cucr3

I am slowly learning mobile & SMS messaging and am having some trouble understanding some basics. Here's an idea I had, but am not how would I go about implementing it, and possibly scaling up to other businesses?

My aunt owns a restaurant and is always looking for more advertising options. If her customers opt in their cell phone numbers to receive updates about daily specials, offers from her, how would she go about sending them the texts? Collect the numbers, send them to a service, write up a text message and then pay for each text sent out..? What would that service, company be?

WillR

There are tons of different SMS service providers available, you will need to weigh them up based on your location and needs. Oncer you have found an SMS service, customers would simply text a word to a number and they would then be automatically added to your SMS list and you can message them whenever you want - preferably no more than maybe 6 times a month. It works just the same way as an email autoresponder service.

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creativesnaps

Are they not looking at restricting companies putting out sms for unsolicited marketing ?

Josper

For iPhone and iPad I am using App.Cat to build an app and send it by email or using the free SMS they provide.
Every time I want to make a promotion I only need change one text field inside the app and every iPhone or iPad in real time will receive it.
For Android phones I am using AppGeyser so I can make an app from my mobile sites and every time I change my mobile site every user also receives in real time those changes.

HypeText

Here is the way that SMS Marketing companies work.

Generally they will have monthly plans. As an Example, lets say 800 Outbound SMS Messages and 1 Keyword for $50...to use a round number.

The Business Owner/Manager would subscribe to the package on a Monthly basis. If they subscribed to the above package, then they could send out up to 800 messages on that plan.

Consumers would text their Keyword, such as "MEALDEAL" to the Providers Short Code. That would "Opt" them in to receive further promotional offers via SMS from that particular Business.

A Keyword generally represents a "Campaign". for a Restaurant they might have separate Campaigns for Daily Special Notifications and/or Discounts, etc.

Once the Consumer has opted in...the Business Owner/Manager can now push SMS Messages out to that consumer with other Promotional Offers or Information on an ongoing basis until such time as the consumer might Opt-Out. Opting Out is as simple as the consumer Texting "STOP" to the Short Code

As a Business builds their list larger and larger then pushing Promotions out to their Opt-In List is as simple as logging into the SMS Platform Providers Control Panel and clicking a few buttons.

Some Providers have the Capability for the business to initiate the push to one of their lists by simply text a sequence of words to the shortcode in addition to being able to do so from a Web Based control Panel, but not all offer that functionality

If they get 300 people on their Opt-In list and send out a coupon or other promotional message and have a 10% response rate they just sold 30 more of whatever Product or Service they were promoting.

Generally, its not a good idea to send out more than 6 sets of messages per month to a particular Opt In List to prevent excessive opt outs however there are exceptions to that rule, such as a Daily Special Notification.

Most Platform Providers will provide signage and/or table tents for a Restaurant to use to encourage their customers to opt-in. Many Business owners are concerned that they might have to physically ask for cellphone numbers and that should not be the case.

Keep in mind that SMS & Mobile Coupons are just one Aspect of Mobile Marketing, albeit probably the most effective.

Also, we believe that it is important to Manage our Clients accounts for them as we are the experts.

They might be the best darn Business Owner, but they might not be the best marketer.

Self Managed or DIY Accounts generally lead to a higher rate of attrition for companies offering SMS Marketing Services.

cucr3

Cool, I'll let her know her options. Thanks guys.