You may wonder: “We’re already running SMS campaigns, why switch?”
Well, 70% of users are more likely to communicate with brands through interactive messaging.
Clearly, customers crave something richer than bland text. That’s where rich communication services (RCS) come in. RCS chat features combine the trust of SMS with the interactive messaging your customers expect.
Let’s look at how RCS message features go beyond “rich messaging.”
Why RCS?
A plain text message can inform or ask, but it rarely engages. And today’s customers expect visual stimulation. No surprise, then, that 73% of businesses considered this rising need and boosted their budgets for visual communication platforms in the past year.
RCS messaging turns those standard texts into a fully branded experience with product images, quick-reply buttons, appointment confirmations, and even order tracking.
Sam Jacobs, the Head of Marketing at Ammo, on switching from SMS to RCS, says, “Our audience is visually driven, and with RCS, we send them images of our new collections and restocks. The 160-character limit on SMS limited how well we could tell a brand story and share features of our products.”
Apart from the 160-character limit, SMS falls short as:
- It supports only basic text and lacks interactivity or branding options.
- There’s no way to know if a message was read, and to track customer engagement beyond delivery.
- No sender verification means a higher risk of fraud and reduced customer trust.
SMS and RCS: How do they compare?
Before we dive into the RCS chat features, here’s a side-by-side breakdown of RCS vs. SMS to help you see how these messaging technologies differ and why RCS might be the smarter pick for your business.
Now that we know how these compare, let’s dive into RCS chat features and their benefits.
Key RCS features that boost customer engagement
Customers want rich media, two-way communication, and interactive branded texts. But how do these features benefit your business?
Rich media support that keeps your brand top of mind
With rich media support, you can engage customers with images, videos, carousels, and GIFs directly in the message, making campaigns visually compelling and memorable.
So a retailer can showcase new arrivals with product images and videos, rather than just a plain text link.
How does this benefit your business?
- Grabs attention instantly
- Boosts engagement and click-throughs
- Improves product discovery
- Strengthens brand recall
- Reduces friction in the buying journey
- Ideal for mobile-first shoppers
If your business has visual appeal, frequent promotions, or products/services that benefit from being “seen,” this feature helps.
Typing indicators and read receipts to optimize campaigns
Unlike traditional SMS, you’ll know if your offers have been read, so you can fine-tune your send times and messaging strategies for maximum impact.
For example, if you see most customers read your message in the evening, you can schedule future offers to hit inboxes at that peak time for better results.
How does this benefit your business?
- Follow up at the right moment
- Get clear visibility into customer engagement
- Reduce response time with proactive support
- Refine campaign timing based on user behavior
Any business with a strong need for customer service, fast issue resolution, or timely decision-making benefits from this feature.
Suggested replies and quick actions for a smooth buying journey
You can make it easy for customers to respond or take action with a single tap, boosting conversion rates and reducing friction.
For example, a bank can send a payment reminder with actionable buttons like “Pay Now” or “Contact Support,” while a sports facility can let users confirm or reschedule turf bookings — all through Plivo’s RCS messaging.
How does this benefit your business?
- Speed up customer responses
- Guide customers toward desired actions
- Reduce support workload
- Gather better data
Verified sender and branding to foster consumer trust
With verified business profiles, logos, and colors directly in the chat, users are more likely to trust your business. Plus, when they see your logo and a verified badge, it reduces fraud risk and increases open rates.
How does this benefit your business?
- Build immediate trust with customers
- Increase open and engagement rates
- Protect brand reputation against spoofing
- Enhance message consistency across campaigns
- Reinforce brand identity in every interaction
Any business that wants to minimize fraud and prevent spoofing benefits from this feature.
Two-way interactivity to decrease wait times
RCS message features enable real-time, dynamic conversations where customers can ask questions, get support, or make purchases without leaving the chat.
For example, an airline can handle booking changes or customer queries instantly instead of relying on slow SMS replies or call centers. Passengers can even browse flight options, seat upgrades, or travel add-ons without leaving the chat.
How does this benefit your business?
- Increase customer engagement through personalized messaging
- Resolve queries faster with back-and-forth messaging
- Reduce support wait times with instant communication
- Improve satisfaction by making customers feel heard
Delivery and engagement analytics
How can you be sure customers are even seeing, let alone clicking, your messages?
RCS messaging features include access to detailed analytics on delivery, reads, clicks, and engagement to maximize delivery and empower data-driven marketing. The data helps you see which promotions drive clicks and optimize future campaigns. (something SMS simply can’t provide!)
How does this benefit your business?
- Gain visibility into message delivery and read status
- Optimize send times and content based on real engagement data
- Reduce guesswork in campaign performance
- Improve ROI by doubling down on what works
- Track user behavior to personalize future campaigns
This feature helps marketing teams across industries analyze key success metrics and optimize strategies based on data.
End-to-end encryption (where supported)
This feature assures customers' privacy and security, especially for sensitive transactions or personal information. Industries like healthcare providers or banks can communicate securely, unlike with unencrypted SMS.
How does this benefit your business?
- Protect sensitive customer data in transit
- Build trust by ensuring message privacy
- Comply with industry regulations and standards
- Reduce liability from data breaches
Any business handling sensitive information, like patient data protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), financial transactions, or compliance-regulated customer details, can benefit greatly from this feature.
Interactive messaging functions to increase open rates
A travel agency that lets customers swipe through a carousel of dreamy destinations right inside their chat is far more likely to secure a booking than one that sends a plain text list.
With interactive messaging functions, you can use carousels, rich cards, and buttons to create immersive, actionable experiences within chat.
For example, Elizabeth Lawrence, Managing Editor at American Military News, shares how using RCS for state‑specific polling initiatives boosted customer engagement and helped them build more precise, targeted strategies.
“We sent a message that had the poll link, a short issue summary, and two reply buttons: 'I Support' or 'I Don’t.” Once clicked, the respondent got follow-up content based on their answer, like tailored videos, quotes, and even links to community events.”
On talking about how it helped them segment their audiences better, she said:
“Instead of shouting at everyone with the same message, we let them direct the conversation with one tap. That gave our analytics team cleaner segments and gave users content they wanted.”
How does this benefit your business?
- Improve engagement by delivering location-relevant content
- Increase conversion rates through personalized messaging
- Gather more accurate customer insights and preferences
- Reduce campaign waste by avoiding irrelevant outreach
- Support A/B testing based on region or segment behavior
Engage smarter with Plivo’s RCS features
With rising expectations for faster support, more personalization, and app-like messaging experiences, you can't rely on basic SMS alone. Plivo’s RCS messaging capabilities make a significant difference here. It brings the power of rich, interactive communication to your existing systems to drive engagement, automate conversations, and build trust at scale.
Plivo easily plugs into your existing communication stack via intuitive APIs, so you can start using RCS without overhauling your infrastructure. You can also pair it with AI Agents to automate FAQs, drive personalized recommendations, and resolve queries 24/7.
Whether you’re a retailer promoting a product drop, a bank confirming transactions securely, or a healthcare provider following up on appointments, Plivo’s RCS solution ensures your message is timely delivered, seen, clicked, and remembered.
Get started for free to see it in action!
