Tag Archives: text marketing

The Importance of Personalising Your Next Text Marketing Campaign

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Marketing mediums can be fickle and difficult to predict.  And, when we say mediums, we really mean the consumers that listen to them.  After all, the bombardment that consumers experience when it comes to multimedia, and the many forms of advertising that they encounter on a daily basis, can numb them to the details of a message.  But, as marketers, we are not relegated to simply accepting the status quo.  If we did, we wouldn’t be very good marketers, now would we?

Text marketing continues to evolve into the personalised alternative to broadcast strategies.  As the technology gains momentum, advertisers are faced with the prospect of somehow getting much more out of the platform than the competition.  To understand this dynamic, we must first realise what is really occurring here:  we are interacting with consumers at personal levels previously unseen.  This means that we are in uncharted territory to some extent, and that it is up to us to apply some ingenuity to the technology and get everything we can from it!


Crafting Personal Messages That Mobilise

Our goal, as marketers, has, and always will be, the mobilisation of a consumer-base.  And, if we know that 2012 boasts more mobile messages than mobile minutes used for conversation (which we do), the answer clearly presents itself.  This realisation isn’t all we need, however.  Text message marketing involves understanding that consumers are sharing their contact information with the expectation that the interactions will be tailored to their unique purchasing patterns.  Essentially, it’s about their convenience, not ours…though it is quite convenient for us, also!

Every text marketing release should be relevant to the individual recipient.  Segments of your mobile base may share specific details (location, age, gender, etc.), and when they do, be sure that you are creating messages for each segment.  This delivers what your customers expect, while increasing the conversion percentage based on the offers you send.  It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Improving the Personalisation of your Current Strategy

There is little doubt that establishing relevance through the collection of personal details will significantly impact your bottom line.  When asking customers to opt-into your text message marketing campaign, consider the use of invidiualised keywords that immediately let you know what their “sub-group” will be.  When you know that a certain keyword used to opt-in notates a specific set of criteria, you can start the interaction off with knowledge that exhibits the customer’s personal interests.

Personalisation is one of the driving forces behind the rapid ascent of SMS marketing.  Properly leveraging consumer details in your deliveries not only increases your conversion opportunities, but also exhibits to your target market that your organisation understands the purpose of the technology.  

 

Marketing Without Boundaries – The Explosion of Text Marketing

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Text marketing is something that the advertising industry has seen explode in recent years.  Each consumer leaves the home with three things:  their keys, their wallet (or purse), and their mobile phone.  Already an industry that has crested the $175 billion mark, researchers at Portio Research expect the SMS angle to continue to flourish and are touting 2014 numbers in the neighborhood of $233 billion!  There is no denying the effectiveness of the platform, but when you properly integrate the technology into your current marketing strategy, you have all of the necessary tools to pique the interest of existing and prospective clients, ensuring that you have a large pool of warm-to-hot leads to facilitate your business.

To get the most from the platform, you must shift your perception of marketing with text messages.  Sure, they provide information or social communications, but ultimately, there are opportunities to initiate and facilitate sales through the SMS design.  We are living in an era of history that’s been touted as the “Information Age”, right?  With this in mind, consider all of the tracking capabilities that are involved with consumer to business SMS messages.  Would you like to know when your pizza is being delivered?  How about getting information regarding discounted event tickets and then being able to purchase them directly through your mobile?  By placing yourself in the shoes of your target market (which shouldn’t be too hard given that you are also a consumer), you can determine which services make the most sense for your industry and begin implementing the strategy.

Mobile applications have seen substantial growth in the digital marketing realm, but text marketing has maintained its industry-leading role because of the wide scope that comes along with the platform.  Additionally, SMS remains the fastest way to send messages with mobile technology, so expect the trend of popularity to continue.  Most mobile devices in use will re-direct messages from other platforms directly to the SMS box on the device.  The small adjustment by the devices proves that marketing with text messages is, and will remain, the messaging platform of choice. 

SMS can be configured to utilise an application to secure the sending and receiving processes that occur throughout the process.  When an organisation utilises a User Data Header, they are able to send a message to a consumer and have the message immediately open a URL that directs the recipient to the necessary information. 

The Expansion of SMS Banking Technology

When online banking first hit the scene, transfers were generally relegated between accounts of the same banking company.  Obviously, that expanded as the technology was perfected.  We are seeing the same trend with SMS messaging.  Wire transfers and banking details were once only facilitated through mobile devices if the sending party and receiving party both were with the same banking institution.  Now, however, the platform involves all institutions that utilise SMS banking, so users can get the most from the mobile prospects involved.

With a mobile PIN number and a Mobile Money Identifier, users can use the texting technology to transfer funds in and out of their accounts, make payments for utilities, credit cards, or home loans, and check balances.  All of this occurs in seconds, largely in part due to the efficient nature of SMS.

As the mobile expansion of marketing continues, SMS continues to hold its ground.  New uses for the platform continue to surface, and because of its device-range, an organisation knows that their target audience will, at least, have the capability to send and receive text messages.  Honestly, we believe that the trend is still getting off the ground, and with a few more years of technological advancement, there will be more uses than we had ever imagined.  The potential is incredible, and with so many users worldwide, expect companies to continue to expand their mobile offerings and see mobile consumers continue to pour through the proverbial gates.