Type: Resource
Type: Component Page
Type: Podcast
As more and more people move away from traditional banking to embrace digital channels, businesses in the industry are under more pressure than ever to accelerate digital transformation. To compete in a screen-based world and build lasting relationships with customers, the finance industry needs to keep up with customers’ increasingly high expectations for speed, convenience, service quality,…, 5 types of banking fraud to watch out for in a digital world , Smishing attacks , Cybercriminals often send fake emails and links that appear to be from a legitimate source, in an attempt to trick users into providing sensitive information or financial data — that’s called phishing. Smishing is a form of phishing that involves sending fake SMS to target mobile users. Smishing attacks represent a growing threat to the finance industry. , Malware and spyware , As mobile devices are increasingly used for banking and other financial transactions, they’re also becoming a target for malicious software like malware and spyware, which can be used to steal confidential information or conduct unauthorized transactions. It can be used to track a user's online activities and access sensitive data or financial information. , SIM swap fraud and account takeover (ATO) , SIM swapping is a type of hijacking that involves deactivating someone's SIM card and activating a new one, without the person’s consent, to take control of the phone number. Fraudsters often use social engineering techniques and convince the victim's mobile carrier to transfer the number to another SIM card. Most carriers have taken measures to prevent this, but the risk still exists. The…, SS7 vulnerabilities , Another type of hijacking is where cybercriminals use the signaling system to take over the victim’s phone. SS7 (Signaling System 7) is a network that allows mobile providers to exchange messages with each other. A successful attack on the signaling system of a mobile operator can give hackers access to its subscribers’ text messages, including SMS OTPs. They will then use the information to get…, Artificially Inflated Traffic (AIT) , Artificially Inflated Traffic , also known as SMS traffic pumping, is a type of fraud where scammers collaborate with shady service providers to generate fake traffic. SMS OTP can be extremely vulnerable to this type of fraud. In practice, scammers request thousands of verification codes, links, or anything a business might send via SMS, and send them to random numbers to collect some of the…, Balancing digital CX and cybersecurity in banking , Mitigating the risks associated with digital banking and mobile messaging is a partnership between end-users, banks, their service providers, the ecosystem, and regulators. As a leading service provider, Sinch advocates for best practice to help build a safer ecosystem and provide the best services for businesses and end-users. In this section, we set out some best practices and solutions to…, Mobile authentication: the backbone of data protection , The most common way to secure access to user accounts and apps is two-factor authentication (2FA), where customers are required to verify their identity using two of the following elements: Something they know, such as a password Something they have, such as access to their phone Something that’s inherently part of who they are, such as biometric information As you might already know, with…, How rich messaging channels make mobile communications more secure , Rich messaging channels like WhatsApp , Viber , RCS messaging , or Apple Business Chat aren’t only great for creating engaging conversational banking experiences. They also offer better security with branded messages and verified sender IDs. While traditional SMS can be sent via unreliable routes, a.k.a. grey routes, WhatsApp, Viber, RCS and Apple messages are sent using internet data.…, , SIM farms and the data protection risk , SIM farms, or SIM boxes, are banks of unauthorized SIM cards obtained legally or illegally and used by some mobile messaging providers to send business SMS at a more competitive price. Because they use unauthorized routes to deliver messages, SIM farms are in breach of mobile operators’ terms and conditions and are typically not compliant with data protection legislation like GDPR. SIM farms…, Making digital banking easy and safe: The role of cloud communications, Securing digital customer experience in banking is no small task, but game-changing tools are now available to help businesses verify users and communicate smoothly and securely. Cloud communications platforms let you integrate messaging and verification capabilities into your existing tech stack quickly and easily thanks to flexible, powerful APIs, saving you time and money. , Choosing a cloud communications partner you can bank on , Going down a cheap route for mobile communications and verification can harm a business in many ways and will never ensure fundamental information security principles are met. Just like for many things in life, you usually get what you pay for... Ever heard of the CIA? No, not the Central Intelligence Agency. In cybersecurity, CIA stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability and should…
