&nbsp;without installation, text-enablement and fluff fees.&nbsp;<a href="/save-on-messaging/">Book a free consultation</a>&nbsp;or give us a call today to learn how Tychron customers save an average of 35% on their messaging costs. Communication is tough. Tychron makes it easy.</p>



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Women walking together looking at an SMS message from a business.

Understanding Business Messaging in 2021: How to Develop Your Text Messaging Strategy


<h2 id="better-communication-with-business-messaging">Better communication with business messaging</h2>



<p>With over 5.1 Billion mobile users around the world and a consumer trust rate of 93%, it’s a no-brainer why more and more businesses are adopting SMS in 2021.&nbsp;<sup><a href="https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/infographics-library" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;It’s a fast and efficient way to reach people and has a shockingly high open rate of 98%.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/334562" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><sup>[2]</sup></a>&nbsp;In fact, consumers are over 39% more likely to respond to a text from your business than an email!&nbsp;<sup><a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/articles/tap-into-the-marketing-power-of-sms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">[3]</a></sup>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>For most of us, our smartphone is the first thing we pick up in the morning, the last thing we look at before going to bed and is rarely farther than an arm’s reach away. Why have your messages left sitting in a spam email inbox when you can communicate with your audience directly. Businesses from every industry can leverage the high trust and response rate of text messaging for more efficient and impactful communication.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Whether sending a shift schedule out to your staff, confirming an appointment with a customer, or spreading the word about an upcoming sale at your store, SMS can be the most efficient and impactful way your business communicates. But like any other tool a business leverages, there can be some ”gotchas” that leave you scratching your head when it comes to billing time.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/annoyed-man.jpeg" alt="A man annoyed at the surprise costs of his messaging bill.
" class="wp-image-35" srcset="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/annoyed-man.jpeg 1000w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/annoyed-man-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/annoyed-man-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 id="the-problem-undeliverable-messages-and-overbilling"><strong>The problem: undeliverable messages and overbilling</strong></h2>



<p>Similar to email or calling, implementing a cost-efficient and effective communication strategy with SMS can be tricky. The more phone numbers you collect from your staff and customers, the harder it gets to keep track of where your message traffic is coming from and going. As time goes on, you might not realize that some of the messages you send are not reaching their intended destination. In fact, they may actually be going to numbers that are not text-enabled.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Every time you send a number to a non text-enabled number, that’s your voice not being heard and money going down the drain. While an undelivered message here or there might not seem like a huge loss, it can end up costing your business thousands over time. Don’t like the sound of that? The good news is that there is an easy fix to this problem, Message Carrier Lookup (MCL).</p>



<h2 id="the-solution-message-carrier-lookup-mcl"><strong>The solution: Message Carrier Lookup (MCL)</strong></h2>



<p>Tychron’s MCL API enables businesses to verify whether or not a phone number is text-enabled and retrieves other useful information about a number like its carrier and country. The simple and secure API can be used simultaneously with your regular A2P (application-to-peer) messaging and act as a filter so that you only deliver messages to numbers that are actually text-enabled.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Beyond saving money on your messaging directly, the MCL API also allows you to stay on top of your overall billing. You can use the information you receive from the API to audit your carrier and messaging provider surcharges to ensure that you are only being charged for what you owe.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Whether you use Tychron as your messaging service provider or another provider, the MCL API can help you straighten out your messaging contact lists and lower your overall spending.&nbsp;<a href="/sales/">Book a free consultation now</a>&nbsp;and learn how easy it is to get more while spending less with MCL.</p>



<h2 id="like-saving-more"><strong>Like saving more?</strong></h2>



<p>Consider using Tychron as your messaging service provider. Tychron customers save 35% more on average compared to other major messaging service providers. No install fees, messaging-enablement fees or fluff fess *. Just better messaging, for less. Book a free consultation today and find out how much you can save by switching to Tychron.</p>



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A woman calculating the costs of her business messaging bill.

