SMS Marketing What's Important For Businesses

Mobile marketing provides allows businesses to engage customers in instant two-way communication. Unfortunately however, much of the advice given to businesses focuses only on the technology - SMS shortcodes, longcodes, SMS vendors, aggregators... as a business owner it can be enough to make your head spin.

When setting up a campaign, the real questions that need asking are how will the text message campaign will:
Attract new customers

Retain existing customers longer

Encourage existing customers to buy more? (Or more often.)

Then equally importantly:

What value will the text message campaign provide to end users?

Mobile marketing is unique as a medium, in that it is completely opt in. Customers have to opt in and want to receive text messages from you, and customer privacy is paramount. With good reason too - most of us keep our phones on us at all times, not even turning them on when we go to bed!

As customers we don't want to receive more marketing, but we do want to receive relevant offers that we are interested in and have opted in to receive. If you adored this article and you simply would like to acquire more info relating to texting for businesses nicely visit our own page.

The easiest and most frequent use of text messaging campaigns by businesses is mobile coupons. Financial incentives can be a great way to attract customers, especially if your business experiences quiet periods (think cheap lunchtime deals at a restaurant).

While we are big fans of mobile couponing, my goal today is to get you thinking beyond financial incentives. This is because they:

Teach customers to expect a discount (and devalue your products and services in the process)

Raise your variable costs, as you have to produce more to make the same level of profit

Other uses could be:

Service reminders. (When did you last have your oil changed? Would you like to renew your warranty? How about home insurance? Has your product been dispatched?)

Appointment reminders. For businesses that work on an appointment basis (e.g. dentists), the biggest cost of business is no-shows, as you cannot get the time back. Use SMS to send appointment reminders to give customers the chance to cancel if they cannot attend.

Instead of discounting, offer a premium SMS group (e.g. fast club entry), free upgrades, special access.