Type: Blog Article
Inteliquent partners with Neustar for robocall mitigation solution, CHICAGO — Inteliquent, a leading provider of communications services, announced today it is incorporating a robocall mitigation solution provided by Neustar, Inc. , a leading global information services provider. Inteliquent will continue to deliver all calls and Caller ID Name (CNAM) information as it always has. However, with this new functionality, if the call is identified as a potential…, About Inteliquent, Inteliquent empowers communications for the top communication service providers, unified communications as a service providers and partners. The foundation of Inteliquent’s communications platform as a service (CPaaS) is its fully redundant, geo-diverse, carrier-grade tier 1 network. This network is trusted by the nation’s largest service providers, as it provides the most expansive footprint of…, About Neustar, Neustar, Inc. is a leading global information services provider driving the connected world forward with responsible identity resolution. As a company built on a foundation of Privacy by Design, Neustar is depended upon by the world’s largest corporations to help grow, guard and guide their businesses with the most complete understanding of how to connect people, places and things. Neustar’s…
Type: News Article
In a time where you can get nearly anything you need quickly by using your phone, people don’t just want convenience — they demand it. When they’re dealing with a brand, they expect interactions to be easy and seamless. Over the last few years, brands have turned to multichannel and omnichannel communication to better meet that demand., Multichannel and omnichannel strategies let people interact with a brand on many channels. The two differ when a customer wants to move across two or more channels. , While a multichannel marketing strategy covers several different channels, those channels are basically independent of each other. If your customers only used one channel, this wouldn’t be an issue, but people tend to move across channels as they learn more about a brand. With an omnichannel marketing system, a unified sales and marketing strategy keeps engaging customers wherever they are,…, What is multichannel customer engagement?, Multichannel customer engagement focuses on reaching customers in their preferred channel., The goal is to offer personalized information that promotes a brand’s products. , Pros of multichannel, Reaching customers where they are Clear paths of communication Take advantage of benefits different channels have to offer, Cons of multichannel, Product-focused Difficult to change between communication channels Each new channel requires new assets and strategies Not ideal for businesses with many channels who want to provide a great UX across a large number of channel, How does multichannel work?, When a customer opts into a channel that is a part of a multichannel customer engagement system, they’ll receive notifications and offers only through that channel, email, or SMS. Multichannel gives your company a wide reach because it’s available on many different platforms, but each channel basically exists on its own. Put another way, if a customer opts in on one channel, then joins another,…, What is omnichannel customer engagement?, , Where multichannel customer engagement separates customer interactions with a brand,, omnichannel, customer engagment, combines and keeps tabs on customers across all channels. This builds a more consistent experience throughout the customer journey and can help you create personalized campaigns based on purchases and conversation data. The result? Higher engagement, improved customer loyalty, and increased conversions. , Pros of omnichannel , Customer-focused Flexible communication options Seamless transitions between channels Easily scalable, Cons of omnichannel , Not always necessary for businesses whose customers use one or two communication channels to interact., How does omnichannel work?, Omnichannel is all about creating a seamless customer experience by integrating branding, messaging, and both online and offline touchpoints across any channel they use. It's like making sure everything flows smoothly as consumers move through the sales process, connecting all channels, platforms and devices. Nowadays, consumers have so many ways to connect with brands, like social media or…, Comparing omnichannel and multichannel marketing, Here's a look at how omnichannel and multichannel marketing function., Omnichannel marketing is a customer-centric approach, that seamlessly connects all channels, platforms and devices. , Multichannel marketing is a product-focused approach, that users the customer’s preferred communication channel. Both strategies are pretty great. But, if we want to know which is better, let's see how they compare in two key areas: customer engagement and customer experience., Customer engagement, With a multichannel strategy, the goal is to give your brand more opportunities to connect with your customers and increase reach - each channel is optimized for conversion and engagement. But if a customer engaged with