How Online SMS Platforms Can Free You of 160 Character Limits
All too often, we encounter marketers that simply do not realise that mobile messaging doesn’t have to be limited to 160 characters. While that is the industry standard in terms of SMS communications, businesses can struggle to get the proper message across with such little room to work. Once SPAM compliance is factored in, it’s obvious that expansion must be facilitated to ensure that the campaign is informative and effective. The right online SMS provider can help you break free of these limitations, and though it will not be priced the same as a 160 character message, the end result will be a longer message that provides more information and ensures that all legislation requirements are in place for opting-out.
If you understand that sending SMS online is the most cost-efficient way to reach out to your target market, then you should not be concerned about the price increase for longer messages. In fact, we aren’t talking about only doubling your text lengths – we’re discussing raising that limit from 160 characters to 612 characters! That’s quite an increase when you consider how hard it is to tailor your information into a mobile message.
When implemented into your online SMS strategy, the lengthy mobile messages can provide incredible benefits, helping you to gain traction in fickle markets and improve the overall communication you have with your target consumers. Some sample implementations boast market increases of more than 25%, lending credence to the notion that though consumers prefer the mobile platform to other forms of standard marketing, they appreciate honest communication even more. Because you can include “real talk” instead of mobile conversational techniques, you can better articulate the value that you are creating with your offerings, and facilitate the desire to make purchases on the spot. Include online purchasing options, pricing variations, and full SPAM compliance in each message, and you’ll have every base covered.
When you have an SMS online organisation that you can rely on, you can properly test the new mobile campaign style and determine whether or not making the switch is right for you. Though increased cost is necessary on the part of the provider, remember that the increase in revenue will likely trump any investment made in the marketing realm, ensuring a return on your initial investment, and increasing your organisational perception in the marketplace.
Should any questions arise, inquire with your mobile provider to clear up any pricing confusion or get tips regarding the proper way to implement longer SMS messages. Will the change ultimately impact your company? Only proper testing can help you determine that, but if others’ experiences are any indication, the expansion of your SMS message length will only bring benefits.
Mobile messaging continues to expand, and with it, arises new ways to implement the strategy. Consider the long texts instead of their 160-character counterparts, and see how so many organisations across the world are continuing to make headway into markets that seem so far out of reach via their online SMS interface!

