RCS BUSINESS MESSAGING GUIDE / INTRODUCTION
Elevating your brand with RCS Business Messaging: A practical guide
In the last couple of years, Rich Communication Services (RCS) has taken center stage as a leading customer communication channel.
It is the perfect blend of reliability of SMS messages and the rich features of modern messaging apps. With RCS Business Messaging, brands can build stronger customer relationships and see impressive results from their campaigns.
In this guide, we deep dive into the ins and outs of RCS Business Messaging. We’ll start by defining RCS and compare it with SMS, MMS, and over-the-top (OTT) messages (like WhatsApp or Viber). Next, we’ll explore use cases for various verticals – banking, eCommerce, healthcare, and more. Lastly, we are going to answer all your RCS-related questions.
Ready to boost customer engagement and drive sales with RCS Business Messaging? Then, keep reading.
What is RCS?
Rich communication services is an IP-based messaging service with rich messaging features similar to chat apps but provided through mobile network operators.
You might also hear RCS messaging called RCS chats or RCS texting.
RCS is now supported both on Android phones and Apple devices. Apple has enabled RCS and RBM with the release of iOS 18.1, which you can download and install since September 16th. This update transformed how Apple and Android users communicate.
This game-changing move bridges the gap between the two platforms, allowing uninterrupted and seamless communication across devices. Additionally, this will help RCS to have the second-biggest reach after SMS.
Learn everything about this new development and what it could mean for the future of messaging:
How do businesses use RCS?
As discussed, RCS is the core technology standard that both individual consumers and businesses use.
However, RCS Business Messaging (RBM) tailors RCS specifically for business-to-consumer communication.
To better understand the key differences between RCS and RBM, let’s take a look at the following comparison table:
| Feature | RCS | RCS Business Messaging |
|---|---|---|
| Target audience | Individuals | Businesses |
| Primary focus | Enhancing personal conversations | Improving business communication |
| Supported features | Rich media content, location sharing | Interactive buttons, suggested replies, campaign tracking |
| Example | Sending messages between friends, family, relatives, etc. | Sending delivery notifications for online orders, coordinating plans with co-workers, etc. |
10 RCS Business Messaging examples
Key features and benefits of RBM for your business
Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of customer service organizations will have abandoned native mobile apps in favor of messaging for a better customer experience.
RCS Business Messaging messages land directly on your customers’ phones, so they do not need to download an app. This ensures your message reaches its target audiences, leading to powerful benefits for your business.
Verified sender
Two-thirds of customers believe trust in companies matters more than it did before.
Since trust is very important to customers, they can be confident that the messages they receive are indeed from your business and not from a fraudulent source. This helps maintain credibility and reduces the likelihood of customers ignoring or flagging your messages as spam.
Branded messages
78% of consumers can recall the logo’s primary color, compared to only 43% who can remember the brand’s name.
That is why displaying your logo and brand colors directly within RCS Business Messaging messages reinforces your brand identity and makes you immediately recognizable.
Rich media cards
74% of customers expect companies to use existing technologies in new ways to create better experiences.
Since RBM supports interactive and visually appealing messages with features such as high-resolution images, carousels, buttons, and suggested replies, you can easily put links to your products and re-direct customers with one tap from the first message to the cart.
Suggested replies and actions
With suggested actions and replies, you can lead the conversation, and your customer needs minimum effort to react and engage with your visually appealing content, which leads to better conversion rates.
Analytics
With in-depth CTR analysis for each rich card, button, or document, you can track message performance to find what works best and optimize future communications.
Additionally, you can track campaign results and have better measurements with URL tracking (Infobip additional solution).
RCS Business Messaging market insights
RCS has been around since 2008, but its adoption is rapidly accelerating. Juniper Research predicts there will be more than 2.2 billion RCS active subscribers globally by 2028.
Apple’s announced RCS integration in 2024 will further fuel adoption, adding a projected 900 million users within two years, reaching 2.1 billion active users globally.
With Apple’s support for RCS Business Messaging and an increased number of operators rolling out RCS Business Messaging worldwide, the expected number of RCS-capable devices by the end of 2024 is 5.6 billion, an increase from 4.2 billion in 2023.
Revenue is also expected to grow significantly with an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2028) of 1.99%, resulting in a market volume of $1.6tn by 2028. Most revenue will be generated in the United States, $337bn in 2024. This presents a massive opportunity for enterprises; those who adopt RCS early will gain a competitive advantage in customer communications.
Juniper Research forecasts that the number of RCS business messages received per annum will increase from 41 billion in 2023 to more than 427 billion in 2028.
RCS isn’t just about growth; it’s about connecting with customers in the way they prefer:
- 74% are more likely to engage with a brand through RCS
- 35x more likely to read RCS messages than emails
[Juniper Research Leaderboard 2024]
Infobip is the leading global RCS Business Messaging player.
The proof is on our platform
We have seen a 62% increase in RCS interactions on our platform. The telecom and finance sectors saw a massive 1062% and 40% jump in RCS interactions, respectively.
RCS is even proving its effectiveness during peak shopping seasons:
- Black Friday 1564% growth
- Cyber Monday 112x growth
- Prime day 921% growth
The numbers don’t lie – RCS delivers the rich, conversational experiences modern customers want.
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