missed call marketing Archives - Omni-Channel Messaging Platform

Choosing Between Voice APIs and SMS APIs for Your Mobile App

The highly competitive atmosphere in enterprise communication calls for technologies that keep you ahead for bridging the gap between customers and relevant solutions.

Meanwhile, Application Programming Interface or APIs are on the rise, and it is essential to know how it benefits one’s customer communication channels.

What is an API?

API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of procedures that make way to develop applications which access the procured data of other applications or services. API is merely a set of communication protocols between components.

It offers you tools to build your software. A stable API would allow one to quickly develop their platform or interface by providing all the building blocks.

Understanding Voice and SMS APIs

Voice APIs serve as a bridge between enterprises and their customers. Using the power of voice technology, this tool developed using a simple API procedure understands the clients’ requirements and develops customized voice APIs. When you call a number which uses voice API, it automatically tracks the contact number of the person and saves it in its database to proceed further with outbound phone calls.

Your mobile or software application can automatically instruct the API regarding the way it wants to proceed forward with a call. Many leading businesses use voice APIs for good connectivity between its customers. For example, cab services use Voice APIs to automatically connect the person with the cab driver without providing personal information about the customer.

Similarly, Bulk SMS APIs use codes to send short messages to the customers using a software interface. It revolutionizes communication using codes and programming languages for better prospects of businesses. These voice and SMS APIs can be integrated into websites or mobile applications of the enterprises. Konnect uses Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for connecting calls.

Following are the benefits of availing an API:

With a Bulk SMS API gateway present across all your technological networks and business platforms, you can have a unified functional core to boost seamless communication.
APIs offer flexibility and scalability, which means that you can easily integrate new features without seeking a third party’s assistance.
It is a cost-effective solution considering expandability.
You can make the most of its high transfer and delivery speed, and send hundreds of messages or make calls in the click of a button apart.
A reliable SMS or voice API ensures data security.
Enterprises can also send messages in various formats and get real-time reports on response and delivery.

Kirusa’s Konnect’s API offers both inbound and outbound messaging/call services to its users. Using the interface, one can execute robust marketing campaigns with reliable metrics and response rates.

It is effortless to use Konnect’s API services with the following steps:

All you need to do is create an account on Kirusa Konnect’s website and log in.
Konnect has a vast number of codes loaded in its code snippet among which one will be provided to you.
You need to paste the code snippet provided by Konnect in your code base and proceed to pay for your API pack.

Well now you know how a voice API works, but you still may be in a dilemma as to what are the benefits of using these Voice APIs or SMS APIs?

Send alerts and notifications

You can use voice API or SMS API to send account-related alerts automatically. Customers can be sent a reminder about a product, event, discount, etc.

Call tracking and lead generation

By using APIs, enterprises can track and find the route of the customers in their marketing campaigns.

Masked phone numbers

Enterprises can choose masked phone numbers where the buyer and the seller will be connected without disclosing their identities. Use Interactive Voice Response to generate sales by targeting the prospective customers’ list stored in the database using API.

Products of Konnect using its API are:

API call Snapcall

For example, Jumia is an online shopping app which uses Konnect’s API to get closer with its customers by solving their queries and requests.

When customers figure out a flash-call ad on the Jumia app and as and when they flash the number, it gets connected to Konnect’s Snapcall API, and their number gets stored. This process continues for every customer whenever they dial the flash-call number, and all these numbers are stored as leads. With Konnect, you can trigger voice calling using apps efficiently.

API call outbound SMS

When an API call is initiated to Konnect’s outbound SMS, an SMS is delivered to the user with a link to download the app.

API call voice OBD

To check the authenticity of the user, the Konnect API call sends an OTP number by calling instead of an SMS API. This happens when the user selects the OTP by call option. Now an API call is carried out to Konnect’s voice OBD (Outbound Dialer) to generate OTP through a call. Thereby, the user receives an outbound call.

API call Inbound SMS

Right after a few months of installing the app, the user is sent a customer SMS to draw the feedback of the user for making the required changes. The collected feedback from the user is stored in Customer Relation Management or Database for further decision making.

Now that you know about Konnect’s API services and its benefits, it would be a good idea to combine and use the Voice and SMS API tools. Sign up for a 30-day free trial and avail further.

SnapCall – Taking Missed Call Marketing to the Next Level

We have previously discussed the benefits of missed call marketing as a unique inbound marketing method. The article explored its effectiveness in leveraging marketing campaigns and its potential to garner a more engaged audience, not to mention its inclusiveness and accessibility.

We also highlighted the importance of utilizing various communication channels to get the most out of a marketing campaign. We saw how Missed call marketing does not work in isolation. It yields maximum ROI only in conjunction with different marketing tools.

