SMS marketing works, but let’s be honest: it feels a bit outdated compared to modern apps.

But what if you could send rich, interactive messages with branded content, images, buttons, and carousels straight to your customers’ native messaging apps?

Rich communication services (RCS) makes that possible.

If you’re ready to explore how RCS marketing can transform your engagement strategy, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. Let’s get started.

What is RCS marketing? 

RCS marketing uses rich communication services to send interactive, branded messages through a customer’s default messaging app. It’s a modern upgrade to SMS that lets businesses share images, buttons, carousels, and more — all without needing third-party apps.

A user on Reddit summed up this perfectly:

RCS lets you send messages that are visually branded with logos and colors while remaining interactive. This turns static updates into an app-like experience inside a message.

This shift is part of a broader industry move, led by Google and backed by major mobile carriers, to upgrade messaging infrastructure and make RCS the default standard on Android devices.

As support continues to grow, businesses are adopting RCS as part of their customer engagement strategy. Platforms like Plivo make that adoption easier with a reliable, enterprise-grade gateway to deliver rich, reliable RCS campaigns at scale.

RCS vs. SMS marketing: A quick comparison

Marketers today are looking for ways to deliver more interactive and visual communication, and RCS is clearly leading the way.

While SMS still works well for simple alerts, it lacks the creativity and engagement that RCS marketing offers.

Let’s take a quick look at RCS vs. SMS marketing.

4 key benefits of RCS marketing

RCS marketing makes messaging feel more natural for both you and your customers. And since you can see what’s working and what’s not, it’s easier to pivot your strategy and get better results.

Here are its four key benefits.

1. Improved user interaction

One of the biggest advantages of RCS marketing is how seamless it makes the experience for your customers. Instead of typing out replies or clicking a link to open a website, users can just tap a button right inside the message.

Want them to book a demo, check order status, or browse products? It’s all possible with just a tap.

Fewer steps mean less effort, and that leads to more people following through. In fact, individuals spend up to 37 seconds engaging with RCS messages, which is a lot longer than most other types of mobile messaging.

That extra time and interaction can make all the difference when you’re trying to convert interest into action.

2. Consistent brand experience

RCS marketing doesn’t just tell people who you are — it shows them.

Verified business profiles help people know they’re getting messages from the real brand. Every message shows your brand’s logo, name, colors, and a checkmark. These small details make it clear that the message is coming from a genuine source.

This consistency matters because 88% of people are more likely to buy from a brand they trust.

3. In-depth analytics

With RCS marketing, you can track open rates, button clicks, and how people interact with each part of your message.

You get clear visibility into what’s working and where users are dropping off. 

This makes it much easier to measure the return on investment (ROI) and fine-tune your campaigns. The more you understand how people engage, the better you can shape your messaging for results.

4. Higher conversion potential

RCS marketing makes it easier for customers to take action — whether that’s browsing products, booking a service, or making a purchase — all within the message itself.

With fewer clicks and no need to switch apps, the path to conversion feels effortless. And when it’s that easy, more people follow through.

For example, EaseMyTrip used RCS to run a post-COVID travel survey. They added quick-tap answer options and followed up with a thank-you coupon. The campaign saw a 4x higher click-through rate than email, 10x more survey completions, and a 2.7% increase in conversion rate.

5 major use cases of RCS marketing

Here are five major use cases showing how brands are using RCS marketing effectively.

1. Product promotions

RCS makes product promotions feel more like browsing a store than reading a message. Brands can send image carousels that customers can swipe through to explore new arrivals, check product details, and see what’s available without leaving their messaging app.

2. Abandoned cart reminders

The average cart abandonment rate is over 70%, which means most shoppers never make it to the finish line. RCS marketing can help bring them back by making the reminder more engaging and easier to act on.

You can send a message that shows exactly what they left behind, along with a clear button to complete the purchase. It’s visual, straightforward, and the entire experience stays within their messaging app.

3. Appointment confirmations and reminders

A PhD thesis from Manchester Metropolitan University found that forgetfulness is the most common reason people skip their appointments.

RCS makes it easier for both businesses and customers to stay on the same page. You can send a message that shows the appointment details along with a simple calendar view. Add buttons to confirm, reschedule, or cancel — all within the chat.

4. Customer surveys and feedback

Getting feedback is important, but most customers lack the time or patience to complete lengthy forms. RCS marketing makes it easier by allowing brands to ask short, targeted questions and receive quick responses.

Plus, the rich features of RCS let you include images, ratings, or multiple-choice options, making feedback feel more like a conversation.

5. Customer support follow-ups

After a support request is resolved, following up shows customers you care and helps close the loop on their experience. But if the follow-up message gets buried in an email inbox or goes unnoticed, that opportunity to connect is lost.

With RCS marketing, you can send a quick message to check if everything’s working fine. You can include helpful buttons like “Change Password,” “Manage Account,” or “Talk to Support.”

RCS marketing myths and realities

Despite RCS marketing’s growing adoption and proven results, some common misconceptions still hold businesses back from trying it. Let’s look at a few of the biggest myths and what’s actually true.

Myth 1: RCS marketing is too expensive

At first glance, RCS business messaging can seem like a pricey upgrade. Rich visuals, tap-to-action buttons, and branded layouts look premium, so it’s easy to assume they come with a hefty cost.

But cost alone doesn’t tell the full story.

What you get in return matters more. RCS drives significantly stronger engagement with higher click-through rates, increased interactions, and better overall outcomes.

Take Club Comex, the loyalty program of North American paint brand Comex. They sent two rich and interactive RCS campaigns to their members and saw a 10x higher click-through rate, which helped increase revenue by 115%.

That’s the value side of the equation. Better targeting and richer content mean more people click, engage, and convert.

Myth 2: RCS marketing doesn’t reach enough users to be worth it

This concern made sense in the early days of RCS, when adoption was still catching up. But the landscape looks very different now.

In June 2024, the 12-month growth of RCS users reached 36.3%, showing faster uptake than other messaging channels. More Android devices support RCS by default, and it’s being rolled out across more networks globally. Even Apple has announced support, which means RCS is on track to reach a massive number of smartphone users worldwide.

With that kind of growth and widespread support, the hesitation around RCS is starting to fade. Brands can confidently invest in RCS marketing knowing it will connect with more customers than ever before.

Myth 3: RCS gets treated like spam and ends up ignored just like emails

Unlike email, RCS messages appear directly in the user’s primary messaging app alongside personal conversations. They include rich media and interactive elements, making them more engaging and less likely to be ignored.

This creates a more natural, conversational experience that drives higher open and response rates than traditional marketing channels.

Why choose Plivo for your RCS marketing needs

With RCS, you can turn simple messages into rich, branded conversations that feel more like chatting than broadcasting.

Plivo gives you the tools to make that shift without the hassle. From verified messaging to smart automation, everything works together to help you connect better and respond faster.

When combined with AI Agents and a unified customer data platform, RCS becomes more than just messaging. You can deliver personalized experiences at scale, automate everyday interactions, and keep conversations flowing without lifting a finger.

Here’s what you get with Plivo’s RCS API:

• Real-time personalization: AI Agents tailor conversations using customer profiles and behavior triggers to improve engagement and conversions.
• Multi-channel fallback: If RCS isn’t supported, messages automatically switch to SMS to ensure delivery and maintain consistent communication.
• Conversational automation: AI Agents handle FAQs, process orders, schedule deliveries, and route complex queries within RCS.
• All-in-one messaging platform: Manage RCS, SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, and more from a single dashboard.
• Reliable performance: 99.99% uptime and global infrastructure keep your campaigns running smoothly.

With Plivo’s no-code tools, you can quickly launch AI-powered RCS messaging across channels and deliver a consistent customer experience from day one.

See how you can launch your first RCS marketing campaign with Plivo by requesting a demo today!

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Your customers are on WhatsApp but are your agents?

If you’re still relying on manual replies, scripted chatbots, or email follow-ups, you’re leaving response time and revenue on the table.

The smarter path? AI-powered WhatsApp agents. They’re full-service, no-code agents that can resolve issues, qualify leads, and send personalized offers 24/7.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through WhatsApp agent setup using Plivo and understand how these agents help you automate conversations that convert.

What is a WhatsApp AI agent?

A WhatsApp AI agent is an automation designed to operate over the WhatsApp Business API. Unlike scripted bots, agents are built to understand intent, pull in context from your internal systems, and complete business tasks like answering account-specific questions or initiating transactions.

Plivo’s WhatsApp AI agents can be trained to use your brand voice, integrated with your CRM or helpdesk, and customized to handle specific use cases, such as subscription renewals, cart recovery, refund processing, or customer onboarding.

They are accessible through a no-code interface and support a multilingual, omnichannel customer experience across WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, and voice.

What you need before setting up your agent

To go live with a WhatsApp agent, you need:

• A verified Meta Business Account
• An active WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) tied to a phone number
• Pre-approved message templates for outbound communication
• WhatsApp Business API access through a business solution provider (BSP) (Plivo offers this natively)
• A platform to design, train, and manage agents (Plivo Agent Studio)

Also read: How to Create WhatsApp Message Templates: A Complete Guide

Optional but recommended integrations:

• CRM (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho)
• Helpdesk (like Zendesk or Freshdesk)
• E-commerce or billing tools (Shopify, Stripe, etc.)

Step-by-step: How to set up a WhatsApp agent with Plivo

Follow this step-by-step guide for a smooth WhatsApp agent setup with Plivo.

Step #1: Choose your primary use case and define agent scope

Don’t build a generic bot. Start with why you’re automating. This could be handling support queries, sending order updates, re-engaging inactive customers, or managing subscription renewals.

Plivo provides a library of prebuilt AI agents for common use cases like cart recovery, lead qualification, appointment reminders, and product recommendations. You can choose to use one as-is or customize it to fit your business process. Each agent is compatible with WhatsApp and designed to operate across channels as needed.

