3 tips to incorporate rich communication service(RCS) sms in your mobile marketing plan

HOW RCS IS CHANGING THE MESSAGING LANDSCAPE

According to a recent report in comScore, about 50% of mobile consumers are downloading no new apps (per month), which has brands more focused on SMS and RCS messaging. But, with RCS so new, how can brands ensure they're  well integrated in this latest messaging system ?so what exactly is RCS Messaging ? 

As we explained earlier in our post on " the latest messaging standard"Rich Communication Services (alternatively known as Advanced Messaging), RCS is a next-generation SMS messaging protocol. It allows users to take advantage of a number of features that were previously exclusive to over-the-top messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage. 

 For example when texting a friend or family member, RCS users will see typing indicators and lets us do things like share high-res photos and larger files, chat with a group, know when messages are read, or make video calls. and read receipts RCS also enables proper group chat However unlike SMS messages, RCS are messages are sent via the user’s data connection or a nearby Wi-Fi link. 

 Rich Communication Services  allows consumers to have a mobile app-like experience in their mobile messaging inbox in a much more convenient way than requiring them to download yet another mobile app or have them toggling back and forth between web pages. 

Through simply pushing call-to-action buttons on RCS messages, consumers can access a simpler and richer user experience. By making customers' lives easier and delivering them the information they need, when they need it, marketers are being empathetic to their customers while encouraging brand loyalty and ultimately, bring more revenue for the operators.

The service is based on the GSMA’s Universal Profile (UP) for Advanced Messaging, which is currently backed by 76 operators, OEMs and OS providers worldwide, and is expected to grow rapidly this year as RCS is adopted by consumers around the world. Samsung is one of the world’s largest device manufacturers, selling over 300 million smartphones in 2016 alone, and this new solution will make it much easier for millions of users across the globe to access RCS messaging 

early last year in  2016, RCS gained a powerful commercial ally with the resources and clout to help it finally realize its promise: Google. A number of carriers, the GSMA, and Google launched an initiative to establish a universal profile based on RCS specifications and to make an initial RCS messaging product available to Android users. In the 12 months since the announcement, more carriers and OEMs have gotten onboard and Google has launched the RCS-ready Messenger app for Android users (recently renamed Android Messages). Google now has put significant investment behind RCS, with Android Messages, it’s Jibe Cloud product, which offers carriers managed RCS services on Google-hosted infrastructure, and an RCS interconnect solution for carriers called the Jibe Hub.