As part of this, the article touched upon KirusaKonnect’s inbound tool called SnapCall that helps in leveraging missed call campaigns.

This time, we will demonstrate how SnapCall combines missed call marketing with promotional SMS for inbound campaigns. We will talk about ways to supercharge campaigns over this solution and also unveil its benefits as the perfect success tracker.

How is SnapCall Different?

You are already aware of how a missed call marketing campaign is implemented. If not, don’t bother because you will pretty much figure out as you scroll down further.

Now, we shall delve deeper into how SnapCall can be implemented to boost an entire campaign. As part of the versatile Konnect CPaas platform, it offers considerable leeway to enterprises. You can also avoid the pain of looking for an intermediary or agency to carry out calls.

Let’s explore the significant advantages of SnapCall.

Quickest Campaigns

If you run a small business or have begun a new venture, SnapCall is the most cost-effective and hassle-free medium for a campaign.

It is easy, to begin with.

Start by signing up for a free trial account at the Konnect CPaaS portal. You can choose from three types of SnapCall numbers-long number, shortcode and star code-depending upon the nature of your campaign.
Configure the campaign duration and active time.
- Campaign date – The start and end date when the campaign is live
- Campaign time – Hours during the day when people can dial the number to send a missed call.

Following this, advertise the number along with campaign specifics and content across various channels. This is the call-to-action (CTA) that prompts the interested audience to leave you a missed call.
Configure a response SMS as an acknowledgment or confirmation of the missed call being received. Thereon, you can follow up with the leads and work towards a robust customer engagement.

Advertising Channel Effectiveness

SnapCall helps you measure advertising channel effectiveness. It has a rich reporting analytics dashboard, which keeps track of the number of responses and incoming calls.

To convey a clearer picture, let’s imagine you have 3 SnapCall numbers that are advertised across different channels – online search ads, social media and marketing flyers/brochures/posters.

Once the missed call marketing campaign goes live via SnapCall, you’ll see which number brings in the most calls throughout the entire campaign. This will help you measure the effectiveness of the advertising channel or medium.

The analytics dashboard also lets you know the most active hour of the days.

Measuring Campaign Effectiveness

You can also measure conversions by assessing the quality of leads generated by each campaign.

For example, you have launched two lead generation campaigns using SnapCall. The call to action (CTA) is – give a missed call to request for a loan with an attractive interest rate.

The first campaign is via online ads.

Now, let’s say this campaign generated40 leads.

Out of 40 leads, you had four conversions which mean that the callers successfully availed this loan. This indicates that the conversion rate of the first campaign is 10%.

The second campaign has been conducted via using the SMS tagging tool. Let’s say this has generated ten leads.

The SMS tagging tool of the Konnect CPaaS portal lets you insert promotional tags in transactional messages. Therefore, this can also be used as an advertisement platform wherein you can add the SnapCall number along with your offer.

In the second campaign, six leads converted out of the total ten leads generated – leading to a conversion rate of 60%.

When we look at this data, it is clear that the leads generated from the SMS tagging campaign have yielded a better outcome.

Therefore, one can say that the combined effect of a missed call and promotional/transactional SMS marketing has garnered the best result.

In conclusion, SnapCall is a cost-effective medium towards boosting a good campaign ROI. It also befits the customer who can express interest by merely leaving a missed call. Enterprises who seek to engage the right audience can cultivate quality leads without being intrusive.

Missed Call Marketing: Unravelling the tale of a Sleeper Hit

Do you know that the idea for missed call marketing originates from a very general practice of ‘leaving missed calls’? A habit that millions of people have acquired ever since mobile became commonplace.

Although we all leave missed calls now and then, emerging markets like India and Africa have invented their unique codes to convey messages via missed calls.

For a significant number of the populace, talk time rates are still unaffordable and leaving missed calls is a recognized mode of communication.

However, little did we know that a purely price conscious practice would become one of the most widely-used inbound marketing tools.

In this article, we will do our best to explain what missed call marketing is, what it isn’t, its unique benefits and ways to leverage campaigns.

Let’s begin!

What is Missed Call Marketing? Understanding its Unique Advantage

Missed call marketing is an inbound marketing solution where the user leaves a missed call on an advertised number to express interest in a product or service.

It is a pull marketing strategy that draws only interested customers.

With the help of missed call marketing tools, brands can create a new inbound channel for their customers to reach out to them.

For example, Kirusa Konnect has an inbound communication tool calledSnapCallthat helps in creating successful campaigns.

As an inbound marketing medium, missed call campaigns can build high quality leads for the sales team. It enables better recognition of one’s target audience and heightens prospects for a productive brand-customer engagement.

