RCS marketing: How to elevate your customer engagement 

Wondering how to make your mobile marketing campaigns more interactive and impactful than SMS alone? 

As Rich Communication Services (RCS) rapidly evolves into the next standard for business messaging, brands now have a way to deliver app-like experiences directly inside the native messaging app.  

With richer media, verified sender IDs, and advanced analytics, RCS marketing enables enterprises to build trust and drive conversions like never before. 

In this blog, we’ll explain:

• What RCS marketing is 
• How it compares to SMS marketing 
• Key benefits for enterprises 
• How to launch high-performing campaigns at scale using Infobip’s platform 

What is RCS marketing? 

Unlike traditional SMS, which is limited to plain text and links, RCS allows businesses to: 

• Send branded messages with logos and verified sender IDs 
• Include high-quality images, videos, and carousels 
• Add interactive buttons for quick replies and calls to action 
• Track message delivery and read receipts for better analytics 

For marketers, RCS provides an app-like experience without requiring users to download an app, making campaigns more engaging, measurable, and personalized. 

RCS vs SMS marketing 

SMS has been the backbone of mobile marketing for decades, offering fast and reliable message delivery. However, its plain-text format limits engagement and personalization.  

RCS builds on the reach and simplicity of SMS while adding rich media, interactive elements, and advanced analytics. This makes RCS a more powerful channel for marketers who want to deliver app-like experiences directly inside the default messaging app. 

Key differences 

While SMS is a proven channel for reaching customers quickly, it’s limited to plain text and basic links. RCS expands these capabilities, enabling richer, more interactive mobile campaigns. 

Benefits of RCS marketing 

RCS marketing delivers richer, more interactive campaigns than SMS and gives brands the tools to engage customers with measurable impact.  

Here’s how it helps enterprises elevate their mobile marketing: 

1. Enhanced customer engagement 

RCS messages support images, videos, quick-reply buttons, and carousels that make campaigns visually appealing and interactive. This richer experience consistently leads to higher click-through and conversion rates than plain-text SMS. 

How to maximize this benefit: 

• Showcase multiple products or services in a single carousel message 
• Use quick-reply buttons to simplify actions like booking, purchasing, or requesting info 
• Experiment with different media formats (e.g., GIFs, short videos) to capture attention 

2. Verified and secure messaging 

Verified sender IDs let customers see your brand name and logo instead of a random number, reducing spam concerns and building immediate trust. 

How to apply it effectively: 

• Complete brand verification early to ensure all campaigns display your logo 
• Pair RCS messaging with secure links or authentication flows for sensitive information 
• Use branded short links to maintain a consistent, trustworthy customer experience 

3. App-like experiences without app downloads 

With RCS, customers can engage in interactive flows, like browsing products or checking in for flights, without leaving their native messaging app or downloading a separate application. 

How to make the most of it: 

• Design end-to-end journeys that replicate common app features (catalogs, forms, checkouts) 
• Use buttons and carousels to guide users step-by-step 
• Automate these flows with Infobip Moments to deliver seamless, real-time experiences 

4. Advanced analytics and insights 

RCS provides delivery reports, read receipts, and detailed engagement data that SMS can’t match. This gives marketers deeper visibility into user behavior and campaign performance. 

How to leverage these insights: 

• Track button interactions and segment audiences based on preferences 
• Run A/B tests to compare message layouts, CTAs, and offers 
• Integrate RCS analytics into Infobip’s dashboard to link messaging performance with revenue outcomes 

5. Scalability with fallback options 

Since not all devices and carriers support RCS yet, fallback to SMS or other channels ensures no message goes undelivered. 

Best practices for scaling campaigns: 

• Segment users by RCS availability and tailor content accordingly 
• Test fallback messages to ensure they still drive the main call-to-action 
• Use omnichannel campaigns to complement RCS with WhatsApp or email for full audience reach 

Best use cases for RCS marketing 

RCS brings campaigns to life with rich media, verified branding, and interactive elements. These capabilities make it particularly effective across multiple industries: 

Retail and eCommerce

• Flash sale alert: “Exclusive offer! Tap below to explore today’s 24-hour flash sale with up to 40% off selected items.” 
• Abandoned cart reminder: “You left something behind! Complete your purchase now and enjoy free shipping: [button: Checkout]” 
• Product carousel: “Discover our new arrivals! Swipe to see our latest collection and tap to shop instantly.” 

Travel and hospitality 

• Boarding pass delivery: “Your flight to Paris is ready! View and save your mobile boarding pass here: [button: View pass]” 
• Hotel upgrade offer: “Enhance your stay! Upgrade to a deluxe suite with complimentary breakfast: [button: Upgrade now]” 
• Live itinerary updates: “Your gate has changed to A12. Tap below for the updated airport map and directions.” 

Financial services 

• Secure transaction alert: “A $500 transfer was made from your account. Tap to verify or report an issue: [button: Verify]” 
• Loan promotion: “You’re pre-approved for a personal loan up to $15,000. Tap to see your options: [button: View offer]” 
• Interactive onboarding: “Welcome to BipTrust! Swipe through this quick guide to set up your account and manage services.” 

