SMS Text Marketing Goes Mainstream

This year we’ll see continued explosive growth in sms marketing. Like email was to communication a decade ago, texting (personal and promotional) is quickly becoming the primary tool for fast business communication. Its impact is already undeniable:

• In 2011 the volume of mobile text messages exceeded the number of phone calls made for the first time ever.
• More than 1.8 trillion sms messages were sent in 2010. That’s nearly double the amount of texts sent in 2008.
• 94% of text messages are opened in 9 minutes or less with a 15% average response rate.
• 82% of people aged 18-49 use text messaging.
• 33% of people change their emails annually; only 5% change their cell phone number each year.
• More than a third of respondents in 2010 said they prefer text marketing over direct mail, radio and TV ads.

The world of mobile is finally being accepted into the mainstream and businesses are noticing. Coupons, alerts and infoblurbs are all received with a chirp on a cell phone instead of opening an email at your desk. As users get more accustomed to this stream the opportunities for business abound. Sure, email marketing must remain a staple of your marketing budget but sms marketing must earn a piece of the pie as well.

Getting started is easy. For as little as $.05 / message you can run advanced opt-in campaigns with tracking coupons that connect directly to websites for redemption, send videos and run contests. Not to mention the power of appointment reminders, voting and keyword branding. For less than that we like sms messaging simply for getting a basic info alert into somebody’s hand for something as simple as a kids baseball game cancellation or updates from your local school.

Think of SMS messaging when you need quick activation and response without graphic branding. On the other hand think of email marketing as the supportive and long-term branding vehicle. The tow together create a great 1-2 messaging punch for any business or organization.

To learn more about our very own SMS management system contact Tom Casale or Bill Kamper at [email protected] or call 312-886-7669.