Monday, 26 November 2012

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.

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