Unlike most other channels that directly reach out to assumed buyers, missed call marketing generates interest without being intrusive. It is the ‘buyer’ who signs up for information because they are aware of your product, which is the point where consumers enter the awareness stage of your marketing funnel.

Hence, missed call marketing has the advantage of pulling a relatively more informed and decisive customer.

How does Missed Call Marketing work?

Missed call marketing is a cost-effective mechanism and starting your campaign is not difficult. One has to remember that it is not a typical brand awareness campaign. Following are the steps that you can execute on an inbound marketing platform.

Start by purchasing and configuring a set of numbers.

Advertise a specific number for people to leave a missed call which is the call-to-action. Remember that the number has to be circulated via other communication channels.

Set up a response SMS as an acknowledgment or confirmation of the missed call being received. Some consider this step optional, but it is highly recommended. Also, enable a mandatory feedback SMS from the customer.

Following these exchanges, you can measure the number of incoming calls and responses or analytics on your inbound platform. Kirusa Konnect’s SnapCall can help visualize and monitor the progress of campaigns in real-

You can use SnapCall as an effective communication platform to supercharge your missed call marketing campaigns. It is a versatile medium to generate awareness of the brand.

However, the utility of missed call campaigns extends beyond general commercial purposes. Following are the various uses cases:

Lead generation – Brands can implement missed call marketing as an efficient way to generate quality leads for their business. Following is a typical example of an insurance agency.

Agency advertises a new insurance policy across various media channels, along with a phone number (this is called the CTA or Call-To-Action).
People who view the advertisement can give a missed call to the number to express interest in the insurance policy.
As soon as the missed call is received, the insurance agency captures the phone number of the caller, which is how a lead is generated.
The agency sales team then reaches out to these leads to turn them into customers.
Examples of brands using lead generation include insurance companies (life insurance, health insurance, home, vehicle, electronics, ), loans, etc.

Contests and voting

During contests or elections, people can leave missed calls on a given number to vote and make their votes count.
Typical examples include voting for your favorite participants on a reality show.
Governments and regulatory bodies can use missed call marketing to gather votes, support and public opinion for socio-economic or environmental causes.
Simply put, missed call marketing can be used for multiple purposes-from extending support to an individual to advocating a particular cause.

App downloads

Brands can increase their app adoption by employing this classical marketing technique. One can leave a missed call he/she wishes to download an app, and will be sent an SMS containing a link.

Service requests

Customers also leave missed calls if they require some service. For example, users frequently request checkbooks from their bank by first leaving a missed call on a given number. This is usually followed by a callback in a defined period or an SMS message.

On-demand information

Bank balance, shipment status, flight details, personalized information, are some of the details that can be gathered via missed calls.

General Awareness

Missed call campaigns can also be applied to generate awareness campaigns against epidemics and natural disasters. Users can leave a missed call and indicate interest if they want further information. For instance, Kirusa Konnect has played a role in facilitating the Ebola Education Campaign to educate Ghanaians on the Ebola epidemic.

What does Missed Call Marketing not Mean?

Conceptualizing a missed call marketing campaign is only half the job done because the exercise is not an end in itself. One must explore and utilize various media/communication channels to generate a robust campaign, including print and electronic media.

Let’s take the example of uniBank which is offering a zero percent payment plan for a comprehensive policy on motor insurance. This message is advertised in print, electronic or social media, TV radio, billboards, etc. A SnapCall number is also popularized with the content to encourage interested customers.

Through the Konnect SnapCall portal, the customer service team of uniBank can access the database of interested people. The team calls back customers to sign them up for the motor insurance policy and other UniBank bank assurance services.

Once the leads are generated, brands become aware of their audience. This is the point where one needs to watch out for conversions and ensure constant communication along with impeccable customer service.

Successful implementation of missed call marketing campaign also requires a regular tracking of metrics and the demography of users. The results can be further used to discover other channels of communication and reach out to newer prospects.

In conclusion, we have learned that missed call marketing is a unique method that assists other forms of advertising for strong marketing ROI. It is an empowering mechanism that makes use of very general practice by letting users reach out at no cost.

The combined effect of auditory/visual communication like Radio and TV with missed call campaigns can inform and educate the buyer. Consumers with limited access to data/internet can make better decisions and understand their needs.

To top it all, the possibilities are limitless, and one can discover innovative ways to further utilize the power of mobile.

Democratize your campaign with Missed Call Marketing

This article will elaborate on the advantages of utilizing missed call marketing solutions for voting/ election campaigns.

