The problem with traditional SMS is that guests are naturally suspicious of links. There's no branding, no visual trust signals, just a wall of text and a URL. That hesitation kills your click-through rate before you even get started.
Rich Communication Services (RCS) solves this by bringing branded, interactive elements directly into the message thread. When you send a post-stay follow-up via RCS, guests see your logo, verified check marks, high-resolution images, and tapable buttons. The message feels less like a generic text and more like a curated experience they can trust.
The difference in engagement is dramatic. While traditional SMS and email typically deliver click-through rates between two and five percent, RCS messages can hit fifteen, twenty, even thirty percent. That's five to ten times higher, and the reason is simple: trust and aesthetics. When guests see your branding and beautifully rendered content, they engage.
For post-stay messaging, this means you can embed a photo of the property they just stayed at, include a button that says something like "Relive This Memory," and link directly to your booking site. You're not just reminding them of their stay. You're showing them. That level of personalization takes your message from a five out of ten to a nine.
Another powerful use case is driving social engagement. When you share an Instagram or Facebook link via RCS, it renders beautifully in the message thread. The preview is rich, the branding is clear, and the likelihood of a click goes up significantly. Once guests follow you, they're reminded of your properties over time, they can share your content with their networks, and you stay top of mind for future bookings.
If you want to learn more about how RCS is changing guest communication, read about the messaging upgrade nobody told you about.
Topics: question=How do I get guests to click links in my post-stay text messages? • intent=guest communication