While many organizations closely monitor the volume of communications they send to customers, higher message volumes do not necessarily translate into greater engagement. In fact, many companies struggle to ensure their messages are read and remain relevant in an environment saturated with competing stimuli. One possible explanation is what is known as "conversational fatigue".
A study by the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) highlights the widespread reach of business messaging: 91% of smartphone users surveyed across 18 countries receive commercial messages. Does this mean that message volume itself is the problem? Not necessarily.
Conversational fatigue can also arise when communications are repetitive, arrive at inconvenient times, or fail to provide relevant information. According to the MEF survey, 39% of respondents said some companies message them too frequently, while 29% reported receiving messages at inconvenient times.
In an environment of constant notifications and competing demands from work, social media, and entertainment, delivering a positive customer experience requires careful consideration of the frequency, timing, and relevance of every communication.
To achieve this, organizations need to coordinate customer conversations, avoid unnecessary repetition, and ensure that every message delivers meaningful value. This makes message orchestration a critical component of an effective communication strategy.
Excessive communication can also lead users to delete messages they actually need. According to a report by CSG, 59% of surveyed consumers have deleted important messages, such as bills or fraud alerts, after mistaking them for advertising or spam. This finding illustrates how message and channel overload can interfere with the delivery of even the most relevant communications.
As WhatsApp and Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging continue to expand, Gartner maintains that no single channel is universally superior for proactive customer service. Instead, channel selection should depend on the use case, geography, content, and costs.
Adding more channels creates additional opportunities to engage with customers, but it also requires organizations to coordinate interactions to prevent duplication and conflicting messages. An effective omnichannel strategy must account for what is communicated, through which channel, and at what time.
INFOGRAPHIC
70% feel that brands send so many messages that they no longer care what those brands have to say.
59% have deleted important messages after mistaking them for advertising or spam.
More than 1 in 3 have stopped purchasing from a brand because they received too many communications.
(Source: CSG)
According to a report by Mintel, consumers are not abandoning digital channels. Instead, they are becoming more selective about when, how, and why they engage with brands. As consumer attention becomes increasingly selective, companies need to make every interaction worthwhile by delivering timely, relevant information.
The goal is not to maximize message volume, but to ensure that every interaction is meaningful to the person receiving it.
At Plusmo, we help organizations connect more effectively with their audiences through omnichannel communication solutions that enable them to optimize message management while enhancing the customer experience.
