Three Uses for SMS Marketing in a Hair Salon

SMS marketing is popping up all around us, and it seems to be applicable to nearly any sort of industry. Here in the United States, we love all the bells and whistles on our smartphones. Keeping up with all the fancy apps and games out there is exhausting! Text messaging seems like something of the past – but we all continue to text on a daily basis, don’t we? There is no argument that text messaging is here to stay – regardless of whether or not you own a smartphone yet. All phones are capable of sending and receiving a text message.

The simple technology that never seems to go out of style has strung a chord with many businesses when it comes to an effective marketing technique. Hair salons are a great example of how SMS marketing works – and not only as a marketing technique. There are uses for an SMS application that go beyond advertising, and are more geared toward deepening the customer or client connection. To break it down to a basic level, there are three major uses for text message marketing in the hair salon industry. Let’s take a look at what they are.

First and foremost, text marketing works as a great marketing tool. In a hair salon, obtaining the client’s phone number is no problem – as in most establishments it is standard practice to record this in their database. Encourage clients to opt-in to receive notifications and specials via text from your business. This shouldn’t be difficult, because everybody loves to receive text messages. From here, when business is slow, send a message to the clients in your database about a special offer or a promotion; maybe a deal on a particular service – for a limited time, or perhaps a mobile coupon for them to redeem at their convenience.

Secondly, SMS marketing can be used for appointment scheduling. When a client makes an appointment, capture their phone number and ask their permission to send their reminder via text message. This is a very convenient way to contact clients and saves time by not making tedious phone calls. Send a reminder a day or two before their scheduled appointment. Not only does this reduce or eliminate the number of no-shows, this provides the client with ample time to reschedule their appointment if they need to. Now, the free time slot can be utilized by somebody else, nobody’s time is wasted.

The third use for SMS marketing in a hair salon, is sending notifications to your clients. Just make sure they are valuable. Let everybody know about a new product or service. Send out an occasional beauty tip - a new hairstyling technique, or how to use a particular tool correctly at home.

Three Ways to Avoid Restaurant Text Message Unsubscribers

It is most likely you are already aware of all of the fantastic benefits text message marketing provides for your restaurant. SMS marketing allows you to speak more directly to your customers, as well as target specific messages that are relevant to your diners’ preferences. Breakfast, lunch or dinner specials, happy hour deals or family oriented promotions can be sent to the correct demographic. By using text marketing in your restaurant, you can be sure no one gets left behind. This marketing method is wonderful indeed, however there is certainly a level of responsibility that needs to be maintained.

We are all familiar with spam, in fact, most people have a filter in their email account that captures all of those unsolicited messages so we don’t even have to look at them. Text message inboxes don’t have such a filter therefore the rules are strict when it comes to marketing using a text message platform. For a restaurant, it isn’t difficult to abide by some simple guidelines in order to stay within the best practice usage for SMS marketing. There are three basic rules to follow, let’s take a look at what they are!

1. If someone isn’t your customer already, it is vital that you obtain their permission before adding them in to your text message marketing database. In fact, even if they are your customer, they still must opt-in to your marketing plan. Your customer or future customer must give you their permission by texting-in, or opting-in. This is typically accomplished by encouraging your customer to engage in a call to action, for example: “Text JOE to 96000 for special deals sent directly to your cell phone!” People are very receptive to this - everybody loves a deal. Just make sure they are aware of what they should expect upon opting-in.

2. Give your customer options. Don’t force someone to receive your marketing messages. You must always include an opt-out message in EACH text message you send. “Reply STOP to no longer receive messages from us” This doesn’t mean people will follow through with it, but it does ensure you can earn their trust by providing them with the option. You can avoid complaints, and you will be avoiding the risk of prosecution – seriously!

3. Prevent customers from unsubscribing by allowing them to set their preferences. A simple way to do this is to direct the customer to your restaurant’s website, and from here you can offer them some choices. Maybe they aren’t interested in dinner specials, only lunch specials – your restaurant may be near their place of work. Perhaps someone who is 19 years old doesn’t want to receive happy hour promotions from you. Giving your diners some control over how they are text message marketed to will go a long way for your restaurant.

Which Statistics Matter in your SMS Text Marketing Campaign?

Implementing an SMS text marketing campaign into your business’ current marketing plan is the first step toward seeing success in return on investment. The process of building your database list, creating text marketing messages, sending them out and seeing results is great, but it doesn’t complete the whole package. Even though you are watching your business grow, there is still a final step that needs to be taken. Measuring and tracking the results you are seeing is critical to seeing success – in the long term. By doing this, you will be able to see what is working and what may need some improvement. Tweaking and adjusting your campaigns is the key to seeing optimal results.
There are three major statistics to measure when it comes to monitoring the success of your SMS text marketing campaign. Now, you are able to check on these statistics while your campaign is in action, this might be good to see how things are going – however make sure that the campaign is finished before you do your final analysis. The worst thing you can do while monitoring your numbers is to draw the wrong conclusion, simply based on timing of monitoring.

The first statistic to examine is the list growth. Don’t forget, your number one goal by incorporating an SMS marketing campaign in the first place is to grow your list! This growth rate number will measure the speed at which your campaign is growing, or in other words – how quickly people are responding to your “hook message”. This is important to follow, because it can be compared with previous marketing campaigns.

Next take a look at your opt-out rate. Watching your lists grow is certainly fun, not to mention encouraging – but you’ll also need to keep an eye on those who opt-out of your SMS marketing campaigns. If you are noticing people are choosing to no longer receive marketing messages from your business, consider this a red flag. This means something isn’t resonating with your customer or client base. It’s no big deal to make a mistake, as long as you can identify what isn’t making the connection, make the necessary adjustments, and learn from it in the future.

The final statistic to look at is redemption. Now that you know how many of your customers are opting-in, and opting-out – it’s time to take a look at which ones are connecting with your campaigns, and taking advantage of them. This is particularly effective if you use mobile coupons. You’ll want to know the percentage of mobile subscribers redeeming the promotion. This is the true way you will be able to measure your ROI – Return On Investment, as well as your CPA – Cost Per Acquisition.

Segmentation Using Text Message Marketing

Regardless of what industry your business is in, creating separate targeted text message marketing groups within your database is very important. This can work whether you own a retail store, restaurant or a salon. There are a great number of reasons why making smaller individualized databases are a great use of text message marketing. Different customer or client lists can be created by use of different keywords, or they can be manually put into the system at the point of sale. These lists will separate customers based on their shopping preferences. This way, any messages they receive will be relevant to what they are looking for – hence a higher success rate. Let’s take a look at some examples to illustrate the concept.

Retailers are a type of business that can be used as a solid example. They use SMS marketing to connect with their prior customers in order to encourage repeat business. This is really effective, but if you are a savvy retailer, you’ll understand that this is simply just a starting point. The opportunity to take the marketing technique a few steps further isn’t difficult. It just takes a little more planning. Retailers are using different lists to promote their store on a higher level – for example, personal shopper services, special events, preferred shopper hours of operation, or the arrival of new merchandise. Smart retailer are beginning to take it a bit further and create groups to target based on age, special interests, or buyer history. The bottom line is, not everybody shops for the same thing, or is seeking the same information. Pinpointing these differences will take your retail store or business in general to that next level.