Step #2: Build the agent using Plivo’s no-code platform

Since your API access is already set up, you can begin building your agent in Plivo’s Agent Studio. This is a visual, drag-and-drop builder where you create conversation flows using blocks that represent actions, responses, conditions, and triggers.

You can structure your flow to respond to specific keywords, match customer intent, route inquiries to different departments, or escalate to a live agent when needed. Each step in the journey can include media-rich responses like buttons, product carousels, quick replies, and file attachments.

Beyond logic design, you can also configure fallback rules for when the agent is unsure, and add human handoff conditions to ensure escalations happen smoothly with full context transferred to the live agent.

This step allows you to fully customize the agent’s tone, workflow, and logic to reflect how your brand communicates.4

Step #3: Train your agent with AI

Plivo supports integration with internal systems like your CRM, order management platform, inventory tools, or helpdesk. This means your agent can access real-time customer data, past orders, preferences, and policies to deliver personalized responses.

You can also connect your knowledge base, including FAQs, SOPs, product documentation, or policy articles. These resources train the agent to respond accurately and contextually, without needing scripted answers.

For natural language understanding, Plivo gives you the flexibility to choose the AI model that powers your agent.

Step #4: Test, launch, and monitor your agent

Once your flow is built and trained, run controlled tests:

• Check for flow accuracy and intent matching
• Review how it handles incomplete or unclear inputs
• Test human handoff and see if the agent transfers the full context

Plivo’s real-time dashboard lets you:

• Monitor delivery, engagement, and satisfaction metrics
• Track where users drop off in conversations
• Identify areas to improve agent logic or content
• Compare campaign and agent performance across channels

After launch, your agent keeps learning. As more customers interact, you’ll gather insight to improve how it responds or what paths it offers.

Plivo is purpose-built for WhatsApp AI agent deployment

Plivo’s platform is designed to help you move from idea to live AI-powered engagement without requiring engineering support or external consultants. When you use Plivo for WhatsApp agent setup, you get:

• Access to prebuilt agents for sales, support, and engagement
• Intuitive no-code builder (Agent Studio) that puts you in control
• Deep integration with your business systems for real-time, contextual replies
• Support for the best LLMs on the market, so your agent is trained with intelligence
• Built-in compliance with WhatsApp’s policies and global data laws
• Unified interface to manage messaging across WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, and Voice
• Enterprise-grade infrastructure with 99.99% uptime and expert onboarding support

Automate outcomes with WhatsApp agent setup in Plivo

Smart WhatsApp automation starts with smart setup. With Plivo's no-code platform, you can automate customer conversations, boost sales, and scale support — all without a development team.

Plivo offers the tools to build agents that reflect your brand, the infrastructure to scale securely, and the intelligence to adapt with your customer needs.

Whether you're trying to cut support wait times, recover abandoned carts, or drive upsells through personalized outreach, a well-built WhatsApp agent can make it happen, and Plivo makes it achievable.

Ready to get started? Request a free trial today!

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Remember when WhatsApp was just a simple messaging app? Launched in 2009, it was a tool for friends and family to stay in touch. 

Fast-forward to today, and WhatsApp has become a global powerhouse with over 3 billion monthly active users. Businesses worldwide leverage WhatsApp to connect with customers, share updates, and provide support.

Many businesses struggle to keep up with the growing volume of customer messages on WhatsApp. Manually handling inquiries, sending updates, or following up on leads can quickly become overwhelming and inefficient. 

This is where WhatsApp automation steps in.

By automating repetitive messaging tasks, businesses can reduce manual workload, respond faster, and deliver more personalized, timely communication. 

In this article, we'll explore what WhatsApp automation is, why it's essential for modern businesses, and how you can implement it to improve customer engagement and operational workflows.

What is WhatsApp automation?

WhatsApp automation is the use of technology to automatically send and manage messages on the platform, especially for business and customer engagement purposes.

It doesn’t require human intervention for every interaction. As a result, businesses can handle customer inquiries, deliver updates, and engage with prospects efficiently.

With WhatsApp business automation, you can:

• Auto-respond to FAQs and reduce ticket volume.
• Reduce customer support load with proactive messaging.
• Route complex support queries to live agents only when needed.
• Send order confirmations and delivery updates automatically.
• Share return instructions based on customer actions.
• Run re-engagement campaigns with smart timing.
• Integrate with Shopify, Magento, and more for real-time updates.
• Trigger workflows from CRMs or e-commerce platforms.
• Keep messaging compliant with auto opt-outs and logs.

Here’s a breakdown of the three main types of automated messaging on WhatsApp:

Key benefits of WhatsApp automation

By automating routine tasks, WhatsApp can help your business stay responsive and consistent across customer touchpoints. Here’s how it can benefit your business:

Reduce manual workloads and response times

When you automate WhatsApp interactions, every department, from marketing to customer service, runs more smoothly.

By automating routine tasks like order updates, FAQs, and customer inquiries, businesses can significantly reduce the manual effort required.

This means your team spends less time on repetitive tasks and more time focusing on high-priority interactions.

Increases the scalability of customer interactions

As your business grows, the number of customer interactions increases. Automation allows you to scale communication efforts without hiring additional staff or losing the personal touch.

Whether you're dealing with 50 or 5,000 customers, automated responses ensure that each inquiry is handled swiftly and consistently.

Enhances customer experience through personalization

Automated WhatsApp messages can be personalized based on customer data, creating a more relevant and tailored experience.

From addressing customers by name to offering product recommendations based on past purchases, personalization makes customers feel valued. This leads to higher engagement rates and improved loyalty.

Cost-effectiveness compared to manual processes

WhatsApp automation eliminates the need for large customer support teams and reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks.

This saves on operational costs and also leads to a more efficient allocation of resources.

5  popular use cases of WhatsApp automation across industries

Businesses everywhere are finding new ways to use WhatsApp automation. Here are five popular examples:

1. Customer support

Automating common FAQs and routine inquiries on WhatsApp helps customers get instant answers anytime. This reduces the number of tickets support teams have to handle, letting them focus on more complex problems.

2. E-commerce operations

Order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery notifications keep customers informed every step of the way. Automating returns and collecting feedback via WhatsApp speeds up these processes and improves customer satisfaction.

3.Marketing and lead nurturing

Automated lead follow-ups ensure timely, consistent engagement with prospects, boosting conversion chances. Also, you can use personalized re-engagement campaigns to help bring back inactive customers with offers or updates tailored to their interests.

4.Event management and invitations

Automated WhatsApp invites, updates, and follow-ups keep your audience informed and engaged, boosting the attendance rate. This helps you stay connected and make every event a success.

5.Appointment scheduling and reminders

Timely reminders help customers remember appointments, reducing cancellations and improving the overall experience. Automation makes scheduling easier and more efficient for both businesses and customers.

Step-by-step guide to implement WhatsApp automation for your business

To successfully implement WhatsApp automation, follow these key steps that cover planning, setup, and optimization. 

Step 1: Define your use cases and goals

Start by identifying which business functions, such as order updates, customer support, or lead follow-ups, will benefit most from automation.

Set clear, measurable goals like: 

• Reducing response times 
• Lowering manual workload 
• Boosting customer engagement 

This will guide your automation strategy and help you track success.

Also, ensure compliance from the start. WhatsApp requires businesses to obtain explicit customer opt-in before sending messages. To stay compliant:

• Use clear, transparent language when requesting consent.
• Collect opt-ins through channels like website forms, checkout flows, or click-to-chat ads.
• Log and manage consent within your systems for audit readiness.

Data privacy and compliance are essential for building trust and maintaining long-term customer relationships.

Step 2: Choose the right WhatsApp business API provider

Select a platform that fits your specific needs. Look for features like:

• Robust CRM integrations
• Audience segmentation
• Flexible automation workflows

These capabilities simplify your communication and scale your efforts efficiently.

Make segmentation a priority, use tagging and grouping strategies to target the right customers with the right messages. 

With smart tagging and grouping, you can:

• Deliver personalized messages
• Engage the right people at the right time
• Improve conversion and retention

Step 3: Set up your WhatsApp business account

You must set up a verified WhatsApp Business account to use WhatsApp for automated messaging. This includes:

• Registering your business name and details.
• Verifying a dedicated phone number.
• Getting approval from Meta to use the WhatsApp Business API.

This ensures that your business is recognized as a legitimate sender.

Your WhatsApp API provider will typically assist with onboarding, including submitting documentation and setting up the technical aspects. 

Some platforms also offer pre-built tools to help you manage mobile number registration, display name approval, and message template submissions.

Step 4: Create and submit message templates

Start by designing message templates for everyday customer interactions, such as:

• Promotional messages (e.g., limited-time offers)
• Transactional updates (e.g., order confirmations, delivery alerts)
• Support messages (e.g., ticket updates or issue resolution)

Each template must follow WhatsApp’s formatting and content policies.

Once your templates are ready, submit them through your WhatsApp API provider for Meta’s approval. Only approved templates can be used for proactive messaging.

Step 5: Build automation workflows

Now that your account and templates are ready, it’s time to connect WhatsApp with the rest of your tech stack. Integrate with:

• CRM systems (to access customer data)
• Support tools (for query management)
• E-commerce platforms (to track orders and actions)

Use event-based triggers, like a new order, a cart abandonment, or a support ticket, to automatically send relevant messages.

Additionally, plan for human fallback. Automation can’t handle everything. Build intelligent workflows that escalate to a human agent when:

• A customer requests help
• The query is too complex
• Sentiment detection flags a negative experience

This keeps your support experience smooth, responsive, and frustration-free.

Step 6: Test, launch, and optimize

Start with a pilot campaign to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Track key metrics:

• Response time
• Open rate
• Conversion rate

Use these insights to refine your workflows, improve message content, and adjust targeting.

Best practices for WhatsApp automation 

Following some proven best practices is essential to get the most out of WhatsApp automation. Here’s what you need to know:

Tips for optimizing messaging frequency and timing

To keep your audience interested, it's vital to message thoughtfully and strategically. Here are some quick tips:

• Avoid over-messaging to prevent unsubscribes.
• Use analytics to identify when your audience is most active and receptive.
• Space out messages to keep it natural.
• Monitor response rates and adjust based on customer behavior and feedback.

