What is RCS API & How To Use It To Grow Your Brand?

In today’s age, it is important for businesses to utilize a multichannel approach to stay connected with customers. Having just one channel to connect with customers is not enough. 

That being said, you need to use a channel that comes pre-installed on most devices and doesn’t require customers to go out of their way to download an external app. Can you guess what channel it is?

You guessed it, SMS. But with SMS, there are a lot of restrictions like character limits and the inability to send multimedia attachments. So, what’s the better option? RCS messaging is emerging as a powerful tool for businesses, bridging the gap between basic text messaging and more interactive experiences.

Integrating RCS API into your marketing strategy can revolutionize how you engage with customers and grow your brand. So, in this blog post, I will explore what RCS API is, its benefits, and how you can use it to enhance your brand’s reach and reputation. 

What is the RCS API?

RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is an upgraded version of traditional SMS technology. It transforms messages into rich, interactive communication channels. Think of it as a combination of the convenience of SMS with the multimedia capabilities of apps like WhatsApp. 

Using the RCS API, you can integrate RCS into your business infrastructure, using it as a marketing and customer support channel for optimizing your communications. In addition to that, the API lets you send RCS messages as scale and customize your outreach campaigns to drive maximum ROI for your efforts. 

Why should you consider RCS API for your business communications?

RCS messaging provides significant advantages over transitional forms of communication like SMS and email. Additionally, it can stand on equal grounds with modern communication applications (e.g. WhatsApp, Line, and Messenger) in terms of functionality and features. 

So, it is important to take a look at some of the core reasons for using RCS API for your business and marketing outreach.

Increase customer engagement

In contrast to SMS which lacks any multimedia capabilities, RCS offers rich media and high interactivity to make your messages more engaging. For example, instead of sending plain text with a link, you can use RCS to send rich cards or product carousels, with images, descriptions, and buttons to let your customer browse or purchase directly from the message.

Establish a brand identity

Have you noticed that whenever you receive an SMS, the sender appears as a random combination of letters and numbers, making it difficult to identify who it is actually sending these messages?

RCS on the other hand, comes with verified business profiles with branded messaging to let your customers instantly recognize your brand, allowing you to build trust and loyalty. This personalization enhances the customer experience and keeps your business on top of their minds.

Streamline customer service

RCS is not only a marketing channel. You can use its dynamic features to deliver top-notch customer support. Additionally, the two-way communication support of RCS lets you interact with customers in real-time, allowing you to resolve issues quickly and effectively. 

Furthermore, since RCS supports visual messages like images and videos, your customers can use this feature to send you photos of defective products or any error message that they encounter. This can help you save a lot of time, thereby expediting the resolution process. 

Enrich interactions with rich messaging features 

The reason why RCS is known as a Rich Messaging Service is because it provides rich communication functionality like suggestive replies and typing indicators. 

What this means is your customers can instantly send you a reply by clicking on the suggested replies buttons without having to manually type in their responses. This feature streamlines conversations if you have automated your RCS messaging with a chatbot.

How to use RCS API to scale your brand?

After understanding the features offered by RCS, now let’s check out the ways to implement them into your communication strategy. Having RCS as one of the channels can enrich your overall outreach capabilities, enabling you to send more interactive messages at scale. 

Set up the RCS API account 

Before you can start using the RCS API, you need to register your business with an RCS API provider. This provider will register it with a network carrier and offer you the required infrastructure to access its capabilities. 

To help you save time by going through multiple providers and in order to identify the right one for your needs, I can suggest a next-gen platform that effectively gets you started with RCS. 

Zixflow is a new-age communication platform that comes with multichannel outreach capabilities including a mix of both modern and traditional channels like RCS, WhatsApp, SMS, and email. With its robust marketing functionality, you can send various types of RCS messages, such as plain text, rich card, and carousel. 

Create interactive campaigns

Now that you have your business registered for RCS, the next step involves designing messaging templates for the messages you want to send. By leveraging the interactivity of RCS, you can design campaigns that encourage customer participation. For example:

• Promotions: Share discounts or flash sales messages with “Shop Now” buttons. 
• Event marketing: Use carousels to display event details, venues, and RSVP buttons. 
• Surveys: Engage users with quick polls or feedback forms.

Usually, the provider also allows you to craft these templates. And Zixflow’s RCS business messaging platform is no different. With its no-code template editor, you can easily build a template by entering relevant details and uploading suitable files.

Enhance customer support

Implement RCS to improve the efficiency of your support team. Enable customers to reach out via rich messaging instead of phone calls or emails. With chatbots powered by RCS, you can handle routine queries automatically while providing an option for human escalation. 

Once again, using Zixflow, you can craft an RCS chatbot to let you manage customer inquiries effortlessly. With it, your support team can take a breather by letting the bot manage most of the interactions. This way, they can focus on critical problems, resulting in better customer assistance. 

Real-world examples of RCS API

After learning about how to implement RCS API into your business communication strategy, let’s take a look at some of the ways in which businesses have been or can use RCS to improve their bottom lines. 

Retail/ E-commerce

A fashion retailer or e-commerce store can use RCS to send visually appealing product catalogs with “Buy Now” buttons. These interactive messages allow you to significantly boost sales engagement and increase your chances of getting immediate conversions.

Tourism 

Tourism agencies or hospitality brands can leverage the real-time conversational aspect of RCS to deliver timely updates about flights, hotel bookings, and schedule changes. In addition to that, using the suggestive reply buttons, you can ask for complementary products like food, drinks, or extra space during the travel, allowing you to provide a quality customer experience.

Healthcare

As I said before, RCS can be used effectively to provide customer support and meaningful information to patients about their appointments. Plus, due to RCS being an end-to-end encrypted channel, you can exchange confidential information, complying with HIPAA regulations and data protection laws. 

Take advantage of RCS API to streamline your engagement and scale your business

RCS API is a game-changer for you if you are looking to move ahead from traditional SMS to enhance customer communication and engagement. By leveraging its interactive features, personalized experiences, and real-time insights, you can drive customer satisfaction and grow your brand like never before. 

So, start exploring the RCS service providers to find the right match to kickstart your RCS initiatives. To help you shorten your search, I can suggest an advanced platform that comes with multichannel outreach capabilities for engaging customers on their preferred channel. 

You guessed it, Zixflow! With us, you can set up marketing campaigns across RCS, WhatsApp, SMS, and email. On top of this omnichannel approach, you also get a unified inbox, advanced automation, and an in-built CRM to correctly manage your contact data. 

Sign up for free and experience these capabilities firsthand.