TRANSACTIONAL MESSAGES – The Messages You NEED and Ask For !

Transactional SMS MESSAGES

Sanskruti Khanve - Getting no message update from your car service place and zero email confirmation on your purchase can be a little problematic. Not receiving bill dispatchesand due date reminders on installments can cause you to run around for a bit, but it's still manageable. However, not getting your email OTPs, social media password reset links and confirmation messages on your net-banking transactions can bring your modern day nightmares to life.

These are the emails and messages that not just you, but we all need and ask for.

These messages are called transactional messages. As the name Implicit, these messages contain information about a transaction or event. When ausermakes a transaction online, they receive an automated message that guides them and updates them on their transaction status. These messages are sent in real time, so the customers are provided with precise information in a secure mannerat the right time. This is the reason they are alternatively referred to as Service messages.

These messages can come in the form of push notifications, text messages or emails. Order confirmations, account alerts, identity verification, time-triggered reminders etc are some examples of Service Messages. Service messages can only be send to registered users and they can be received by DND registered (Do-Not-Disturb) users too, unlike Promotional messages. Also, considering the high-priority nature of Service messages they are delivered at all time during the day. Promotional messaging is given a timing between 9AM to 9PM.

As you can tell, transactional messages are vastly different from promotional messages. The latteris used purely for marketing purposes. These includeoffers, vouchers, coupons etc. Promotional messaging helps in sales promotion and increasesthe prospect to customer conversion rate.

This is not to say, no promotion can be done in service messages, because here comes the twist. Service messages are further divided into two categories – Service Implicit and Service Explicit.

Service Implicit messages are delivered to all DND users. It contains essential information that is sent in real time so that customers can have a smooth experience while conducting their transactions. The message contained in Service Implicit message must be approved by DLT. A few examples could be informational messages, booking orders, alerts etc. These arenot intended for Marketing.

Service Explicit messages are also used to send important messages,but the definition of 'important' here can be a bit vague. These messages do contain updates regarding services forexisting customers but they also contain discounts, offers and other light promotional material. These messages can be received at all hours of the day by non-DND users.

Businesses these days use both service implicit messages (for customer service, engagement and retention) and service explicit messages (for providing important updates and boosting sales). It is a very effective method as 90 percent of people open their text messages within roughly 3 minutes of receiving them so customer connectivity is ensured.