Sam Capra

Digital Marketing and Technology Enthusiast #digitalmarketing, #saas #customerengagement. Work @thunderheadONE

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/sms-marketing-teens/

SMS MARKETING FOR TEENS

SMS marketing for teens should be seriously considered and included in any mobile marketing strategy wishing to succeed. Over 80% of teenagers own a cell phone, and almost half of them are smart phones The sheer quantity of text messages teens are sending and receiving nowadays is astronomical. On an average day, teenagers text between 60 and 70 times which translates to almost 4 texts an hour. Business owners should take note of this valid information and target these young adult with their services and merchandise in order to increase revenue rapidly.

If selling products to teens is your niche, now is the time to make sure your mobile marketing strategies include SMS marketing to meet them half way. They are completely responsive to both online advertising and mobile marketing being that they’re the targeted audience who are constantly utilizing their cell phones to its maximum potential. They’re browsing the web, sending and receiving texts and taking phone calls, businesses should be sharpening their mobile website design skills and develop an SMS campaign to reach the teens. And, the mobile marketing campaigns should very well include social media advertising so future companies and visitors to the websites in question can connect easily and quickly. Texting is now easier, more fun and lightening fast, and in between, young adults are searching the web. This is where you and your business can succeed with flying colors by learning the flawless ways of engaging with and reaching them in virtually no time at all.

The data usage percentage rate of teens aged 13-17 has grew to almost 300%  in only two years, and SMS marketing is hot right now. Integrating this targeted audience and your business offers are a match made in heaven. Marketers have struggled in the past to reach the young adults, but thanks to the amount of time they have spent online and the rate at which they embrace technology, these golden opportunities for your profit to soar are quite easy to come by. Discuss your teams’ content management skills and discover the new hints, tips and strategies to make your business grow by singling out teens for your next trigger alerts.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/text-marketing-benefits-drawbacks-2/

Text Marketing – Benefits and Drawbacks

While SMS or text marketing can be one of the cheapest and easiest forms of advertising, it can also be effective in spreading the word. Looking at some of the uses, benefits and drawbacks of text marketing, you could choose to customize your strategy to improve your bottom line. Consumers choose to subscribe to emails because they might want to know when there is a sale going on or if a new product is introduced that would interest them. It would be a great idea to get them to voluntarily subscribe to SMS notifications as well.

The benefits of text marketing are plenty. The messages reach the recipient almost every time. Since the devices are carried along by the user all the time, the response rates are higher. Text marketing can be an inexpensive option compared to other forms of advertising as well. If you had an event or got your customers to enrol in a subscription plan online, then these customers would not have an issue with receiving your texts. In fact, they would probably be looking forward to it.

On the flip side, the text messages may come across as annoying to many who have either not opted in for this or who are not your target audience. A study by the Ball State University shows that more than 40 per cent of people did not like receiving ads on their cell phones and 17.6 did not care. Only 1.2 per cent were pleased with the ads they receive. This being the case, if you still sending the ads to customers who did not opt in, make sure you phrase the ad in a pleasing way and give an option to opt out of receiving further messages.

Any good text marketing campaign would allow the customers to reply or call toll free so that they the feedback can be implemented for further campaigns. There are plenty of text marketing agencies that would give you excellent packages that suits your target audience and the marketing objectives. Ask for multiple options or service packages so that you can compare which could be the best one for your business. Some of the agencies also offer free trials which you can test for effectiveness.

You will get detailed reports weekly or monthly that talks about the impressions, responses and other statistics such as demographics and location info. Retailers make the best business during seasons such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and such holidays. You can plan your campaign early so that you can be prepared for bulk orders and business growth.

If you already have social media or PPC marketing campaigns already in place, make sure the text marketing campaigns also reflect the same theme. If a tag line is used on the official website, try adding that into the SMS, so that brand recall and credibility is established. Smart text marketing companies understand the drawbacks and allow feedback to be received, so that the campaigns can be truly successful.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/finding-employment-mobile-advertising/

FINDING EMPLOYMENT THROUGH MOBILE ADVERTISING

Let’s face it, jobs are hard to find, but mobile advertising can help one seek employment, whether it be permanent or temporary, and your next paycheck could virtually be just a click away. Agencies and marketing strategists are equipped with the advanced knowledge of technology to facilitate the arduous journey of landing a new job. Social work, emergency nurse, construction, hospital, pharmacy, physical therapy, hotel, bank, and even aerospace engineer jobs could be unearthed through mobile advertising. And, both the future employee and employer will benefit in the long run.

