SMS Marketing : Wireless Revolution in Marketing | Simple Call ...

SMS is an extremely cost-effective, high-response-rate vehicle, which can help to acquire and retain consumers, sell and promote products, drive loyalty, and reinforce branding efforts. Have you tried SMS marketing to promote your business?

Abstract

Communication plays a vital role in Marketing. Till today we have seen newspapers, magazines, television, radio, hording, road shows and Internet as major marketing communication tools. In addition telecommunication has given new gift to us. M ? Mobile.

Go through some facts.

In the UK, the Mobile Data Association has recorded a consistent growth in the number of SMS messages sent daily: From 19 million in 2000, to 36 million in 2001, to 48 million in 2002, and 58 million in 2003.

In the US, according to Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, the number of SMS messages has grown from 930 million per month in 2002, to 1.2 billion per month in 2003.

It clearly shows that now we have extensive usage of SMS for communication. Isn?t it good tool for marketer also?

Introduction

SMS

Short Message Service A text message service that enables short messages of generally no more than 140-160 characters in length to be sent and transmitted from a cell phone.

SMS was introduced in the GSM system and later supported by all other digital-based mobile communications systems. Unlike paging, but similar to e-mail, short messages are stored and forwarded at SMS centers, which mean you, can retrieve your messages later if you are not immediately available to receive them. If the phone is powered off or out of range, messages are stored in the network and are delivered at the next opportunity.

Mobile marketing is highly personalized, interactive and has an immediate impact.

Attractive features of SMS (mobile) marketing

1. It is instant, direct and fast.2. It is 2- Way communication.3. It is again effective as email marketing as it is targeted to particular age, gender or profession.4. It is again cost-effective.5. It can be easily promoted through cross-media like radio, TV or print.6. As customer forward messages in a group it opens opportunities of Viral Marketing.7. SMS is fun loving tool. It is catching up record breaking usage.

ICM telephone survey

(Done by: ? Enpocket, Oct 2001 to Jan 2003)

1. For the best performing campaigns, the study reveals outstanding results as follows: 46% response (of any type), 27% Reply to a message, 19% visit a web site, 15% Visit a store.

2. 94% of messages are ?read?, which helps explain the high levels of response and brand impact.

3. The average campaign delivers 15% response (of any type), which is more than twice the average other industry reports have given for direct mail (sources: Gartner, DMIS)

Where is it so effective?

?Mobile marketing is suited best to drive sales of consumer packaged goods, restaurant menu items and high-street retail commodities ? sectors that have advertised very little online to date.? ? Jupiter Research analyst Dylan Brooks

Case: Mc Donald?s tried SMS marketing by project ?e-street?. The project signed up 2,500 mobile phone-users in the town of Lulea, Sweden. to receive SMS messages of special offers from 150 local organizations. After the volunteers were sent an SMS for a McDonalds burger offer, 25 per cent of the targeted users took up the offer.

Code of Conduct

Every marketing technique is bound to follow some code of conducts. Advertising has its own code of conducts. Slowly SMS marketing is also being bound by law so as to stop hassles done by bulk messaging marketer to customers.

Marketers will no longer be allowed to send unsolicited messages to mobiles under such code of conducts.

Marketing Federation of Southern Africa (MFSA) with service providers has launched a new web site and code of conduct e.g. ?Companies cannot send a commercial SMS unless the recipient has requested the SMS, or has a prior commercial relationship with the company ?to curb the abuse of this direct marketing tool.

Australian Direct Marketing Association in Sydney develops similar codes of conducts.

Conclusion

Every invention comes with both positive and negative features. It depends on users. It is up to marketers how best and safely they can use it. Being limited up to somewhere 160 characters; SMS depends on other cross media also. Still it is most useful in instant messaging / advertising to targeted audience.

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-12-2004-51586.asp

Source: http://simplecallsolutions.com/sms-marketing-wireless-revolution-in-marketing/

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