87% of adults in the U.S. have a cell phone, 95% of cell phones have SMS capabilities, and, on average, text messages are read within four minutes.
The response rates for SMS marketing programs have been proven to consistently outperform all other marketing media, some response rates are as high as 70%.
Mobile Coupons
The mobile phone is quickly becoming the go-to medium for couponing, chipping away at the 300 billion paper coupons issued every year in the United States.
Finally your business can efficiently advertise to the young and affluent and by utilizing mobile coupons you are targeting early adopters. College graduates are 51% more likely to get their coupons from their mobile phone.
How can you a SMS Marketing campaign to increase your sales.
Send out a coupon with a barcode ID that identifies each customer and each campaign.
Send your customers info about current specials. "50% off all items today only!"
Instantly send messages to your customers about special events.
Since virtually all cell phone users carry their phone all the time, a text message is the perfect way to alert people of any time-sensitive information, such as appointment changes
Automotive service companies can alert customers to their cars being ready for pickup.
SMS messaging is an ideal way for school districts to send alerts to parents regarding school closings, changes in schedules. Schools can also use SMS to send exam reminders, to alert parents of absences, announce special school events, and the like.
Pharmacies can use SMS to alert customers that their prescriptions are ready.
Organizations, particularly those with a large employee base, can use text messaging to disseminate corporate information; policy updates, new product announcements, upcoming staff meetings, and the like.
In this economic climate, mortgage banks can provide interest rate alerts to its banking customers, new CD rates...etc.
The benefits of including mobile marketing in your overall marketing strategy are numerous:
Speed - Text messages are received virtually immediately, making it the ideal solution for distributing information, whether that information is coupons for products, time-sensitive information, or anything else than can benefit a business through timely delivery.
Readability - As 94% of all text messages are read, your marketing message will be seen by virtually all of the subscribers in your SMS program.
Flexibility - With text messages sent and received within minutes of starting your campaign, you can use mobile marketing for ad-hoc purposes, such as driving traffic to your store on slow nights ("Make a purchase within x hours, and receive a xx % discount!"), or clearing out overstock items before end of month. This is the new "Blue Light Special"!
Range of Use - Mobile marketing can be used for a wide range of purposes: announcing new product, one-day specials, new store openings, special events…etc. Subscribers can be treated as an exclusive group for offers and information that only they have access to, increasing loyalty, purchases, and speed of communications.