more than one of these channels, the experience might not be seamless. Because an omnichannel strategy puts the customer first, it gives them a more tailored, continuous, and…, With an omnichannel strategy, you’re creating a smooth path for customers to interact with your brand, from initial engagement to purchase to support. , Customer experience, Customer experience in a multichannel system is all about sharing your brand’s message and the benefits of your product with as many customers as possible across as many channels as possible with the ultimate goal of conversions. , An omnichannel customer experience is built around understanding the client, then creating a better experience across platforms. By making customers the center of your marketing and sales efforts, you can create better experiences. , This kind of customer experience offers the convenience people demand while helping your team members understand customer needs., What are the benefits of integrated channels?, With several tools available for omnichannel marketing, there are many benefits of creating and using an integrated channel strategy. You can create a more consistent customer experience across channels, gain and implement data-driven insights, and increase marketing ROI. , Seamless and consistent customer experience, Uniting and routing traffic through a single point creates a seamless, omnichannel experience. A single API with marketing, conversational AI, and live chat tools makes it easy to deliver consistent and satisfying experiences across a customer’s entire journey. No matter which channels a customer is using, they can pick up where they left off because your channels work together. Some of the…, Data-driven insights power customer engagements, With an integrated system, you can use data gathered to better meet customer needs. This means that you can build campaigns based on actual data and behavior. Such personalized campaigns improve brand loyalty, convert better, and have higher levels of engagement., Increase ROI with the right tools, Another great benefit of an integrated or omnichannel approach to your marketing and customer engagement strategy is increased ROI. Building a solution that allows customers to engage in the ways that they’re most comfortable with, doesn’t just mean greater customer satisfaction and retention is a possibility, it's inevitable. , Build powerful customer relationships, The suite of Sinch marketing tools has everything you need to gain, grow, and maintain relationships with your customers. Create consistent messaging and branding that carries across channels, and naturally nurture a customer’s journey. , Supercharge your sales using customer data, Integrating customer data across all of your marketing, support, and sales channels means better sales figures. Omnichannel sales are less likely to slip away thanks to many client touch points. Plus, every sale creates another opportunity to learn more about your customers and when you know your customers well, it’s easier to meet their needs. , Increase engagement with conversational marketing , Conversational marketing is an excellent option if you’re trying to create a streamlined and seamless experience for customers. This extends into how you support them during the exploration and buying process. Omnichannel customer support is more efficient than simple outbound marketing because you are available to answer questions at the moment when your audience’s interest has spiked – the…, Omnichannel vs. multichannel: Which is best? , , Retail, Omnichannel retail is all about providing a seamless and interconnected experience for customers across various touchpoints. This includes channels like email, social media, texts, apps, phone calls, and ads. The goal is to streamline the entire customer journey, from initial contact to making a purchase and receiving ongoing support. Studies show that omnichannel shoppers tend to spend more,…, e-commerce, When it comes to e-commerce, you need to do more than just be present on different channels. Multichannel e-commerce offers various channels for customers, but they work independently. Omnichannel e-commerce, on the other hand, takes it up a notch. It creates a seamless and connected experience for customers across all channels, ensuring their journey is smooth and uninterrupted. Imagine a…, Future-proofing your organization , For your business to continue growing, it’s more important than ever to adapt and meet your customers where they are. An omnichannel marketing strategy is perhaps the most important step to take in preparation for how your customers will communicate with your brand today and tomorrow. Now that you have a better understanding of the difference between omnichannel and multichannel customer…
Type: Blog Article
