How SMS can streamline internal communications

Research shows that in 2021, 92% of people in the UK own a smartphone, leaving a minute proportion of the population without one, a figure that is rapidly diminishing .  With the increasing popularity in mobile devices, an ever increasing proportion of our daily communication will be conducted through this medium. 

Unlike phone calls, you have the opportunity to broadcast personalised messages to hundreds of people simultaneously. Furthermore, unlike emails (which have an average open rate of 21%) the open rate of an SMS message averages 98%. With this being said, creating a comprehensive SMS marketing strategy can help streamline and upgrade your internal communications in a simple yet cost-effective way, not forgetting this can be achieved promptly too. 

The Benefits of using SMS marketing to improve internal communication 

Non-intrusive 

The time spent on a smartphone is reaching 148 minutes a day for the average person in the UK. So unlike traditional channels, communicating with your employees via SMS will not only be their preferred method of contact but is also less intrusive than a phone call and is more personable than an email. 

High open rate 

SMS messaging is rapidly  becoming  a preferential choice for internal communications. SMS cuts through the noise of the hundreds of messages that enter an email inbox every day. As previously mentioned, an SMS has an open rate of 95% whereas an email only has an open rate of 21%. 

Fast response time 

When you need to deliver an urgent message, SMS is the best way to do so. Research identifies that the average person takes around 90 minutes to open an email, in comparison to 90 seconds for an SMS.

Alongside this, SMS messaging opens up the possibility for two-way communication, allowing staff to respond and provide feedback to their employers almost instantly. 

Cost-Effective 

Previously, internal communication teams would utilise letters and e-mails to communicate internally . This would be time consuming from a labour standpoint  and also may incur additional admin fees too. Now, with the feasibility of SMS, employees can receive and engage with this content from the comfort of their mobile phone,  for a fraction of the cost.   

How to use SMS marketing to improve internal communication strategy 

Shift Management

With a bulk SMS broadcast, you can send  rotas to hundreds of employees and receive instant replies if a member of staff wishes to work  an additional shift or re-arrange one. This will help to streamline  the admin process rather than printing rosters, and waiting for employee responses, allowing for more efficient internal communications.  

Emergency Notifications  

When it comes to delivering urgent messages, time is of the essence. When faced with unexpected challenges, Business SMS is the best way to facilitate rapid internal communications. With SMS messaging you can contact your employees about emergencies and make sure they are informed about business activity at all times. 

Efficient Communications 

Shift availability and emergency messages aren’t the only times you can connect with employees via text message. For Example, when there are important company events that may be held at an external venue, Bulk SMS is an effective method of communicating time, date and location updates to employees.

Collect Employee Feedback 

Research identifies that when a company has happy employees, the business tends to be more successful making it in each stakeholders best interest to foster a favourable work environment. However, you will never know which areas of your company culture are lacking without the critical element of communication!

Undertaking an SMS survey that is received instantaneously and filled out quickly  from a mobile device is one effective way to engage with your employees and discover their opinions on all elements surrounding their job and the workplace. Collecting and Analysing the data will give you an understanding of your employee attitudes to the business but also more importantly the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Attaining this invaluable information will allow you to recognise the overall satisfaction of employees and an indication of their loyalty to the company. After conducting a survey, you’ll grasp a more comprehensive understanding of how you can improve your business practices and keep employees engaged. 

Employee Recruitment  

SMS messaging leverages rapid response times and impressive open rates to build an effective and scalable communications strategy.  It primarily eliminates the need for extensive paperwork or incurred mailing costs. Rather than sending traditional sign-up forms for  new employees, you can send an SMS message which, aforementioned research indicated, is likely to be filled in and responded to at a much faster rate than something like an email. Sending new employees important documents via SMS not only will encourage a faster response, but the personable aspect of receiving a text may indicate to applicants in the recruitment process that the company is keen to move quickly in the application process.  

Now that the health crisis appears to have settled and business activity is slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels, we find ourselves in a period of global recovery. Businesses are focused on making up for the time they lost, and this involves streamlining and automating procedures wherever possible. Business SMS provides the perfect opportunity to create an efficient, convenient, and cost-effective internal communication strategy, which ultimately benefits both employers and employees.