The approach to job recruitment via mobile advertising is a lot easier than one may believe. There are numerous apps which offer incentives if one may choose to post their resume. This is especially beneficial for temp employment agencies who strive to recruit employees via cell phones. They are flourishing in business and thankfully situated in all major cities across the United States and most boast that they find work for tens of thousands people annually. The temp agencies who advertise by way of mobile phones specialize in specific fields such as accounting, agriculture and teaching and offer personal consultants who are mainly responsible for managerial, professional and executive positions. The bright side of searching for employment is that it’s completely free! The mobile advertisers make their money through ads, clients and such, and most are forbidden from charging fees to applicants. So, there’s nothing to lose.

For seekers of permanent staffing, the fees paid by the employers is a percentage of their own annual salary. They are constantly searching, and discovering, talented workers who could very well be an asset to their company and/or business. Many will include information such as paid holidays, contract details and salary which keeps interviews to a minimal time so one won’t have to ask so many questions up front. All of this information is disclosed on your cell phone. Also, the mobile advertisers who work with the temping agencies earn good profit by finding the jobs for the unhappy or unemployed, and if they cannot assist you, they’ll let you know immediately so neither party is wasting time.

Finding employment through mobile advertising has its perks. It’s a breeze to find and apply for jobs, post resumes and will link one to the 21st century by utilizing their cell phone other than making a call. And, the mobile recruitment advertisers can find these job candidates on their smart phones and tablets by posting their jobs with a lack of difficulty.The approach to finding jobs through mobile phones has never been easier.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/text-message-marketing-2/

Text Message Marketing

Text message marketing is a form of advertising that allows a business to send a 160 character text message to prospective customers. Mass communication of promotions, news and other offers can be sent instantly and the possibility of responses are quite high. Text message marketing became popular in the early 2000s all over the world.

Having said that, there are also cell phone users that are bombarded with unwanted or annoying messages. An effective text message marketing plan would allow users to opt out of the subscription. Better yet, if they enrol voluntarily, the chances of conversions are higher and the marketing goals are achieved more easily.

Every government and network carriers have their own guidelines to follow for a text message marketing plan. Marketing can research the area’s guidelines to ensure they will not be violating any policies thereby backlisting further campaigns. The issue of SPAM messages started when network carriers started selling the phone numbers and details of the customers to marketers. However, the scenario is much different now owing to the stiff competition among carriers, who claim that the customers’ details remain secure. Countries such as India have a DND (Do Not Disturb) or a Do Not Call Registry where the members do not receive unwanted sales calls and text messages.

Due to the government norms in place, text message marketing has actually exploded with millions of businesses communicating frequently to their consumers regularly. This helps the business to market their products and services in a cost-effective way, and the network carrier makes easy money as well. When the goal of the campaign is to bring value to the consumer, and if the consumer responds, all parties benefit from that.

In many countries, short codes are used for marketers to send text messages. However this may not be interactive or two way, unless the marketer provides an option to reply, call or visit the website. Mobile operators may choose to provide the short code or a normal phone number depending on the marketing plans. Some governments do not allow an individual phone number to send more than a particular number of texts, after incidents of mass riots and provocative messages led to unrest.

In the U.S., a customer should be able to opt out of any text message marketing plan by sending “STOP” through SMS. For the customer to continue receiving message, there is a double opt in requirement typically. This makes sure that the customers do not receive unwanted messages and they are forced to live with it. The guidelines are available at the CTIA – The Wireless Association, which is an industry trade group.

In short, an effective text message marketing plan would follow guidelines and send notifications only to the customers who have opted in. While they can opt out any time, it’s unlikely that they would. This can drive a lot of sales and conversions in a cost-effective way compared to other forms of marketing. Make sure the text says who you are and what’s in it for the recipient. A response based plan will show you if the campaign is working out well for you.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/text-message-marketing-high-level-overview/

Text Message Marketing – A High Level Overview

Text message marketing, also known as SMS (Short Messaging Service) marketing is an advertising method which is typically used by businesses to market promotional offers, coupons, deals and other communications that might be interesting to prospective (or existing) customers. The messages are ideally confined to the SMS character limit, which is 160 characters.

