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What is SMS Messaging… it’s the new or not so new way to quickly communicate the desired message to groups of people, in our case customers. Short Message Service a.k.a SMS, is a technologically advanced system that sends text-only communication between the sender and receiver. What is SMS Messaging and Small Business Benefits Keep reading as we dissect the nuance of SMS Messaging, such as: how to use SMS for business purposes, and why SMS is one of the most popular digital marketing mediums today! Lastly and most importantly, we will uncover how you can grow and retain your customer- base by implementing simple SMS strategies. If you think you are excited about SMS text messaging… then you will be over the moon about MMS. There’s NO way we can speak about SMS messaging without a brief mention of MMS. Said best like this (one of my favorite business quotes) a picture is worth a thousand words… if that’s true… then a video must be worth a million… what do you think? OK…let’s back up a minute… you’ve probably guessed what MMS stands for… “multimedia messaging service.” Yes, you can quickly, efficiently, and effectively send your customers or clients, videos, images, slideshows, or audio clips via MMS service ... that's EXCITING!!!! What is the difference between a text message and an SMS? If you are a little confused and wondering what the difference between a text message and an SMS message is, you aren’t alone. The simple truth, nothing… Zilch …SMS messaging is a text message. The former name for the technology is Short Message Service which we call, a text. The technology was designed to send short messages over our mobile carrier connections up to 160 characters. If there are more than 160 characters your message is automatically separated into smaller chunks. We’ve all received a long text that has been split up but remained in sequential order. Commercial Applications of Texting Don’t get caught up with the man behind the curtains or technical stuff. The Bigger Deal is to uncover how SMS and MMS messaging can be used for business marketing. As business owners, our job is to try to keep up with current technology which can increase productivity, decrease man-hours, and out-perform those competitors who are technologically frightened. Realistically, as the old saying goes; “if we’re not growing, we’re dying.” The same runs true for our businesses. If you’re not growing, you’ll be somebody else’s lunch~ That being said; there are a few things you will need to know about SMS marketing. Everything from what’s the cost, to how to drive customers, where to drive customers, and other income-producing benefits of MMS messaging. To get even more specific, we’ll give a few examples as to how SMS messaging is being used to attract, retain, and grow small businesses. Lastly, you wouldn’t want to miss this Epic case study of one of the most popular SMS marketing campaigns to date. You’ll uncover how these two companies used SMS texting to induce a stampede of new customers to their front doors. What Makes SMS Messaging a Marketing Maverick Let's start with a few facts: For the first time in history, mobile traffic has surpassed our tried and true desktop computer traffic, according to Statista. Over 52% of all digital traffic is generated through mobile devices. According to recent research, in the US alone 6 billion SMS messages are sent daily. US smartphone users ages 18 to 24 on average send 67 texts a day. On average an American adult uses a mobile device for nearly 3 hours every day. Since much of this time is spent texting, businesses have surmised that SMS marketing is one of the most effective channels to reach new and existing customers. Statistics also show that over 90% of all text messages are read within 3 seconds. — SMS Benefits? Improve sales Internal communication platform Creating mobile-friendly strategies to attract customers A simple way to insert links... back to your website or fan page… SMS Marketing Campaigns Dos'? Make links visually appealing... try to avoid long character links. To save space and make your links visually attractive use special URL softeners. For example, click here: my ad for text messaging Marketing 101--- Speak Specifically to Your Target Audience: When you market to everyone you market to no one! Know your CTA (call-to-action). If you know where you’re going you will have a better chance of getting there. Once you get your target market’s attention, what do you want them to do? Listed are a few examples of a call-to-action. Click on the button, scan your QR code, text a short code, and participate in a free giveaway… the key is to be intentional, specific, and direct. Customer reviews and feedback. Keeping your customer engagement is crucial to customer retention. Ask your customers for reviews and feedback that will show up on your website. He who has the most reviews is the most trusted, hence appeals to most customers... Largest Restaurant Turnaround Ever... Domino Pizza 7 Tips to Make Your Customers SMS Mobile Experience Flow 1. Fast page loading speed: instant is the name of the game; everyone is in a rush and if your page doesn't load quickly (3 seconds or less) ... your customers are moving on! 2. Grab your customer's attention: Talk directly to them... your target market... too general messages get lost in the sauce. 3. Make it Easy: Once attracting customers to your site, the last thing you want is to make it hard for them to find what they came for. Simple and concise navigation is key. Customers should not have to guess which door to go through to retrieve their prize. 4. Make your first paragraph enticing; Draw them in to want more of what you have. Nudge them to keep reading, looking, or purchasing. 5. Include visuals: as we mentioned earlier a picture is worth, 1000 words...you can say even more with images, charts, diagrams, and the like. 6. Whenever possible include short video clips: this is like advertising on steroids...... today's customers love to be entertained. 7. Note: after your dynamic title, your first paragraph is like an Opening statement during a trial. Simulate a lawyer .... sum up your compelling evidence to state your case. An explanatory few sentences. This is geared to induce them to want to listen to what you have to say! (in 160 characters!) Does SMS or MMS cost? The amount of people you can text at one time on your personal mobile service largely depends on your mobile plan. But having an unlimited data plan is a good starting place. Listed are a few companies that offer a suite of benefits that’s yummy for business. And all the other things you will want to know as a small business to take full advantage of this current marketing medium. Conclusion: SMS Messaging is another viable weapon you may want to include within your digital marketing arsenal. Relatively speaking, it’s low-cost and can deliver a quick return. Not to mention a Super spot-on way to gain instantaneous analytics. The icing on the cake. Recent research shows even greater rewards; quick response time, SMS and MMS text messages are responded to within seconds… it’s a sure-fire way to get an immediate message to your customer base! Related Content