How to Save on Business Messaging


<h2 id="lrn-location-routing-number-explained"><strong>LRN (Location Routing Number) explained</strong></h2>



<p>In our globally connected world, the old saying “time is money” has never been more true than today. While text messaging and voice calling enable businesses to connect with their clients easily, as a business grows, it can become tricky to keep track of where resources are being used. As your business develops to meet the demand of your growing customer base, it is essential to develop your telecommunications and messaging strategy as well.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Your time is precious and shouldn’t be wasted. That’s why Tychron developed its&nbsp;<a href="/services/informational-services/">Location Routing Number (LRN) lookup and enhanced LRN API</a>. These two powerful tools offer you more control over your network traffic and enable you to use your resources where they matter most. Get all the information you need to prevent unnecessary connection costs and deliver better conversations for less.</p>



<p>An LRN is a unique 10-digit number assigned to a telephone switch that is used to identify the routing of a phone call. It is thanks to an LRN that a telephone number can stay the same when being transferred (or ported) from one carrier to another. While the telephone number can stay the same, its LRN must be changed to ensure proper routing for the number. An LRN is useful on its own for number porting, but APIs take the utility of LRNs a step further.</p>



<p><strong>LRN Lookup: know more, spend less</strong></p>



<p>As numbers sometimes get ported from one carrier to another over time, routing costs can become more expensive than they need to be. However, an API can be used to determine the most cost-effective routes for your calling. Tychron’s LRN lookup API lets customers look up a telephone number’s LRN and find out its current carrier. With Tychron, it’s easy to ensure accurate routing for all your calls and avoid unnecessary routing costs.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="800" height="533" src="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/women-using-lrn-api.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-31" srcset="https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/women-using-lrn-api.jpeg 800w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/women-using-lrn-api-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://0ab6ff0d-5f55-4ac8-86c1-cd9eff36f552.tychron.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/women-using-lrn-api-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure>



<h2 id="get-the-analytics-and-control-you-need-with-enhanced-lrn-elrn"><strong>Get the analytics and control you need with enhanced LRN (eLRN)</strong></h2>



<p>Developed as an extension of the LRN API, eLRN gives you the ability to monitor your network traffic in-depth. Look up a number’s geographical and background information such as its state, city, zip code, network carrier, and more (<a href="https://docs.tychron.info/lrn-api/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Take a look at our full API documentation</a>). With key information in hand, it’s easy to craft an informed communication strategy that lowers your overhead, prevents dropped connections, and offers better customer experiences.</p>



<h2 id="coming-soon-elrn-2-0"><strong>Coming soon, eLRN 2.0</strong></h2>



<p>Slated for release in 2021, the next iteration of Tychron’s eLRN API will give customers the ability to gather powerful analytics beyond just geographical information. With eLRN 2.0, you will be able to gain demographic information about a number’s location, such as population age percentages, gender ratios, and income level breakdowns. Stay tuned for more updates on eLRN 2.0 and learn more about how you can further streamline your communication strategy with its release in 2021.</p>



<h2 id="looking-for-more-control-over-your-network-traffic"><strong>Looking for more control over your network traffic?</strong></h2>



<p>Tychron’s LRN and eLRN make it easy. Know more, spend less, and supercharge the way your business communicates. Book a free consultation with Tychron and get started today.</p>



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Tychron's global network connecting people from around the world.

