| Sending coupons via text messaging is gaining in | | | | capable phones in the United States (5 Billion in the |
| popularity as the culture embraces SMS (short | | | | world) -- outnumbering televisions 3 to 1. These |
| message service) technology. Personal and business | | | | phones are usually within arm's length of their owners |
| communication is shifting quickly from email to text | | | | 24/7, and present the best opportunity to reach the |
| while an entire generation is using texting almost | | | | masses. Moreover, mobile marketing messages are |
| exclusively and shunning traditional media such as | | | | read by a targeted audience that has already |
| newspapers and magazines. | | | | opted-in to receive your coupons. That is in stark |
| Sending coupons to prospects and customers can be | | | | contrast to non-targeted advertising on the mass |
| easy and very cost-effective. There is no hardware | | | | media, like television and radio, where the vast |
| or software to purchase and the technological | | | | majority of marketing dollars are spent on viewers |
| infrastructure is already in place that you can tap into | | | | and listeners who simply aren't interested in what |
| simply by going online. With a secured user name and | | | | you're selling, and never will be. |
| password, anyone can log in and manage a coupon | | | | Text coupons require no ramp up time, unlike other |
| campaign. | | | | forms of media that take days, even weeks, of |
| Informed forecasts within the trade are predicting | | | | planning and design. The fact that a text campaign |
| that advertising spending for mobile coupons (sending | | | | can be initiated at will within minutes enables |
| coupons by text) will grow from under $100 million | | | | marketers to adapt instantly to changing conditions. |
| today to nearly $7 Billion by 2014 -- increasing 70 | | | | For example, let's say the temperature reaches over |
| times in four years! | | | | 100 degrees -- what better time to text your |
| Why are marketers and advertisers planning on | | | | customers a 2-for-1 ice-cold beer offer at your bar? |
| investing so much in texting coupons to customers | | | | Off season time at your hotel or restaurant? Text |
| and prospects? One reason: Sending coupons by text | | | | blast a coupon for a special promotion with a |
| has been proven to work remarkably well. Still in its | | | | discount and watch the rooms fill up. |
| infancy, text coupons are already bringing in a | | | | There are limitless possibilities. |
| significantly higher return on investment compared to | | | | Setting up a text coupon program is easy. The first |
| other forms of media. In fact, there is no comparison. | | | | thing you have to do is start compiling a list of opt-in |
| Coupons that are texted to mobile phones are being | | | | phone numbers from your customers and prospects. |
| redeemed (coupon value) at a rate ten times more | | | | You can do this online or on hard copy forms. Or you |
| than coupons found in mail or newspaper ads, and | | | | can even have people opt-in to receive your coupons |
| substantially higher than coupons found on the | | | | by advertising a "keyword" they text to your |
| Internet. Almost overnight, texting coupons has | | | | "shared short code." Once the system receives their |
| become the single most effective way to spend ad | | | | text message, it will automatically generate a |
| dollars. | | | | response to them and they can opt-in to receive |
| At the present time, there are nearly 300 million text | | | | your specials. |