Permission Based Marketing:

When it comes to sending text messages to hundreds or thousands of people, care should be taken so that the messages are not annoying. The best way to avoid being disliked is by getting the customers to register or enrol into the subscription plan. If they provide explicit permission to be marketed to, only then they get into the subscription list of the message recipients.

There are a number of ways to get them to enrol, such as on online form, contests or membership plans. When you start the campaign, the recipients should be able to opt out as well. There are a number of unwanted messages that everyone receives, but those that stand out are the professional businesses that give the prospective customer with an option to opt out. This shows that they are not being forced to read or receive the messages, thereby adding credibility to the brand.

Impact:

Text message marketing can be a powerful tool to drive leads and registrations. To start with, the target audience has to be shortlisted as much as possible, but making sure they are willing to receive the messages and are patronizing your business. Similar to the earlier topic, the recipients should ideally opt into the subscription plans. This can develop into successful promotions such as a discount sale or new product offerings.

Since almost everyone carries a cell phone around, and almost every phone has the capability to receive texts, text message marketing can be a powerful tool to mass communicate at the click of a button. This is a good value for money as well as time. Besides, there is always a word-of-mouth advertising that will happen for free if you play it smart. Think of how Google rocket launched its business without really having to spend too much on marketing.

Text message marketing is an instant form of communication that can guarantee that the message is being read within an hour. Compared to email, PPC and other traditional forms of advertising, this is a more concrete way to gain impressions.

Another important aspect of text message marketing is the tracking ability of these campaigns. This will show you which promotions are working out well for you and those that are not. It will not only give more direction for future text message marketing plans, but will also improve the other streams of marketing that is already in progress.

  With a well laid-out text message marketing plan, there are many benefits such as increasing foot traffic, brand recall, ability to reward loyal customers, possibility to add more from their friends and family, maintaining a personal connection with the customers and to provide a feeling that they are valuable and not forgotten.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/sms-marketing-evolution/

SMS Marketing – The Evolution

SMS marketing or Short Messaging Service advertising is now more popular than ever. There are many service providers who will help a business to launch and manage a marketing campaign. If you are wondering if it’s really necessary, let’s look at how this text messaging evolved over the years.

In 1992, the first text message was sent by Neil Papworth to his friend that said “Merry Christmas”. At that time, cell phones did not have a keypad, so the SMS was sent from a computer through the Internet. In 1993, Nokia manufactured cell phones which can text by itself without having to use a computer. The text messages however could only be sent to other cell phones in the same network.

In 1997, the first mobile device with a Qwerty keypad was produced. It was the Nokia 9000i communicator that revolutionized the cell phone industry. Though it was bulky and heavy, there was a dedicated keyboard and a large display which looked like a mini computer and was portable. This made texting easier and was used by many businessmen and other individuals.

1999 witnessed the actual popularity of text messaging when the network restriction was lifted. Now people could send an SMS to anybody with a cell phone irrespective of the network carrier they were subscribed to.

During the early 2000s, many people started carrying a cell phone for convenience and sometimes a necessity. Portable cell phones became a huge hit and along with it, the SMS feature. Since messaging was much cheaper compared to making a call, it was a preferred mode of communication. In 2002, more than 250 million text messages were sent across the world. The 2003 New Year’s Day had over 100 million SMS sent. All within just 24 hours.

The Eurovision Song Contest in 2005 broke all records for tele-voting when SMS votes were counted. The power of text messaging became apparent, and many businesses started taking notice. In 2007, the number of SMS sent surpassed the number of cell phone calls made. Similarly in 2010, there were 200,000 texts sent per minute and over 6.1 trillion SMS over the entire year. The Oxford English Dictionary added “lol” to its pages which is a word that refers to “laugh out loud”.

With over six billion active cell phones in the world, according to the International Telecommunications Union, SMS generates 6 to 8 times higher engagement rates than email could. Let’s look at more SMS facts:

-        The most common use for a cell phone is for checking the time, the next being texting.

-        Cell phone companies earn $122 billion (USD) a year for texting services alone.

-        Men text more than women, but they messages are shorter and more about practical matters.

-        Text messages are read within 4 minutes and responded to within an hour.