This idea of segmentation doesn’t have to be complicated. It isn’t always necessary to separate your database into many groups, maybe two or three will suffice – depends on your business or industry. We can take a look at a restaurant to view the concept from a different perspective. Restaurants can use different groups or keywords to let their customers know about happy hour deals, menu changes, meal specials or special events. This works great - but what if someone is underage and doesn’t need to receive messages about happy hour? What if someone is a vegetarian and doesn’t want a message about your steak special? People have different preferences, especially when it comes to their dining choices. When a restaurant knows the difference between their different customers, they will find more success reaching each and every one of them. Take a look at times of day too. People who come in for lunch are a different demographic than those who make dinner reservations. Text message marketing allows you to send relevant messages to your loyal customers.

Prevent Buyers from Opting-Out of your Real Estate Text Message Marketing Campaign

If you are a real estate professional, you have probably heard of text message marketing. The benefits of SMS marketing in the real estate industry go far beyond advertising. The best part about this marketing method is the versatility that can be found within the platform. The opportunities to connect and communicate effectively with potential buyers and sellers are endless! The ability to create separate buyer lists based on preferences or qualifications allows your messages to be relevant, which in turn means they will be greatly appreciated. As with all great things, you can be certain there is a level of responsibility involved.

No one likes to receive spam, you know, those unsolicited emails that pop up in your inbox? Most people have filters that can capture and hide spam messages so that we don’t even have to see them. Not only are these sort of unwanted messages annoying, but they can potentially compromise the security of your computer. With text communication, there is no such thing as a spam filter. Luckily, we don’t need one in there for the most part – so the ultimate goal is to keep it that way. If you are a real estate agent and you are looking to implement text message marketing into your business, it is essential that you follow a few simple guidelines to ensure you don’t overstep any boundaries. Cell phones are highly personal devices after all!

1. Your list of potential buyers must be created from people who have opted-in. What does this mean? It means you need to obtain their permission before you send them any messages. Typically, this can be accomplished by posting a call to action on your sign rider. “Text 123MAIN to 96000 for listing details.” People find this convenient and they love the instant info factor, so you can be sure to expect many text-ins. Create your reply message to provide property details such as square footage, bedrooms, price . . . etc. Next, create a second message confirming their choice to opt-in to your list, in turn receiving more messages from you regarding this property, or similar properties.

2. Allow them to opt-out. I know this isn’t what you want to be reading, but it is the law! You must provide your potential clients with a way out. Put a disclosure at the end of each text message. “Reply STOP to no longer receive messages from us.” This doesn’t mean people will necessarily oblige, but they will appreciate the option.

3. People won’t unsubscribe from your text message marketing campaign as long as you give them a little control. Encourage potential buyers to log on to your website, and set up a few preferences. What is their price range? What areas would they like to consider? From here, you can target your messages to provide buyers with exactly what they are looking for.

Mind your Text Message Marketing Manners

All sorts of companies out there are taking advantage of text message marketing. Businesses that have chosen to implement this form of communication into their marketing plan have the great advantage of connecting with their clients and customers on a targeted and direct level. Whether you are just starting to understand the technology and how it applies to your individual business needs, or you have been using SMS marketing for while now – the important thing to remember is that text message marketing is a privilege. If you, as a business abuse the privilege, not only will you be tarnishing your own reputation, you may be damaging your industry’s reputation and level of standard as well. It can be easy to get carried away with how easy and fun text marketing can be, as well as how effective it is for your company – however you certainly do not want to be bothersome to your customers and clients.

The easiest way to get caught up excessively in the marketing method, is if you send messages at inappropriate times, or if you send messages too frequently. There aren’t any real set-in-stone rules for text message marketing, however there are a few guidelines to consider so as not to come off as annoying. You’ll want to avoid abusing your text marketing privilege as best as you can.
Firstly, be aware of when you send out your messages. A good rule of thumb to stick by is to send your messages during business hours: 9am to 6pm. You don’t want to risk sending a message when someone is eating dinner, or spending time with their family. Sure, it’s not as invasive as a phone call – but any interruption is still an interruption!

Secondly, don’t send messages just because. Your messages should always have meaning, and provide something of value. Sending a message just because you haven’t sent one for a while is not a good enough reason. This essentially defeats the whole purpose of text message marketing! Yes, you do want to make sure your business remains on people’s minds – however be subtle about it. Make yourself known as the business who is consistently relevant with their messaging.

Third of all, don’t overdo it. Definitely don’t send more than two messages per week. You know how it feels to get constant emails from that one site you shopped on months ago – it’s annoying! You don’t mind an email or two from time to time, especially if there is a coupon involved, but you don’t need to your inbox to fill up with meaningless messages. Same concept. For example, if you are promoting an upcoming special event, give your customers 2 or 3 days notice, and then one final reminder.

Five Steps toward Choosing the Right Text Marketing Software

So, you’ve heard the hype about text message marketing. Everyone is getting into it, it works wonders for your business, it is cost effective, simple, etc. The question is, how do you know which text marketing software to choose? When you type it into your search engine, it seems like a zillion companies out there are offering text marketing. Launching your SMS marketing campaign suddenly feels exhausting with all those choices. You want to make sure you make the right choice for your company, you’ll want to get the most bang for your buck and you want to make this happen fast. There are lots of factors when it comes to narrowing down your choices for a decent text marketing software. Here are a few simple steps to follow to help streamline this process:

1. You’ll want to find a company with a short code. A short code is a five or six digit phone number, which you will have your customers and clients text to – which in turn will capture their information into your database. From here, you will be able to send out mass messages to people who have opted-in. Short codes are easier to remember than regular phone numbers, they are catchy and effective. You’ll definitely want to rule out the companies that don’t utilize this text technique.

2. Now that you have narrowed down your company choices to those who use short codes, scroll around on the company’s website and look for a regular phone number. I know, this is the opposite of the last step, but it is for a different reason! If you can’t find a company phone number on the first page of their website, skip them. Why? Because you want to pick a company who is accessible. When you have questions, you will want to talk to a real person.

3. Now look for references. You’ll want to look for the sort of references that are from individual human beings, don’t be blind sighted by flashing company logos. Look for quotes from happy customers, real looking photographs, true tales of text message success. You want to know the company has customers!

4. You should have a smaller list by now. Narrow it down even further by seeking out the text marketing software companies that offer no other services. You need a company that specializes in text marketing only, no fancy other marketing methods included. If a company can specialize in a one particular thing, it is likely they will excel at it – and so will you.

5. Lastly, you need to seek out simplicity. Your list should be very small by now, and from here, sign up for a free trial and choose the company that provides you with the simplest steps to getting started with your campaigns. If you don’t get it, move on.

Ways to Keep your Clients Pleased Using Text Marketing in your Salon

Keeping customers happy is easier than ever for salons through use of text marketing. Your salon most likely has a current marketing method, perhaps that includes newspaper advertisements, flyers or encouraging stylists to pass out their business cards. Ultimately, word of mouth is the best sort of marketing a business can acquire, because this means that customers are so pleased with you, they are telling their friends, family and coworkers about it. Unfortunately, building a stellar reputation takes some time in most instances. Studies have shown that text marketing can speed up the process of ensuring your business is getting that well deserved buzz.

The first thing that is really great about text message marketing is the fact that the salon can increase their client visits, and decrease the number of no-shows simultaneously. The way this works is that by encouraging clients to submit their cell phone number during their first visit - so as to add their name to your database system – you can shoot them reminders via text. Send appointment reminders a week before their appointment, then maybe the day before. This is all automated, so those annoying phone calls and leaving messages is no longer necessary. Plus, this gives the client the opportunity to cancel or reschedule as needed, freeing up a time slot for someone else. Nobody’s time is wasted, and schedule management becomes streamlined.

