Turning the most visited real estate on the phone—the messaging inbox—into your highest-performing conversion path.

How many screens filled with apps does your phone have? Three? Five? Too many? Ever had to search for an app you knew you had but couldn’t find?

We’re being overrun by digital clutter, with branded apps being a big contributor. They compete for our attention and, as a “reward,” each one gives us another set of logins, updates, and notifications that can easily exasperate. No wonder less than 7% of users who’ve downloaded a business app stick around after 30 days.

In this environment, almost any marketing outreach can feel like an intrusion.

How can you reach customers drowning in this flood of attention? Try engaging them in an environment they already prefer: messaging.

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is poised to provide app-like performance with the simplicity of sending a text—or responding to one. Unlike standard text messages, RCS messages can include interactive buttons, high-quality images, read receipts, and other advanced features. This allows financial institutions to create trusted, branded, professional communications that build trust. Importantly, RCS enables interactive elements so they can take immediate action without leaving their texting app.

According to the data, people are ready for RCS, especially in financial services.

An Audience Is Waiting

Research by Datos Insights, in collaboration with Solutions By Text, found that nearly 80% of consumers prefer text communication with their lenders, but only 22% consistently receive text messages from financial providers. This gap is especially wide among younger consumers, who expect a digital-first and frictionless experience.

Until now, traditional texts have been made up of just that: text. This has made it virtually impossible to create an app-like experience. Adding an option for a user to take action meant including a link. But many users balked at the idea of clicking on a link in a text with just a phone number for an ID. In that same study, 51% of non-adopters cited fear of scams as their primary reason for avoiding financial texts.

RCS gives marketers a viable alternative. It enables verified sender identity, company logos, and branded visual elements in every message. A company can now confidently deliver offers and updates that customers can trust, and that stand out from spam, boosting both read rates and consumer confidence.

Unlike simple text messaging (SMS), RCS enables rich media, interactive buttons, read receipts, and in-message calls to action. Marketers can deliver app-like experiences—including secure payments, account management, and click-to-apply features—directly within a customer’s default messaging app. This dramatically increases consumer willingness to engage; when shown RCS features, over 80% of surveyed users expressed readiness to interact more frequently with financial brands.

It also makes a difference in who they choose to engage with: almost 60% are more likely to choose a lender using RCS messaging over one that doesn’t provide RCS.

But RCS isn’t just a cool new technology. It’s an opportunity to reshape your customer journeys. Data from the Datos study shows that consumers are not only more likely to read and act on RCS messages, but also to make critical decisions—from bill payment to account applications—without leaving their messaging app.

So how do you do it?

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview With Fredrik Skantze, CEO and Co-founder of Funnel

Strategies for Making the Most of RCS

• Act Now, Not Later:

Early adopters of RCS will secure distinct competitive advantages. In addition to customer preference noted above, they’ll be able to shape customer benchmarks and maintain relevance as the locus of engagement shifts to messaging. Begin by partnering with trusted RCS platforms, integrating brand elements, and crafting interactive experiences that drive immediate action.

• Personalize Messaging Cadence:

Timing and relevance are critical. Use data-driven insights to send targeted reminders (e.g. payment alerts) near critical dates and to manage promotional frequency to avoid overwhelming recipients. Align message timing with customer lifecycle events.

• Prioritize Trust and Security:

Build campaigns around verified sender credentials, visible brand logos, and professional message formatting. Highlight these features in your marketing materials to address consumer skepticism and position your brand as secure and accessible.

• Put Rich Interactive Elements To Work:

Replace static messages with interactive prompts: “Enroll Now,” “Ask a Question,” “Set Up Autopay.” Interactive RCS elements enable one-tap actions, dramatically improving conversion rates.

• Segment and Test Generational Content:

Gen Z and Millennials rely on text for nearly all interactions, but older demographics require education and reassurance. Use segment-specific messaging to raise awareness about RCS capabilities and maximize overall engagement. Consider pilot campaigns that highlight ease of use for less digitally native users.

• Cross-Marketing and Customer Lifetime Value:

RCS makes it easy to have meaningful conversations that build loyal relationships. For marketers, this means offering personalized options to expand the relationship. For example, 43% of younger generation consumers would prefer to apply for a loan or increase their credit limit via RCS rather than through a mobile app.

• Measure and Optimize:

Track engagement metrics across RCS communications, including read rates, click rates, and conversion events. Continuously optimize message design, frequency, and offers based on real-time insights. Leverage A/B testing to refine creative elements and messaging styles.

Next Steps

• Audit Your Communication Channels:

Catalog every point of contact—apps, SMS, email, web—and identify opportunities to consolidate functions into RCS.

• Educate Your Teams:

Ensure marketing, technology, and compliance teams understand RCS standards and capabilities. Host workshops to share findings from recent research.

• Collaborate Across Departments:

Integrate RCS into servicing, billing, and collections—not just marketing. Unified campaigns reduce friction and maximize operational efficiency.

• Plan Your Rollout Phases:

Start with high-impact use cases (onboarding, payment reminders, promotions), then expand to account management and collections.

• Collaborate to Stay Compliant:

Stay abreast of compliance requirements for verified messaging by partnering with experienced providers of robust compliance support.

• Promote Your New Capabilities:

Use outbound campaigns and social channels to let customers know about secure, frictionless RCS offerings.

The Road to Less Clutter

In a landscape where competing for app downloads and in-app engagement has become a costly, uphill battle, RCS messaging is the shortcut to next-level conversion and loyalty. For marketers ready to leave complexity behind and meet consumers where their attention is highest, the message is clear: RCS can simplify, amplify, and drive results—one trusted text at a time.

Marketing Technology News: The Death of Third-Party Cookies Was Just the Start. Are You Ready for Consent Orchestration?