  SMS marketing can be a powerful tool to engage customers throughout the year. Adding them to voluntary subscription lists and sending promotional messages have known to be one of the most successful strategies in business. Some companies also send regular fun facts and general information so that the engagement is not business oriented always. The power of the SMS marketing can be leveraged in many ways. Choose the best option that suits your business goals.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/mobile-marketing-best-practices-2/

Mobile Marketing – Best Practices

The advent of smartphones and mobile devices has led to an increasing number of users, which can be monetized by effective mobile marketing. The technology and competition among cell phone manufacturers helps the common man with more choices and features. Apart from making calls, there are a million other things that mobile devices are used for, which can be exploited by following a few basic guidelines.

Target audience – What is your ideal target audience for the products or services you offer? Define this and invite them to sign up for mobile offers. If you have a website or a brick-and-mortar showroom, have promotional plans ready so that the customers volunteer to receive offers in their devices. If you sell detergents, then your target audience could be mothers. Research shows that moms control more than 80% of the disposable income in each household. At the same time, they look for heavy discounts and value for money. You company could send a coupon code to them so that they can use it to purchase the detergent at a discount rate. Similarly other demographics (age groups) that are best suited for your business.

If you are selling holiday plans or leather shoes, look at the past history of your sales which will give you an idea for defining the best target audience that will convert easily. Care should be taken to advertise to the right set of customers otherwise it can get annoying thereby potentially creating a negative image. In short, your promotional ideas should reach the people that are looking for you.

Content – What would you want to say to the target audience? The attention span is lesser for people receiving your text message or watching your ad while browsing in the mobile devices. This makes it very important to make the best use of the limited space and time to market yourself effectively.

Your mobile marketing text should be engaging, concise and easy to convert. Irrespective of the business you are at, make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices. If a user is browsing your site on the phone, it should be heavy to load and cumbersome to navigate. In your text or display ad, talk how the user will benefit by doing business with you. Next, try to bring up a competitive advantage that is unique to you. For instance: “Get a 40% discount on designer sunglasses. Free shipping and money-back guarantee” could work. Avoid redundant keywords and superlatives so that your credibility is not compromised upon.

Optimization – So you have a mobile marketing strategy set. If you have already launched it, you must measure your results to see if the campaign is actually working for you. Use specific discount codes for mobile users or implement a tracking method to check conversions. There are many services available that will help you check how long a user has spent time in your site, the buying behaviour and the source. If the marketing campaign is profitable, see how you can leverage on it and get more traffic. If it is not working, re-strategize and test it with multiple people so that the feedback would give you more direction.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/text-marketing-benefits-drawbacks/

Text Marketing – Benefits and Drawbacks

While SMS or text marketing can be one of the cheapest and easiest forms of advertising, it can also be effective in spreading the word. Looking at some of the uses, benefits and drawbacks of text marketing, you could choose to customize your strategy to improve your bottom line. Consumers choose to subscribe to emails because they might want to know when there is a sale going on or if a new product is introduced that would interest them. It would be a great idea to get them to voluntarily subscribe to SMS notifications as well.

The benefits of text marketing are plenty. The messages reach the recipient almost every time. Since the devices are carried along by the user all the time, the response rates are higher. Text marketing can be an inexpensive option compared to other forms of advertising as well. If you had an event or got your customers to enrol in a subscription plan online, then these customers would not have an issue with receiving your texts. In fact, they would probably be looking forward to it.

On the flip side, the text messages may come across as annoying to many who have either not opted in for this or who are not your target audience. A study by the Ball State University shows that more than 40 per cent of people did not like receiving ads on their cell phones and 17.6 did not care. Only 1.2 per cent were pleased with the ads they receive. This being the case, if you still sending the ads to customers who did not opt in, make sure you phrase the ad in a pleasing way and give an option to opt out of receiving further messages.

Any good text marketing campaign would allow the customers to reply or call toll free so that they the feedback can be implemented for further campaigns. There are plenty of text marketing agencies that would give you excellent packages that suits your target audience and the marketing objectives. Ask for multiple options or service packages so that you can compare which could be the best one for your business. Some of the agencies also offer free trials which you can test for effectiveness.