Leverage data analytics for campaign performance 

By tracking metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and response times, you gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. Use this data to refine your messaging, target relevant audience segments, and optimize timing. 

Regularly reviewing analytics helps you make informed decisions that boost engagement and drive better results over time.

Compliance and customer privacy protection

To protect your customers and stay compliant, focus on these key areas:

Enhance customer communication with Plivo’s AI WhatsApp automation

The growing demand for instant, tailored communication on WhatsApp puts pressure on businesses to respond quickly. Customers expect fast, personalized replies around the clock, and doing this manually often leads to delays, inconsistent service, and missed opportunities. 

Finding a way to scale these conversations efficiently is critical for businesses looking to stay competitive.

That’s where Plivo comes in, an industry-leading omnichannel platform that automates and personalizes WhatsApp conversations, delivering timely responses at scale.

By leveraging Plivo’s WhatsApp AI agents, businesses can manage a wide range of customer communication tasks, from pre-sales inquiries to post-purchase support, without increasing their team size.

Here’s how Plivo can enhance your customer communication:

• Brand-aligned AI agents: You can customize the AI agents to reflect your brand’s voice, tone, and style. This makes all customer interactions align with your brand’s identity and deliver a personalized experience.
• AI customer service agent: Plivo’s AI agents work around the clock, ensuring your customers receive timely responses, regardless of the time zone. These agents process orders, resolve support issues, and answer questions.

• Natural, human-like conversations: With AI agents, you can engage in context-aware conversations, mimicking human interactions. They remember customer preferences and history to provide relevant responses like a human agent would.
• Simple, volume-based pricing: Plivo charges a flat fee per conversation rather than per message, making costs predictable and scalable. Volume discounts are available to lower your total spend as your messaging needs grow.

• Built-in compliance: Plivo ensures compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 standards.
• Guaranteed message delivery with fallback options: The platform delivers billions of messages annually and uses SMS and voice fallback channels to ensure your customers always receive important communications.
• 24/7 availability: Plivo's AI agents provide instant, 24/7 assistance, answering questions, processing orders, and resolving customer issues.
• Multilingual support: With support for 70+ languages, Plivo’s AI agents can engage with customers globally and offer a multilingual customer service experience.
• E-commerce platform integrations: Integrate seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Magento to deliver a unified customer experience across all touchpoints.

With Plivo’s vast carrier network spanning over 220 countries, businesses can significantly cut SMS costs by up to 70% while achieving threefold returns on investment. 

Many companies using Plivo CX have experienced remarkable results, earning an outstanding $71 for every dollar invested in their SMS marketing efforts.

Book a free demo today and see how Plivo’s AI WhatsApp agents can change your customer communication strategy.

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Stop sending texts into the void. If your SMS strategy still relies on generic, one-way blasts without personalization or interaction, you're leaving money on the table and missing genuine connections with your customers.

In fact, 71% of consumers respond more positively to two-way interactions with brands. They want a dialogue, not a monologue.

This blog will help you understand how to get started with conversational SMS, real-life use cases, and how to build a texting experience your customers will enjoy.

This guide reveals how to pick up conversational SMS, from real-world use cases to proven tactics that turn simple texts into meaningful conversations. 

What is conversational SMS? 

As noted, conversational SMS refers to two-way texting between your business and customers. Unlike traditional SMS blasts, which send the same message to thousands of people at once, conversational SMS invites engagement and, in many cases, a reply.

Therefore, it gives your customer a direct way to ask questions, confirm details, or solve an issue without waiting on hold or checking email.

For example, instead of sending “Your order has shipped,” you can ask, “Your order’s on the way. Need tracking info or support?” This small shift can drive action.

Plus, you can also rely on channels like RCS (Rich Communication Services), which supports images, buttons, and suggested replies, or WhatsApp, which allows branded two-way conversations on a global scale.

Key benefits of conversational SMS 

In 2025, 86% of customers prefer SMS as their go-to communication channel. But preference alone doesn’t drive results. It’s how you use SMS that makes the difference. 

Conversational AI helps you move beyond one-way updates to real, results-driven engagement. Here’s what you gain:

Speed up your replies

82% of consumers check their text notifications within just five minutes of receiving a text. And nearly a third check their text notifications within just 60 seconds of receipt. Conversational SMS is built exactly for this. 

It helps you reply instantly to common questions like, “Where’s my order?” or “Can I change the delivery address?”. And it doesn't even require a ticket number.

Make support easier

With this SMS marketing, people don’t have to dig through your site or repeat themselves. Everything stays in one thread, including returns, product questions, and delivery updates, so that it’s direct and friction-free for the users.

For example, a customer could text, “Does this shirt run small?” and get a personalized answer in seconds. 

Help people buy faster

Unanswered questions can kill sales. Conversational SMS gives you a chance to answer at the right moment when your customers are deciding whether to click “buy.”

Let’s say a customer asks, “Can I use this promo code on sale items?” A quick yes (or a helpful alternative) could be all it takes to close the sale.

Do more with fewer resources

Your support team doesn’t need to handle every message manually. Conversational SMS lets you automate repeat questions like “What are your hours?” or “How do I track my order?”That saves your team time and reduces burnout while shortening response times.

Build real trust

When customers know they can text you and get a real response, it builds credibility. That kind of reliability turns one-time buyers into loyal customers. And unlike email or ads, SMS feels personal and immediate.

Real-world use cases

It’s one thing to understand the benefits, but it’s another to see them in action.

Here’s how real brands are using conversational SMS to improve service, boost sales, and build loyalty: 

Order updates

Customers want to know what’s happening with their orders without having to ask.

Conversational SMS lets you send updates at every stage (order confirmed, shipped, out for delivery, or delayed).

For example, if a customer texts back, “Can I change the delivery address?” or “Will it arrive before Friday?”, you can respond in real time.

This takes the pressure off your support team and keeps the customer calm and informed.

Tip: Include a tracking link in your message. It cuts down on “Where’s my order?” texts.

Product recommendations

One-size-fits-all promos are no longer effective in this era of hyper-personalized services. Conversational SMS lets you send curated suggestions based on shoppers’ past purchases and even browsing history for minute relevance.

Instead of broad, one-way promos, you can tailor each message to what your customer is actually interested in. That makes your outreach feel helpful instead of pushy.

Take the message from Half Magic Beauty shown below. It introduces a new product variant with a clear visual and a message that responds to customer demand. It’s timely, specific, and visually engaging.

Cart recovery

Abandoned carts are lost opportunities if you do not reach out the right way. Conversational SMS gives you a direct way to bring shoppers back without sounding pushy.

The text message from Hello Molly shown below is friendly, personalized, and straight to the point. The customer gets a quick reminder that she left items in her cart, along with a link to complete the purchase.

This kind of timely nudge feels helpful, not spammy. It shows you’re paying attention and that you care about making the checkout process easier.

Welcome campaign

A well-crafted welcome message sets the tone for the entire customer journey. Conversational SMS lets you ask about preferences, share exclusive perks, or answer quick questions. This is a great opportunity to turn a new contact into a loyal customer from day one.

The example from Clinique is a great starting point. It immediately confirms the customer’s signup, sets expectations for future updates, and teases upcoming offers. 

The message also introduces an engaging brand moment by promoting a surprise from their Global Brand Ambassador and inviting customers to join them on Instagram.

Reminder text

Reminder texts are an effective way to keep your audience engaged and on schedule, whether for an event, an appointment, or a deadline.

The message from Becker’s Healthcare reminds recipients about the date and location of their upcoming annual meeting and includes a direct registration link. The tone is professional, clear, and action-oriented.

This type of SMS helps reduce no-shows, boosts attendance, and keeps your brand top of mind. Plus, including a clickable CTA makes it easy for recipients to act immediately without needing to search for more information.

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Upsells & cross-sells

Upselling and cross-selling are powerful tactics to boost customer lifetime value and maximize revenue without acquiring new customers. By recommending premium options or complementary products, brands can increase average order value and deepen customer loyalty

This message from Native is a classic upsell.

The customer has already purchased a product. Now, Native is encouraging her to join their subscription program to get that product delivered regularly with a discount of up to 25%. That’s an upsell: offering a higher-value option (subscription + savings) after a purchase.

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Features that make conversational SMS work 

If you want customers to reply, engage, and convert, your SMS needs the right tools. These are the features that make that happen.

AI chatbot integration for auto-replies

One of the key drivers of conversational SMS is speed, and that’s where AI chatbot integration shines. Automating responses ensures that customers get immediate replies, whether they’re asking a simple “Where’s my order?” query or requesting a product return. 

Chatbots can handle common questions, provide status updates, offer product recommendations, and escalate issues to live agents when needed. This reduces wait times, offloads repetitive tasks from human agents, and keeps customer satisfaction high even outside of business hours.

CRM and contact center integration

When SMS is synced with your CRM and contact center systems, it becomes a powerful relationship-building tool. Agents can instantly access customer profiles, previous interactions, and purchase history, allowing for highly personalized and context-aware conversations. 

For example, if a customer texts about a delay, the agent can immediately reference their order and respond with accurate updates. This seamless backend integration helps prevent repetitive questions, shortens resolution times, and enables consistent messaging across SMS, voice, email, and chat channels.

Opt-in/opt-out mechanisms for compliance

SMS platforms that support opt-in and opt-out management help you stay aligned with laws like TCPA, GDPR, and CAN-SPAM. 

These tools make it easy to capture explicit consent before sending texts, store that consent securely, and allow customers to opt out at any time with a simple keyword like “STOP.”

This not only protects your business legally but also demonstrates respect for your customers’ privacy preferences, boosting credibility and trust.

Personalization tokens 

Personalization tokens allow you to automatically insert specific details like the customer’s name, last purchase, shipping status, or loyalty points into SMS messages. 

For example, a message that says, “Hi Sarah, your order #1357 is out for delivery,” lands better than “Your order has shipped.”

