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Getting immediate attention with mobile and SMS text marketing

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Would you like to communicate instantly with your customers?

What would get your attention better?

A letter telling you someone is coming to plumb in your washing machine or a text message the day before reminding you about it and asking you not to go out?

Do you know what the most used method of communication - other than speech - is in the UK today?

The answer is SMS text marketing. It is very effective used on its own or in conjunction with other forms of marketing.

SMS text marketing is fast and gives fast results. SMS messages are sent and received in a fraction of a second and enable organizations to keep in touch with as many customers as they can in the shortest possible time. Text messages are clear and concise, delivering information to consumers in a clear manner that hits right home. This guarantees a steady flow of income. Unlike other forms of advertising, text messages say what they say as you have so few characters.

Text messages are now common - over 57 billion were sent in the UK alone last year. Business to consumer text messaging campaigns such as Pop Idol and I'm a Celebrity have increased the popularity of interactive texting. But it works in business to business too - confirming appointments, messaging suppliers, contacting field forces and inbound message applications are growing all the time.

Use text marketing if:

• You like to be able to communicate instantly with your customers and contacts.

• You think any of your customers have ever forgotten an important occasion.

• You want to increase brand awareness and provide additional revenue streams for your business.

• You want an edge that the vast majority of other advertisers just don't use.

Of course, you have to get your customers mobile numbers but this can be done in a variety of ways that are legal.

By adding your own text-in number on everything that your potential members see - flyers, posters, adverts and websites, you can build a list very quickly indeed. You can use competitions, free gifts, special offers and many other offers to help build your list too.

The KISS [keep it simple, stupid] principle is paramount in SMS text. Complicated messages don't work as well as clear, well spelled offers. As with all direct marketing you test, test, test and measure response. You can install text capabilities on to an individual computer or an entire network and even integrate it with your business systems.

Then, using an on-screen interface, you simply type the text message using your keyboard, select recipients and instantly send it. Powerful, built-in databases also allow you to schedule messages to be sent to any groups or contacts at any given date or time in the future.

You can create, manage and monitor phone competitions in real-time from your own desktop whenever you want. You can also view results and progress of your competition in real-time and whenever you want. There over 50 million mobile phone handsets in the UK. Using SMS text messages allows you to communicate directly and interactively with nearly anyone in the UK, wherever they are.

There is nothing more annoying than receiving a text message, email or letter that is completely irrelevant and in some cases inappropriate. Know your audience and gather information from people who are likely to appreciate your marketing messages. So here are some simple dos and don'ts:

DON'T:

• Obtain a database of random mobile numbers

• Broadcast to numbers which you don't have an Opt in from

• Send irrelevant offers.

• Market to minors without parents' permission
  

DO:

• Think about your target audience demographic

• Use your messages to link to other channels

• Think about how to measure the response

• Make it clear how to opt out of future broadcasts

• Make your terms and conditions, including pricing for all campaigns clear

• Stay alert and be ready to react

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