You will get detailed reports weekly or monthly that talks about the impressions, responses and other statistics such as demographics and location info. Retailers make the best business during seasons such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and such holidays. You can plan your campaign early so that you can be prepared for bulk orders and business growth.

If you already have social media or PPC marketing campaigns already in place, make sure the text marketing campaigns also reflect the same theme. If a tag line is used on the official website, try adding that into the SMS, so that brand recall and credibility is established. Smart text marketing companies understand the drawbacks and allow feedback to be received, so that the campaigns can be truly successful.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/different-options-sms-mobile-marketing-2/

DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR SMS MOBILE MARKETING

SMS mobile marketing is primarily used for marketing goods, services or ideas via cell phones.  It became increasingly popular about a decade ago and continues to be a significant advertising tactic to boost sales and profit for many businesses. But, there are other numerous ways which prove to be unique, and can aid in swelling revenues as well.

Survey

Do you have a lot of questions you want to ask your customers? Send out a SMS mobile marketing campaign and reward the users with a coupon at the end! The survey marketing tool allows you to create unlimited multiple choice questions and answers for your clients, and when a user texts in and answers the first of the series, they get the subsequent questions until they run out. Many restaurants run campaigns like this in order to get detailed feedback on many different issues for quality assurance. They often will reward their customer’s time by giving them a prize, discount or coupon once the survey has reached completion. It’s fun, and not time consuming at all for either party.

Trivia

Trivia contests are one of the most engaging and interesting ways to create opt-ins for your clients. Create a new trivia related to your business, make the series of questions interesting, and consumers will rush to text in and instantly get a response if they were right or wrong. Reward the contestants at the end for their participation. In the trivia SMS mobile marketing module, you can determine the appropriate amount of questions that the contestants need to answer correctly in order to determine whether they get one of two prizes. Example: The grand prize/text response might come to those that answer 75% of the answers correctly, while the consolation prize/text goes to those that score lower than that percentage.

Text-to-Win

Create other great SMS mobile marketing engagements with the ever so popular Text-to-Win. Users can select every 7th winner (or any number of choice), or the secondary option could be to choose one lucky person at the end of a certain time frame. Winners will be notified (as well as the business owners that will be awarding the prize), and losers get predetermined consolation text. Many advanced marketing options are built into this robust SMS mobile marketing campaign including the ability to capture email at the time of entry, deliver variable results, enable or disable the ability to re-enter contests, removal of winners from future campaigns, and much, much more.

It’s so easy to grasp customers’ interests, and even more easy to hold their attention long enough to spend their money at your place of business. Be original, be creative, and watch the money roll in at a rapid pace.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/text-marketing-profitable-business/

Text Marketing –Why it is Profitable for Any Business

Text marketing is one of the modern advertising options for a business similar to display ads, pay-per-click, social media and others. There are two primary goals for any business – reach and leads. Reach refers to getting your brand popular among your target audience so that the brand recall itself might provide a familiarity and comfortable feeling for them to do business with you. The second goal is to gain leads or conversions where an advertising campaign led to a sale or a registration.

The advantages of text marketing are many including:

Immediate Response: Users are naturally inclined to read text messages as soon as it arrives, even if it means to just glance at it. Other smart forms of text marketing is where you could have an option for the user to reply toll free, to avail the deals and offers. Some restaurants might send a text saying, show this at the counter to get a special table or a flat 20% waiver. Using these or promotional codes will not only get more customers but will also enable tracking, which means you can easily see which marketing options are working for you. Thereby, you have a more refined set of target audience to advertise your offers instead of bombarding thousands of others with annoying texts.

Affordability: Compared to other marketing methods such as Search Engine Marketing, where you have to pay an amount for each click you receive, text marketing is much more affordable. Apart from the time spent in developing content, managing subscribers and sending it, the cost-per-acquisition is much lower. Outsourcing the text marketing efforts could prove to be more valuable since you are not spending time with the details yourself.

Measurable: Systems have options which will show you how many received, read, responded and shared the text that your business sent out. The data can help you refine your marketing efforts to improve the ROI.

Scalable: Most networks offer text service plans that can be effective and much less expensive than other forms of marketing. As you grow your business and the subscribers, the service plans are highly accommodative since everything is digitized and automated.

Efficient: Since a text message is read within 4 minutes of receiving and responded to within an hour, the effectiveness is much more than emails or print flyers. Depending on your business the message can be tailored to get a response or just to create brand awareness. If the message has a call back option or a website link, that will again help with tracking the efficiency of the campaign.

