Mobile Marketing: Traditional Messaging Campaigns Are Still One Of The Best Methods

One of the age old but still most effective marketing campaigns is mobile messaging. Sending out information to a database via simple text message or picture message has one of the highest average response rates.  Multimedia messages (MMS) tend to spike interest more than a simple text message (SMS), and with a speedy response time of under 3 minutes average, and few other traditional marketing techniques having a higher ROI and click through rate (average over 50%), mobile messaging remains as a valued marketing strategy.

With internet, apps and games galore, why is messaging still so successful?

The answer is simple. It is fast and easy for the consumer to access. Although we all want the best smartphone with all the latest apps available at our fingertips, the reality is these apps and games, etc. take time and effort to seek out and download. A text or picture message comes straight through to your phone, no download needed. All you have to know how to do is open a text message, and in some cases send one, which also suits the older and less tech savvy generations. No hassle, no fuss, simple.

But how do you build a database to send these messages to?

It is part of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) regulations that you can’t send people messages unless they opt-in. This is to prevent spammers from purchasing the numbers on the internet and sending unwanted spam to unsuspecting audiences. So you simply need to encourage people to opt-in. This can be done in the following ways:

Text to short code: This is simple for both your audience and you. All that is needed from them is for them to send a keyword to a short code, and they will be added to your mobile database.  Try to make the keyword and short code memorable and relevant, take for instance Orange Wednesdays, a popular 2 for 1 cinema tickets offer for Orange mobile network customers. They ask customers to text the word FILM (relating to cinema) to the short code 241 (significant to the offer) to receive the offer. It is memorable and extremely effective.

Web opt-in: Another method for your audience to opt-in is via the web. They input their data into a web form typically found on your website or blog, and the data goes straight to an API with a specific database on your messaging provider’s platform. The forms can be used for audiences to select their specific interests so the messages they receive will correlate with what they like, and they won’t receive irrelevant information.

But people have to know about it to opt-in

If you are going to build a successful mobile messaging database and campaigns, you need to first work on getting the new idea across to your audience. They can’t opt-in to anything if they don’t know about it. Here are some tips and tricks for building and maintaining your database:

-   Use an offer or incentive to give the customer a reason to opt-in, and keep giving them exclusive offers every so often to keep them on the list.

-    Offer relevant and interesting content that will drive immediate use, not something they can’t use until a later date.