Texting vs. Phoning as a Way To Reach Your Customers

Texting is not just for the young - or for fun - or to tell someone you'll be there in 5 minutes. In fact, according to a report called "Why Your Customers Don't Answer the Phone Anymore - and What You Can Do About It," texting just might be the best way to your most elusive those elusive customers.

While the report from Zipwhip, which helps companies use text messaging more effectively, is clearly intended to sell readers on the idea, it is informative and makes many good points at a time when more and more people simply don't answer their phones any more. After all, how often does your office or home phone ring with a call from Anonymous, interrupting whatever it was you were doing when the phone rang?

The report surveyed 520 U.S. consumers individually and blindly this past June - and came up with 6 takeaways for business:

1. People often reject phone calls from businesses and unknown numbers.
2. People often feel anxious about talking on the phone.
3. The top 5 reasons people avoid phone calls from businesses and unknown numbers.
4. By the end of 2019 nearly half of all calls are expected to be spam robocalls.
5. The top 5 words used to describe phone calls and texting.
6. People often find phone calls to be disruptive.

No major surprises here, but the report does reinforce the idea that it's worth looking into texting as an alternative way to reach customers. After discussing each of the 6 takeaways, the report moves into why texting is a good alternative to phone calling; common misperceptions about texting; and how phone calls and texts can work together.

A free download of the report will help you judge the findings and evaluate the arguments yourself.