Message templates for speed and consistency

Message templates let teams respond quickly without sacrificing accuracy or tone. Whether you send shipping updates, payment reminders, support instructions, or feedback requests, templates ensure every message is professional, brand-aligned, and typo-free. Plus, they help maintain a consistent customer experience no matter which agent is replying.

Best practices for a winning conversational SMS strategy

To get real results, brands need a smart, customer-first approach. Here are a few proven best practices to help you get the most out of your conversational SMS efforts:

Start with consent

Always get permission before you message someone. This builds trust and keeps you compliant with privacy laws. Without consent, your messages can feel intrusive and hurt your brand.

Be human

Customers are increasingly comfortable with bots, but they want human backup available when things get complex. Use clear language, a friendly tone, and a real name. A warm, human message is more likely to get a response.

Respond quickly

Customers expect fast replies. A delay of even a few hours can lead to frustration. Set response time goals and use alerts for incoming messages. Quick replies show customers that you value their time.

Personalize messages

Use customer data to tailor every message. Mention their name, recent orders, or past issues. Small personal touches can boost engagement and satisfaction.

Segment your audience

Don’t send the same message to everyone. Group customers by behavior, location, or loyalty. For example, first-time buyers may need onboarding tips, while repeat customers may want exclusive offers.

Track performance

Measure open rates, response times, and satisfaction scores. Are customers replying? Are issues getting resolved faster? Use this data to refine your messaging strategy and double down on what works.

Common mistakes to avoid 

Even with the best tools, mistakes happen. Want to get customer sentiment right? Avoid these common pitfalls that can derail your efforts.

Using SMS for one-way blasts only

Treating SMS as a one-sided channel limits its potential. Customers expect two-way communication. If you only send promotions or alerts, you miss the chance to engage, resolve issues, or build loyalty.

Overloading messages with too much info or links

Long texts with multiple links or instructions often get ignored. Keep it short. Focus on one clear message or CTA. For example, link to a single landing page instead of listing all your offers.

Ignoring replies or failing to follow up

If a customer replies and hears nothing back, it signals you weren’t listening. Missed replies damage trust. Set up alerts or auto-assignments, so your team can follow up fast.

Sending texts at odd hours

No one wants a marketing message at 3 AM. Respect time zones and customer preferences. Schedule texts during business hours or based on past engagement patterns. 

For US customers, send messages between 8 AM and 9 PM in the recipient's local time zone (required by TCPA law), with optimal engagement typically occurring between 9 AM and 11 AM and 5 PM and 8 PM on weekdays.

Create richer conversations with Plivo 

Ready to implement the conversational SMS strategies covered in this guide? 

As an all-in-one omnichannel communications platform, Plivo makes it simple to turn these best practices into real results.

From the AI chatbot integrations to the personalization tokens that make messages feel human, Plivo has built these capabilities directly into the platform:

• AI-powered auto-replies that handle common questions instantly
• Smart personalization using customer data and purchase history
• Compliance automation for TCPA and GDPR requirements
• Real-time analytics to optimize your messaging performance

Plus, you get all the foundational SMS features that make two-way conversations possible:

• Two-way messaging with keyword opt-ins/opt-outs
• Message templates and smart scheduling
• CRM integrations for personalized responses
• Global delivery across 190+ countries

Perfect for businesses ready to move beyond broadcast SMS and start having real conversations that drive results.

Turn every text into a conversation that converts. Book a demo now.

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Conversations are how people buy now. They don’t wait through long forms or callbacks anymore. Instead, they turn to quick, direct messages — whether they’re browsing products, asking about pricing, or checking delivery timelines.

Many teams already use live chat, chatbots, or automated messaging, but conversational marketing goes beyond those tools.

Unlike simple chatbots that follow preset scripts or automated messages triggered by generic rules, conversational marketing focuses on continuous, personalized, and context-driven interactions. It blends automation with real-time responsiveness to create a more natural dialogue that adapts to each customer’s unique needs.

In this guide, we’ll delve into how conversational marketing benefits your business, the limitations of using traditional tools, and how Plivo AI agents enhance your conversational marketing strategy.

What is conversational marketing?

Conversational marketing is a real-time, personalized approach to engaging customers through the communication channels they already use, like SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, website chat, and voice assistants.

Unlike traditional marketing, which pushes one-size-fits-all messages to broad audiences, a conversational marketing strategy creates two-way, context-rich dialogues that feel more like natural, human conversations.

Conversational marketing examples include a brand recommending products over WhatsApp, sending order updates via SMS, and answering follow-up questions through live voice support. Each touchpoint builds on the previous one, creating a consistent customer experience.

The role of AI and human agents in scaling and personalizing conversations

As customer expectations continue to rise, businesses are under pressure to deliver fast, personalized support without ballooning operational costs. The combination of AI and human agents helps companies balance speed, scale, and empathy in every customer interaction.

Here’s how they work together for a consistent conversational marketing strategy:

AI delivers scalable, 24/7 customer support

AI chatbots help businesses support customers around the clock. They handle repetitive tasks, such as answering common questions, qualifying leads, and guiding users through your funnel. AI keeps prospects engaged, reducing wait times and boosting conversion rates without extra headcount.

Plus, it delivers consistent messaging across communication channels and collects insights to refine your marketing and sales approach.

Human agents bring empathy and problem-solving

While AI handles routine conversations, human agents are crucial for the nuanced aspects of marketing, including building trust, addressing objections, and handling unique customer concerns.

When conversations get tricky, sensitive, or require complex solutions, humans step in to connect on an emotional level, nurturing prospects into loyal customers.

This human touch is more important than ever. In the U.S., even when people love a company or product, 59% will walk away after experiencing several bad interactions, and 17% will do so after just one. That’s why blending automation with empathy ensures every conversation feels authentic and valuable.

AI makes personalization easy at scale

AI leverages natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to understand your customers’ behaviors, preferences, and past interactions. It can recommend products, customize offers, or deliver hyper-relevant messages all in real time.

These capabilities make every conversation feel like a one-on-one, even when you're engaging thousands. As AI learns and adapts, the marketing experience becomes increasingly intelligent, intuitive, and human-like.

Limitations of traditional conversational tools

Traditional conversational tools present challenges that can undermine customer experience and marketing effectiveness. These include:

Human teams can’t work around the clock

Human support teams face natural limitations, such as working hours, fatigue, and staffing constraints, that prevent them from offering 24/7 assistance. As a result, customer inquiries made outside of business hours often go unanswered or are delayed, leading to a poor customer experience and missed opportunities for engagement.

AI-powered systems also provide always-on support at scale, handling multiple conversations simultaneously.

Chatbots lack intelligence and context

Basic chatbots work using fixed scripts or rules; they don’t understand what users mean and can’t handle questions that don’t follow their script. The result is often repetitive or off-topic responses.

In fact, recent studies show that only 8% of people use chatbots, and just 25% of those said they would use that chatbot again.

Even though companies are spending more on chatbots, many still don’t help users get what they need. AI customer service chatbots that utilize NLP and ML are effective, but they still struggle to recall past interactions or pick up on subtle details in what people say.

Separate systems lead to poor personalization

When conversational tools operate in silos separate from CRMs, customer databases, or other business systems they lack the data needed to deliver personalized experiences. This disconnect results in generic interactions that overlook a customer's history, preferences, or previous interactions.

Without personalization, users feel like strangers each time they engage, which weakens trust and loyalty.

Integrating these tools with broader business systems is essential for delivering meaningful, context-aware conversations, but achieving seamless integration remains a significant technical and organizational challenge.

Slow responses kill conversions

When customers face long wait times, whether due to human agent limitations or sluggish bot performance, they’re more likely to drop off before converting. Traditional tools can fall short if they rely on backend processing or require escalating issues to human staff.

Conversational marketing helps by responding to routine questions, routing complex ones, maintaining engagement, and enhancing conversion potential.

Plivo’s AI agent framework for conversational marketing

Plivo’s AI agents work like expert team members for your business, available 24/7 to engage with your customers, assist them, and ensure satisfaction. These AI agents are trained on your brand’s information, like your products, customer history, and FAQs, so that they can have natural, personalized conversations.

They learn what customers need and give helpful, personalized responses. They also reflect your brand’s unique voice and can be customized to match your style and tone.

3 core capabilities of Plivo’s AI agents

Plivo’s AI framework has three key capabilities that align directly with your business’s growth journey. Each represents a specialized AI agent tailored to optimize critical customer touchpoints. Here’s a closer look.

1. Convert: Turning conversations into revenue

Sam is your digital sales professional, trained to qualify leads, recommend the right products, and nudge customers toward purchase completion. Capabilities include:

• Abandoned cart recovery: Detects when customers leave without completing a purchase and sends timely, personalized reminders with incentives or information to encourage them to return.
• Product queries and pricing questions: Provides instant, accurate answers 24/7, reducing friction and accelerating buying decisions.
• Multi-language support: Engages a diverse customer base, breaking language barriers with fluent, localized conversations.
• Always-on availability: Ensures potential customers are attended to regardless of time zones or business hours.

2. Engage: Orchestrating timely, personalized outreach

Campbell specializes in behavior-driven marketing automation, delivering personalized campaigns triggered by real-time customer behavior and lifecycle events. Key functions include:

• Behavioral triggers: Launches precisely timed SMS, WhatsApp, or chat campaigns based on user actions, such as browsing a product category or subscribing for updates.
• Lifecycle messaging: Sends personalized messages for birthdays, restocks, and post-purchase follow-ups, making customers feel valued and engaged.
• Cross-channel orchestration: Manages campaigns across multiple channels, ensuring consistent, on-brand communication without manual intervention.

Campbell enables businesses to maintain meaningful, proactive engagement that nurtures relationships, drives repeat purchases, and builds customer loyalty at scale.

3. Delight: Support that drives loyalty

Jolie is your always-on concierge, ensuring customers feel supported throughout the post-purchase journey. From onboarding to troubleshooting and returns, Jolie ensures high satisfaction and low churn rates.

