Head of the Marketing Department
Mr. Hideyuki Matsubara, Mr. Matsubara
CRM Team Leader
Mr. Ken Kurahashi, Mr. Kurahashi
Services Used
SMS Connect (API) (Marketo Integration)
――Please tell us about Leverage’s business operations and the areas each of you is responsible for.
Matsubara: Our corporate philosophy is “To pursue the happiness of all stakeholders and foster the growth of each individual through customer creation,” and we conduct a variety of businesses aimed at making the world a better place using IT as our tool. Our core business is human resources services, such as career transition support for nurses, engineers, and designers. Furthermore, to put “pursuing the happiness of all stakeholders” into practice, we operate not only human resources services but also other initiatives, such as a Q&A site for engineers.
I oversee the marketing department for our in-house media—specifically, the division responsible for attracting customers through advertising, as well as the design and production of web services. To accumulate as much in-house expertise as possible, we handle all tasks typically performed by advertising agencies and production companies entirely in-house.
Kurahashi: I work for the nursing job search site “ Kango no Oshigoto ,” where I’m in charge of CRM and carry out marketing initiatives targeting our existing registrants.
――We often hear about the nursing shortage in the news.
Kurahashi: While the situation varies by hospital, there are many hospitals nationwide—particularly smaller ones and those in rural areas—that are facing nursing staff shortages. Furthermore, even among hospitals of the same size, work arrangements can differ significantly depending on the type of facility. By acting as an intermediary to create opportunities for hospitals facing staff shortages to connect with nurses seeking better working conditions, we aim to help resolve the challenges facing the healthcare industry from a human resources perspective.
――Could you tell us what prompted you to implement SMS (Short Message Service)?
Kurahashi: On “Nursing Jobs,” while an email address is optional when registering for the service, a phone number is required because we conduct sales calls. That’s why we wondered if we could make better use of phone numbers—and that was the direct reason we introduced SMS.
――What do you use SMS for?
Kurahashi: The sales and marketing departments use it for different purposes.
In the sales department, sales representatives have long been manually sending SMS messages to individual customers from their cell phones as a means of communication.However, manually sending SMS messages one by one from a cell phone is inevitably time-consuming. As a result, the sales department requested a way to send them via a system. That’s when we discovered Acreet’s service. Now, we’ve integrated Acreet SMS with our in-house CRM system via API and send SMS messages directly from the CRM dashboard. It’s truly easy to use, and our operational efficiency has improved dramatically.
Additionally, for applicants who have registered but whom we’ve never been able to contact, our sales team used to have to keep following up by phone. Now, for applicants we haven’t been able to reach for a certain period, we’ve set it up so that Marketo automatically sends them an SMS.
Meanwhile, in the marketing department, we’ve integrated our in-house CRM system with Marketo, and Marketo with SMS via API, to use SMS as a sort of email newsletter to re-engage dormant members.
――Now that you’ve implemented SMS, how effective has it been?
Kurahashi: As for the sales department, we’ve seen the benefit of reduced workload associated with sending the SMS messages I mentioned earlier. Additionally, since Marketo automatically sends SMS messages, we no longer have to keep calling until we reach someone. We’ve found that the time saved in this way can be better spent making more effective sales calls.
As for the marketing department, we’ve been sending emails from Marketo for some time now. However, as I mentioned earlier, since email registration is optional, we weren’t able to send emails to the 20–30 percent of our total contacts who had only registered their phone numbers. I believe the ability to now send text messages to those individuals is a direct benefit of implementing SMS.
――Is there a difference between sending an SMS message from Marketo and sending an email?
Kurahashi: I think it depends on the job type. For example, engineers tend to have relatively high email open rates, perhaps because they use email for work. On the other hand, nurses don’t have particularly high open rates even when we send them emails. I’ve found that SMS is more likely to be read when reaching out to nurses.
Also, the response is quick. Sometimes we get a reply just one minute after sending an SMS (laughs). Since SMS messages are short, I think they’re easier to read.
――One reason for the quick response may be that SMS messages reach users’ devices immediately upon delivery, and users are much more likely to notice them than they are with email.
――Are there any specific ways to use Marketo and SMS together that are unique to this combination?
Kurahashi: For example, we’ve started a campaign where we send SMS messages only to those who haven’t opened our emails. Since SMS has a character limit, it isn’t meant to replace emails or phone calls; rather, I think it works best when used in combination—to supplement the content of a phone call or encourage recipients to read the email.
We’ve only just begun integrating Marketo with SMS, but we’re exploring other ways to use this combination for various purposes, so we’re looking forward to seeing the results.
――In your interactions with customers, are there any specific areas where you feel the combination of Marketo and SMS is particularly well-suited?
Kurahashi: I believe our company’s value lies in the fact that our sales staff speak directly with job seekers.We take the time to listen carefully to their preferences, suggest suitable hospitals, schedule interviews, and work together to prepare for them. I believe these aspects truly require careful, hands-on communication. However, for other standardized operations—such as reactivating dormant members or reaching out to those who haven’t been in touch—I think the Marketo and SMS integration is ideal for automation and efficiency, and we are actively implementing this approach within our company.
