By Samuyl Joshi
In 2024, short drama overseas has moved from "blue ocean gold rush" to "red ocean competition." As numerous players flood into North American, Southeast Asian, and Latin American markets, early industry user acquisition benefits are rapidly disappearing. The past growth model relying on "viral content + extensive traffic investment" faces severe challenges: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) continues rising, while Day-1 retention and long-term LTV (Lifetime Value) show little breakthrough.
In the second half of short drama overseas expansion, the core battlefield has shifted from "traffic acquisition" to "existing user operations." How to leverage AI technology and omni-channel communication (CPaaS) capabilities to build a refined user retention system has become key for overseas platforms to achieve sustainable profitability.
In overseas markets, short drama platforms generally face three pain points:
Entering the era of refined operations, cloud communication is no longer just a tool for sending verification codes, but an "engagement engine" throughout the entire user lifecycle.
Mobile internet ecosystems vary significantly across regions. Refined operations require platforms to switch communication paths based on user preferences:
Using AI technology, platforms can create deep user behavior profiles.
Through cloud communication API integration with backend CRM systems, achieving trigger-based operations:
In the future of short drama overseas, "service" equals "retention."
Intelligent customer service powered by Generative AI (AIGC) will completely solve small language coverage difficulties. AI customer service not only handles recharge inquiries 24/7 but also transforms into "drama guides," recommending content based on user feedback during conversations, even simulating character personalities from dramas for interaction, greatly enhancing user stickiness.
Additionally, building overseas private domain communities using WhatsApp/Telegram, leveraging omni-channel communication capabilities for community fission and fan maintenance, will be the best path to reduce Customer Acquisition Cost (CPA).
The era of wild growth in short drama overseas has ended. With customer acquisition costs stabilizing and user thresholds rising, "AI+omni-channel communication" is not just technical infrastructure but a reshaping of operational logic. Only through more refined reach, more empathetic content, and more timely interactions can overseas platforms transform fleeting "traffic" into highly sticky "retention" amidst fierce global competition.
In overseas business, the failure to receive or delay in receiving international SMS verification codes has caused the registration conversion rate to be halved, and the root cause lies in the complexity of international communication links.
Marketing text messages are easily ignored or blocked, and customer acquisition costs are soaring. Pure text marketing is a thing of the past. RCS business messages can achieve rich interactions through native entrances, reshaping communication standards.
With stricter compliance requirements in 2026, gray market SMS channels are no longer viable. This article conducts a real-world test of four overseas SMS platforms based on five core dimensions to help overseas businesses avoid pitfalls.