How to get started with RCS 

Launching an RCS campaign with Infobip is straightforward and built to scale, from initial readiness checks to full campaign automation. Here’s how to get started: 

1. Before you launch: Understand Capability Checker, onboarding, and setup 

Before rolling out RCS campaigns, assess your potential reach and complete necessary onboarding steps: 

• Capability Checker: Use Capability Checker tool to identify which numbers in your customer base are RCS-capable. This enables you to set realistic expectations about campaign reach and target your messages accordingly. Note that the checker provides real-time insights into device capabilities but does not confirm whether senders are fully launched yet. 
• RCS onboarding and brand registration: Register your brand with RCS Business Messaging platform through Infobip. This includes submitting your company details and logos to create a verified sender profile, marked with a blue tick to build trust and credibility in customers’ inboxes. 
• Compliance and approval: Ensure your sender profile and campaign comply with industry regulations and carrier requirements to avoid delays or message blocking. 

 2. Building your first RCS campaign: craft messages and select use cases 

Start strong with clear, interactive messages that leverage RCS’s rich capabilities: 

• Craft engaging content: Use high-resolution images, carousels, buttons, and suggested replies to create conversational, appealing messages that encourage interaction. 
• Select use cases: Begin with impactful scenarios such as order confirmations, cart abandonment reminders, appointment scheduling, or personalized promotions that benefit from rich media and two-way communication.

3. Automate and personalize with Moments 

Infobip’s Moments platform lets you design personalized RCS journeys easily: 

• Build automated campaigns using a drag-and-drop interface requiring no coding. 
• Target users based on behavior, preferences, or CRM data synced from People CDP. 
• Trigger campaigns based on actions like purchases or cart abandonment for timely and relevant messaging. 

4. Verify your brand and create a branded sender profile 

Before sending RCS campaigns, businesses must complete a verification process: 

• The verified sender status authenticates your brand and reduces the risk of messages being marked as spam. 
• Display your logo, company info, and contact details within messages to boost brand recognition and customer confidence. 
• This helps ensure better open rates and engagement, as customers immediately recognize your messages as legitimate. 

5. Ensure full coverage with reliable fallbacks 

RCS adoption is growing but not universal. Infobip ensures your campaigns reach everyone:

• Detect device and network capabilities automatically before sending. 
• Seamlessly fallback to SMS or WhatsApp when recipients don’t support RCS. 
• Use device-aware routing to maintain campaign continuity across multiple channels.

6. Rich features to drive engagement and conversion 

Infobip supports a suite of RCS advanced features to make messaging more impactful: 

• Rich media & carousels: Showcase multiple offers, create interactive catalogs, or share tickets and boarding passes for customer convenience. 
• Suggested actions & CTAs: Include buttons and quick-reply options to let customers respond with just one tap, increasing conversion likelihood and simplifying interactions. 
• Location sharing: Help customers find your nearest store or share their location for deliveries seamlessly. 
• Google Wallet integration: Enable customers to save boarding passes, tickets, and documents directly to Google Wallet for easy access (Android only, not available on iOS). 
• Google Calendar scheduling: Allow customers to book or reschedule appointments with calendar synchronization for fewer errors and better experience. 
• Future-ready AI capabilities: Use generative AI for hyper-personalized messaging, dynamic content recommendations, and conversational chatbots that enhance engagement and sales. 

7. Analyze campaign performance in real time 

Infobip’s analytics allow for data-driven optimization: 

• Track delivery status, read receipts, clicks, and swipes. 
• Segment your audience based on engagement to trigger personalized follow-ups or retargeting campaigns. 
• Use detailed dashboards to measure ROI and benchmark RCS effectiveness against other messaging channels. 

8. Test and optimize before going live 

Before full deployment: 

• Preview your RCS messages to verify correct rendering on various devices. 
• Run A/B tests to compare creatives and optimize performance. 
• Validate your fallback logic to ensure smooth delivery across all devices and networks. 

Compliance, consent, and delivery considerations 

Opt-in requirements

Before you can send RCS campaigns, you must have explicit user consent, the same rules that apply to SMS marketing. 

• Follow regulations: Comply with GDPR, TCPA, and other regional data protection laws 
• Be transparent: Clearly explain what users are opting into and how their data will be used 
• Provide easy opt-outs: Allow recipients to unsubscribe or change preferences anytime 
• Verify your brand: RCS requires brand verification, helping carriers and users trust your messages 

Global coverage and compatibility with Infobip 

RCS availability depends on device support, carrier networks, and region. To ensure consistent reach, campaigns must handle fallbacks (e.g., to SMS) and adapt to different delivery rules across markets. 

Infobip manages these complexities for you, handling carrier compatibility, device detection, and regulatory compliance, so your RCS messages are delivered securely and reliably worldwide. 

FAQs about RCS marketing