Matsubara: In the staffing industry, I believe a major factor in setting ourselves apart is how well we can make proposals that capitalize on each person’s individuality. If we pursue an approach where each person is assigned a dedicated sales representative, we inevitably need human resources. But talking on the phone isn’t necessarily the best way to communicate. For example, sending interview schedules or the name of the hospital contact via text message eliminates the risk of mishearing information and the need to take notes, and sending a map link is faster than going through the hospital’s location over the phone (laughs).I believe that by leveraging the convenience of SMS where appropriate and focusing on “human warmth,” we can ultimately create a better environment for our clients.
――When you actually implemented the system, did Marketo and Acrit SMS integrate smoothly?
Kurahashi: The manual was easy to understand, so I didn't have any particular problems. I followed the instructions in the manual, and it connected without a hitch.
――Thank you very much. We put a lot of thought into the system integration between Marketo and our service so that companies wouldn’t need to develop anything on their end and could easily connect the two by following a simple set of steps. If our service development team heard this, they’d be overjoyed (laughs).
――What do you think are the main differences between SMS and email?
Matsubara: It’s easy to get more email addresses, isn’t it? But you can’t easily get more cell phone numbers, so I feel they’re infinitely closer to being “personal” than email. I think that’s the real strength of SMS messages sent to cell phone numbers.In particular, for members registered with so-called “carrier email” addresses, their address changes when they switch mobile carriers, so there are quite a few cases where messages sent to the mobile email address they previously registered with no longer reach them. However, since we started using SMS, I feel that as long as we have their mobile phone number, we’ll be fine going forward. I believe mobile phone numbers currently offer the highest level of reliability as a unit representing an individual.
Also, the fact that SMS has push notifications is definitely a major advantage. I think it’s very important that users actually notice when a message arrives.
――What are your thoughts on the differences between text messages and phone calls?
Matsubara: I think the biggest factor is the burden on the recipient. With phone calls, you never know when they’ll come in, and they force the recipient to set aside time to answer. With text messages, however, the recipient can read them whenever they have time—that’s a huge difference.
For example, engineers often feel they can communicate more effectively via text than by phone. In the case of nurses, some may be sleeping during the day after working the night shift, so we have to be careful about the time we call.However, the great thing about text messages is that communication can take place whenever the nurse is able to check their phone.
Additionally, since text messages leave a written record, sending the details of a phone conversation via text results in a much higher level of understanding compared to relying solely on a phone call.
Another major advantage is the ability to send URLs. It’s very convenient to be able to say over the phone, “I’ll send you the URL later.”
――Please tell us why you chose our service for your SMS delivery needs.
Kurahashi: We based our selection primarily on two factors: performance and cost. First, regarding performance, we compared SMS services that send messages domestically with those that route through overseas networks, and decided to implement a domestic service that is less likely to be blocked and has a higher delivery rate.Next, we compared several domestic service providers. While system stability and track record—factors that ensure service reliability—were certainly important, we ultimately selected Acreet’s service based on an overall assessment that included the positive impression we had during our meeting, which made us feel we could trust them, as well as their attractive pricing.
――Now that you’ve implemented Acrit SMS, what are your thoughts on it so far?
Kurahashi: We haven't encountered any particular issues since we implemented the system. Also, while we do occasionally ask the support team to make changes to configuration settings or handle administrative procedures, they respond promptly, which is a great help.
――Our dedicated support team is handling this. For us, our work doesn’t end once you’ve signed up for our service. We strive to provide attentive support—not only by addressing any questions you may have while using the service, but also by sharing best practices to help you get the most out of it. I’ll be sure to pass along the feedback you’ve shared to our support team. (laughs)
――Did you receive any complaints from applicants after sending the text messages?
Kurahashi: We haven't received any complaints. However, since SMS messages have a high open rate, we believe that sending too many could lead to problems. As a preventive measure to avoid such issues, we're adjusting the number of SMS messages we send to each person.
――It seems we’ve already built up quite a bit of expertise regarding SMS.
Kurahashi: We’re still only at about 30 percent of our target. Right now, we’re going through a process of trial and error within the company, gaining experience and building up our know-how. Since both SMS and Marketo are new tools, we’re still figuring out how best to use them.
――Finally, could you tell us about your future aspirations?
Kurahashi: As I mentioned at the beginning, here in the Marketing Department, we handle all marketing activities in-house to build up our internal expertise. Just as we’ve recently implemented Marketo and SMS, we’re also actively adopting new technologies. If you’re willing to give it a try, you can pretty much do anything (laughs). I’m looking forward to creating new value alongside team members who are interested in technology and want to change society through marketing.
――When Leverage first adopted Acrit’s service, you began by sending messages via the web browser-based management interface. Since then, you’ve steadily expanded the scope of your SMS usage—including SMS delivery through API integration with your CRM system and integration with Marketo—and have achieved significant results.
To meet our customers’ expectations, we plan to further expand integration options with Marketo and various other services, thereby enhancing the convenience of Acreet SMS even more. We are committed to ensuring you feel glad you chose Acreet, so we hope you’ll look forward to what we have in store.
Thank you very much for your time today.
* From the Marketo Blog: “ "Learning Multichannel One-to-One Marketing from Leverage: Reactivating Dormant Customers" " on the Marketo Blog.