Here are some capabilities:

• Onboarding assistance: Provides new customers with personalized guidance and answers to common setup questions.
• Post-sale support: Manages returns, exchanges, troubleshooting, and FAQs with instant solutions based on your business rules and knowledge base.

Sentiment detection and escalation: Utilizes AI-powered sentiment analysis to identify frustrated or dissatisfied customers, escalating complex issues to human agents before they escalate.

How Plivo AI agents work with the customer data platform (CDP)

Plivo’s AI-powered CDP is designed to unify, analyze, and activate customer data in real time, helping businesses create personalized and impactful customer interactions across various channels, including SMS, WhatsApp, voice, and chat.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how it works:

Unified customer profiles in real time

Plivo’s CDP integrates customer data from multiple sources, including CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, support tools, and analytics services, into a single, unified customer profile. 

Every piece of customer information, from purchase history to browsing behavior, is brought together and updated. This “one customer, one story” approach ensures data is clean, connected, and ready to power personalized engagement.

The platform supports over 350 integrations with popular tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Marketo, and more. This makes it easy to plug in and start managing your customer data without needing a dedicated IT team.

Behavioral segmentation and custom attributes

The platform uses behavioral segmentation to categorize customers based on their actions, such as purchases, message interactions, and engagement history. These segments update automatically, ensuring your targeting is always precise and current.

Additionally, you can define custom attributes for your business needs, such as subscription tiers, purchase frequency, or VIP status, to personalize messaging.

Real-time event tracking

Every customer action, whether it’s a click, a purchase, or a chat inquiry, is captured by Plivo’s real-time event tracking. This continuous stream of data feeds into the customer profiles, enriching them and triggering automated campaigns that respond immediately to customer behavior.

For example, if a customer abandons a shopping cart, Plivo can send an SMS reminder with a special offer to encourage them to complete the purchase.

AI-driven messaging across channels

Plivo’s AI agents use these rich, unified profiles to deliver personalized, consistent messages across multiple channels, including SMS, WhatsApp, voice, and chat. 

AI powers automated conversations and outreach that feel natural and data-driven, helping businesses engage customers at the right time with the right message.

Automatic campaign triggers

Plivo monitors customer activity and then sends reminders, onboarding messages, support follow-ups, or promotional offers at precisely the time the customer is most likely to respond.

Choose Plivo’s AI agents for conversational marketing

Conversational marketing is crucial for connecting with your customers and keeping them engaged throughout their entire customer journey. To achieve this effectively, businesses need reliable tools that can manage real-time interactions and deliver personalized experiences.

Plivo works for businesses of any size to convert leads and keep prospects engaged 24/7 with its AI agents. These agents (Sam, Campbell, and Jolie) act as an extension of your team and are always ready to help. Whether it’s bringing back people who left items in their cart, running timely campaigns, or offering real support, these agents handle it all.

Plus, Plivo’s CDP makes every conversation feel personal, relevant, and consistent without requiring extra work from your team.

Get started for free today and see how Plivo changes the way you connect with customers.

If you're used to the clear-cut pricing of SMS or email, rich communication services (RCS) will throw you a curveball.

There’s no universal rate card or neat pricing table for RCS.

Frustrating? Maybe. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

While businesses lose millions on ineffective channels, RCS is projected to generate $8.7 billion in revenue by 2029, and for good reason. It transforms plain text into rich, branded conversations with buttons, carousels, verified business profiles, and more — all inside your customer’s default messaging app.

This guide breaks down how RCS message charges work, why it’s worth navigating the complexity, and ways to make smart, cost-effective decisions for your business messaging strategy.

What is RCS pricing?

RCS pricing refers to the cost businesses pay for implementing RCS messaging services. The structure depends on three main factors: how many messages you send, which features you activate, and your carrier's rates.

Providers charge businesses based on messages delivered or offer bundled packages with different pricing tiers. RCS costs more than SMS because it includes rich media features, such as read receipts, suggested replies, and branded elements.

The higher costs often pay off through increased engagement and better user experiences.

RCS pricing reality

You won't find a standard RCS price list like you would for SMS or email. RCS doesn't work that way.

Mobile carriers control RCS pricing individually. That means, costs vary wildly between regions, operators, and even message volumes.

Your RCS campaign in the US might cost a completely different amount than the same campaign in Europe or Asia. Each carrier sets its own rates based on local market conditions, infrastructure costs, and competitive positioning.

What does this fragmented approach mean? You can't budget RCS like SMS. Each market requires separate cost analysis and carrier negotiations.

The 3-tier architecture determines RCS messaging costs

Mobile carriers use a three-tier system that directly impacts your costs based on message complexity and user engagement patterns. Let’s go over these tiers below.

Tier #1: Basic messages - Text-only communication

Basic messages are text only, limited to 160 characters — think SMS, but with RCS-style branding and verification. You pay per message sent, regardless of whether customers respond. Here’s what they work best for:

• One-time passwords
• Delivery notifications
• Quick alerts
• Simple promotional offers

The cost stays predictable. Send 1,000 basic messages, pay for 1,000 basic messages.

Tier #2: Single messages - Rich content and extended text

Single messages include multimedia content, rich cards, or text exceeding 160 characters. You still pay per message under non-conversational billing. These messages are ideal for:

• Product catalogs with images
• Video demonstrations
• Rich media announcements
• Detailed promotional content

Tier #3: Conversational messages - Session-based pricing

Conversational messages enable back-and-forth exchanges within 24-hour windows. When a customer replies to your message within 24 hours, a conversation session is initiated. During this session, you can exchange unlimited messages for one flat rate.

Carriers track these interactions as A2P (application-to-person) events when you send messages and P2A (person-to-application) events when customers reply. Under conversational billing, these events get bundled into conversation sessions rather than being charged separately.

You'll use conversational messaging for:

• Customer support interactions
• Product discovery and recommendations
• Booking processes requiring multiple steps

This creates the most complex pricing structure but offers the best value for extended interactions. If customers don't respond within 24 hours, you pay per individual message. However, if they do respond, you pay one conversation rate covering all messages in that 24-hour window.

TL;DR: RCS business messaging pricing

Here’s a quick summary to make RCS charges easier to understand.

What influences RCS messaging costs?

Your RCS costs come down to five main factors, each with a different impact on your total bill. These include:

1. Service provider and platform costs: Some RCS providers offer lower per-message rates but charge setup and maintenance costs. Others may charge higher but provide advanced features and customization options.
2. Cross-border messaging rates: International RCS costs more than domestic messaging. Rates change based on the recipient's location and your provider's carrier agreements.
3. Content complexity and media features: Rich media like images and videos may incur additional costs depending on file size, format, and quality. Features like read receipts, location sharing, or appointment scheduling can also add up.
4. Message volume and sending frequency: Providers charge per message or by monthly rates. More messages mean higher costs. Frequent sending (outside of the 24-hour window) also increases your bill.
5. Compliance and regulatory requirements: Regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) increase provider costs, which get passed to you. Some countries require providers to offer messaging services at specific prices, limiting pricing flexibility.

RCS vs. SMS vs. MMS vs. OTT: Which offers the best value for your investment?

You need to understand how RCS stacks against other messaging channels to make smart budget decisions. Here's the breakdown.

Take a look at what RCS brings to the table:

• RCS chat features work seamlessly in customers' default messaging apps without the need for additional downloads.
• Verified business branding replaces anonymous phone numbers.
• Interactive elements and rich media generate higher engagement than text-only SMS. 
• The platform reaches more people than fragmented OTT apps.

So, the real value here is that RCS combines app-level features with SMS's universal reach.

Choosing the right RCS business messaging provider

Brands are expected to spend $52.5 billion on RCS, equivalent to around 16% of the total digital ad spend. The opportunity is massive, but capitalizing on it starts with the right partner.

Here’s how you choose your provider wisely to capture this opportunity.

Calculate your message volume first

Count your expected monthly messages. Include promotional messages, order updates, and appointment reminders, and consider how often you'll send each type.

Your volume determines which pricing model costs less. Providers charge per message or offer flat monthly fees for unlimited messaging.

If you send over 10,000 messages monthly, subscriptions typically cost less; Or if you send fewer than the subscription break-even point, choose pay-per-message.

Compare pricing models and features

Evaluate what each provider includes in their base plan. Some offer basic message delivery. Others include chatbots, CRM integration, and analytics dashboards.

Match your business needs with the provider’s capabilities. For example, a simple notification service doesn't require advanced analytics. Nevertheless, if the purpose behind RCS is customer service operations, you’ll benefit from chatbot integration and detailed reporting.

Compare RCS and SMS returns

Calculate the return on investment (ROI) for both channels.

RCS costs more but offers engaging, interactive experiences, and you can track customer behavior with conversational analytics. On the other hand, SMS costs less and works for simple messaging, but it only provides basic delivery reports.

Consider multimedia content creation costs for RCS. If these costs exceed your expected returns, RCS may not be a suitable option for your business.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your business needs and goals. Assess your messaging requirements and evaluate returns for each option before moving forward.

Get started with Plivo for custom RCS pricing

Starting with RCS is simpler than you think, especially if you already use SMS marketing.

The key is picking the right messaging partner and focusing on use cases that align with your needs. Start with basic RCS messages before moving to conversational campaigns.

Plivo's RCS API integrates directly into your existing communication stack. You can start sending interactive, branded messages that boost engagement and drive conversions without overhauling your infrastructure. When RCS isn't available, messages automatically fall back to SMS at standard SMS rates.

You can pair RCS with AI Agents to automate FAQs, deliver personalized recommendations, and resolve queries around the clock. Our no-code solution lets you launch AI Agents quickly across multiple channels.

Talk to us to get a custom RCS pricing quote.

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Running a contact center in 2025 means balancing speed, personalization, and efficiency across every channel your customers use. But are you hitting the mark?

The latest contact center statistics can tell you. 

This guide breaks down the most important and updated contact center statistics, from customer experience and agent performance to automation, QA, and future trends. 