The second factor of text marketing being a hit in the salon or spa industry is that referrals are a breeze. Offer an incentive to clients who refer your salon to their family and friends. A discounted service or free samples are good examples. If a stylist is fairly new to the salon and is looking to build her clientele list, send out a text message introducing the newcomer – list her strengths and specialties. Keeping those chairs occupied and your stylists busy means that customers are happy, and are coming back.

Increasing retail revenue is simply the best result of a text marketing campaign. Take advantage of holidays or special occasions by sending out a mass message letting all your clients know that you are running a special promotion on certain services, or you are offering freebies, such as trial size products, a makeover, or an included blow-dry or style. People will certainly return to the salon where they feel not only the most comfortable and beautiful when they leave, but where they feel the most welcome and special when they arrive.

Text marketing is a way of providing your clients with value, and therefore when they tell all of their friends about how wonderful your salon is, you can be sure those friends will be calling to schedule their next appointment with one of your stylists.

SMS Marketing for Property Management Simplifies the Renting Process

SMS marketing has great benefits for property management companies. It works similar to the way text message marketing works for the real estate industry – except the properties aren’t for sale, they are for rent! Rental properties are much more prevalent nowadays than ever before. Since the economy took a downslide a few years ago, less people are in a position to be homeowners. Plus, rental properties are great sources of income for their owners. Property management companies are doing very well in their industry right now - in fact, there are constantly new companies being formed as well as current companies expanding. Property management has become a rather competitive field as of lately.

If you are an apartment manager, or a property management company, you are probably constantly trying to fill vacancies. For every month that goes by where a vacancy isn’t filled, means money lost - not only for the owner of the property, but for the manager as well. It can be a tedious job when tenants are always turning, the move out process can be stressful for everyone. Sometimes the amount of work or repairs in between tenants can become expensive, and accelerate the wear and tear of the property. In order to avoid this, the trick is to find tenants that will stick around for a while. You don’t want just any sort of tenant however, finding the right tenant is key.

In order for a property manager to find great tenants, keep them around, and do this faster and more efficiently than their competition – they must incorporate an SMS marketing plan. How does text message marketing fit into a property management company? It’s simple. Let’s break it down into a few simple steps. Say there is a property available to rent. Obviously, bringing in some decent tenants as soon as possible is the goal. The property manager normally posts a “For Rent” sign in front of the property, with his phone number below. Now, anyone passing by who may be interested in renting the property will have to call the phone number to find out the details. This means the property manager receives a zillion phone calls a day, and in many instances – people are strange, unqualified renters, the specs don’t match up to their requirements, or monthly rent is too high. This property manager is so tired of interrupting his day to constantly answer calls.

By using an SMS campaign, on his “For Rent” sign, he posts a small call to action. “Text 123MAIN to 96000 for details.” Now, instead of calling a number, the potential renter will text-in. Upon texting in, the potential renter will receive an automatic response letting them know what the asking rent is, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, what is included. In the message, there will be contact information for the property manager, therefore now – his phone calls are only from people who fit the bill.

SMS Marketing Ideas for Winter Holidays

SMS marketing is still fairly new out there, best practices are always being tweaked and revised. One thing that is certain - building mobile marketing campaigns geared around a holiday or special occasion are guaranteed to generate a positive response. Use a combination of text in the message and style of coupon or discount to reflect a holiday, and not only will people get excited to take advantage of the promotion, you can rest assured that your campaign is fresh and current.

This time of year we have so many holidays right around the corner. If you were on the fence about whether or not an SMS marketing tactic is right for your business, this is your chance to jump in and give it a try. People are out and about, spending money. All sorts of businesses can apply a holiday themed campaign and see great results. This is your chance to make new customers aware of your business and what you have to offer, as well as your chance to turn current customers into loyal return visitors. Let’s take a look at some examples:

Veteran’s Day – You don’t hear a lot of people talk about this day - which falls in mid-November, however it rings a bell with a lot of people. There are so many veterans out there who have fought for this country, and by gearing your campaign toward celebrating them will surely show your respect and pride, which can only advance your business’ reputation.

“Billy’s Hardware is having a Veteran’s day sale – 50% off all winter snow shovels!”
Thanksgiving – Turkey day! Just because this family based holiday is notorious for people pulling out their stretchy pants and eating themselves into Black Friday – doesn’t mean your business can’t take advantage of it for a sale. This is time for entertaining, traveling, and celebrating.

“Rosie’s Kitchen is having a special Thanksgiving blowout – with any table linen purchase, get a set of placemats to match!”

Black Friday – Need I say more? The entire world will be shopping.
Christmas – Of course, this one of the biggest holidays of the year. Months and months of planning goes into Christmas; shopping, décor, food, travels . . . you name it! Any business can capitalize on running special, sale, or any sort of promotion in honor of this favorite holiday. Gift giving, children, Santa, cookies, snow are all single word ideas for inspiration. The possibilities truly are endless.

“Johnny’s Toy Chest celebrates Christmas early – all games are buy one get one free!”

New Years Eve – New beginnings means resolutions. This holiday marks change, not only for your customers but your business too! After practicing your SMS marketing campaigns, and seeing your numbers rise over these last few months, you are now an expert – and you wonder why you didn’t get started with it sooner!

A Step-by-Step Guide to Use SMS Marketing in Your Hair Salon

Whether you own or work at a hair salon, you know how annoying it is when people don’t show up to their scheduled appointment. The receptionist has to call the client, find out if they are simply running late, or just not planning to show up at all. This is even if the receptionist has time for this with all the tasks that she has in front of her - juggling stylists, clients, schedules and appointments. The stylist is impatient, realizing they could have used that time slot more efficiently – the salon owner is irritated, seeing money wasted – the receptionist is frazzled, unnecessarily so. By using SMS marketing, this problem can be eliminated. Here is a step-by-step process about how utilizing text marketing will help your salon run more smoothly.

1. Your client either calls to set up an appointment, or they schedule a follow up appointment right there in person after their last visit. Cut, color, or style – the client know which stylist is a great fit for them, and they are happy to jump into the coveted pre-holiday time slot left. The client provides you with their contact information, including their cell phone number.

2. You input the client’s information into the system. Perhaps you make a few notes about them, if they are a returning customer – note which services they enjoy most. Put the client’s appointment date and time into your SMS appointment system. Set it up so that a message is automatically sent to your client’s phone to confirm the appointment, even right after you hang up with the phone.

3. You decide to set up your SMS appointment system to generate a message and send it automatically. This is entirely up to you - maybe you’ll want to send more than one message. Set up your text message to remind the client about their time and date of their scheduled appointment. Sometimes a day or two before, works well.

4. One of two things will happen from here. Either your customer will show up at the right time, on the right day for their appointment and everybody will be happy; or your customer will realize that oops, they forgot they have to pick up their kid from soccer practice that day, or they scheduled a dentist appointment at the same time. In this case, the customer will call, cancel and reschedule their appointment with your hair salon.

Either way, using SMS marketing for streamlining the process of appointment scheduling and sending out reminders is simple and effective. Nobody likes to waste their time, and this way, every one can plan accordingly. The stylist may choose to squeeze in a different client, the business owner will not be losing out on money, and the receptionist can focus on keeping everything organized.

Common Questions about QR Codes

I’m sure you’ve seen them around, those funny little patterned squares. They sort of resemble barcodes, but there is something a bit different about them. Visually, they are made up of tiny squares instead of lines. Many people aren’t sure what they are for, or how they work. Here are some answers to a few common questions – you’ll be an expert in QR codes before you know it!

