Kaitlyn Orred
Born sometime between the early 1980s and 1996-ish, millennials came of age at the dawn of the mobile era.
Their communication style is very specific. Millennials prefer text messaging over phone calls, social media interaction over face-to-face. But whether the technology fuels the behavior or the behavior shaped the technology, one fact remains: millennials have defined a new era of communication.
As a company that undoubtedly does a lot of business with millennials, it is to your advantage to meet them on their own turf. So let’s talk about what that means.
When Is A Phone Not A Phone?
It would seem that calling our devices “phones” is a bit of a contradiction. These days, our phones are seldom used for talking. Millennials see their phones as an extension of themselves. Their contacts, appointments, entertainment, brand preferences – just about everything that goes on in their lives – are contained in a handheld device.
Based on current communication preferences, new standards of etiquette are being defined. Phone calls often go unacknowledged, the general thought being that unsolicited calls, even for business reasons, are obtrusive.
Texting, on the other hand, is more convenient. It’s simple, it’s direct, and it’s instantaneous. It allows us to skip the small talk and get straight to the point.
Simplicity is another benefit that millennials embrace. Their generation has grown up with tech, so they are conditioned to choose the technologies that offer the greatest convenience. Texting fits the bill.
Even in business situations, texting is a preferred mode of connecting. SMS provides a record of the interaction, making it easy to reference should the need arise.
Texts can be opened immediately or at the recipient’s leisure, unlike phone calls, which can give away feelings of hesitation or make us feel under pressure to respond. A text gives the recipient adequate time to think and reply appropriately. There is less pressure and more thoughtful interaction, or at least, this is the perception.
Most Millennials Consider Text Reminders Helpful
According to a study conducted by Open Market, 75 percent of millennials think receiving texts for things like payment reminders, delivery notifications, scheduled appointments, and last-minute announcements is useful. That same 75 percent would choose a text-only phone over a voice-only phone any day of the week, and almost 20 percent prefer texts because they don’t check their voice mail.
Why Your Business Needs a Text Service
Now that you know why SMS capabilities are essential to the millennial generation, let’s talk about why it’s important for your business.
The millennial generation is set to outnumber baby boomers, indicating that if you haven’t already done so, you need to think about what motivates them and how you’re going to satisfy their needs.
Text broadcast technology like Call-Em-All gives you a platform that is proven to generate more responses. More appointments are kept, and wasted time and miscommunication are minimized, sending value straight to the bottom line.
Other advantages of having a texting service include:
- Mass-messaging capabilities for emergency or “all hands on deck” situations
- Full personalization features
- Communicate with MMS or picture messages
- Get your message across without trivial distractions
- Communicate with large groups easily
- No limits on group size
- Pre-scheduled broadcasts save time
- Fast delivery
Call-Em-All has been helping organizations engage their audience and deliver their most important messages quickly since 2005. If you would like to learn more about how you can provide a positive experience for your customers, reach out today.