Bulk SMS for Business Marketing is a way to send out thousands of messages at a time via text messages, email or voice messages to cell phones. SMS stands for short message service, and the original format was in text mode only, but it is possible to adapt to voice and email.
This type of marketing is a very new and comparatively inexpensive mode of getting the word out. It targets anyone who has a smart phone, who has not opted out, and is potentially receptive to what it is that you have to say.
The smart phone market is huge and growing rapidly. The target group is almost never without their phone, seldom turns it off, and is receptive to receiving texts of all kinds, anytime day or night. Receiving a text is generally not viewed as offensive as they receive all kinds of texts from anybody, anytime anyway. When their phone buzzes, their attention is 100% focused on that event, even if for only a moment.
Voice messaging can also be a winner, only it takes maybe a little more planning to be effective. Remember that a text is viewed as being almost totally non-invasive and non-threatening, due to the fact that the recipient is in total control and it can be read at the discretion of the recipient. A voice message has to be listened to, so that takes a little time out of the recipient’s world, so it can be a little more threatening. The voice message must be a little more creative to get through.
The response rate for Bulk SMS for Business Marketing is going to exceed the rates of most of all the other messaging systems because people will open and view almost all of their text messages that they receive.
An example of a successful bulk SMS campaign involved a hamburger shop that had several locations throughout a statewide area. The goal was to increase lunch traffic throughout the stores. Using SMS technology, a mass email was sent to their contact list, asking the people to text a code into the main office so the people could subscribe to exclusive product offers. Then a programmed auto reply test was used to send out an offer to each person who opted in, for a free drink. In a few days another offer was sent to all of the opt-outs a coupon for lunch.
The final results of the campaign was zero people who opted out, a response rate of 12%, a return on investment of 1,650%, and a significant increase in lunch sales. They also made it possible for people to get on their phones and request a coupon from inside the store just before they ordered their lunch. All of this happened very quickly, in a matter of days. Compare this with newspaper or radio ads that would have taken a few weeks to materialize.
The same concept can be used citywide, statewide or nationally, depending upon the product and the scope of the ability of the merchant to handle the response. It is just as easy for the vendor to send a million messages, as it is to send 25 messages.
At the present time almost 95% of the texts that are sent end up being read, and Bulk SMS for business marketing represents the best return on investment in any media market. It allows a business to cut through all of the other marketing noise get an almost certain look at his offer. Most often an offer or a coupon of some kind is the “bait” to get the recipient to react to the text.
It allows for the customer to rivet his or her attention immediately upon your offer, and you will get an immediate yes or no to the offer. Coupons and other discounts or freebies are great because everybody loves a bargain.
There are many companies that offer great pricing for the marketer, as there is a growing base of competition, which is keeping the prices down. Be certain to investigate the company that you use, however so that you don’t get caught sending weird messages to your list. You can send some test messages to yourself to catch that problem before it comes up.