So, you have a fresh new website for your business. You know that SEO is important, and you have put a lot of work in keeping your site updated whether it be with a blog, graphics, new content, coupons, offers or new products. Now you are ready to have people visit your site. Your business is ready for new customers and more traffic.

This is where a QR code will come in useful. QR stands for Quick Response. They originate in Japan, where QR codes have been used for ages and are rather common nowadays. The way this code works, is you scan the code with your mobile phone, and the code transfers information to your phone. The information is details about your business – your site, images, locations, prices . . . etc. The last time I saw a QR code, it was on a movie poster. Upon scanning the code, the movie trailer plays right on your phone. Pretty cool, huh?

How does the cell phone read the code?
Good question. The cell phone needs a code reader. These can only be downloaded to a smart phone – and can be found as an application. There are many different types, they are free and can download instantly.

How do I get my own code for my business?
This is a common question, with a few answers. You can easily generate your own code from a website, many different mobile marketing sites include these as part of their marketing package. Social Fuse is a great company who offers a free trial with QR codes generation included.

Will my customers use them?
Yes. As time goes on, more and more people are utilizing QR codes. They are fun and interactive, not to mention, nearly everyone owns a smartphone and is able to scan it with no trouble. If anything, the code will spark a conversation, encouraging buzz about your tech savvy business.

How do I use my QR code?
As a business owner, whether it is a small or large business – there are many ways to set up your QR codes. Add them to flyers, posters, banners or even T-shirts. They can include such things like: Product details, special offers or coupons, event details, mobile business cards with contact information, or a link to a promotional video.

Text Marketing Boosts Response Times for Real Estate Professionals

The March 2011 Harvard Business Review has found there to be a direct link between text marketing response times to business prospects, which in turn leads to increased sales. For the real estate industry, the success rate involving SMS marketing is rather mind-boggling. According to the numbers, various companies spent nearly 25 billion dollars to generate home buying leads online in 2009. Of those leads that received an inquiry or follow up call within an hour were seven times more likely to qualify over those leads that didn’t hear from anyone. Overall, representatives using a follow-up system in place were sixty times more likely to nab the lead over companies that waited 24 hours to respond. Not a bad statistic!

Text marketing is the perfect fit for real estate professionals, because in an industry where follow up and response time is so vital to success – implementing a system to streamline this process is truly the key to success. Especially if it is so simple. Creating a system to respond to leads faster than your competition will give you an edge, which is essential to increasing sales as well as keeping your business organized. Did you know that 25 percent of companies out there don’t even bother responding to leads? Another 25 percent took more than 24 hours to respond. A closer look at the numbers shows that nearly two thirds of companies in the United States are pretty much throwing away the money they’ve invested in generating leads because they simply waited too long to respond. This is close to 15 billion dollars being wasted, which means everyone involved is missing out on fantastic potential opportunities.

Fortunately for real estate professionals, there is a simple technology that can make every aspect of their career a lot more manageable and successful. Text marketing integrates the process of lead generation, conversion, and organization seamlessly. You can be sure that if you aren’t taking advantage of this, your competition is – so it’s time to step up your game. Think about it, in the beginning of 2012 there were nearly 100 million smartphone users in the US alone. Owning a smartphone gives a potential buyer an advantage when it comes to obtaining more information about a property listing – due to the fact that they are constantly connected to the internet. The best part about text marketing is that a cell user doesn’t necessarily have to own a fancy phone in order to take advantage of the technology. Texting in for more information can be accomplished using any mobile phone, and receiving more information regarding the listing via text message is no problem.

The real estate professional can connect with potential buyers as well as sellers using text message marketing, and stay at the top of their game.

Text Message Marketing for Small Businesses

Mobile texting seems like “old news”, doesn’t it? Why are we still talking about it? Text messaging seems almost as archaic as paging someone – remember the pager craze? We were definitely texting before we had color screens, or even touch screens for that matter. Even though nowadays we are so focused on the latest application, RSS feed, or even catapulting birds into structures – text messaging is still something we all do every day.

Small businesses that are able to understand and implement text message marketing will go far – especially now, while there are so many different opportunities. Plus, the marketing technique still has plenty of room for innovation.

The first major point to make for small businesses benefiting from text message marketing is that they can reach a much more broad range of consumers. I know this may come as a surprise, but there is still a large number of people in the United States who don’t yet own a smartphone. Of course it is in the best interest of any sort of business not to alienate any potential customer or client. Text messaging really steps in here, because a smartphone isn’t necessary to send or receive a text message. This is particularly important if your business is trying to expand outside the country. In continents like Africa and South America, cell phone access is more prevalent than landlines or internet, these nations’ access to the outside world is their mobile phone.

The second reason small businesses can utilize SMS marketing well, is that this allows them the opportunity to send information to the right person at the right time. In other words, take advantage of the intimacy of connecting with a person via their personal cell phone. The only devices more personal than a cell phone are perhaps hearing aids! This means that you, as a business owner need to have the mindset that you are having a conversation with your customers, not only just advertising to them. Do this by offering something of value, this way they will welcome having a relationship with you over their mobile phone.

The third reason is cost. In most instances, small businesses have a small budget to work with. Text message marketing packages are no longer out of range, only utilized by large global scale companies. There are a great deal of affordable plans, which are customizable and can apply to any business size, even if you are a business just starting out. Plus, don’t worry about having everything perfectly in place. Many owners are concerned that they don’t have a solid plan for how everything will work once they embark on a text message campaign. Just get started, and see what happens!

Create Relevant Text Marketing Lists

Controlling multiple text marketing campaigns by using lists is a great way to manage both existing customers and new customers. Business owners and managers often get caught up in the idea that capturing new clients is the only way to succeed and get ahead, but what about existing ones? Keeping existing customers happy and returning is just as successful – if not better than capturing new clients. Hopefully, your loyal returning customers will tell their friends, and help you create more and more loyal returning customers. By going above and beyond to impress the current clients your business has, is how you can get on the fast track to obtaining the elusive word-of-mouth reputation that every business out there strives for.

Advertising is important, but when it comes to your strategy – you aren’t going to advertise the same way to all people. For example, if your business is a pizza joint – you may post an advertisement or coupon in the newspaper to encourage new business. On this ad, you would have your location and maybe a link to a menu. But for your current customers, you would take a different approach. Include a special coupon when they come to pick up their pie to go, or get them going with a punch card for frequent visits. It doesn’t have to costly or complicated to create different campaigns for different people, and the individualized touch can really go a long way.

For text marketing, this can be done seamlessly. That same pizza joint can have two text marketing campaigns running. One to encourage people to opt-in, or text-in. This can be included in that newspaper advertisement, or it can be on poster or flyer. There will be call to action, such as, “Text TONY to 96000 for a free order of wings with any large pie from Tony’s Pizza!” When people text in, they will automatically receive a coupon code for their order along with a phone number to call to place the order. Their cell phone will be entered into a database for new clients. For people who have been in previously more than once, their name is most likely in the database already. If it isn’t, it can be the next time they call in an order.

Now, when Tony is finding business is slow, he can send out two sets of mass messages. One to all those new text-ins, and one to those who are already customers. The first message can say, “Tony’s has half off pepperoni pies on Fridays!” Current customers probably know this already, so their text can read, “Get a free dessert for two with any large pizza order, just show this text to your server!”

