Text Message Marketing

Text messaging is great way of promoting your business as just about everybody has a mobile phone and a text message is seldom ignored. Usual methods of direct marketing including mails shots and promotional emails can have a very low response rate because they are seldom even opened, yet alone read.

SMS marketing used to a complicated and expensive marketing method which only the largest of business could afford; nowadays there are several service providers who offer a low cost and simple to use service which are ideal for small business owners.

Using Text Messaging for Everyday Business
Useful ways in which you can use text messaging in your business include:

•Sending reminders of appointments
•Reminding clients that a service is due or their car is ready to be collected
•Informing current customers of offers, thank you messages or simple order confirmations.
•Sending an address, phone number or link to detailed driving directions.
Using Text messaging as a Promotional Tool
Text messaging can also be used for advertising and promotional activity, for instance for introductory offers and discounts and general advertising campaigns. Some points to remember when using SMS as a marketing tool:

•Combine text campaigns with traditional promotional methods - for example you could include an SMS Short Code on flyers, business cards and in press ads to encourage potential customers to get in touch?
•Offer people an incentive - to register their numbers by providing an exclusive time-limited offer or promotion code.
•Try different methods and campaigns – don’t just keep doing the same thing and experiment to find offers that get the best response.
•Don’t get carried away – it can be tempting to overuse the idea and alienate your otherwise loyal clientele. An offer or promotion ought to be a unique event, not a routine offering.
•Be brief and to the point – SMS is called ‘short messaging service’ for a reason; people don’t want your life story just a simple confirmation or promotional message written in plain English – not text speak.
Getting Started
Signing up for and creating a text messaging campaign is simple and often involves no up-front cost. Some providers will offer some free messages to get you started and will often offer bundles of text services for a small one-off fee.

You will be able to upload all of your current clients details and order them by groups. This will make it simple to say send a reminder to everyone who is due a service in one particular month, for example. You will also be able to set standard templates for specific situations; say when someone makes an appointment you could send an automatic confirmation by text.

You’ll also be able to send individual messages and most providers allow you to do this through your existing email client, so sending and receiving texts can be as simple as sending an email.

As you get used to the service and explore the more advanced features you’ll soon be creating and managing mass campaigns that will really drive your business forward.

About Author
Helen Davies - Check out our site about SMS messaging services for small businesses or set up a free account and get 10 free messages to get you started.