In the ever-evolving retail landscape, retail SMS marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their customers in more personalized and engaging ways. Retail SMS, a form of mobile marketing, isn’t just about sending promotional messages; it's about building stronger relationships, enhancing customer engagement and, ultimately, driving profits. In this blog post, we’ll guide you…, What is SMS for retail?, SMS for retail is a strategic approach where businesses leverage text messaging to achieve their marketing objectives. From delivering targeted communications to offering customized promotions and discounts, SMS marketing for retail is a potent tool to get your brand noticed. SMS and mobile messaging are often underused in the retail sector, especially considering SMS marketing campaigns have…, Key benefits of SMS marketing for retail, Building a top-notch retail SMS marketing strategy can be game-changing in many ways. Some of the benefits you can expect include:, Building long-lasting relationships with customers, SMS marketing allows businesses to maintain a direct line of communication with their customers, fostering stronger relationships. Regular updates, personalized offers, and immediate responses to queries can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty., Engaging customers on platforms they frequently use, With mobile phones always at hand, SMS marketing provides an opportunity to reach customers on devices they use daily. This constant accessibility increases the likelihood of your message being seen and acted upon., Simplifying real-time communication, SMS marketing allows for instant communication. Businesses can send real-time updates about sales, promotions, or important information, and customers can respond or act immediately., Boosting customer engagement and loyalty, Personalized and timely messages not only improve customer engagement but also foster customer loyalty. Customers appreciate personalized attention and are more likely to remain loyal to businesses that provide it., Providing a cost-effective marketing channel, Compared to other marketing channels, SMS marketing is relatively inexpensive. It allows businesses to reach a large number of customers at a lower cost., Increasing sales through targeted promotions and discounts, SMS for retail marketing can directly influence sales numbers by delivering targeted promotions and discounts to customers. , Use cases for SMS marketing for retail, Understanding the use cases for SMS marketing in retail is crucial to harnessing its full potential. With SMS marketing, retailers have a massive range of opportunities to engage customers at every stage of the customer lifecycle. We’ve listed some of the most effective use cases below, but lifecycle messaging should be unique to your brand experience. The only limit is your imagination! Here…, Welcome or onboarding texts, : A personalized welcome message can make a great first impression., New product promotions, : Inform customers about new products or services., Rewards notifications, : Notify customers about their loyalty points or rewards., Abandoned cart reminders, : Remind customers about items left in their shopping cart., Upselling opportunities, : Suggest related products or services to customers., App download promotions, : Encourage customers to download your mobile app for a seamless shopping experience. , Retail SMS program best practices, step-by-step, Delivering the right message to the customer and having a value proposition articulating the benefits of opting in for promotional messaging are key to driving opt-ins and conversions. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when crafting your SMS retail marketing campaigns and calls-to-action (CTAs). , Create a compelling CTA, The first step to retail SMS messaging success is a robust promotional campaign to drive subscriber opt-ins. Make sure you consider value proposition, incentives, and channels you’ll need to reach your customers and inspire action. Your value proposition should clearly articulate why customers should sign up. That could include loyalty program perks like exclusive offers, first-to-know about…, Promote opt-ins across channels, List growth success is very dependent on where, how, and how often you make people aware of your SMS program. Encouraging opt-ins across your existing marketing channels, such as email, in-store, and social media can make a big difference in driving up opt-in rates. High-impact CTA placements include the following: In-store signage; Website homepage; Email newsletters; Online account creation…, , Respect customer preferences, When setting up your messaging program, keep these simple guidelines in mind: DO: Segment your audience for personalized messaging DO: Use shortened URLs and easy-to-spell keywords DO: Maintain a record of opt-ins and opt-outs DON'T: Send messages before 8 am or after 9 pm DON'T: Send more than 1-2x per week DON’T: Send messages after user has opted out. Compliance is non-negotiable! As the…, Show, don't tell, The most relevant media, like MMS messaging , can amp up SMS marketing campaigns. MMS messaging allows images, gifs, and videos, offering a more immersive and engaging experience. MMS messaging allows retailers to showcase products, promotions, app downloads, and offers in a more immersive and visually appealing manner, increasing the impact and effectiveness of their campaigns. , Personalize for even more impact, Mobile messaging is intimate by nature: it’s where friends and family talk daily. When brands access this privileged space, they should respect it and make messages relevant and personalized. Customizing retail SMS messages according to customer preferences and behavior can also result in a more captivating experience; by segmenting audiences and tailoring messaging, you can create more relevant…, , Create meaningful conversations, Craft messages that resonate with your customers and inspire them to take action. Taking full advantage of SMS for retail — and creating messages that convert — means using clear language, compelling CTAs, and personalized messaging to enable meaningful conversations and deliver real value to your customers. For example, a clothing retail store could start with an email marketing campaign to…
