Efficient marketing communication requires high speed and accuracy, especially when we are considering something as instant as a text message. SMS marketing is a great way to engage with your customers, however, you need to be precise to gain a decent result. By the way, check the best text message marketing ideas.
So, the solution here is automation, which can be achieved through the SMS API gateway. Testelium has prepared a short but useful guide on what bulk SMS API is and how it works.
So what is an SMS API anyway?
Firstly, let’s find out the general concept of what API is and how it works. API, or Application Programming Interface, is a medium that connects two applications and allows data exchange request transmission between them.
SMS API, particularly, is designed to link your existing software with SMS sending services. It eliminates human involvement from the SMS distribution while automating and optimizing this process. Here is a simple example: a customer opens your website and makes an order. The API receives the request and passes it to a gateway that automatically sends the message. Besides automation, API provides convenient ways to track the delivery and efficiency of your SMS campaign.
There are also types of API useful for the SMS industry, for example, Testelium also offers SMS verification code API for testing the delivery of your SMS.
What types of businesses find SMS API useful and why?
Any business or organization that has a need to constantly stay in touch with its audience will benefit from this technology. Hence, it will come in handy for the B2C segment in the industries like banks, airlines, restaurants, and hotels, retail and e-commerce, medical services, etc.
These companies choose API for a number of purposes, with the main of them being higher efficiency. Automation allows relocating your employees for essential tasks, while your campaigns will be sent accurately in the required audience and time frame.
Another benefit is the ability to track your text messages and their status. Companies can check if the campaign was successfully delivered. You will know if there are any problems or bottlenecks, therefore, you are able to conduct text message check, find solutions and increase the performance.
API also grants you a high level of flexibility in your marketing activities. You can integrate it into your existing software and set up the delivery however you wish. A lot of API services offer additional features as well.
It also provides fast delivery. You may need to deliver thousands of messages during a short period; doing it manually may be too resource-intensive, and it takes a pretty long time. APIs, on the other hand, will send them easily. It also has access to SMS gateway, and respectively, to the fast and protected delivery routes.
How does an SMS API work?
The first step to set the API up is integration to your current platform, CMS, CRM system or other business tools. When it’s done, you don’t need to use any other platform or application, the messages will be sent to the carrier directly without any other involvement.
The message sending may be triggered by different indicators, as time (the message needs to be sent in a precise time frame) or event (the customer made an order).
Depending on the technologies and programming languages you use, there are different types of API, suitable for different applications.
What is HTTP in SMS API?
HTTP, also known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is created for the connection and communication between a web browser and a web server. Basically, it empowers every website we encounter. As for your SMS services, this type of API will be suitable if you plan to integrate it to the web, for example, into e-commerce platforms or CMS.
What is REST?
It’s a Representational State Transfer. In general, REST is an architecture principle in software development that set the rules and restraints on how application show work on the Internet. Respectively, REST API allows other services to integrate with RESTful applications. If to compare it with HTTP API, REST one will give more flexibility and a wider set of features, however, it is overall more complex.
What is JAVA SMS API?
Java is one of the most popular programming languages, therefore, you will need Java API if your application is written on it. There are different solutions in the market with different capabilities which make messaging from Java-based app possible.
Summing up
SMS marketing is a powerful practice, however, it can be still optimized by additional tools as API. It’s easy to get real benefits from how SMS API works. If your text messaging is intensive, you want to have better access to messaging capabilities and increase efficiency, consider implementing SMS API to your marketing ecosystem.
