SMS Marketing Tips
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SMS Marketing Tips
Its hard to deny the power of social media these days. And you cant think of social media marketing without mentioning the increase in SMS marketing.
We have watched the understanding of Mobile marketing moving from the traveling trade show, which still works, to being a phrase we use for reaching people right where they are. I am not talking about spamming phones or other devises, I am talking about constant communication with those you have built a relationships with.
If you are looking for a definition than perhaps we could turn to November 2009, the Mobile Marketing Association updated its definition of Mobile Marketing:
I think the very term mobile device is constantly being redefined. Just went to Best Buy to get tablets for teenagers. Devises went from very small to medium size in tablets. No telling where it will end, but I am quite sure it will never be a shoulder phone. (A reference to the first mobile phones, watch old 80 movies).
But none the less it is a market that online marketers are going to need to learn. Especially if you are working with offline companies, or if you own your own company. It will become more and more difficult to deny the power of SMS marketing.
SMS Marketing (Short Message Service) actually took root overseas but has recently picked up steam here in the US. Now most people get their news and updates through these services. My daughter who is a teenager uses text more than the phone. It has defiantly took the place of email, and will continue to evolve. Everytime you don't think something new can come down the line, something takes the place of the old.
I am just waiting for Facebook to die and see what's next.
But this is not something for the young, people of my age (80's rule) use it just as much, and it is the way I talk with my own father at age 79. So no matter the age, SMS marketing is something we can all use.
Why use SMS Marketing
Local businesses can use text messaging to engage their customers on a much more personal basis than even email marketing can provide.
There are two huge advantages to text messaging that really can't be matched by any other method of communication.
For instance a restaurant I love use to send out email coupons like papa johns does. Every Friday I know I am going to get a coupon from Papa Johns.
But what this other restaurant has done is switched to SMS marketing. I suppose if the place is slow or they want to highlight an event or a band coming or a special they have going on, they send out a text message.
So, if I am at at work, or out with the family, or bored, and this text comes through, and next thing I know we are heading that way.
Happens all the time.
So does that mean you need to be feverishly tapping out text messages to all your customers every time you want to send something?
Not at all. It is crazy how many services there are. I have my favorites, but you can no doubt find one that fits your needs.
I knew of an executive that used SMS marketing to communicate with his team. Every morning a text went out that was encouraging. He used it mainly as an announcement to his team to keep them motivated.
There are services that will broadcast a text message to everyone who has requested to receive them from you. These services let you choose a number, called a Short Code, to use as your point of contact. Your customers just have to send a text to that number to sign up to receive text messages from you whenever you broadcast something out.
You can even set up an automatic response from these short codes, giving you the ability to offer an incentive to get people to opt into receiving those messages.
The local sports radio station has this sets up. They use it very wisely. I think I might get 3-10 texts from them the entire month. They only broadcast when their is a change to our local teams.
The ways in which you can use SMS marketing is truly limitless.
I have a free unlimited online consultation service that is getting ready to set this up for the inner circle. So that we no longer consult and discuss ideas through email, but through SMS.
Its hard to deny the power of social media these days. And you cant think of social media marketing without mentioning the increase in SMS marketing.
We have watched the understanding of Mobile marketing moving from the traveling trade show, which still works, to being a phrase we use for reaching people right where they are. I am not talking about spamming phones or other devises, I am talking about constant communication with those you have built a relationships with.
If you are looking for a definition than perhaps we could turn to November 2009, the Mobile Marketing Association updated its definition of Mobile Marketing:
Mobile Marketing is a set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network.
I think the very term mobile device is constantly being redefined. Just went to Best Buy to get tablets for teenagers. Devises went from very small to medium size in tablets. No telling where it will end, but I am quite sure it will never be a shoulder phone. (A reference to the first mobile phones, watch old 80 movies).
But none the less it is a market that online marketers are going to need to learn. Especially if you are working with offline companies, or if you own your own company. It will become more and more difficult to deny the power of SMS marketing.
SMS Marketing (Short Message Service) actually took root overseas but has recently picked up steam here in the US. Now most people get their news and updates through these services. My daughter who is a teenager uses text more than the phone. It has defiantly took the place of email, and will continue to evolve. Everytime you don't think something new can come down the line, something takes the place of the old.
I am just waiting for Facebook to die and see what's next.
But this is not something for the young, people of my age (80's rule) use it just as much, and it is the way I talk with my own father at age 79. So no matter the age, SMS marketing is something we can all use.
Why use SMS Marketing
Local businesses can use text messaging to engage their customers on a much more personal basis than even email marketing can provide.
There are two huge advantages to text messaging that really can't be matched by any other method of communication.
- Most people have their phones with them virtually all the time, so those messages will reach them no matter where they are.
- The vast majority of text messages get read almost instantly when they're received. Compare that to email that may go unopened for several days.
For instance a restaurant I love use to send out email coupons like papa johns does. Every Friday I know I am going to get a coupon from Papa Johns.
But what this other restaurant has done is switched to SMS marketing. I suppose if the place is slow or they want to highlight an event or a band coming or a special they have going on, they send out a text message.
So, if I am at at work, or out with the family, or bored, and this text comes through, and next thing I know we are heading that way.
Happens all the time.
So does that mean you need to be feverishly tapping out text messages to all your customers every time you want to send something?
Not at all. It is crazy how many services there are. I have my favorites, but you can no doubt find one that fits your needs.
I knew of an executive that used SMS marketing to communicate with his team. Every morning a text went out that was encouraging. He used it mainly as an announcement to his team to keep them motivated.
There are services that will broadcast a text message to everyone who has requested to receive them from you. These services let you choose a number, called a Short Code, to use as your point of contact. Your customers just have to send a text to that number to sign up to receive text messages from you whenever you broadcast something out.
You can even set up an automatic response from these short codes, giving you the ability to offer an incentive to get people to opt into receiving those messages.
The local sports radio station has this sets up. They use it very wisely. I think I might get 3-10 texts from them the entire month. They only broadcast when their is a change to our local teams.
The ways in which you can use SMS marketing is truly limitless.
I have a free unlimited online consultation service that is getting ready to set this up for the inner circle. So that we no longer consult and discuss ideas through email, but through SMS.