We are already aware that missed call marketing is the most viable and cost-effective inbound marketing medium. It offers numerous use-cases and makes an entire campaign easier for both the enterprise and its audience.

Its ability to generate interest amongst buyers without being intrusive is remarkable. Similarly, one can prompt interested people to cast their vote via missed call marketing.

Unlike other voting channels like SMS or online polls, missed calls are more accessible and less time-consuming. Anybody with a mobile can easily participate in the campaign by just leaving a missed call.

Overcoming Disadvantages of Alternate Mediums

Before we explore missed call marketing as a favorable voting channel, let’s understand the challenges of alternative voting mediums- like SMS.

SMS has long been a favorite voting tool, and numerous campaigns have encouraged voters to use the same. However, it’s a long drawn process that takes out the zeal.

To begin with, SMS involves multiple steps – opening a message from the campaigners, trying to understand the process, figuring out the short-codes, typing, dialing the correct number.
It costs money and hence, a lot of people refrain from participating.
There are significant chances of sending the wrong code and voting for the unintended candidate altogether.

Advantages of Missed Call Marketing for Voting and Elections

On the other hand, users face none of these with missed calls. Following are the advantages:

The user is not charged an ounce for leaving a missed call
One merely dials the number and rest is upon the organization
The organizer automatically sends an acknowledgment SMS to the caller. An acknowledgment SMS after a Missed Call is highly recommended and is recorded by the system. SnapCall from KirusaKonnectCPaaS makes this step mandatory.

Considering that missed calls rarely pose any barriers, enabling them during an election is the best way to encourage voters. This is the best method to initiate a direct-call-to-action (CTA).

How to launch a Missed Call Marketing Campaign for Voting?

You can quickly launch a missed call campaign during contests or elections using SnapCall from KonnectCPaaS. The steps are as follows-

Signup for a trial on the Snapcall portal of KonnectCPaaS.
Pick a number – long or short number – for each candidate, depending on your campaign requirements.
Follow by advertising your campaign message and the number across various platforms.
Setup the automated SMS message that is sent to the user, as an acknowledgment of the missed call.
Configure the active hours of the campaign. You can choose to keep the voting lines open 24 hours a day, or restrict it from 6am to 9pm. This feature allows numerous customizations and adds value to your campaign. Votes registered only during business hours are counted/registered.
Configure the duration of the campaign – for e.g.-valid from 1-15 Aug 2018.
Visualize the number of votes in real time from the reports dashboard.

Alternately, you can also download the campaign reports in PDF format from the KonnectCPaaS dashboard.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, anybody seeking to leverage their campaign can count on SnapCall. One has to remember that missed call marketing does not entail a hundred percent success rate unless we advertise across other channels. For the best ROI, utilize every possible means of communication.

Having elaborated the advantages of Snapcall as a campaign booster, let’s remind you that this is only one bit of what it does. Snapcall is an efficient missed call marketing tool that offers many other use cases. If you are still wondering, sign up for a 30-day free trial and find out!

Watch Out: How CPaaS is Taking Over and What to do About It?

Communications Platform as a Service or CPaaS is taking over the industry with new benchmarks for enterprise communication. More businesses are competing to provide an Omni-channel Experience via robust cloud infrastructure and secure communication.

In the fast-paced business space, companies who do not keep up with existing trends will have a hard time catering to customer expectations. Hence, you must steer along the following lines-

Check if your vendor has partnerships with enough network carriers so that it is easier to carry out inbound and outbound communications. For example, Kirusa’s Konnect CPaaS Portal which offers a comprehensive suite of inbound and outbound communication tools enables you to connect with the target audience via mobile phones through its partnership with several network carriers.
Assess the scalability of the API that your vendor offers. Its length, breadth, and depth should be able to accommodate your organization’s evolving needs. For example, if you have to include touch-to-video-chat features, data communication, or VoIP phone system in a customer-facing smartphone app within a year, you don’t want to go to another vendor.
An Omnichannel experience is sought-after by many enterprises for gaining a competitive advantage. But with most large businesses now operating across multiple channels (online and mobile), customer service has become the key factor that influences a buyer’s decision to choose one provider over another.
Secure communication has become a significant concern because accessing CPaaS vendor APIs requires the use of credentials. If not handled with care, exposed credentials allow third-parties to access the company’s infrastructure.
There has to be constant interaction between the vendor-developers and those who use it, one that surpasses traditional support channels. An active user/developer community thrives on shared practices, codes, tools, and skills. Developers who are more willing to share the same with their users are more capable of implementing their features well.

In the fast-paced and evolving cpaas market, and opportunities are numerous but one needs to keep track of the most recent updates. It is also a battleground for companies to keep up with existing trends and engage in the best possible manner with customers.