AW Stories of the Month
Text Marketing- A Real Ah-Ha Moment for Small Business Success!
By David Spatz
3.5 billion text messages are sent every day.
97% of all text messages are opened.
83% of all texts are opened within the first hour of receipt.
The fastest growing group of people texting are those 30 years old and over.
Suddenly many businesses looking to expand their customer base are having an “Ah-Ha” moment when it comes to Text Marketing.
In this day and age of digital information overload, text messaging may be the closest thing to a guaranteed read. Why? Because people are practically tethered to their phones, 24/7. Even if they can’t get e-mails on their phones, they still get text messages.
Text marketing has been around for a while, only being used by the “big” guys. For a few years now, corporate giants such as Pizza Hut, Chili’s, and Target have been using text messaging to enhance sales. JetBlue, American Airlines and other airline carriers now use text messaging to update flight arrival/departure information and send gate change notifications – allowing them to reach customers easily and electronically saving thousands of dollars each year.
Now what about the small business owner? How can text messaging best serve as an expansion of company branding and accelerate business building? This is where their own “Ah-Ha” moment comes in!
Mobile Keywords are all over TV, radio, magazines and Fortune 500 websites. Once consumers text a specified Keyword to a 4 or 5 digit code, they give permission that allows companies to send direct response campaigns regarding various promotions, coupons, sales alerts and other important individualized news!
Can you just start texting your promotions to people on your own? Just as you are required to get permission to send people e-mail marketing messages, you must also get permission to market via text messages. It is called “permission based” marketing. Congress is now proposing stiff financial penalties for text spammers, so use of a legitimate service is more important than ever.
Yuval Madar, president of a successful Mobile Marketing Company, says, “By using a mobile marketing platform that follows Mobile Marketing Association and Carrier rules and guidelines, your messages are guaranteed to be delivered, and your customers’ experience is positive! Mobile is a cost and time- efficient channel that reaches customers who give you permission to give them what they want…access to your products and services.”
So how can text message marketing help your business?
1) Brand awareness: Regular messaging will immediately remind your database of your brand and your products/services.
2) Build relationships: Providing value through marketing messages will make those that receive them appreciative of what you offer them.
3) Increase sales: When you have a sale, you want to get the word out quickly, to as many people as possible and because people read their text messages in lightning speed, your items will leave the shelves more quickly!
- Coupons: Send coupon codes for discounts on products and/or services. By using a coupon codes you’re able to know who is reading your text message and get a better understanding of how your text marketing efforts are doing overall. Also, when you send out coupon codes your faithful customers may begin to take advantage of them more often.
- Appointment Reminders: It has been proven that medical/veterinarian professionals can decrease missed appointments by almost 20-30%, which also decreases missed revenue.
So now it’s time for your Ah-Ha moment. To take a look at how text marketing will benefit your business, call 888-415-5657 or visit www.merchantmobilemedia.com and see how easy and affordable it is to boost your business with text marketing.
David Spatz has been involved with Sales and Marketing in South Florida since 1988. He enjoys showing others how to create successful marketing campaigns and teaching others how to grow their business. When he is not working at lending his expertise to companies, he is enjoying his free time with wife Lois and their two children in Wellington, FL.