How Text Message Marketing & TMM Advertisement Builds Opt-In Traffic

We live in a crazy world, don't we? Everyone racescategorized as "spam" (unsolicited correspondence
around day-to-day, each with their own agenda, andfrom parties with whom you have no relationship)
everyone's day is packed with persuasivebecause you initiated the relationship (based on their
advertisements, junk mail, email spam, TVinvitation) by sending your original message.
commercials, and sales pitches. Wouldn't it be nice toA few points to ponder as we continue:
just get the information you want, rather than to- If you have ever used your cell phone to vote on a
have a bunch of useless propaganda forced uponcontestant in a televised singing contest, dance
you?contest, talent show, or reality TV game, your cell
Welcome to the world of Text Message Marketing.phone information was "harvested" and added to
It's "advertisement on demand." The best part aboutsomeone's database.
it: it's not on the demand of the vendor; it's on the- If you have ever responded to an add that says
demand of the CUSTOMER."text the word (whatever) to (phone number)", then
As you probably are aware, there are businesses andyou were added to a text message mailing list as
agencies whose whole purpose in life is to collectyou received the information you requested.
information on consumers and then sell it to- Text messaging (and its associated abbreviated
advertisers for very targeted promotions. That'slanguage) has become a BILLION dollar industry. It is
NOT what we're talking about here. (Personally, I findeffective enough that TV commercials now joke
that kind of advertisement invasive and offensive.)about it by having actors speak in the cryptic
Instead, Text Message Marketing is a systemizedabbreviations while the translations appear as subtitles
way of inviting customers (and potential customers)on the bottom of the screen. Why? Because millions
to request information from you, and you can createof people do it nowadays (which sadly explains why
a mailing list of people who remain interested in whatkids can't spell correctly anymore.) LOL ("laugh out
you offer once they've received the information youloud"... see what I mean?)
deliver. They can opt-out at any time. You don't haveUsually this technology is insanely expensive for the
to pay high prices to advertise. You can reward yoursmall- to medium-sized business to use, but some
customers with discounts and coupons for theircompanies that provide the TMM services have
loyalty. Also, YOU own the information and yourbecome wise to the untapped small business market,
customers will be thankful that you keep their dataand now offer "shared" access to TMM
private, without exploiting them by embracing mailingadvertisement at less than the cost of a small
list suppliers, telemarketers, etc. Text Messagenewspaper ad! And the monthly expenses? About
Marketing is the perfect win-win. It's big, and it'sthe cost of a decent meal these days! If you take
getting bigger!advantage of this technology (which is INCREDIBLY
If the scenario were something as trendy and quicksimple to use) while it is still relatively young, you can
as casting your vote for a contestant in a singingconceivably increase your customer base without
competition, you probably felt empowered byinvading their privacy, becoming a nuisance, or
sending your text message vote to the show to beoffending them. Most companies are still waking up to
tallied. There were actually a few more things thatthe idea, while the few that are acting upon it find
went on (behind the scenes) that were invisible tothemselves ahead of the pack.
you when you hit the "send" button. By sending yourRight now, you're probably either thinking, "Wow,
text message, you participated in an "incoming ad"that's a cool way to market to your customers." or
campaign for whatever company sponsored (or paid"Wow, that's REALLY annoying and I'd hate to get
for) the text message vote/call. You see, texton someone's text message mailing list." Well, both
message marketing is not about the simple sharing ofthoughts would be pretty accurate. Text messaging
information. It is about adding to customer mailing listsis the fastest growing trend in advertisement, but it
and expanding your distribution. It's done throughcan also be one of the most irritating! If you envision
technology that collects and "warehouses" data forthe nightmare of having your phone ring in the middle
future advertisement.of business meetings and getting hundreds of junk
When your text message was received by the TMMmails per day, you're not alone. That's what most
service, your cell phone number was saved in apeople think of when they hear about text
database while the automatic reply (confirming yourmessaging. But that's not how effective text
message) was sent to you. Pretty sneaky, don't youmessage marketing works!
think?Here is the dilemma: You want to be able to reach as
With the "incoming ad" campaign completed, a Textmany people as possible, but if your customers get
Message Marketing service can then use theangry with you, you'll lose them to someone else.
collection of everyone's cell phone numbers to send(And they may give you some negative
"outgoing ad" campaigns. What's that? Well, byword-of-mouth advertising.) To be effective using
texting the database of people who have sentthis method of advertising, you must be responsible
messages and votes, the TMM service can keepAND find a balance. So what do you do? Two simple
people updated with new product information, newthings:
book releases, links to newsletters, or anything else1) Do not send anything to your customers unless
under the sun. By sending your original text message,you have something important to say to them!
you became a "subscriber" to the TMM service for2) Allow them to Opt-Out of receiving any additional
future textings. You can opt-out at any time, but themessages from you!
messages you receive in return are not officially