This document discusses the benefits of using text messaging for marketing. It notes that traditional advertising methods are becoming less effective as people spend more time online and on mobile. While email open rates are low, text messages have extremely high open rates within minutes of being received. The document recommends that companies start with building an opt-in list for text messaging as the foundation for mobile marketing efforts. It provides a 5-step process for implementing a text messaging marketing campaign, including creating opt-in methods, incentives to subscribe, launching the program, sending promotional messages, and refining the campaign over time.
2. A funny thing happened in the 2000’s. . .
Brands noticed their advertising wasn’t working as well
People started to get their news and information online
Newspapers and magazines started to close down
People began downloading music and stopped listening to the radio
People started watching videos online,
even watching TV shows without commercials
Consumers have gotten so good at “being online”
they don’t click banners anymore and now ignore junk email
3. The Silverpop 2013 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study finds email
click through rates for retail in Canada for 2012 is at a 3.8% mean average.
Also of interest, knotice.com reports that North American emails opened
on mobile devices will surpass 50 percent sometime this year.
4. Although almost 50% of all cell phones in use in North America
are now Smart Phones, and one-half of users receive email on
their phone, the most widely used application for all cell phone
users is Text Messaging.
If you sell consumable products or services, mobile
marketing, but specifically text message marketing can
increase your sales.
100% of all North American cell phones can send and receive
text messages and statistically, over 85% of users do so daily.
96% of text messages are open and read within 4 minutes
of receipt and is the #1 preferred method of
communication by under 35 year-olds.
5. You can start mobile marketing without using . . .
a mobile website with shopping cart capabilities
a dedicated mobile App
location based mobile marketing or geo-fencing
or publishing your own content
mobile search
a mobile advertising network
But you can get started by creating an opt-in list for text messaging.
This is the foundation for every other type of mobile marketing.
6. Before starting your mobile marketing, start with these
questions:
Do we want to promote, sell or both?
Do we want to focus on a product, service or a market
segment?
Do we fund or ask the supplier to fund/partner with us?
What is the benchmark that determines success? Unit
sales, increased event presence, web traffic, etc.?
If successful, do we want to expand geographically, by
market segment or by product/service?
7. step 1: Create a way to subscribe:
SMSnet will create a mobile opt-in process for easy and on-location
subscribing (text a keyword to 767638 to join) and will create an
online registration page enabling you to include a link in emails, in
your online pages, social media and other online marketing.
step 2: Create a reason to subscribe:
the reason must resonate with the market segment and could be
for pre-notification of a hot new product release, front of the line
or free admission to a special event, a chance to win the product or
service, receive a free upgrade, etc.
step 3: Launch the Program.
use all appropriate offline and online resources to engage the
market and to have fans, customers and their friends and family
subscribe to your text messaging list.
Getting started . . .
8. step 4: Tell and sell:
Initially, every second message should contain a great offer!
In time, every fourth message will be to sell, others are to share
items of interest with your subscribers. Involve other social
media and share links for your Facebook page, Pinterest or
Instagram links, hashtags to an interesting event being
followed on Twitter. Whenever possible, ask recipients to
share the text with friends so they too can join and share
with other friends.
step 5: Tweak and refine.
Review your text message responses to sales, promotions
and within your social media pages. Respond to the market
with more of what they want, whether it be more sales, more
information, more events, etc.
9. According to Portio Research:
2013 worldwide SMS revenue is forecast to break the USD 150 billion
mark for the first time and will continue to grow for the next two
years.
Portio Research provides independent research services for the
mobile and wireless sector. Link here: http://bit.ly/148kaxk
10. Why Text Messaging?
Because it is the fastest, most cost effective way to build a
customer base and market to them.
Even if you build a mobile site or an app, you should have
a mobile customer base to market it to.
Test messaging is easy to start and easily managed. You can
decide on content by 10 am and text message every
subscriber by 10:05.