The idea is that each data point offers a clear benchmark you can act on right away, whether you’re trying to reduce churn, boost agent efficiency, or plan tech investments.

Let’s get into it.

Top Contact Center Statistics

To make these insights easier to apply, we’ve grouped the top contact center statistics into key categories. Each section highlights trends you can use to benchmark and improve your operations.

Contact center industry overview

With increasing pressure to deliver faster and smarter support, many organizations are rethinking their contact center strategy from the ground up. 

Here’s  what you should know:

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1. The global call center AI market is projected to increase from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $4.1 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.3% over this period (MarketsandMarkets)
2. North America is projected to lead the call center AI market, driven by the region’s early adoption of AI technologies in contact centers (MarketsandMarkets)
3. The healthcare and life sciences sector is expected to see the fastest growth in the call center AI market, fueled by the urgent need for streamlined patient communication and support services (MarketsandMarkets)
4. There are currently around 17 million contact center agents globally (Gartner)
5. Contact centers are increasingly focused on reducing the volume of assisted contacts and overall service demand by improving digital capabilities. In 2023, organizations reported achieving only 55% of their strategic goals. To close that gap, 30% are upgrading their contact center solutions in 2024, with another 42% planning updates in 2025 (Deloitte Digital)

Operational KPIs & efficiency metrics

From average handle time to occupancy and transfer rates, these benchmarks expose inefficiencies and guide staffing, training, and tech investments. 

Here’s a closer look at the latest performance metrics : 

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6. Traditionally, contact centers aim to answer 80% of calls within 20 seconds. But many are now pushing for higher standards, targeting 90% of calls answered within just 15 seconds (Call Centre Helper)
7. 45.7% of contact centers aren’t tracking customer emotion and missing valuable insights into customer sentiment and potential agent performance issues (Call Centre Helper)
8. A good first call resolution (FCR) rate falls between 70% and 79%. Anything below 70% signals a need for improvement. Only 5% of call centers reach a world-class FCR rate of 80% or higher, which is an elite benchmark in customer experience (SQM Group)
9. A good CSAT score in the call center industry ranges from 75% to 84%. Scores below 75% indicate room for improvement. Only 5% of call centers achieve a world-class CSAT score of 85% or higher. CSAT can vary by call type, industry, and customer touchpoint (SQM Group)
10. The industry standard for Average Handle Time (AHT) in customer service call centers is around 10 minutes, though some report it closer to 7 minutes. AHT varies widely depending on call type, line of business, and industry (SQM Group)
11. The standard call center occupancy rate ranges from 75% to 85%. Rates above 85% are often seen as unsustainable, leading to agent burnout and a high-stress work environment. Most leaders agree it’s not healthy to keep agents operating at that level for long (SQM Group)
12. The industry standard for call abandonment rate is around 6%. Rates below 5% are considered good, while anything above that is usually too high. Top-performing call centers with strong CSAT scores often keep abandon rates at 3% or lower. Abandon rates can also vary by industry, call reason, time of day, and day of the week (SQM Group)
13. The industry standard for call transfers in call centers is around 19%. However, a strong benchmark is 15% or less. Keeping transfer rates low helps improve first-call resolution and customer satisfaction (SQM Group)

Customer experience (CX) statistics

Customer expectations are higher than ever. People want speed, personalization, and empathy, often all at once. These numbers show how much these expectations are influencing loyalty, spending behavior, and overall satisfaction:

14. CX quality among brands in the US sits at an all-time low after declining for an unprecedented third year in a row (Forrester 2024 US Customer Experience Index)
15. Companies that prioritize CX see 41% faster revenue growth, 49% faster profit growth, and 51% better retention (Forrester 2024 US Customer Experience Index)
16. 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience, while 92% would completely abandon a company after two or three negative interactions (PwC)
17. In the U.S., even when people love a company or product, 59% will walk away after several bad experiences, 17% after just one bad experience (PwC)
18. 63% said they'd be more open to sharing their data for a product or service they say they truly valued (PwC) 
19. 65% of shoppers find a positive customer experience to be more influential than advertising (PwC)
20. Half of Americans believe loyalty programs matter more than ever. Support is strongest among six-figure earners (57%) and Millennials (56%), while only 43% of Gen Zers feel the same (LendingTree)
21. If it's a brand they really like, more than two out of three people in the U.S., Australia, and the UK would pay up to 25% extra. (UserTesting) 
22. 55% of consumers expect better customer service year-on-year (Microsoft Dynamics Global State of Customer Service)

Agent performance & workforce stats

A high-performing contact center starts with engaged, well-supported agents. But between burnout, high turnover, and remote work challenges, agent stability is under threat. 

These workforce data highlights just how critical it is to invest in training, tools, and career growth: 

23. Three out of four respondents in a 2024 Deloitte survey said agents are overwhelmed by too many systems and too much information, causing longer calls and weaker outcomes (Deloitte Digital)
24. Agent attrition averaged 52% annually in 2023, though the rate varied depending on the industry and region (Deloitte Digital)
25. Companies that actively invest in agent career progression achieved 23% more of their strategic goals compared to those that only plan to invest later (Deloitte Digital)
26. 69% of respondents in a survey said they’ve changed or considered changing careers in the past year. The top reasons driving this shift include remote work options (67%), better work-life balance (52%), more fulfilling roles (48%), and the chance to grow new skills (40%) (FlexJobs)
27. 45.5% of agents said their employer provided a cost-of-living pay raise. Another 38.3% received enhanced benefits, and 43.5% were offered paid overtime options  (Call Centre Helper)
28. Only 48.3% of agents said they don’t plan to leave their call center job within a year. The rest were either open to leaving (26.6%) or unsure (25.1%), signaling weak retention  (Call Centre Helper)
29. Attrition is a widespread issue in contact centers; only 23.4% said it’s not a problem. Of the rest, 30.2% are taking active steps to address it, 25.9% saw little impact from their efforts, and 20.5% lack the budget or resources to act (Call Centre Helper)

AI and automation in contact centers

AI-powered contact centers are now handling repetitive tasks, routing interactions more intelligently, and giving agents real-time support. These adoption trends show which use cases are gaining traction and which ones still need refinement:

30. Conversational AI will cut customer service costs by $80 billion by 2026 (Gartner)
31. By 2026, 1 in 10 agent interactions will be automated, up from just 1.6% in 2022, driven by the growing use of AI in contact centers (Gartner)
32. The cost of integrating conversational AI at $1,000 to $1,500 per agent, with some organizations reporting costs as high as $2,000. As a result, early adoption is expected mainly among enterprises with 2,500+ agents and the technical resources to support the investment (Gartner)
33. 56% of global business leaders believe generative AI will boost efficiency and productivity, making it the most expected benefit. Far fewer see it helping shift workers to higher-value tasks, uncover insights, or strengthen customer relationships (Deloitte Digital)
34. Early adopters of generative AI were 34% less likely to report that their agents feel overwhelmed by the information they need to manage (Deloitte Digital)
35. Over half of early adopters say they use generative AI tools to draft customer responses, support agents in real time, and summarize interactions for insights. Other leading use cases include enhancing virtual agent conversations, analyzing customer intent, and improving service quality with automated scoring and performance management  (Deloitte Digital)
36. Chatbot adoption in contact centers increased slightly from 36% in 2022 to 37.5% in 2023 (Call Centre Helper)
37. About a third (31.6%) of contact center professionals said they want to implement AI to improve customer satisfaction. However, most are driven by efficiency gains—33.2% aim to reduce contact volume, 20.4% want to cut costs, and 9.2% focus on revenue growth. Among the 5.6% who selected “other,” reasons included auto-quality monitoring, process improvement, automation, and saving time (Call Centre Helper)

Omnichannel & digital engagement stats

Customers want to interact with businesses on their terms—SMS, chat, voice, social, and more. But fragmented systems make that hard. As businesses work to unify channels, recent trends point to shifts in customer preferences and the contact center technologies rising to meet them:

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38. Companies with the strongest omnichannel customer engagement strategies enjoy a 10% Y-O-Y growth, a 10% increase in average order value and a 25% increase in close rates. (Adobe)
39. Successful right-channeling depends on next-gen tools that minimize friction across channels like digital omnichannel integration platforms. Among companies using these platforms, 71% reported significant business value, including an average 9% drop in cost per assisted contact. To maximize impact, organizations need up-to-date, accurate customer data available on demand (Deloitte Digital)
40. Most contact centers today use routing tools for agent-assisted chat (74%) and phone calls (51%). These single-channel solutions have helped achieve an average agent occupancy rate of 76% (Deloitte Digital)
41. Channel-specific tools fall short when it comes to quickly connecting customers with the right agent across multiple channels or managing fluctuating contact volumes. To address this, 25% of contact centers have adopted dedicated omnichannel routing tools (Deloitte Digital)
42. There’s been a clear shift in channel usage. From 2022 to 2023, video dropped from 0.6% to 0.4%, and email from 17.8% to 16.5%. Meanwhile, SMS rose from 1.3% to 1.6%, social media from 2.8% to 3%, and live chat from 7% to 7.2%. This trend suggests customers prefer faster, more convenient ways to get support (Call Centre Helper)
43. Inbound voice saw an increase from 53.5% in 2022 to 55.4% in 2023. This highlights rising customer needs during economic uncertainty, as people turn to service providers for both financial guidance and reassurance  (Call Centre Helper)

Quality assurance & monitoring

Modern centers are turning to automation, speech analytics, and real-time feedback to scale insight and improve service. The latest practices show how quality monitoring is evolving from manual scorecards to strategic enablers:

44. The use of interaction and speech analytics in contact centers rose from 28% in 2022 to 37.5% in 2023, indicating a clear sign of growing adoption (Call Centre Helper)
45. Asking customers to complete a post-contact survey is a standard practice in the industry, but 19.1% of contact centers never do so. While this may seem alarming, many of these centers likely rely on more advanced methods like interaction and speech analytics that reduce the need for a server  (Call Centre Helper)

Contact center future trends

Looking ahead, the contact center is set to become even more central to customer experience strategy. Emerging trends like predictive AI or hyper-personalized service signal a future where the contact center is less reactive and more proactive and revenue-aligned:

46. Service innovators are setting the standard. They’re 7x more likely than others to offer premium service tiers either for a fee or to high-value customers. These organizations also provide more service upgrades, including 24/7 availability (89% more likely), direct routing to experienced agents (50% more likely), and access to onshore agents (33% more likely) (Deloitte Digital)
47. The global cloud-based contact center market was valued at USD 14.5 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow to USD 82.43 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 21.3% from 2022 to 2030. North America is expected to lead the market in terms of share (GlobeNewswire)
48. The global omnichannel retail solutions market was valued at USD 5.96 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.6% from 2022 to 2030. This approach integrates physical and digital channels to provide a seamless shopping experience across online and in-store touchpoints (Grand View Research)

How Plivo helps you outperform these benchmarks

Plivo is an AI-first communications platform that helps businesses automate customer engagement across SMS, Voice, WhatsApp, and Chat. With our no-code AI Agent Studio and enterprise-grade infrastructure, you can deploy intelligent automation that works alongside your existing contact center operations.

