Business communication is vitally important. We’ve never been more connected to the people around us—suppliers, colleagues, friends—than we are right now.

And as that constant communication becomes a part of our lives, those of us serving customers know that the expectations on us are always rising.

Customers expect to be able to interact with businesses in real time, whether that’s support queries, automated notifications, reminders, or any of the many other examples we’ll look at here.

Core to this growth in the way we’re able to interact with our customers is the use of APIs. Application programming interfaces allow us to quickly and easily create messaging applications within a simple framework using a defined set of tools. These new apps exist within a controlled software context that can then be easily interfaced with any existing systems or data.

This means a new messaging app can make use of customer data and insights you have available already. Or you might have a great sentiment analysis tool that could provide helpful data to support agents during a customer conversation. Smart use of APIs isn’t to recreate existing capabilities, it’s to add to your business’s toolset and integrate with existing systems.

What can you expect messaging APIs to do for you?

A lot of people thought SMS would completely die out with the rise of social media, but we haven’t seen that happen. Instead, SMS has found its niche alongside other elements. Open up Facebook Messenger and you’ll see options to include your SMS inbox alongside your other messages.

 “Text has its advantages and building on those will be key.”

Everyone can receive texts—no special app or prerequisite operating system needed. Knowing the device that is receiving a given message i.e. a specific mobile phone, rather than a social media or email account that could be logged in anywhere, has value for verification and authentication purposes. It also allows developers to make app marketing more convenient—browsing a company’s site and want their app? Click a button and get the download code sent to your phone!

Beyond that, there are plenty of different and innovative ways I see messaging being used to make interaction more convenient for customers.

Automated delivery reminders or bills are becoming more and more commonplace.

Broadcast-style messages sent out to larger audiences can disseminate information easily. One successful example I read recently was a top hospital that uses an automated text system to update their healthcare professionals on the status of patients, their test results, appointment times, and more. No app needed, just a phone number. Saves hours of administration time that can be put to better use. I love it.

There are simple messaging applications you can set up today: reminders, bills, adverts. Delivered quickly and hassle-free to any phone number you know. It’s up to you what you build with this. And I’m excited to see what the future of messaging holds.