P2P messaging, as opposed to A2P and P2A messaging, are those messages sent person-to-person. In other words, they are SMS sendings from a mobile phone to another one. They use SIM cards. This is the type of messages that have replaced instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook Messenger. The ones we use to communicate with our loved ones.
On the other hand, A2P SMS is a text message sent from a web application or SMS gateway to a specific user's mobile phone. P2A SMS is a text message sent from an individual's mobile phone to an SMS app or software.
Common uses of P2P SMS include group chat applications, anonymous dating applications, SMS on virtual phones such as Google Voice.
P2P and A2P messaging - how do they differ?
P2P - Person to person
Although the creation of SMS had become essential in our communication with friends and family, currently 60% of Europeans do not use this service. Only 2.2% say that they send several SMS per day and 3.4% send them almost every day. The remaining percentage sends SMS from time to time.
Although the SMS market for personal communication is decreasing, there are still people who use this channel to communicate with other people.
These tend to be low-digital profiles, such as older people who do not install apps or people who cannot download chat apps as they do not have a smartphone to do so. It is also often used in rural areas that do not have mobile internet connection.
Sending SMS is also very common in specific services such as SMS to make a donation, vote in a contest or make a payment or the automatic sending of an SMS when rejecting a call.
A2P - Aplication to person
The SMS market is dedicated to A2P messaging. These messages are sent by companies and public administration through dedicated platforms such as Afilnet. According to statistics, it is estimated that more than 4.1 billion SMS were sent in 2017.
Although we use SMS less to communicate with people, A2P SMS is on the rise and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. SMS has become the ideal channel for businesses as it has global coverage. It is also a very uncongested channel and is not dependent on an internet connection.
A2P SMS uses different ways depends on the sector. It can be used by a hairdresser to remind you of a booking. They can even be used by a bank to send a verification code to make an online purchase. Through SMS, the following functions can be performed:
Marketing campaigns: we can send promotional SMS with discount codes as well as to advertise a new product.
Notifications: We can notify our customers when they are going to receive a shipment at home.
Two-factor authentication: We can send SMS codes to confirm the identity of our customers when making a transaction with their bank card or logging into their account.
Important reminders: They can also be used to carry out a procedure at the administration, for important dates.
P2P messaging substitution
As we mentioned earlier, the rise of instant messaging apps have replaced the way we use SMS.
This has been because these applications offer a more direct and personal communication. Whereas in P2P messaging this is not the case because communicating by SMS is more cold and impersonal.
However, more and more people and companies are using SMS to contact and send communications. Sending SMS is an inexpensive service. It is also very practical, as the vast majority of users open the SMS messages they receive.
Make use of professional SMS
At Afilnet, we recommend the use of SMS as it is one of the most efficient channels in the professional environment. Every brand or company that wants to develop a good communication strategy includes these actions in their marketing campaigns.
Sending SMS is an excellent way to communicate with our audience as it is a channel that is not saturated and we can communicate without the need for a mobile data connection to send and receive them.