Text Marketing Aids in Retail Delivery Services

There are a few ways of using text marketing in retail that most people don’t think about. Text message marketing seems typically straightforward in the retail industry – however thinking outside the box can really push your business that extra mile. Retail is the perfect line of work to implement an SMS campaign. People love to communicate via text, therefore if their favorite store is connecting with them in this way – you can be sure they will happily return, and bring all of their friends. With the holidays looming in the near future, if you are a store owner, the time to take action with a fresh marketing campaign is right now.

The most straightforward way text marketing works for retail is by posting a sign or poster, encouraging shoppers to text-in – or opt-in – for a discount. By providing something immediate for your customers, a sort of reward for their business – will prove to earn their loyalty in the long run. “Text JEAN to 96000 for half off any denim item!” Now that the pleased customer has left your store, shopping bags in hand, you can alert them about future sales, promotions, or events for your store. The customer will be happy to hear from you.

One of the different ways mentioned earlier about how to implement text message marketing is using it with a delivery system. Many stores offer a delivery service for their customers, for example an appliance store will deliver a washing machine, or a refrigerator. If the store is online, which is more and more common – as people really enjoy the convenience of shopping on the Internet – whatever the item is that is ordered will be delivered right to the customer’s doorstep. During the checkout process, the customer can choose to accept notifications via text message regarding the delivery. This usually happens with email anyway, why not switch the notifications to appear on your cell phone? The benefit to this is the fact that it is instantaneous.

The text message will remind the customer about the date and estimated time of the delivery. Another text message will come on the date, confirming a more precise delivery time – sometimes deliveries can run late, particularly during the busy holiday season – when weather may be unpredictable. This process can even go a step further. The retailer can include in a message a click-to-call link that will connect the customer with a customer service representative, in the event that the customer needs to reschedule the delivery. Things come up, and it is great to know that nobody’s time will be wasted by use of the simple technology. Text marketing not only adds to the level of connection between retailer and customer, but it streamlines their shopping, ordering, and receiving merchandise deliveries.

Use Text Marketing to Provide Holiday Tips from Your Restaurant

Restaurants are surprisingly busy during the holidays, although most people may believe the opposite to be true. Think about it. People are traveling to see family and friends therefore they must stop for a bite along the road or in the airport, right? Or think of all the folks Christmas shopping out there – shopping works up an appetite! Even those who are slaving away in the kitchen, preparing traditional holiday feasts will need to take a break from the kitchen. Restaurants are busier than ever during this time of year, and with all of the hustle and bustle, it’s important for them to establish a solid relationship with their customers. Creating a loyal customer database will carry over into the New Year, leaving your restaurant off to a great start for 2013.

The most effective way to make the most of these next few weeks is to implement a text marketing campaign into your current restaurant marketing plan. Encourage diners to text-in – or opt-in – in order to receive an awesome deal. For example, a discount on their check, a free dessert, or an extra drink. Your customer will be so pleased with the promotion, they will welcome future text messages from your restaurant regarding specials, events and coupons. It’s easy to ensure your restaurant is their choice for dining during this holiday season, as well as making it a favorite for all of those special occasions during next year.

In addition to the common ways of using text marketing in your restaurant, there are a few things you can do that will push your restaurant to that next level. Sometimes, a text marketing campaign isn’t always about providing consumers with a promotion or a discount. However, it is about building the connection between business owner and customer by providing something. That something doesn’t necessarily have to be a money saver in order to be something of value. How about providing your loyal customer database with some holiday cooking tips, inspired by your chef? Or even a cool idea for a dining table centerpiece? Perhaps let everybody know how to prevent the turkey from being dry. Or include a link to a recipe for a healthier version of that tried and true green bean casserole. Mention which flowers are most fitting for a hostess gift, or which candles will last the longest.

Another idea that takes this text marketing idea a step further is allowing customers to submit questions to be answered. What sort of wine is best to pair with a holiday lamb? How many bottles should I buy based on the number of guests attending my holiday party? What is the secret to fluffy mashed potatoes? Using text marketing to interact with your restaurant guests will keep them engaged and connected to your business.

Use Text Message for Your Restaurant

Applying Text Messages to a Restaurant’s current marketing plan can go beyond the simple mobile coupon. Text messaging is the most common form of communication, people of all ages are familiar with it – and every phone, even the simple ones, are capable of sending and receiving a text message. Text messages are personal; most people reserve this technology to connect with their friends and family. Businesses have started to take notice of this, and are realizing the potential of connecting with customers this way also. There are strict rules about text message marketing, for example a person must willingly provide a business with their cell phone number in order to receive promotions and information via text. It is illegal for a business to purchase cell numbers for marketing purposes. This is a good thing, as text is virtually spammed free – and consumers appreciate being marketed to on their own terms.

For a Restaurant, Text Messages are particularly effective. A restaurant is a social environment - therefore it makes sense for them to approach their marketing tactics from a social point of view. Customers love to be rewarded for their patronage, and this is what makes text message campaigns stand out over other advertising methods. Obviously this is the initial direction a restaurant should likely take – offering diners a discount or a promotion. Establishing brand recognition and encouraging customer interaction is a step toward going a little deeper into the marketing technology. Restaurants can approach customers in an indirect way, perhaps to offer a little bit of information or advice. Here are a few examples of how this can work.

Share a recipe: Perhaps your restaurant is known for a particular dish, or a signature sauce. Make customers feel like they are “in” on a secret, let them know about certain unique ingredients or methods of cooking.

Provide resources: Maybe recommend some reading material, or neat websites related to the cuisine your restaurant serves. A restaurant known for vegetarian dishes may direct customers to a vegetarian cooking blog.

Alert guests about restaurant updates: Perhaps there has been a change to the menu, or a renovation – let your customers know about it. Keeping them in the loop about the happenings within the restaurant will make them feel like they are a part of your family.

Introduce your staff: Let your guests know about the people who work in your restaurant - servers to kitchen staff. Provide a little background information about them. This lets your guests feel like they know them and it also gives your staff a sense of pride to be working with you.

Run a survey: Ask your customers which dishes they enjoy the most, or which cocktail stands out above others. This is constructive information, which can be used to make tweaks or changes later on.

Dos And Donts of SMS Text Marketing

SMS Text Marketing is earning a highly favorable reputation as a form of communication between consumers and businesses. One of the main reasons why this marketing technique is so successful - is because it can be applied to nearly any business out there, large or small. SMS Text Marketing is simple, and affordable. It used to be a technology used by only Fortune 500 companies, but not any longer. Small businesses are finding local packages that work very well on a smaller scale. Many marketers already use text marketing; however there are some out there who are fairly new to this industry. Email marketing jumped to popularity a few years ago, and still remains a common way to market. SMS Text campaigns can go hand in hand with email marketing, as well as easily be combined with traditional marketing efforts. Here are some tips for getting started.

1. Make your call to action clear: SMS messages are short, but this isn’t to say your message won’t be powerful. Think carefully about what to say in your 160-character limitation that will have the best impact. Give people direction about what to do upon receiving you message. Don’t be vague. Answer the four questions: What? Where? When? Why?

2. Take advantage of 2-way communication: Text messaging is interactive. This is one of the reasons people love it so much. The reason you are using an SMS campaign, is to encourage interaction between customers and your business. Allow them to reply to your texts for more information, or use a keyword for a special promotion.

3. Timing really is everything: Don’t send a text message in the middle of the night. This used to work with email, because your message would just be there when the customer checks their inbox – but text messages are instant. This can be very beneficial if timed correctly, however you don’t want to come off as intrusive or annoying.