Type: Blog Article
You probably already know about WhatsApp , the world’s biggest messaging app. Over 2 billion people use it regularly to message friends, family, and, now more than ever, businesses. What you might not know about are the different accounts WhatsApp offers to help businesses get in touch with those 2 billion users. A business account in WhatsApp means you can create branded profiles to give…, Overview: Key differences, The main difference between WhatsApp Business vs. WhatsApp is that the business solution offers a free app for small businesses and a paid API solution for larger ones that allow businesses to use rich messaging to communicate with users. Standard WhatsApp messaging is only a person-to-person solution for personal communication., Standard WhatsApp, is for people to keep in touch with friends and family. Users can install the WhatsApp app from their respective app stores to do this. Businesses own and operate WhatsApp Business accounts themselves. You can set up a verified (optional), branded profile and use it to chat with WhatsApp users that have opted in to business communications. There are two ways businesses can approach WhatsApp to…, WhatsApp Business App accounts, are available on the free app through the app store. They only work with a limited number of employee users and are best for small and medium-sized businesses., WhatsApp Business API accounts, are for larger businesses. These accounts aren’t available through the app store, are paid, and offer more functionality for a more personalized user experience . The WhatsApp experience that will best suit your business depends on your customer base and company size. Now, let’s dig into the key features of these different accounts., WhatsApp Business, A standard WhatsApp Business account is for small to medium businesses. It’s a free app that can be downloaded by up to four employee phones or used in a browser. Your business account, can’t use the same phone number, as your standard messaging account if you have one. It needs a unique phone number for your business. And if you use the same phone for both accounts, it’s a good idea to use a phone with dual SIM capability so you don’t run into compliance issues mingling your business and personal contact lists. When customers message a business number over WhatsApp, staff receive a notification and can open…, Chat with customers quickly, Businesses can offer short links and QR codes so customers have one-tap access to direct chats with an agent. This streamlines the user experience by making chats quick, simple, and convenient., Label conversations for transparency, Business accounts can label their customers depending on the type of conversation, such as whether they’re a new or existing customer, a sale or a complaint, and more. This becomes especially useful when you have a large customer base., Reach many people at once, Speaking of large customer bases, the WhatsApp Business app has a feature called Broadcasts that ups your business messaging efficiency by allowing you to contact, up to 256 users, simultaneously. You can send multiple broadcasts if you have more than 256 contacts. However, users need to save your phone number in their contacts, or else, they won’t see your broadcast, ., Automate messages for efficiency, With lots of customers to follow up with, automation can help agents skip repetitive messages and focus on the important parts of the conversation. WhatsApp Business can automatically send, greeting messages, to new users,, away messages, outside of business hours, and, quick replies, to frequently asked questions., WhatsApp Business API, The other option for businesses is the WhatsApp Business API , also known as the WhatsApp Business Platform. This solution is for large businesses and independent software vendors looking to integrate WhatsApp messaging into their own products. It's designed to handle, much larger conversation volumes, . After your business has been verified, there are four tiers that each allow for an increasing number of user messages. You can upgrade your tier by hitting the following criteria: Make sure your phone number status is “Connected” Keep your quality rating at or above “Medium” Reach half your daily send limit in a seven-day period with new, unique users If you achieve those goals, Meta will…, Increase support with unlimited users, With the Business API, you can connect one account with, unlimited devices and user profiles, . This means you don’t need to throttle customer support through