  If you are planning an event, sending teasers can be a great idea to drive engagement. You can also choose to have a countdown message and something unique that only SMS recipients can redeem. If possible personalize the message with the name of the customer and offer an opt-out option so that you keep advertising with only those who are interested in you. And finally, try including an offer if the customer brings a friend. Such as, “Bring a friend and get 50% off your first drink”.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/mobile-marketing-many-forms-targeted-effective-advertising/

Mobile Marketing – The Many Forms of Targeted and Effective Advertising

Mobile marketing refers to promoting products, services and ideas by sending messages to a mass set of audience. Typically done through the internet, advertising companies can send the promotional messages to mobile phones.

Depending on the company’s branding goals, there are many forms for mobile marketing such as:

SMS – Short Messaging Service allows companies to send specific text messages to a list of potential customers. Research shows that people check their messages within four minutes, and an average person looks at his or her cell phone about 140 times in a day. While this can be an effective way to market products and services, it has to be phrased well so that it does not get annoying to the customers. When someone visits a shopping mall, for instance, a retailer could suggest a membership plan for the customer at the time of bill payment. If the customer sees value in it, they might enrol into the plan and also submit their personal details such as phone number, email and birthday. This info can be used for SMS marketing and it is likely that the customer might consider the next sale event.

MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service is an advanced form of SMS, which allows an advertiser to use images, audio and video. The MMS could also be a hyperlink that the customer could choose to visit online and check out the advertisement. Automobile companies, for instance, can suggest a potential customer to visit the link for a promotional video on one of their latest car models and at the end of the video a registration for a test drive. If the customer opts for the test drive, then chances of a sale are higher.

Applications – Using the already existing apps in a typical smartphone, advertisers can display text or image ads that might be appropriate for the audience. For instance, if a customer is using an app to record the daily workout sessions, a company that deals with sporting goods could choose to display their ad. If a customer clicks on the ad, that would lead him to the advertiser’s website that could display the sports shoes, jackets and other items available for sale.

Bar codes – QR or Quick Response barcodes are another excellent form of mobile marketing that is modern and interesting to a customer. Since only high end phones can scan a bar code, it would be safe to assume that this set of users are financially stable thereby expensive products can be advertised. A plasma television, for example. If the bar code is displayed in a newspaper, the customer can scan that and redeem it for a discount during the actual sale at the showroom. Bar codes are also used to take the user to the advertiser’s webpage.

Click to Call – This is popularly used by advertisers in search engines and other pages in a mobile device. Here, the customer can read the ad (text or display) and then click the link which will call the advertiser.

Broadcast messages – A pre-recorded message is sent to potential customers in their phones. They can listen to it and follow instructions to purchase the product or a service.

Similarly, there are other forms of mobile marketing that can be customized per the target audience and the advertisers’ business goals.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/sms-marketing-tips-tricks/

SMS Marketing – Tips and Tricks

Advertising through cell phones using limited character text is called SMS marketing. This form of marketing can be every effective for a business to promote its products, services or just to gain brand recognition.

With over 91% of citizens in the U.S. having a cell phone and more than 95% devices having SMS capability, this can potentially drive revenue to a great degree than any other marketing campaign. Text messages are read within 4 minutes even if the user does not take any action that the marketing effort intended originally.

A well written SMS can bring customers to a business. For instance, “Halloween Offer! Buy costumes at 50% discount. Shop online and get free shipping”. Here, apart from getting the attention of a potential customer, there is also a call to action which could get them to give it a thought.

At the same time, there are also certain things that won’t work for a marketing text. Using text speak such as lol or gr8 deals will not appear professional. While any SMS limitation is typically 160 characters, it helps to keep the message concise and clear. Cramming too many details might make the user lose interest. Avoid using superlatives such as “best” or “largest” like “Contact the best pizza delivery outlet in the city”. This might make the customer think that the service may not be reliable. However if you want to mention any awards or facts, there should also be a source mentioned, such as “…the largest selling motorcycle in the state – Forbes magazine”. Finally, make contact details such as phone number or website available for the user to learn more.