How to Gain More Control Over Your Network Traffic


<h2 id="what-is-business-texting">What is Business Texting?</h2>



<p>Whether it’s by getting notified about a flash sale at a favorite store, finding out an upcoming shift schedule for work, or even receiving a security breach alert for an online account, businesses and consumers benefit greatly from using messaging services such as&nbsp;<a href="/services/messaging-services">SMS</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/services/messaging-services/mms/">MMS</a>&nbsp;for quick, efficient, and secure communication. Until recently, standard 10-digit numbers (or 10-digit long codes) were primarily used by consumers for peer-to-peer messaging. However, 10-digit long codes are now becoming a powerful medium for businesses to communicate with their customers. This is known as business messaging or application-to-peer 10-digit long code (A2P 10DLC) messaging.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Unfortunately, as more and more businesses have benefited from business messaging in recent years,&nbsp;instances of unsolicited and SPAM messaging have also increased. To protect consumers from unwanted messages and offer businesses better texting, wireless carriers (or Mobile Network Operators (MNO’s)) in the U.S., such as AT&amp;T and T-Mobile, are issuing changes to the business messaging ecosystem by implementing a registration process for Brands (businesses) who use A2P 10DLC messaging. This new progression of business messaging is referred to as The Campaign Registry, where messaging use cases are considered&nbsp;‘campaigns’.</p>



<h2 id="campaign-registration">Campaign Registration</h2>



<p>Businesses that plan on registering their messaging campaigns must do so through the official <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.campaignregistry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="ek-link">Campaign Registry </a>or an official Campaign Service Provider (CSP) like Tychron. By registering your business, and getting verified your business will be able to benefit from higher messaging throughput (the number of messages your business can send over a given period of time).</p>



<p>Brands that do not register their text campaigns will face extra surcharges on their messaging and may even have messages blocked by the carriers.<br><br><a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="ek-link" href="https://www.tychron.co/the-campaign-registry/" target="_blank">Click here to stay informed on important deadlines for campaign registration</a> and learn how to prevent your business from facing unnecessary messaging fees.</p>



<h2 id="use-case-selection">Use Case Selection</h2>



<p>There are many different messaging use cases a business can register for, but each one is categorized as either a standard campaign or a special campaign. Standard campaigns feature basic use cases that are typically approved through regular campaign registration. However, special use cases require additional review and Brand evaluation. <a href="/files/Tychron_TCR_SEPT_16_2021_OPT.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check out our full use case selection guide</a> to understand which categories your business messaging falls under and find out how you can get the most out of your messaging campaigns.</p>



<h2 id="h-ready-for-better-messaging">Ready for better messaging?</h2>



<p>Register your brand with Tychron and deliver better messaging campaigns on <a href="/our-network/">our blazing fast and intelligent network</a>. We’ll help you determine which use cases are best for your business and take all the heavy lifting with campaign registration. Focus on what’s important with direct and reliable messaging. Your audience is waiting.</p>



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A woman smiling at phone from receiving an SMS from a local business.

Understanding Business Messaging in 2021: Campaign Registration


<h2 id="block-83e17dac-5fb6-4e24-88c3-864592796dbe">What it is</h2>



<p>AT&amp;T and T-Mobile (including the former Sprint Network) are currently adjusting the throughput caps they’ve historically enforced on local 10-digit long code (10DLC) messaging for business senders, known as Application-to-Peer (A2P) programs. There are new registration requirements and additional surcharge fees will be introduced with this change-up.</p>



<p>In February 2020, Verizon was the first to implement its revised 10DLC A2P program. Verizon’s new program supports additional throughput to its subscribers on all local phone numbers with the addition of A2P surcharge fees.</p>



<h2 id="how-does-it-benefit-me"><strong>H</strong>ow does it benefit me?</h2>



<p>The throughput limits will vary, but message velocity to properly opted-in subscribers in registered campaigns should be better than the traditional 1 message per second.</p>



<h2 id="what-happens-if-i-m-not-registered">What happens if I’m not registered?</h2>



<p>Starting June 1st, 2021, AT&amp;T will begin to block messages from 10DLC numbers that do not have a registered campaign ID. T-Mobile is also considering imposing significant penalty fees on your messages if they are sent from an unregistered number and may even permanently blacklist your numbers from sending messages to any of the carrier’s subscribers.</p>



<p>The campaign registry and participating&nbsp;<strong>Campaign Service Providers</strong>&nbsp;(CSPs) like Tychron are now working with brands and businesses to register their messaging campaigns.</p>



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<p></p>


A man receiving a text from a newly registered 10DLC A2P campaign that is registered with Tychron.

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