One of the earliest methods of marketing products was to use door-to-door sales associates. This method was the most efficient way to get people’s attention and inform them about the product. While some door-to-door salesmen still exist, it is no longer a viable method of communicating to the target audience. Advertising and digital marketing is a way to cover all the bases and ensure a minimum guarantee of customer-base growth. It is a means to reach an entire population rather than an audience.
Digital marketing does allow for segregating the population by using usage analytics to display the appropriate advertisements for the appropriate audience. These digital platforms are made to understand consumer patterns and push the proper promotions.
In today’s era of “digital detox”, where people stop using social media and other digital platforms for long periods, it is impossible to guarantee that the entire target audience base is reached through an advertisement campaign. This problem is solved by API providers, like SMS API provider, transactional email API provider, voice API provider, and other API solutions.
WHAT IS API?
API or Application Programming Interface is the digital phone-to-phone sales method. Today, one would be hard-pressed to find an individual without a phone. Almost all the information people consume are from their phones, starting with the daily news to night-time apps that put people to sleep; everything is done on the phone.
Advertising via phones is the one-stop solution to all advertising obstacles. Every brand today has some form of a website or social media platform, or even an app. They maintain this web presence to engage with their customers. APIs help transform this web presence into an advertisement using many methods. AN API essentially allows for brands to communicate with their consumers digitally and personally on their mobile devices.
THE PROCESS OF USING APIs
The first step in developing an API is to have an online presence. This presence can be in the form of a website, an app, a blog or a social media page. Once the platform is set up and functional, the brand can contact an API provider to integrate communication software into the brand’s online portal. Some of the primary services offered by API providers are:
Push Notification API
A push notification API provider offers a means of advertising through push notifications. Push notification protocols are embedded in every app. When the brand designs an advertisement or sales message, they can automate push notifications with their advertising message. The API provider helps set these protocols, which is a one-time process. After it is set-up, the brand can upload the message, and the push notification appears on every phone that has the app installed.
Brands that do not have a dedicated application can still use this API by generating push notifications from their website. The notification appears under the browser’s dedicated template, but the brand designs the message.
SMS API
An SMS API provider offers a means to send advertising or sales messages to every phone. This message is sent to either registered customers or to numbers of certain network service providers that the brand is associated with for advertising purposes. Governments also use this service to send messages to the public, though their messages reach the entire population through all service providers.
Voice API
A voice API provider offers a means to trigger automated voice calls. These calls help customers give feedback or gain details about their purchase. Offering a method for the customer to contact a brand increases brand loyalty and can also be a means of customer research. These voice calls can also be used to conduct surveys of the population or audience to help the brand understand consumer trends and patterns. The API provider helps this process by setting up voice call protocols and even setting up analysing tools.
Transactional Email API
A transactional API provider offers a means to communicate transaction details to the brand’s customers. A transaction email is automatically triggered after a purchase. These emails are sent to the customer’s registered email ID and have details about their purchase like order ID, item, quantity, price and delivery-related information. This email helps build trust amongst customers on the brand, as it signifies a guarantee of service.
An API provider integrates all these communication methods into the brand’s online portal. It is a one-time process so that brands can send different advertising messages at desired intervals. The providers also offer a scaling option, wherein brands can automatically increase the number of people that will receive these messages to a larger scale. A voice, email or SMS API provider brings the brand closer to its customer and increases trust, thus prolonging their relationship.