Mobile text messages are still popular

From the time the first mobile text message was sent 30 years ago, this form of communication has remained popular globally.

A recent study by Infobip, a global cloud communications platform, indicated that SMS registered a 75 per cent increase between January and June 2022. This increase was realized even after new communication channels like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc became popular.

Businesses and brands continue to use mobile text messages for timely alerts and security solutions like two-factor authentication, one-time passwords (OTP) for mobile money services, among others. SMS texts have been used as necessary tools in customer engagement marketing interactions.

From more than 153 billion communications interactions on Infobip’s platform analyzed, the report read in part, “banking and finance saw 68 per cent more SMS interactions, where firms use SMS for timely alerts, retail and eCommerce recorded 22 per cent more SMS interactions, where brands use it for retail marketing automation, telecoms saw 48 per cent more SMS interactions, where firms rely on SMS for reliable, secure messaging with an international customer base”.

This resilient increase in use highlights the versatility of mobile text messages as a reliable channel for communication. Marko Reis, the East Africa regional manager for Infobip, said, “mobile text messaging has become the core feature of the smartphone era in Africa.

With more than 220 million subscribers in East Africa, it is impossible to underestimate the importance and impact of this technology on emerging markets. Due to inconsistent data connectivity throughout the continent, SMS remains at the center of most communications activity across Africa and will continue to drive how people and businesses connect with each other.”