Don’ts:
 
1. Don’t send out irrelevant messages: Segment your database into smaller lists, based on preferences. Now direct your marketing messages to each list, so that people receive marketing text messages that they will appreciate. If people find messages relevant all the time, the success rate is extraordinarily high.

2. Don’t be afraid to add links: Instead of trying to shorten words, or use abbreviations in your 160-characters to squeeze in a message, include a link to direct someone to further details about your business. There is even a cool way to shorten links now, for ease.

3. Don’t over do it: Nobody wants to get text messages from your business every day. In addition to remembering that timing is everything, it also important to space your messages in an appropriate way.

Text Marketing Works for Small Businesses

Text Marketing is a great way to establish your small business as an integral part of the neighborhood. Text messages seem to be the only thing people are reading these days, and although it was made popular by gossiping teenagers – everyone is getting into it now! People of all ages and generations are using text messaging to communicate with their family and friends. No one seems to be deterred by the 160-character limitation; in fact, this requires that messages sent and received must be short and sweet – just the way we like them to be. Text messages have close to a 100% open rate, therefore it is almost a guarantee that your message will be read instantly. Businesses are starting to take notice of this communication phenomenon, and are realizing text marketing truly does have its place.

The use of text messaging continues to explode in this country as years pass, and the numbers for people in their 30’s and 40’s using this technology are skyrocketing. More people use text messaging over phone calls or emails combined. Surprisingly, SMS remains spam free – which makes it a perfect uncluttered marketing source. There is also the fact that people are never without their cell phones, therefore text messages reach them instantly. Text marketing can work in any industry, and can be applied by any business out there, large or small. Restaurants can see some great results by using text marketing, as well as retail stores, or even a doctor’s office. The possibilities are quite vast. Here are some rules to get started in text marketing:

1. Keep it legal: Even though SMS is nearly spam-free, there are people out there who are trying to upset this balance by attempting to sell text blasts to lists of random cell phone numbers. If you go this route, you can expect to be cut off by cell phone carriers – and Congress will certainly hit you with penalties. Consumers must opt-in to receive your text message marketing campaigns, so offer an incentive or two to sweeten the deal.

2. Don’t discard your traditional marketing: Text marketing is highly versatile, and can be used alongside traditional marketing methods. Restaurants can use table tents to encourage a text-in for a discount. A retail store can post a sign. You can even run a radio advertisement, instructing customers to text-in for a promotion from your business.

3. Give people some bang for their buck: People are wary about giving up their cell phone number therefore it is important to make them feel comfortable. One way to accomplish this easily, is to reward them – for those who opt-in to your text message marketing campaigns, they may have special “insider” access to promotions that others don’t have.

Improve Customer Experience Using Text Marketing in Your Restaurant

Using Text Marketing for your Restaurant is the first step in the direction toward enhancing your customer’s experience. In your dining establishment, your first priority is making sure your guests are satisfied, and there is more to this than meets the eye. Of course the reason people go to a restaurant is to eat, however dining out is a social event. People dine out to celebrate, to catch up, to conduct a meeting, or simply just to try somewhere new. Regardless, in most instances dining in a restaurant is a social activity. The most common way people connect with one another, whether its friends or family, is through text message. The fact is, text messaging has held strong over the years as being a primary form of communication for many people, only to get more and more popular as time progresses, despite the number of different ways to reach out.

Businesses have started to take notice, and are discovering that using text messaging as an outlet for marketing proves to show some highly favorable results. Text marketing is taking off, and gaining momentum very quickly – particular in the restaurant industry. For a restaurant, the ideal goal is to make your establishment the place people want to meet their friends, or take their grandmother to lunch, or meet a blind date . . . what have you. The fastest way to accomplish this is to create a good reputation. Note, earning a reputation is the plan, but until then – create one. People often look to word of mouth recommendations to decide about where to eat. The buzz is easy to grab through use of text message marketing. Connect with customers in the same way they communicate with each other. How do you think they decided where they would dine? They probably text messaged with each other regarding that decision.

Many restaurants take advantage of a rewards program; think about all of the punch cards you probably have in your wallet! There is some incentive to choose one place over another if you know you are closer to that free sandwich, right? This can be completely streamlined through use of text marketing. Diners can earn points, and receive notifications, and specials via text. Another direction with the same idea of rewarding repeat customers is creating a VIP club. People love to feel special, or included; therefore text marketing really works when it comes to this idea. Encourage customers to text-in to add themselves to your database, but make sure you give them something in return – like a discount off their bill. From here, these customers can get special notifications regarding specials, or wine pairings, or free dessert - reserved specifically for “insiders”. Text Marketing brings that extra push to your Restaurant marketing efforts.

Promote Via Text Message for Retail

Using Text Messages for Retail marketing is the number one method out there in order to effectively reach customers. Text messaging isn’t a new technology; however it is being reinvented as the new wave when it comes to marketing. People now more than ever can’t go anywhere without their cell phone, not to mention the capabilities of smartphones make them devices that we just can’t live without. Businesses are taking notice of certain technological trends in order to better connect with customers and clients. This works particularly well for the retail industry. Here is why text message for retail is successful:

The reach: The mobile phone is the most universal media on this planet. 70% of the world’s population owns a cell phone, and each and every one of those cell phones is capable of sending and receiving text messages.

Text is here to stay: There are many other forms of mobile media that are popular, like applications, instant messaging, and social media – such as Facebook. These are great, but they haven’t proven to have the staying power that text messaging does. Text messaging is simple, everyone knows how to do it, and it has been around long enough to be familiar.

SMS is an accepted marketing outlet: Mobile operators have been using this form of communication to send emergency alerts for a long time, so to transfer that usage over to marketing messages makes sense. The best part about it, is that the mobile subscriber must opt-in to receive these messages, they choose to receive them.

The message doesn’t go anywhere if no on is there to read it. Text messages are great, because they can happen at any time. They can be sent regardless of whether or not the user has their phone turned on, or if they are in an area that doesn’t get a great signal. When they are ready to read it, it will pop right up – and stays there until it is deleted. This is something completely unique to mobile marketing, over other forms of advertising.
Some of you are probably thinking, how can a technology limited to 160-characters be so great? Well, text messaging is much more versatile than one would expect. Coupons can be sent via text, or links can be included in those characters, to provide pictures or videos. Plus, a decent text message marketing service will assist in creating automatic replies to people, to encourage 2-way communication.

In the retail industry, using a text message to communicate buyers has a great success rate. Shoppers love to text, and if they were to be provided with the option of receiving a coupon for a discount or promotion via text over clipping it out of a newspaper – you can be certain they will be opting-in in no time.

Try Text Message Marketing for Your Next Big Event

If you are an Event Planner, Text Message Marketing is perfect for you. Text messages are everywhere, and they aren’t limited to teens anymore. All generations are familiar with text messaging, and all of them use it on a daily basis. Even Grandma! Text messaging isn’t a new technology, however people are choosing this form of communication more often than any other. People text more often than they email, or even dial a phone call. The convenience factor outweighs all others regarding connecting with family, friends and coworkers. Most people open and read a text message within five minutes of receiving it, and they can even do this in a location that may otherwise be deemed inappropriate to accept a phone call. Text messages are quick, discreet, and best of all – instant.

