| In business, there are only two questions owners ask | | | | except a close friend that doesn't contain some kind |
| about anything new: "What is it?" and "What can it | | | | of pitch and link in it. In spite of strict anti-spam laws, |
| do for me?" All other questions are merely to clarify | | | | there are still companies that mine for email |
| one of those two. | | | | addresses and then sell them as legitimate. |
| For today's business owner, the "newest" new is | | | | If you use SMS to advertise, be sure you get the |
| "text message advertising." So, let's answer the | | | | information legitimately, and always give them a way |
| questions. | | | | to stop. Don't send a message to anyone who has |
| What is it? | | | | not first sent you a text to get something, and don't |
| If you have been out and about at all in the last few | | | | send them anything after they say they'd like to |
| years, you have seen nearly every teenager busily | | | | stop. |
| pecking away on their cell phone-- not talking, but | | | | 2. Be informed of your options. Decide what you |
| texting. According to CTIA. the wireless industry's | | | | want your messaging service to do for you. If you |
| closest thing to a trade group, there are more text | | | | are a church that wants to send out a "devotion for |
| messages sent every day than there are people on | | | | the day," your needs will be entirely different than if |
| the planet. | | | | you want people to get a message to come into |
| Short Message Service (SMS) has a 160 character | | | | your store when they are close by. |
| limit, which is both good and bad. It can be bad in | | | | If you are a radio station or some other kind of |
| that you can't exactly text all the juicy details about | | | | advertising medium that wants to resell your service, |
| something, but it's good in that it nearly guarantees a | | | | you will want to see how many keywords you can |
| read. Estimates range in both read rates and time | | | | get, and how many sub-keywords from each of |
| lapse to read, but they all come in at over 90% read | | | | them. Find out how many response messages you |
| within minutes. Compared to newspaper, email, direct | | | | can send, and how many new messages. As with |
| mail, or any other way to get a message out, it's as | | | | anything else you purchase, it's better to do your |
| close to a guaranteed read as there is. | | | | research ahead of time than to wish you had. |
| What can it do for me? | | | | If you are a non-profit agency, or even a political |
| In short, (no pun intended) SMS can increase the | | | | candidate who is wanting to receive donations for |
| number of new customers you have, and increase | | | | something, you will want to know if that is possible. |
| the repeat business you get from existing customers. | | | | 3. Continue with traditional marketing methods. Text |
| Let's use a restaurant as an example. You go into | | | | message marketing is not yet the be-all and end-all. |
| the restaurant, and are informed either by something | | | | You will still need to continue with at least some of |
| on the table, or by the waiter, that if you text | | | | your traditional methods. Including your keyword and |
| JACKS to 82222, you will receive a free drink with | | | | short code in your other advertising will increase your |
| your meal. (In this example, "JACKS" is a keyword, | | | | responses. As your text messaging data base grows, |
| and "*82222" is a shortcode.) You take out your cell | | | | your other advertising venues can decline. |
| phone, send the text, and a few seconds later | | | | 4. GIVE. People don't willingly give out their cell phone |
| receive a text message back that you will receive | | | | numbers to strangers, and if you are going to |
| the free drink by showing the message to the | | | | capture a phone number, you need to make sure |
| cashier. | | | | they get value for it. "Free" is the operative word. |
| Forward two weeks. It's Thursday morning, and you | | | | Campaigns that are exclusive to the texting data |
| are wondering what you are going to do for lunch. | | | | base are extremely popular. Before hours and after |
| Your phone beeps, and you see you have a new | | | | hours campaigns are getting huge responses. They |
| message. It says, "Between 11 and 1 TODAY, get a | | | | need to feel like they are getting something special, |
| free dessert with any entree at Jack's. Show this | | | | and not just a text that gives them something |
| message to cashier to redeem." Decision made. | | | | everyone else also is getting. |
| It doesn't have to be a restaurant. Retail stores can | | | | 5. Be respectful. (Show restraint). Two to four |
| have a sale exclusively for subscribers. Sports teams | | | | messages a month will probably be more effective |
| sell more tickets with special promotions. Golf courses | | | | than bombarding them every day or so. Too much, |
| can promote an early evening special. Youth groups | | | | and as soon as they see who the message is from, |
| can let everyone know that summer camp fees are | | | | they delete it. |
| due tomorrow. The list is literally endless. | | | | Also, don't be cute with your audience. "Was gr8 2 c |
| If you see a use for SMS in your business-- and if | | | | u" may work when a teen is texting a teen, but not |
| you don't now, you soon will-- there are a few things | | | | for business. In all of your messages, show respect |
| to know before you start. | | | | for your clientele. |
| 1. Be legal. Right now, the SMS field is not plagued by | | | | The field is wide open. The possibilities are endless. |
| spam the way email is. Estimates now are that over | | | | Text message marketing is here to stay, whether |
| 90% of all emails are either sent straight to spam or | | | | you use it for your business or not. |
| are not read. It's hard to find an email from anyone | | | | |