Here's what Plivo offers:

• AI Agents for Convert, Engage & Delight: Deploy specialized AI agents for sales conversion, customer engagement throughout their journey, and 24/7 customer support—all customizable to your business needs
• No-Code AI Agent Studio: Build AI agents using our visual drag-and-drop builder. Choose from multiple LLMs, including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Meta, to power conversations that match your brand's voice
• Omnichannel AI Support: Deploy the same AI agent across voice calls, SMS, WhatsApp, and webchat for consistent customer experiences across all touchpoints
• Customer Data Platform: Unify customer data and create intelligent segmentation to trigger personalized AI interactions based on customer behavior and preferences
• Enterprise-Grade Reliability: 99.99% uptime guarantee with global coverage across 190+ countries, plus full compliance with GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001
• Flexible Integrations: Connect with your existing CRM, helpdesk, and business systems, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, Zendesk, and more

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Ready to upgrade your contact center? Book a demo now.

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When it comes to a successful business, nothing matters more than building customer trust. IBM’s report also supports this: 65% of CEOs now view customer trust as more vital to business success than product innovation or quality.

Why does this matter more than ever?

Because customers today aren’t just choosing between you and your closest competitor. They’re comparing you with the best experience they’ve had anywhere. 

Like personalized interactions, good service, and genuine care.

That's why businesses focusing on customer satisfaction consistently see stronger customer loyalty, reduced churn, and ultimately, better financial outcomes.

So, how exactly does customer satisfaction drive real business results to stay ahead in 2025? 

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Let’s dive into the top customer satisfaction statistics, strategies, and benchmarks that matter.

Why customer satisfaction is key to standing out in a crowded market

In markets where products and pricing are increasingly similar, customer experience becomes the differentiator. 

And that experience? 

It’s defined by how satisfied your customers feel: Before, during, and after a purchase.

According to Deloitte’s 2024 Consumer Loyalty Report, 86% of consumers consider financial rewards and simplicity essential to loyalty programs, showing that satisfaction often starts with meeting fundamental expectations.

Meanwhile, Forrester reports that customer-obsessed organizations report 41% faster revenue growth and 49% faster profit growth. 

The message is clear: businesses that prioritize satisfaction are better positioned to lead.

Here's how measuring satisfaction helps you lead:

• Reducing churn and increasing customer lifetime value: Tracking satisfaction scores helps you spot at-risk customers early. Addressing their concerns in time boosts retention and long-term, loyal customers more than new ones.
• Prioritizing improvements that drive loyalty: Satisfaction data helps you zero in on what truly matters. It could be faster response times, better onboarding, or smoother checkout flows, so you can fix the issues that move the needle.
• Proving the financial impact of satisfaction: When CX initiatives are backed by satisfaction metrics, it becomes easier to tie those efforts to outcomes like repeat purchases, higher NPS, and increased revenue per customer. This makes a clear case for continued investment.

31 key customer satisfaction statistics for 2025

Understanding your industry's customer satisfaction benchmarks helps set realistic goals and uncover growth opportunities. 

Here's a look at how key sectors are performing:

Industry benchmarks for customer satisfaction

Here's a snapshot of customer satisfaction insights in key sectors for 2025:

1.Retail 

Customer satisfaction in retail remains a major challenge. IBM reports that only 9% of consumers are satisfied with in-store shopping, while just 14% feel the same about e-commerce. These low numbers signal a clear need for better engagement and service design.

One of the biggest opportunities for retailers lies in personalization. Yet, only 60% of consumers feel the tailored experiences they receive truly meet their expectations. 73% of consumers prioritize personalized experiences or rewards as essential components of a loyalty program.

To add, supermarkets and online retailers lead the pack for repeat purchases, with 82% of customers returning, but satisfaction levels still show room for improvement. As consumer expectations evolve, staying ahead requires a focus on improving these experiences.

In line with this shift, 3 out of 5 consumers are open to using AI tools for personalized shopping. Retailers that fail to adapt risk falling behind in a market where customer demands are continuously rising.

2.Telecommunications

Telecom providers are under increasing pressure to deliver reliable and consistent experiences as customer expectations evolve. Despite widespread access to digital tools, many users still encounter service friction that impacts overall satisfaction.

Here’s a snapshot of key telecom customer satisfaction statistics for 2025:

• The telecommunications industry has a Net Promoter Score average of 31, which is the lowest industry average according to the latest NPS benchmarks report. Even logistics, which is also a difficult industry for customer experience, has a higher NPS average of 38.

• Only 35% of consumers say they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with telecom customer service, one of the lowest across all industries surveyed.
• 70% of consumers prioritize reliable service over faster speeds, reflecting a shift in what customers truly value in a digital-first world.
• A customer-centric model can boost annual revenue by up to 8%, reduce service costs by 10–15%, and increase customer satisfaction scores by 20 to 40 points.
• 75% of industry leaders believe that hyperscalers (large tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google) will become the dominant disruptive threat in the telecom industry over the next five years.
• 58% of executives believe most of today’s workforce will need to be upskilled or replaced in the next five years. However, only 10% of telcos are actively focusing on redefining their employee proposition and purpose as part of their people strategy.
• The two major drivers identified by telecom leaders are:
  
  • 67% cited growth in the core connectivity business
  • 60% focused on margin development through additional cost reductions and efficiencies

These numbers show a clear path forward: telecom companies that invest in AI, personalization, and consistency across service channels stand to gain significantly in customer trust and loyalty.

3.Banking and financial services

IBM's 2025 outlook emphasizes the importance of customer trust and satisfaction in the banking sector, suggesting that institutions investing in customer experience are better positioned for long-term success

A Forrester's research indicates that smaller banks called challengers and cooperative banks called mutuals are doing better than traditional banks. In fact, customers in eight of the top 10 banks in Europe feel more positive about their experience compared to those using traditional banks.

Also, an Accenture report states that banks in the top 20% for customer advocacy see 1.7x faster revenue growth overall, with growth in North America reaching 2.6x.

By aligning strategies with industry standards and focusing on customer-centric initiatives, organizations can enhance loyalty, reduce churn, and achieve sustainable growth.

CSAT scores by different industry sectors 

IBM’s latest data shows how CSAT scores vary by industry. Here’s a quick look at the numbers:

Trending satisfaction metrics in 2025

Companies are focusing on new trends that give a deeper look into how customers feel and what keeps them coming back. Here’s what you need to know:

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• Gap in real-time action: Despite this focus, only 13% of CX leaders feel they have the tools to act on real-time customer insights, even though they prioritize instant customer actions
  
  
• Satisfaction tracked over time: Longitudinal metrics show a downturn in CX. Forrester’s 2024 index found U.S. customer satisfaction fell by 1% point, marking a third consecutive annual decline, with 9 out of 13 industries seeing significant drops and 25% of brands suffering major CSAT decreases (fewer than 1 in 10 brands improved).
  
  
• CX metrics go public: Forrester predicted that in 2024, half of large brands will experiment with customer-facing generative AI and start reporting their CX metrics to investors as formal performance indicators. This underscores how customer satisfaction scores are becoming key business metrics on par with financials.

Measuring customer satisfaction across segments

Measuring overall satisfaction is useful, but looking at different customer groups gives a clearer picture. Here’s why it matters to track satisfaction across segments:

Linking satisfaction scores to customer retention rates

Satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal and continue doing business with a company. According to Forrester's 2024 US Customer Experience Index, customer-obsessed organizations reported 51% better customer retention compared to non-customer-obsessed organizations. 

Segmenting satisfaction data to uncover insights

It’s important to measure satisfaction in different types of customers, like by their behavior or demographics, to learn valuable insights. 

Forrester's 2024 US Customer Experience Index also highlights that only 3% of companies are currently customer-obsessed, emphasizing the need for targeted strategies across various customer segments. 

Why collecting and analyzing customer feedback is critical

Collecting and analyzing customer feedback is essential for building loyalty, improving experiences, and identifying opportunities to innovate. 

Deloitte’s report shows that 51% of Americans are willing to share personal data for better experiences, provided companies are transparent and give them the option to opt out. 

This clearly emphasizes how trust is a key factor in gathering meaningful feedback and leveraging it to improve customer satisfaction.

According to a study by IBM, consumers want tech-driven enhancements:

• 55% are eager for AI-powered virtual assistants
• 59% are open to AI applications while shopping
• 62% say price is the top reason they switch brands

These insights stem from widespread inflation concerns, which have reshaped consumer behavior. This shows why real-time feedback is important to understand shifting expectations.

Elevate your customer experience with Plivo CX

As businesses grow, managing customer interactions across multiple channels becomes increasingly complex. Now, with the advent of AI, customer expectations are at an all-time high, with demand for personalized, real-time support only growing. 

However, scaling these experiences without increasing costs is a challenge that many companies still face.