Businesses in all types of industries are discovering the versatility and effectiveness of text message marketing. This type of marketing is particularly successful for the use during, and planning of events. Let’s break it down a little, the most important thing about an event being a hit is the level of attendance. People love to interact with text messaging, therefore implementing this as part of the event itself proves to show some great results. Event planners can use text messaging in their advertisements, “Text CONCERT to 96000 for event information and updates!” Invitations can be sent via text, and the RSVP process can be streamlined. Event planners can always have an updated count of predicted attendees. Event planners can send out reminders about the event also, these can be automated for ease, therefore no one will forget when or where the event will be taking place.

If the event is a paid event, such as a concert or a show – an advance sale option can be applied.
Upon texting-in, the attendee can receive a text with a link leading them to landing page which not only will provide information about the event, but it can encourage them to purchase their tickets in advance, guaranteeing them a place on your list. Many events use advertising to aid in the promotion process, therefore link up a text campaign with one of these promoters will be a win-win situation for everyone! By sending mobile coupons for some of the products a promoter may sell will allow the attendee to have a welcome discount, the promoter to boost their business numbers, and the event will be an overall success.

During the event, text-to-win or text-to-vote campaigns are a great way to get people interacting while they are there. Engaging attendees will make sure they enjoy themselves, and look forward to the next event you put on. Not to mention, thanking everyone for coming after they leave via text message is an easy way to stay connected.

Text Message Marketing is great for Churches

One wouldn’t think that Text Message Marketing would apply to Churches, however this form of marketing is a surprisingly great fit for a house of worship. Text message marketing is becoming increasingly popular in all sorts of industries, everything from real estate to retail. The truth is, any business that wants to boost their connection with customers, clients, or patrons will truly benefit by using text marketing.

People love to text message, in fact, more people use text messaging to communicate over email or even dialing a phone call! It is a rather personal form of communication, and is predominately used between friends, family and coworkers. People really enjoy the convenience of text messaging, it is short, immediate, and effective. Most people will open and read a text message within five minutes of receiving it, and the best part is – they can do this discreetly, such as in the instance they are in a location that may be inappropriate to take a phone call.

Many people may not know this, but Churches are actually rather big businesses. Churches collect donations up to the millions, or even billions of dollars. Most of this money is put back into the community to support worthy causes, such as aiding in homelessness or help for the needy. Text message marketing can really come into play here, as the church can collect donations via text and spread awareness as well. It is not difficult to get people involved this way, churchgoers can text-in – or opt-in – to receive future messages from the church. Once the churchgoer is added to the congregation list, they can be sent messages regarding service times, guest speakers, or subject discussions. Becoming a positive and contributing member of a congregation is simple through use of text message marketing, because staying connected is what it is all about. Connected to each other, as well as connected to God.

Let congregation members know about special events also. It is a simple way to send out reminders, encourage them to bring something to donate perhaps, and obtain replies regarding attendance to plan accordingly. One of the greatest things about implementing text messaging into a church is that it gives churchgoers a voice of their own. Conduct a bulk survey, and find out how people feel about Bible topics or the prayer atmosphere. Take a poll to determine a great venue for the next church event, find out how your congregation feels about the services the church provides for the community. This is a great opportunity to make improvements or changes, which will ultimately lead in building a stronger community and congregation connection. Text message marketing is a great way for a church to only bring their members closer to God.

Connect with Text Marketing in Your Spa

Text Marketing is the perfect form of marketing for a Spa. Text messaging is the most popular form of communication out there, bypassing email and even dialing phone calls. People love to text, there isn’t a more convenient way to connect with friends, family and coworkers. Did you know that most text messages are opened and read within five minutes of it being received? Email open rates are nothing close to this, and the best part is, text messages are often read and responded to in situations that may be inappropriate to take a phone call. Text messages are short, instant, and effective. Is it any wonder that such simple technology is embraced considering our society is always on the go nowadays? Plus, even Grandma knows how to text. It has been around long enough to be familiar with all generations, not just teens!

For a spa, connecting with clients is the utmost priority. It makes perfect sense for this industry to reach customers on their level. Text marketing is highly effective to stay in communication and keep clients coming back. There are a few different ways text marketing can be applied to the spa and salon industry. The first and easiest way to use the technology is to implement it in the appointment system. Encourage clients to provide their phone number when they call to schedule an appointment, and ask them if they would like to receive their reminders and promotions via text message as opposed to timely phone calls or paper flyers. People will certainly be open to this. From here, the spa can automate reminders to be texted, and confirm with a reply. This gives the client the opportunity to cancel or reschedule if necessary, and will completely eliminate no-shows and receptionists having to make phone calls all day. This means that nobody’s time is wasted – and the stylist can use the opening in their schedule to squeeze someone else in. Time wasted is money wasted, but this is hardly a problem once text marketing is involved.

Another way to use text marketing in a spa is to promote products. Products are always changing, and people love to know about what the latest ones are. A spa can let clients know when they get new products in, and offer free trials to loyal customers. The spa can also keep track of clients and separate them into different lists based on preferences. Therefore messages sent are always relevant and well received. The spa can send out coupons, deals on services, or introduce new treatments. The spa can even conduct a survey about what works and what doesn’t in order improve or make changes. Staying connected with clients ensures their experience is positive, and they continue to return.

Apply Text Message Marketing to Your Restaurant

Text Message Marketing is fairly new to the Restaurant industry, however more and more restaurants are taking advantage of this simple technology. Text message marketing is climbing up the ranks as becoming the most popular form of communication between businesses and consumers. People love to text, and we are seeing it more amongst all generations, not just teens. Text messaging has surpassed phone calls dialed and received, largely due to the convenience factor. Text messages can be read anytime, and they are instant. Most people open and read a text message within just a few minutes, even if they are in a position where it may be inappropriate to take a phone call. People are busier than ever, everybody always seems to be on the go. Text messages are short and sweet – which fits right in with the average person’s lifestyle.

For a restaurant, text message marketing is a great idea for a few reasons. Firstly, text messaging is a social activity. People interact, using a personal form of communication – and this establishes a social connection. The same idea applies to the business of a restaurant. A restaurant is a social environment, people gather - not only to share a meal – but also to share stories, catch up, have a laugh, or even conduct a business meeting. Everybody has to eat, therefore enhancing the experience by adding a level of social connectivity is highly effective. The way this works, is that a restaurant can use a text message marketing campaign in order to control their level of business. This can work very well during slow times.

For example, a restaurant can place table tents on each table with a call to action. “Text BURGER to 96000 for half price!” People love a deal or a discount, so there are no doubt your customers will be texting in for half off their cheeseburger at lunchtime. From here, it is a good idea to generate an auto response with the coupon for the instant deal – along with a notification to the customer to inform them that by texting in, they are opting to receive future promotions from your restaurant via text message. I’m sure the diner will be so thrilled with their discount, they will welcome future text messages from your business. People are constantly texting anyway, so it makes perfect sense for a business to reach out from a marketing standpoint to connect with customers in this fashion. During a slow lunch shift, the restaurant manager can tap into his database of loyal customers who have previously texted in. He can send out a text blast to let everyone know that there is an appetizer special going on until 3pm, and then a steak dinner special tonight only! That slow shift will suddenly turn slammed.

Real Estate and Text Message Work Together

Text Message is the newest form of marketing in the Real Estate industry. We’ve been seeing more and more use of text message marketing with a wide variety of businesses lately. Everybody loves to send text messages, in fact, it has become the most popular form of communication – surpassing email and even phone calls! The real reason for this popularity is the convenience factor. People can send and receive text messages any time. Most people open and read a text within five minutes, and the best part is, they can do this wherever they are. Even if they are in a position where accepting and taking a phone call may not be appropriate. If someone is without cell service, or their phone is turned off – the text message will pop up as soon as they turn their phone back on, or whenever they get back to cell friendly area. Text messages are limited to 160 characters, and although some businesses may find this to be discouraging – being forced to limit their marketing message – quite the contrary. A short and sweet message goes a long way for a busy person. With a society on the go – marketing efforts that are direct and to the point are the ones that work the best.