Tailor the SMS marketing text to your target audience and send it those who have opted to receive your promotions. This can be done in many ways, such as a registration form online or a survey. If customers are expecting messages they are more likely to convert. Though there are plenty of unwanted messages that are sent every day, you can choose to have a more effective plan. If you have a list of leads, try personalizing the messages with their names such as “Dear Jim, get a 50% waiver on your home loan processing fees”.

Another tip is to get the most attention grabbing keyword (or the best part of the offer) within the first few characters. Most mobile devices show a preview of the text message, so if it shows up early, the chances of the user opening and reading it are higher. Cell phones also have an option to delete messages without even opening it, and you don’t want to risk that.

Make sure your business is clearly mentioned without assuming that the receiver would know from whom the text is coming. SMS marketing campaigns are managed by providers who usually have a 5 digit code. This could also be a government rule depending on the location. Make sure you are aware of the guidelines that a business should follow legally. A good way to find out is by looking at the campaigns of your competitors. Market research and competitor analysis will always help any marketing campaign.

[samcapra]

New Post has been published on TextSprout.com | SMS Marketing | Text Marketing

New Post has been published on http://www.textsprout.com/build-text-message-advertising-lists/

HOW TO BUILD YOUR TEXT MESSAGE ADVERTISING LISTS

The most successful text message advertising campaigns depend not only on providing customers eye-catching offers and incentives, but also having enough people to extend those deals to. Thankfully, there are numerous ways in order to build a text message marketing list, and believe it or not, it doesn’t take rocket science to make it happen. In reality, it is fairly simple and easy, and can boost the number of potential clients, and even your sales.

There’s one thing to remember, don’t settle for spamming people. While many people are and can be obtained from mailing or email lists, it’s considered spamming. It means that they do not want to hear from you, or your company. In turn, you need to provide an opt-in list where they can utilize to indicate whether or not they actually want to be reached out to by your business. This shouldn’t put a damper on things or make you feel like the bad guy in town, but almost all companies large and small use this technique one way or another on a daily basis. And, it works! When you give your customers what they’re looking for once they arrive, they definitely stick around for a long, happy while. One way to keep them coming back for more is to offer incentives. Text message advertising is known for the sole procedure of return clients. It’s the easiest way to get subscribers on your list. And, what’s even better, is that you can choose to provide any type of offer you wish. It could be a coupon such as half-off, of buy one, get one, today only clearance. Any which one you decide to use and extend the invitation to your customers, they grab it almost instantaneously.

Another awesome way of building your list of text message advertising is offering a contest. Who doesn’t like being a winner? And, thanks to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the possibilities are endless. There are actually companies out there who want your people to win, too. They may take a cut of the money, but imagine the number of customers you can obtain just from a little help. It’s basically a win-win situation for both parties. How could you possibly say no? they’re easy to conduct, and a heck of a lot of fun. Over 400 million people visit social media websites everyday, which offers your business the greatest chance ever to build a quick following within 24 hours.

A little time, and maybe a tad bit of money upfront could make your company and business a success. Whether you’ve been marketing on the Internet, or even had a website for any length of time, please consider the aforementioned techniques to grow your list for text message advertising. You won’t be sorry.

[samcapra]

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CHURCH RELATED SMS TEXT MESSAGE MARKETING

We’ve all seen the same technology on television with talent shows such as American Idol and Dancing With the Stars. But, did you know that SMS text message marketing can also be as easy and as affordable for religious organizations and churches, too? Imagine promoting specialized events and activities, or even just sending a message out to your faithful parishioners? It can all be done as your mobile marketing list grows and strengthens.

  Church events can be advertised through SMS text message marketing and can include notifying church members with important announcements and get togethers. Donations and fundraisers could also be a point of interest for you and your people. Th word could spread fast and just about instantly in order to share the word in need of donations or prayer. It’s important to interact with your members, and there;s no reason why you can’t use an aspect from the 21st century. We are all fond users of advanced technology, and the there are all too many ways ti gain a positive outlook on how we can grow together.

  You can even send out automated Bible verses to church members to help them reflect, achieve positive thoughts or just to provoke a creative mind. They can be set any way you wish, too, whether it be daily, weekly or monthly. Even a current and up to date schedule can be attached through SMS text message marketing in keyword. This makes anyone accessible to schedules, verses or events anytime at all. A weekly news blast could gain popularity, too as you can add and include links to videos, photos and online articles. Contests, raffles, giveaways, bingo! Think of all the announcements you can include and just watch your organization grow by the second.

