Business Texting - to internal and external audiences.

1. MNREM Broadband for Business
Webinar Series
Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace
As part of the Minnesota Rural Intelligent
Communities (MIRC) Project
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

2. This webinar series is sponsored by MIRC – Minnesota Intelligent
Rural Communities in partnership with the MNREM - Minnesota
Renewable Marketplace and the Blandin Foundation. MNREM is
a project partner in the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities
initiative. MIRC is a coalition of 19 statewide partners and 11
demonstration communities funded in large part through an
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. The work of the
coalition focuses on bringing the full promise of broadband
technologies to rural Minnesota communities, businesses and
people. Blandin Foundation serves as the project administrator.
More about MIRC is available www.blandinfoundation.org
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

3. Business Texting:
6 Good Uses
Ann Treacy
broadband.mnrem.com
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

4. Internal Uses
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

5. Use 1: Quick Messages
• It’s quick
• You’ll have a record It’s secure, fast and reliable, plus
of the transaction with only 140 characters you must
be brief and to the point.
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

6. Use 2: Send Photos
• Send pictures to
tech support
• Ask customers to
send you pictures
to describe
problems A picture is worth
1000 words (or 140
characters)
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

7. Use 3: Multitask
• On a conference call (or webinar)
• Get a call
• Text back to get/give vital info
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

8. Use 4: It’s Quiet
• Send a message that you might not want to
share with everyone in a meeting or
presentation
• Use sparingly!
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

9. Bonus: Internal Business Text Tips
• Spellcheck & don’t use acronyms
• Don’t be the first to text
• Don’t check text during meetings
• Be concise
• Sign your text
• Don’t text and drive!
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

10. External Uses
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

11. Use 5: Bulk Email
• Last minute specials
Why use text?
• Schools closing • 4.5 billion text messages are sent daily
• 96% of all text messages are read
• Special events
• Get feedback
• Several services that will send/manage
campaigns for you (Club Text has a free trial)
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

12. Bulk Text Lists Twitter
• Anyone with a cell phone • Free
can sign up • Follower can respond to all
• High read rate • Archive online
• SEO aspect of links
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

13. Know the Law (FCC)
• FCC rules prohibit sending unwanted text messages to your
wireless phone number if they are sent using an autodialer,
or if you have placed that number on the national Do-Not-
Call list.
• Even if you have placed your wireless phone number on the
national Do-Not-Call list, the TCPA does not protect you
from receiving commercial messages sent to that number
if:
– you have given your prior consent to the sender, or;
– you have an established business relationship with the sender.
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/spam-unwanted-text-messages-and-email
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

14. Use 6: Automated Texts
• Provide texts to answer FAQS
– Customer texts HOURS to a number, the hours are
automatically sent to them
• Provide live customer support via text
– Some text providers will allow you to access texts
via web site
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

15. Bonus: External Business Text Tips
• Use Opt-In services
• Provide something of value
• Capitalize on time, location other info you
know about customer/product/transaction
• Don’t overdo it
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

16. QUESTIONS?
If you have an interest in further training on SEO
(search engine optimization) in your area, please let
us know.
broadband.mnrem.com
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

17. Next Steps
• Future sessions
– Next webinar Thurs., April 5th “10 Reasons to
Blog for Business”
• Join us online
broadband.mnrem.com
Blog address – mnrem.com/blog
©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.