The benefits of a custom SMS system for municipalities and government agencies
Communicating urgent or important information is an ongoing challenge for municipalities and government agencies. It is a true pillar for effective governance that contributes to public safety. It is also a guarantee of citizens’ trust. The choice of channel is therefore crucial. SMS remains one of the most effective one.
Fast and direct communication with SMS
An SMS system offers greater speed when it comes to broadcasting. The transmission is instantaneous and the recipients receive the message in a matter of seconds. This makes it a tool of choice for conveying urgent information to citizens.
Universal accessibility
Telephones are, to this day, one of the most widespread means of communication in the world. In 2020, nearly 9 in 10 people owned a smartphone in Canada. It is certainly a great way for governments to send a message to reach the public. The various local operators are making efforts to cover as many areas as possible, even in remote locations.
A high open rate
Usually, we open our inbox as soon as we receive a text message. This is not necessarily the case when we receive an email. This responsiveness makes SMS a particularly effective way to convey an urgent or important message. The chances of recipients reading it are very high. Governments can then exploit this channel to ensure maximum readability of messages.
Customizable messages
It is very easy to customize a SMS to the specific needs of a municipality. Several elements can be adapted depending on the targets and the context:
- The content of the message
- Frequency
- Form
For example, managers can customize tax payment reminders or information about local events. In this context, they will take into account the targeted geographical areas or the linguistic specificities of the recipients.
Interaction made easy
With SMS, citizens can respond to messages sent by local authorities. If governments are looking for feedback, conducting a survey, this channel is effective in getting the opinions of the targets quickly. As the opening rate is higher, there are likely to be more responses from the population.
Simplified tracking and management
The tools to track and manage SMS systems are simple to use. Using this software, governments can measure the impact of SMS by providing different information such as the number of messages sent or the response rate. In this way, it is possible to determine the effectiveness of the communication campaign. Authorities can then adjust future campaigns and improve them to reach more targets.
Tailor-made SMS campaigns with us
At Cocoapp, we provide a powerful tool to manage SMS communications. A useful channel for governments to convey messages to citizens. Along with the Internet and social media, good old-fashioned mobile messaging is still universal, fast and offers a high response rate.