the world’s most popular messaging channel. The standard API allows for 1,000 unique daily contacts, and growing that number simply involves reaching out to half that many users in a seven-day period., Verify your account for increased trust, While anyone can use WhatsApp Business API, there are benefits to launching through a Business Solution Provider (BSP) a third-party company that manages API access, like Sinch. We have the knowledge and expertise to help with onbaoarding, template approvals, embedded signup for enterprises to onboard in 15 minutes, and additional support features. With WhatsApp Business API you need to, verify your business, before you can start engaging with your customers at scale, meaning WhatsApp reviews the business account. If they approve, you: Receive a green tick by your business name Can use a display name rather than a phone number in chat threads Can send a greater volume of messages This verification is invaluable for big businesses, as it gives customers confidence that they’re talking to the actual…, Improve contact management with CRM integration, With the standard business app, you’ll need to manage a traditional, in-app contact list separate from any CRM your business uses. With the API, you can integrate the two so you don’t run the risk of duplicating or omitting important contacts. However, just like with the app,, users need to consent to receive messages, from a business. They can either message you first or opt in to receiving messages via a separate form., Wow customers and help agents via automation, If you’re looking for automation, the API is the option to choose. Program your own automation or connect chatbots to help customers answer common questions and give support teams time to breathe. Hook it up to other internal systems to send revenue-generating messages like: Automated renewal reminders Personalized promotional offers Marketing campaign content You can also use it to reduce…, Utilize several types of messages to appeal to different users, Don’t assume the WhatsApp Business API just brings one-on-one messaging capabilities to larger businesses - it does so much more. With this WhatsApp solution, you can utilize:, Session chats, that give the user control by letting the chat expire after 24 hours of inactivity, Broadcasts, to multiple users that need to adhere to WhatsApp template guidelines but don’t require users to save your contact info beforehand, unlike the standard business app, Interactive messages, with quick replies that make answers convenient for users (they can be sent as broadcasts, too), Groups, that you have the ability to create and moderate but not message in, and which users have to accept an invitation to rather than you being able to add them, Standard WhatsApp, Standard WhatsApp is a user-oriented WhatsApp account for individuals to send messages worldwide. A standard account in WhatsApp lets people sign up via their phone number in the WhatsApp app and get an account linked to their number. Standard WhatsApp is used for one-to-one messages, voice calls, and video calls via a phone number. Users can also create group chats between multiple people. The…, 3 business benefits of using WhatsApp, WhatsApp is a simple, convenient place to chat with customers. It should be obvious by this point that the messaging platform offers several benefits you can capitalize on to grow your business, but let’s break them down to see just why you should adopt this channel., 1. Your customers are already using it, WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging app - why not stake a claim to some of the traffic with your own presence? There are many ways people can find a business on WhatsApp and start a conversation, like: QR codes Embedded buttons in a website Links to Facebook pages Integration with Facebook and Instagram adverts Many businesses use WhatsApp alongside their branded apps because there’s…, It’s more dynamic than standard messaging, Any kind of texting communication with customers is already preferred over options like email. WhatsApp ups the ante by offering rich messaging benefits that foster a stellar customer experience. Automation options like quick replies mean less time fussing over small customer issues and more time focusing on the big stuff. And rich media like images, videos, GIFs, quick-reply buttons, and more…, You’ll increase trust with customers, With added security and verification features, WhatsApp Business really lets customers know who you are. That boosts trust - and with 87% of customers noting they avoid doing business with brands they don’t trust, that makes a channel like WhatsApp a key component of customer loyalty., Take control of your WhatsApp presence to wow your customers, It’s safe to say you know your customers best. You invest in the tools to draw insights from their behaviors and actions, and you know the communication channels they prefer to use . And when it comes to using WhatsApp Business vs. WhatsApp, there’s one solution that has the most potential to help your business. To fulfill your goals and expand your vision, invest in a WhatsApp Business API…
Type: Blog Article
Type: Component Page
Type: Component Page
