The world, today, is facing an unprecedented medical crisis which has brought the entire human race on its knees. The novel coronavirus or COVID 19 which started in the Chinese province of Hubei in early December has left the entire world paralysed with over 200 countries going into a lock-down situation.
As it always happens in the midst of such an emergency, people often start panicking for two reasons:
- The rumour mills are usually activated during such time; hence a lot of misinformation and myths are generated which makes the situation tense.
- Most people find themselves in the dark figuratively as there’s usually no reliable source of information.
In such a situation, it becomes really important to ensure citizens get the right information through the right source to avoid any sort of chaos, misunderstanding and baseless rumours. Besides using the regular medium like television, newspaper or social media; SMS can also prove to be an extremely crucial means to communicate things to the general public.
It is observed that any information, alert or notification sent during times of crisis often goes unread or unnoticed due one or more reasons. However, when you send out a bulk SMS, the government authorities can quickly and efficiently communicate any important development to the citizens. Since SMS enjoys an outstanding open rate of around 97%, the possibility of message reaching out to everyone increases manifold. Moreover, the studies also showed that 90% of messages are opened within the first three minutes, which means you can pass on the information or convey a message in no time.
Besides, SMS doesn’t require internet connectivity; hence it can be sent out to any phone – whether it’s the smartphone or the keypad phone.
Relying completely on legacy media like television, radio, phone calls and even email might have been ineffective communicators, apparently contributing to negative experiences and more panic.
Here’s how SMS can play an important role in increasing the emergency alert reach and building a smarter and more cohesive community communication network in the time of crisis.
- Instant Notifications
During an emergency like the present one, it’s often difficult to reach citizens with actionable and accurate information. As a result, it’s important to communicate the message and notify citizens using technology. Since mobile phones have become an integral part of our lives with a large number of people having mobile phones. This makes SMS one of the easiest and most reliable means to reach citizens quickly to advise procedures to follow. Moreover, you can convey the most updated information about the situation.
- Targeted and To the Point Communication
Using SMS, you can create personalised and segmented communication channels so that specific audiences can receive the message. For example, citizens who are into emergency services like medics or paramedics can be notified about their duty in a particular ward and their times. Moreover, you can create personalised messages for a segmented group; for example, if you want to notify residents of a certain area about opening hours of the stores during lockdowns, you can send out the bulk SMS to ensure less chaotic situations, panic buying and goods hoarding.
One cannot deny the crucial role bulk SMS plays during the hour of crisis. Integrating SMS software in your system can help you stay in touch with all the stakeholders and keep them updated about any new developments regarding government directives and other health advisories. If you’ve any queries related to bulk SMS software free feel to contact experts at SMS Solutions.
