Text messages have taken the world by storm since the day of their inception. Before a traditional text message could be sent, people were limited to calling on the phone, twisting dials one at a time to ring up a number, and before that they had to send telegrams or communicate via letter. Of course, the history is much more detailed than that, but the point is that communication has changed a lot over the years.
Most people prefer to use text as their primary method of communication in 2016 and the trend will only continue into the future because it’s such a versatile method of communication that allows you to talk with your friends and get a myriad of other things done at the same time. However, if you thought a text could only be used relationally between friends and family, you’d be wrong. Here are 3 ways a text message can be used in ways you didn’t think about:
Business to Consumer
Text messages have been thought to be a lesser form of communication, or at least less professional, and for the most part, that may be true, but times are changing. SMS texting is being used by contact centers, businesses, and privately owned enterprises to get the word out to their customers and their employees fast.
SMS texting in this regard involves sending out alerts, updates, or sales and promotional offers. As a consumer, when you say yes to an SMS text from a company, you’re getting information at little cost to you. You take the message received and you either use it, or you forget about it.
In Case of Emergency
Of course, nobody wishes that emergencies existed, but unfortunately, they do, and they don’t call in advance to let you know that they’re on their way. What’s amazing about texting, though, is that many cities have a text hotline that allows you to text in an emergency to get help. In these situations, you’re not always able to call 911. If the situation you’re in calls for you to be silent, for example, and you’re unable to speak, a text message to an emergency responder could save your life.
Finding Lost Belongings
A text is just another way to communicate, but it opens doors that phone calls haven’t been able to do in the past. In addition to being able to text in an emergency or receive information from a business you like to support, you can also use a text to find lost belongings. Have a runaway dog? No problem. Get an ID tag, sign up with Lost Pet Finders, and they’ll let you know via text when your animal has been found and turned in.