Let’s chat some more about how short codes are your trusted friend

In this installment of our customer experience (CX) series, we are taking a deeper look at short codes.

Let’s chat some more about how short codes are your trusted friend.

Odds are you’ve used short codes before. You know, those five- or six-digit text messaging codes sent to you by your favorite retailer (like 827438, which spells out “Target”), or even your pharmacy or local utility company. While these unique, personalized numbers are key to making high-volume SMS and MMS messaging campaigns possible – bringing customers into the branded experience by inviting them to enter a contest, redeem a coupon, make a donation, get product information or take a poll – one of their greatest benefits is in bettering the customer experience.

Here’s why. For starters, more than 90% of text messages are opened and read within three minutes – making them more effective than other communications methods like email. In addition, because text messaging capabilities are native to all mobile devices, short codes enable enterprises to engage with customers across U.S. wireless carriers regardless of device type. However, unlike traditional or toll-free text messaging, consumers must opt-in to short codes – opening the door and acceptance for future engagement and making these five- to six-digit codes uniquely effective in their ability to engage their target audience with remarkable consistency.

Plus, in addition to their ubiquity, high delivery and open rates, short codes can be personalized, giving organizations an extra branding boost while making them easy to remember for consumers. Also, thanks to federal regulations, industry oversight via the nation’s Short Code Registry as well as best practices that keep spam rates low, consumers can rest assured that the short code messages they are receiving can be trusted. Another win-win for organizations and consumers.

Here are a couple of ways that short codes are being used for CX functions:

• Banking. By leveraging short codes, a national retail bank is helping its customers stay on top of their finances. All the customer needs to do is enroll through the bank’s secure online portal, after which they receive a text message with a dedicated short code, brief instructions and a list of commands. From there, they can get alerts from their bank reminding them that the autopayment is coming, as well as notices to approve transactions that seem suspicious to the bank before they approve them.
• Shipping and delivery. To help streamline the tracking and alerts process, a major shipping company is using a customized vanity short code to keep its customers in the know. As a result, with a short code text of a brief keyword, customers can easily get shipment and delivery notifications on demand and through a trusted source.

Short codes can be used for several other CX functions – from PIN verification and two-factor authentication to one-time passwords, account alerts, appointment reminders and confirmations.

To learn more about how short codes work or find a number to lease for your own CX and marketing needs, visit the Short Code Registry.