For a real estate professional, using text message to reach potential buyers is a no brainer. By posting a sign rider with a call to action such as “Text 123MAIN to 96000 for more info!” This way, someone who is driving by or walking by can text-in in that very instant. This is a much more appealing way to gain information as opposed to calling a stranger, leaving a message, waiting for a call back, and then finding out the price is completely outrageous. This is a waste of everybody’s time, right? Upon texting in to query – the agent can set up an auto reply with the listing details. Price, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, yard specs, square footage . . . etc. The agent can also include their contact information, and even links to pictures, or a virtual tour! There are a great number of possibilities here. By texting in, the interested buyer adds their cell phone number to the agent’s database. Now the real estate agent can reach out and follow up with the person in a timely manner, and they will nail down some solid leads before they know it.

The real estate industry is highly competitive. Discovering ways to better connect with not only more people, but also the right people is important. Text message marketing is a surefire way to gain a leg up on the competition. Plus, it gives the buyer the information they seek easily and instantly.

Try Text Marketing for your Hotel

Text Marketing and the Hotel industry truly go hand-in-hand. Text messaging isn’t a new technology, however we are seeing it applied in new ways constantly. This is what gives the form of communication its staying power. People love to text, they do it all the time. Text messaging is used amongst all generations, and it is a highly personal way of connecting. More people choose text messaging over email or even dialing a phone call. Text messages are instant, convenient and effective. Most people open and read a text message within five minutes of receiving it, and they can even do this in a location where accepting a phone call may not be appropriate.

Businesses are starting to take notice of the popularity of text messaging, therefore applying it to their marketing efforts makes perfect sense. A hotel can use text marketing in multiple ways – it can be used to communicate with guests during their stay, as well as keeping in touch with them upon their departure, encouraging them to visit again. People travel for many reasons, sometimes for business, family vacations, honeymoons or getaways. Regardless of their reason for choosing to stay at your hotel, it is your utmost top priority to make sure their stay is as comfortable and pleasurable as possible.

To begin with, the hotel can use text marketing to streamline the check-in and check-out process. Upon check-in, the hotel can ask the guest to text-in, for example: “Text PARADISE to 96000 for updates from Paradise Cove during your stay.” Upon texting-in, the guest can receive notification about when their room is ready, and be linked to a map on the room’s location instantly via text. From here, the hotel can narrow the guest’s preferences in order to ensure that the text messages they receive are relevant. A family may want to receive text messages about where the nearest ice-cream parlor is, or perhaps they may appreciate a coupon to play mini-golf nearby. A businessman may prefer messages about a happy hour location, or in-room dining options. The hotel can use text marketing to let their guests know about happenings inside the resort as well, specials or discounts to the hotel restaurant or spa. Maybe there is live entertainment to let guests know about, or a poolside movie night.

Upon check-out, the hotel will obviously note that the guest is no longer staying with them, therefore local happenings updates are no longer necessary, however – the hotel can let the guest know about future hotel promotions such as last minute room rate discounts or special deals for returning guests. Text Marketing is such an easy way for a Hotel to ensure their guests have a memorable stay, while keeping in touch with them for their future stays.

Use SMS for Property Management

SMS is gaining fast popularity amongst the real estate industry, however we are seeing SMS make a strong mark for Property Management as well. Real estate agents use SMS to allow potential buyers to text in for more information about the property listed for sale, and this is essentially how it works for property management companies as well. Instead of posting a rider sign with a call to action – although this method could work for rentals as well – a property for rent can post a banner with a call to action or else post the call to action on the “For Rent” sign in a window. Many times, rentals are listed online or in a newspaper, therefore posting a text message call to action for more information can work in these areas as well.

A decent example of a call to action is: “Text 123MAIN to 96000 for rental information”. Upon texting-in – or opting-in – the renter can be linked to a response text with how much the rent is, how many bedrooms or bathrooms are in the unit, square footage, and rental inclusions – such as water, trash, utilities, etc. A clever property management company can include a link that might connect the potential renter to a credit check form, or a rental application, as well as other contact information. Once the renter opts-in, their cell phone number gets added to the property management company’s database. With this information, the company can alert the potential renter about other properties available in the same area, or in the same price range.

Through strategically using SMS marketing, property management companies can truly streamline the process of keeping their properties occupied, and finding decent tenants. SMS is an easy way to weed out potential tenants who are not ideal for particular rental listings. The more information people can have access to up front, will prove to be a major time saver in the long run for property managers. Property owners hire property managers to handle the tedious renting process for a reason, it certainly is not an easy job! Owners are aware that for every month a rental property goes vacant, is another month of income loss – therefore there is a great deal of pressure for property managers to keep properties occupied. The best way to keep a rental occupied is to find the right tenant – clean, responsible, and most importantly, employed.

Through use of an SMS campaign, property management companies will discover that this method of marketing will produce fantastic results. Incorporating this simple technology into current advertising methods is a majorly efficient way of keeping properties rented by good tenants, hence keeping the property owners pleased. Time can be better spent by discovering new rentals to represent!

Real Estate Text Marketing Leads to Leads

Text Marketing in Real Estate seems to be the all anyone is talking about these days. Due to such a high interest in this topic, there are numerous companies out there – such as Social Fuse – who offer services specifically geared toward this particular industry. The concept remains the same. The real estate agent uses a sign rider to encourage interested buyers to text-in for more information. This typically works by texting in a keyword, for example: 123MAINST – to a short code. A short code is a shortened version of a phone number, which typically is something easy to remember. “Text 123MAINST to 9600 for detailed listing information.” Now, in many circumstances people think this is it for using Text Marketing in RealEstate, however they are mistaken. There are a number of things to follow through with in order to maximize this highly effective technology. Realtors can generate quality leads through mobile marketing, therefore let’s take a look at some of the features to consider.

Instant Notifications. This means that you, the realtor, can be notified as soon as someone texts-in – or opts-in – to obtain more information about a property listing. This notification should arrive via text, and include the person’s cell phone number as well as the property they are interested in. There are also options to receive such notifications via email also. This gives the realtor the information necessary to follow up in a timely manner.

Links, Links, Links. Once a potential buyer texts-in, they can receive a reply text with the information they seek, as well as a link or two. The link should connect with an optimized website or a virtual tour. Decent SMS companies should offer this service as part of a package, however if it is left up to the realtor to create a mobile optimized virtual tour – they should offer guidance and assistance throughout the process. Nobody is interested in a link to a site that doesn’t load properly.

Include Email. Sure, a mobile marketing company encourages all things text friendly, however people find comfort in having email as an option also. Text messaging is limited to 160 characters, however this is hardly a limitation. A lot of information can be included in a carefully constructed text message. A real estate professional may find that there are too many details about a property worth mentioning to squeeze into a tiny text – therefore utilizing an email option may be a better fit.

Create a Mobile Business Card. A realtor needs to get their name, and their face out there. The best agents are those who take the time and effort to connect with interested buyers. Consumers are more likely to buy when they feel they know the person they are buying from. Linking a buyer to their Real Estate contact information via Text Marketing immediately will give them a sense of recognition.