That’s precisely the problem Plivo CX addresses.

Plivo CX is a powerful omnichannel customer experience platform designed to help businesses engage their customers across multiple messaging channels. 

It leverages AI to deliver personalized, timely interactions at scale, boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty without increasing costs.

Here’s how Plivo CX can boost your customer experience:

• Timely engagement: Automate messaging and scheduling to ensure your communications reach customers at just the right moment by addressing their needs in real time.
• Sales conversion agent: Enhance customer interactions with AI that personalizes offers and content, thus increasing conversions and sales.
• Flexible customer segmentation: Segment your customers with our Audiences feature based on their behavior, preferences, and past interactions. In this way, you can deliver tailored, relevant experiences that meet individual needs.

• Customer retention agent: Utilize our AI-driven messaging to proactively reach out to customers with relevant and timely communications.
• Pre-sales inquiry agent: Handle customer inquiries swiftly and efficiently with our AI agents. This ensures quick responses and effective lead qualification, so no opportunity is missed.
• Copywriter AI: Provide fast, personalized SMS through human-like, real-time interactions and pre-built templates at scale with Copywriter AI. Now, you can ensure each message resonates with your audience.

• E-commerce platform integrations: Seamlessly integrate with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Magento. Provide a unified customer experience across all touchpoints.

With Plivo’s extensive carrier network covering over 220 countries, businesses can reduce their SMS costs by as much as 70% while boosting ROI by three times.

Companies leveraging Plivo CX report outstanding returns, generating an impressive $71 for every $1 spent on SMS marketing campaigns. 

Book a free demo today and see how you can deliver exceptional service while scaling your business.

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With 90% of texts read within three minutes, SMS offers unmatched visibility. However, for many marketers, the real challenge is turning that attention into clicks and conversions. It’s like shoppers streaming into a mall, browsing every window, but leaving without making a single purchase.

AI-powered SMS marketing makes a difference here.

Instead of just getting your messages “seen,” AI SMS marketing helps you get them “clicked”, by delivering the right message to the right person at the right time.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to use AI for SMS marketing. We’ll also help you identify common bottlenecks, explore how AI can solve them, and share actionable steps to help you hit your SMS campaign goals!

How AI SMS marketing benefits businesses

From automating message flows to predicting the best send times, AI in SMS marketing helps businesses save hours weekly on manual work.

But that’s not it. By integrating AI, you can:

Personalize at scale

Consumers have become experts at tuning out generic company messages, so the last thing you want is for your SMS campaigns to blend into the background noise.

SMS AI changes this. It dynamically tailors content based on customer demographics (like age, gender, and location) and real-time behaviors (such as purchase history or browsing patterns).

This means you can convert mass messaging into highly relevant, individualized communications that help you drive a higher return on investment (ROI).

The power of AI for personalization in SMS marketing extends far beyond simple reminders or cart abandonment alerts. It even recommends products your users may like, adjusts pricing, and curates personalized campaigns. (More on this later in the article!)

Automate with intelligence

With intelligent SMS marketing automation, you can set up triggered workflows that respond instantly to customer actions.

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For example, you can gently nudge when someone leaves items in their cart, send a thank-you note after their first purchase, or request quick feedback. Plus, with chat-style auto-replies and AI-powered bots, you can handle simple customer conversations, like answering FAQs or confirming appointments, right in the SMS thread, 24/7.

Optimize with AI-powered A/B testing

With AI, you can test multiple message variations at once, track how different groups respond, and get early signals on what’s driving clicks or replies. AI spots patterns in open times, link engagement, and even response rates. Then, it helps you adjust content or timing before the campaign ends.

AI also determines the ideal send times for each audience segment so your SMS messages reach recipients when they’re most likely to engage. Plus, it continuously refines your campaigns in real time for maximum impact.

Let’s understand the benefits of AI in SMS marketing through its applications.

Practical AI SMS marketing applications

AI SMS marketing empowers you to hit your campaign targets, whether that means boosting click-through rates, driving more conversions, or increasing customer engagement.

But the real value lies in how AI achieves these results behind the scenes.

Smart segmentation

When 34% of consumers become annoyed by SMS messages irrelevant to their needs and interests, opt-out rates automatically increase. The reasons are ample: bad timing, irrelevant messaging, lack of personalization, unclear expectations, etc.

AI lets you automatically classify your audience into meaningful segments based on their engagement levels, purchase history, and behaviors.

For example, as shown in the image below, you might have segments like “High Value Customers” or “Holiday Shoppers.” This allows you to curate highly targeted campaigns for each group and deliver personalized offers, timely reminders, or exclusive deals.

Dynamic content insertion

AI-powered dynamic content lets you personalize each SMS with details like product recommendations, names, or exclusive offers.

For instance, if a customer abandons a cart with a specific item, the platform sends a message like, “Hi [name], your Nike Air Max is still waiting for you. Complete your purchase now and enjoy 10% off!”

This level of personalization boosts engagement and drives higher sales.

Automated replies and conversational flows

AI replies are smarter and more conversational than ever.

Modern AI SMS chatbots can handle FAQs, order status requests, and opt-out commands with natural, context-aware responses that feel genuinely human.

For instance, if a customer texts “Where’s my order?” or “I want to return product X,” they receive an instant, personalized update tailored to their situation. Even better? When a query is more complex or sensitive, the platform escalates the conversation to a human agent without delay.

Abandoned cart recovery

AI-powered abandoned cart recovery automatically adjusts tone, offer, and timing of messages based on each customer’s cart value and behaviors.

Behavior-triggered SMS

Apart from cart abandonment recovery and product recommendations, the use cases of AI in e-commerce include identifying fake reviews, fraud detection, and voice search optimization.

So if a customer suddenly places multiple high-value orders from different locations or uses inconsistent payment information, AI instantly flags the transaction as potentially fraudulent and triggers an SMS alert to both the customer and the internal risk team.

Upsell and cross-sell campaigns

SMS AI surfaces the right opportunities to recommend additional products that align with each customer’s preferences and actions.

For instance, after a customer buys a smartphone, Plivo’s Upsell and Cross-Sell Agent can follow up with a timely SMS recommending a phone case or screen protector. It can also optimize the timing of these offers, ensuring that suggestions are made when the customer is most receptive, such as right after the initial purchase or when they revisit the website.

Now that you know the benefits of AI SMS marketing, how do you find a platform that truly fits your business needs?

What to look for in an AI-driven SMS platform

When choosing an AI-driven SMS platform, focus on features that make your campaigns smarter. These include:

• Machine learning for segmentation: Prioritize a platform that automatically sorts your audiences based on real behaviors and attributes. This way, you can send the right message to the right person, trigger events, and manage opt-outs.
• NLP to generate messages: Look for built-in AI tools with natural language processing (NLP) that help you craft engaging, on-brand messages in seconds.
• AI-based A/B testing and optimization: Choose a platform that can automatically test different versions of your SMS, analyze the results, and optimize future sends for higher conversions.
• Auto-reply and AI bot integrations: Ensure it offers AI-powered SMS chatbots to manage FAQs, order tracking, and basic support, so your customers always get quick answers, even outside business hours.

Getting started: Steps to incorporate AI into your SMS strategy

Not sure where to begin with AI and SMS? You don’t need to overhaul everything at once.

Start by asking yourself: What are the current bottlenecks in your SMS campaigns? Are you aiming to boost conversions, increase CTR, or improve personalization?

Then, follow these steps.

Step #1: Audit your current SMS campaigns

• Review your existing SMS templates and campaign workflows.
• Identify repetitive manual tasks (like scheduling, segmentation, or copywriting) and areas where performance lags, such as low engagement or inconsistent personalization.
• Analyze which types of messages and calls to action (CTAs) perform best to spot opportunities for AI-driven improvements.

Step #2: Choose an AI-enabled SMS platform

• Prioritize SMS solutions that offer advanced segmentation, predictive analytics, and automation tools to help you scale as your business grows. Easy integration with your current marketing stack is an added bonus.
• Plivo CX is a strong option as it combines AI-driven segmentation, automated campaign workflows, and an OpenAI-powered copywriting tool to help you craft engaging, personalized messages at scale.

Step #3: Set up behavioral triggers and segmentation logic

• Use AI to segment your audience based on behavior, purchase history, and engagement patterns.
• Establish automated triggers for common scenarios (e.g., abandoned cart, post-purchase follow-ups, re-engagement) to ensure timely, relevant messaging.

Step #4: Test AI-generated copy vs. human-written messages

• Run A/B tests comparing AI-generated SMS messages to those written by your team.
• Ensure key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to determine which performs better.
• Continuously analyze results and let AI optimize future campaigns based on what resonates most with your audience.

Step #5: Refine with retention signals

• Monitor campaign results to see which segments engaged, converted, or dropped off.
• Use AI to identify patterns across time, content style, and customer behavior.
• Create follow-up segments like “one-time buyers” or “frequent clickers, no purchase” to guide re-engagement.
• Adjust future campaign timing, message structure, and tone based on actual user feedback and engagement history.

Let Plivo’s AI-powered platform handle SMS marketing

With so many AI-powered SMS marketing solutions on the market, it can be challenging to find one that truly fits your business. Many platforms either disrupt your existing communication systems or fall short when it comes to sounding genuinely human, leaving customers frustrated and your team with extra work.

Plivo is built to overcome these challenges.

It uses advanced NLP to understand and respond to customer messages just like a real person, so every conversation feels natural and engaging. And when a conversation gets too complex for AI, Plivo automatically routes it to a human agent.

Moreover, Plivo connects easily with popular platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, and HubSpot. So you can sync customer data, automate campaigns, and manage conversations without heavy IT involvement. 

Customization is simple, too. You can quickly build custom AI agents tailored to your business goals, whether you want to engage, delight, or convert customers at different stages of their journey. Plus, it lets you set up automated workflows for each agent, so they can instantly trigger personalized messages based on real-time customer actions.

Ready to automate customer conversations? Get started for free with Plivo today!

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