Both work — for different jobs.
SMS
Short reminders and offers to a consented list.
Conversation, support and richer follow-up.
Next step
Choose the channel by the customer’s task
Use the following worksheet to turn this article into an operating decision. It is a practical plan for a Bangladesh small business, not a claim about a particular client or an industry benchmark. Adapt it to your current workflow and constraints.
Use short notifications when a conversation is unnecessary, and a conversational channel when the customer must explain a need.
Check consent, current provider restrictions, message costs and reply handling for each channel. The cheapest send price can hide support work.
Pilot with an expected-message audience. Measure useful responses and opt-outs, then keep the channel that supports the actual workflow.
Write this before requesting proposals
Describe the current process, the failing step, the intended users and what a correct outcome looks like. Prepare representative test data so suppliers can demonstrate the same task. Ask separately about recurring costs, third-party dependencies and work excluded from support.
When to change the plan
Resolve missing access, failed acceptance checks or unclear team ownership before paying for the next stage. Use evidence from a small pilot. If scope grows, agree revised time and costs rather than relying on unsupported guarantees.