What you need to know

By adding RC Communication Services support (Rich Communication) to iPhone phones with iOS 18 updates in autumn 2024, Apple gave us a larger audience to the merchants to get involved in new messaging tools.

Mobile campaigns SMS are in an effective way of addressing customers If they trust you enough to give you their mobile numbers. Texts are a popular way for customers to receive income, shipping updates, meeting confirmation and more and more often.

However, text messages are an experience from bare bones-when they contain a connected file for an image, emodi, or a link to the web (which is technically MMS or multimedia text). For a more convincing experience sent through text messages, traders accept RCS.

US traders were reluctant to carry out RCS campaigns, although this experience includes moving parts of a similar application, but without downloading. Reason? Until Apple got on board, the RCS format was supported only by Android.

With Apple on board, expect RC to become a more popular and efficient channel for American traders. With Android itself, traders in the US could expect to reach approximately 40% of US consumers. With Apple, RCS range increases to nearly 100% of the phone users. (Antimonopoly action filed by the Ministry of Justice against Apple Cited that the company had 65% of the US smartphone market.)

What is RCS?

RCS is a standard that supports rich functions in sending messages. Ten years ago, the GSM Association, a mobile network group, was founded. Google accepted the format in Google messages and allowed access to Android user format. Until 2024, Apple was postponed to support in iOS format.

RCS allows users to share high quality GIF, videos and other interactive elements directly in the text message. Traders can add logos and design elements that give messages a clear, branded look. Sophisticated RCS designs can insert carousels with several videos or products for sale. Users can click links to websites or buttons in the message to create a user experience similar to an application, but without difficulty downloading the application.

Traders will also have the power to measure RCS behavior, so they will be able to optimize campaigns using mobile analytics.

You deeper: Why do we care about mobile marketing

How does RCS SMS change?

“[RCS] Finally comes with sets of features that we all expected to believe that it will eliminate some of those hesitation that businesses had to use messages as not only an operational tool but as a tool that can concentrate their experience with customers with VA mobile phone , ”Said Matt Ramerman, senior vice president for the success and innovation of customers at Mobile Experience Company Sinch

“SMS is the vast majority of how we all use our phones and communicate with our friends and family,” Ramerman explained. “Enterprise use in the US is largely defined by ejecting notifications – banks send you a warning to fraud, FedEx tells you that your package will arrive today.”

He added: “Robust, modern analysts around the news were largely limited and also the channel itself… it is not rich in function. These things have alleviated a lot of investment to accept messages as a CX tool, which is a bit strange because their customers live – but there was a barrier. ”

What functions RCS should traders use?

“The RCS has compiled a number of nice functions for sending messages,” said Inderpal Singh Mimick, CEO of Global RCS Business Messaging Company Dotgo. “It is a really two -way channel that is rich in terms of its content and which provides much more analytics than it is able to provide SMS. Businesses gain better results and better visibility through analysts and consumers get a much more pleasant experience, better visual elements, better user experience, and therefore use it more – which provides better results. ”

Here are several events that traders can do with RCS campaigns, from adding simple elements to the provision of deeper obligations with customers:

• Send personalized messages and videos to each user.
• Include the proposed answers that replace the request to enter the user’s answer.
• Add the proposed actions: Instead of answering the sender, it opens a map or website to engage or call the phone number and talk to the service representative.
• Ask for the location of the user and recommend the event in the physical environment of the user.
• Insert a carousel with five or more options that users can run over.
• Collect analysts about all interactions with a message at the level of individual users.
• A/B Test the elements in the RCS message.
• Take two -way conversations with generative AI via the RCS reporting channel, similar to the chatbot experience.

“The power to send a rich picture, video or carousel of pictures is much higher than sending someone a dry text,” Mimick said.

What is the future for RCS?

Some US traders are already using RCS campaigns, according to Annette Franz, founder and CEO of Consultance Experience Consultance CX Journey Inc. and contributor. RC Support Apple is likely to lead to a wider acceptance of RCS traders campaign.

“Whether you communicate with Androids or between Android and iPhone, it will be on RCS,” Mimick said. “It will only be a matter of time before communication by default over RCS.”

“Now with Apple on board, more merchants are trying to find out how they can use RCS,” Franz said. “So far, some traders (eg Best Buy, Papa John’s, Subway, Walmart, Nissan) use it, but they are aware of the limitation of only part of the population.” Apple users still receive messages, but do not receive an experience because RCS is not currently supported on the iPhone. ”

Franz agrees that the richer experience of sending messages leads to higher involvement, which makes RC attractive to traders.

“Improved service and support with real -time updates and smoother shopping skills also lead to a higher level of satisfaction and experience, unlike what customers had previously had,” Franz said. “This value of magic for customers and brands.”

“There are many cases of use that traders can use to connect with customers beyond simple text messages and it will take some time to find out which of these cases uses consumers,” said Alex Campbell, co -founder and main innovation VIBES Technology Society. “We do not want to do RCS just because it looks great, we want to do it because it improves the return on investment and involvement and makes a better customer experience. This year should be about finding out which opportunities work with your specific customers. ”

Excellent experience and better customer service could be sufficient reasons why customers can depend on RCS reports for rich interactions with their preferred brands.

Twilio releases the functions of rich RCS content

Given that more businesses are exploring customers with RCS, sellers of MARTECH who support customer experience based on data, develop features that earn RCS capabilities.

In January 2025, Twilio announced a rich content card, media and rich card carousels to improve RCS messages. These features help businesses to provide personalized, engaging and visually appealing messages with devices capable of RCS.

• The rich content card Twilio helps traders send messages that contain pictures, video, challenge buttons and quick answers.
• Media integration allows brands to integrate images, videos and documents directly into messages for more absorbing communication.
• Rich carousels of cards allow users to go through more interactive cards within a single message – ideal for visually persuasive product showcases.