  Another positive aspect about using SMS text message marketing within your place of worship is that at least you can have the benefits of reaching out to people of all races, age and creed. Seniors and young adults alike are just as familiar with smartphones in today’s day and age. This in turn can help your business and the community as a whole.

[samcapra]

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THE BEST PRACTICES FOR MOBILE MARKETING SMS

Nowadays, mostly all consumers are mobile related, and there are huge, favorable circumstances to benefit from mobile marketing SMS. These people are on the go 24/7 sending and receiving messages a rapid pace. You, as a business owner have the greatest opportunity in the world to take advantage of these potential clients. Why not meet the increasing mobile expectations of the future with your consumers now? The best practices for this type of substantial marketing can provide value to your company above and beyond its limits.

Fundamentals such as practicing mobile marketing SMS as a business tool, is the way to go, and can prove to be helpful in order to boost revenues and the increased sales you’ve been dreaming of. Remember, timing is critical. Consumers mostly expect you, as the marketer to provide and spill information flawlessly whenever they want it. No matter what time of day it is, or where they are, it’s always in their mind that you, as the business owner will offer them incentives, coupons and deals. Optimize sending time by considering when they actually want to hear from you. This is your . And, don’t forget to send a promotional message to customers with an in-store deal outside of regular store hours. Review your mobile site continuously and app usage times for intelligence about ideal times.

Offer exclusive offers to create a sense of exclusivity. Avoid sending offers and information that consumers can find in your emails, print ads, or on your site. Consumers are extremely connected to their phones and text messages, and are reserved for their inner circle. If they let you in, attempt to make it worthwhile for them. As marketers, we know what we want from consumers. Try and take a step back and consider what the consumers may want to receive from your brand. What types of messages would consumers like to receive? What useful information can you provide simultaneously? How can you make it the easiest to obtain in order to rise above the rest? 15% of consumers prefer to receive financial alerts via SMS, it’s a know fact. And, 25% of consumers prefer to receive travel alerts via SMS.

In conclusion,  don’t send promotional text messages after 9 PM or before 11 AM to avoid annoying those who go to bed early and those who are late risers. Nobody wants to be disturbed. When a consumer opts in to receive your text messages, request time zone information, and send your mobile marketing SMS text messages in waves to ensure that your are taking full control of the interaction.

[samcapra]

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Marketing SMS Text for Retail

Marketing SMS text for retail currently has the highest rate of return of any ad dollar spent nowadays. Most websites offer video training courses and advantageous strategies for retailers, but is there a way to do it yourself? If you are the sole owner of a retail establishment, or even happen to manage it, this type of marketing is bound to increase profits and boost sales almost instantaneously. It is your best tool to reach customers and lure them into your store. 90% of the world’s population owns a cell phone, and more than half of that percentage of smartphones are used to surf the Internet on the go. The time to start raking in the cash is now.

Recent statistics reveal that just about 97% are opened right away compared to a measly 5% of emails. That’s one significant reason why marketing SMS text is extremely important. The sole purpose is to grab customers right away, not a few hours from after your advertised sale was. Over four billion text messages are sent daily, so there’s virtually no excuse why you can’t be involved to promote your goods or coupons for your retail store. All mobile web users across the globe have increased to a staggering number over the past three years that will outnumber PC or laptop users by the time we reach 2014. And they are continuing to grow and gain momentum. A current fact is that the singular most popular use of cell phones is text messaging, so it’s basically a no-brainer when it comes to making that easy decision to advertise your retail store via texts. Over one trillion text messages were sent and received within the past year alone in the U.S., and that number is climbing at a rapid pace. The surprising thing is that most of these texts were from retailers just like yourself to bring in profits, increase your clientele and to bring in more business. Numerous SMS marketing companies are struggling just to keep up with the demand for this sort of services by retailers alone.

Don’t delay, a fatter paycheck awaits you. Learn all you can about marketing SMS text for retail. Your customer list will swell, and bring on foot traffic in larger amounts than you could have ever imagined.  Notifications sent via text message can offer discounts, in-store coupons and online events will have the ability to increase revenue quickly and efficiently.

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Mobile Marketing for Restaurants

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