{"id":6588,"date":"2021-01-27T09:39:20","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T09:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smatbot.com\/blog\/?p=6588"},"modified":"2021-01-27T09:39:20","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T09:39:20","slug":"whatsapp-vs-sms-email-ivr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smatbot.com\/blog\/whatsapp-vs-sms-email-ivr\/","title":{"rendered":"WhatsApp Will Overtake SMS, Email, and IVR?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WhatsApp has over 2 billion active users worldwide till 2020; India holds a major stake of users. (Source: Statista)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In traditional days, SMS is the preferred messaging channel used by customers and brands. Now with the emerging technologies customers, preference also changed from the mail, IVR to now WhatsApp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Currently, 78% of consumers use text messaging<\/strong><\/a> for communicating with a company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Messaging is probably the easiest way to get things done with a business. As more brands enable messaging, we expect customer-to-brand communication to shift noticeably toward messaging, just as customers have in their personal lives.”<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

-(Rob Lawson, Google)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the businesses are shifting exponentially towards WhatsApp. The primary reason behind this is its outstanding features that grab the brands’ attention in providing quality service to their customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s discuss out here why WhatsApp overtakes SMS, Email, and IVR-<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Feature-Rich<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Cost-Effective<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Use Cases<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Up With Trends<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s begin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Feature-Rich<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    When we say that WhatsApp is more effective than other channels, on what basis can you judge it?. Features play a primary role in it. Have a glance at the below table:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Whatsapp<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Let’s compare their features here for better insights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Limits on Characters<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    SMS<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    The character limit for a single SMS message is 160 characters. However, some phones and networks use a concatenation process to segment and rebuild messages up to 1600 characters. And on the other side, messages not using GSM-7 encoding<\/a> are restricted to 70 characters only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Email, IVR, & WhatsApp<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    Don’t have any limits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Multimedia Files Sharing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    SMS & IVR<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You don’t have options to share multimedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Email<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    In general, you can attach up to 10MB files, and it depends on the email server’s limit; you may experience less than that also. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp messenger<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    It won’t allow files larger than 64 MB. and this limit works fine when you share general viral videos and related media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Voice Input<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    SMS & IVR<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You don’t have voice input options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Email<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    We usually don’t get that option; you need to enable that option from settings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    We can find voice input at the bottom’s left side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    End-to-End Encrypted<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    End-to-end encryption means any encrypted message at one device will get decrypted only at the device to which it’s sent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp & Email messages<\/strong> –<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    Both messages (messages, photos, videos, voice messages, documents, status updates, and calls) have end-to-end encryption security systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    SMS & IVR<\/strong> –<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You don’t have such a facility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Open Rates<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    SMS<\/strong>– has an open rate of 98%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    An email<\/strong> has an open rate of 56%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IVR<\/strong> has an open rate of 72%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp<\/strong> has an open rate of 99%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Message Open Acknowledgement<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    SMS<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    We won’t get any open acknowledgement for the SMS sent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Emails<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You can acknowledge the message opened only when you request read receipt (while composing an email, you need to click on more options than request read receipt and click on send. You will get notification whenever the recipient opens your mail). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IVR<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    If a person calls on IVR after solving its issue or completing the requested task, an SMS is sent to the called person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You have click options shown for every single message. If a click is one, then the message is sent to the recipient; if it’s a double click, the message gets delivered, and if the double clicks get blue, it means the recipient read the message. If it shows a clock option, it implies the message got stuck at your side because of a low network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sender Brand Name\/Identity and Authenticity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    SMS<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You have a minimum limit of 3 characters and a maximum limit of 11 characters to select the sender ID of mixed characters (lowercase, capitals, digits, signs, and space). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Email<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You have the option to include your brand identity in the Email id or signature or email subject, or the user name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IVR<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You don’t have such an option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You can get a brand identity from the user name or in status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Brand Profile Creation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    SMS<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You don’t have such an option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Email<\/strong>s-<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You can update your profile photo, and for a description about the brand, you can add it in the signature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IVR<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You don’t have such an option<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You can create a brand profile by adding a display picture and description of the brand in status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Automate Conversion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    SMS<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You can’t set automatic replies <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Email<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    It’s limited (Example: subscribe or unsubscribe option, buttons to any offers which redirect you to webpage).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IVR<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    Example: ask to click on press one or any other options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp<\/strong>–<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    (Example: ask to click on yes, no, okay, or any other option), you can avail these by doing some changes in settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Cost-Effective<\/a>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    When compared with SMS, Email, and IVR, WhatsApp is cost-effective. Let’s know their cost on average. It slightly varies based on the vendor or network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n