We at TXTin realize that some of you still may feel a little hesitant or anxious to give text message advertising a try. Follow these simple rules, and make your mobile phone marketing campaign a successful one:

Always get permission first: No one likes receiving unsolicited messages. When you get your customers’ cell phone numbers, make sure they are fully aware that you will be rending them mobile phone coupons and news about your business.

Tell them how to get out: Any good text message advertising platform will allow customers to unsubscribe by texting  ”STOP” to your keyword. Every message that TXTin sends is accompanied by this trailer message, but it’s important that you let them know that they can opt out at any time.

Think service first, sales later: People respond much better to service-oriented messages like appointment reminders, announcements of items being back in stock, and messages without an overt marketing message. When you do send out promotions and discounts, they are likely to respond much more quickly since they are not being bombarded.

Send messages at appropriate times of day: Use this powerful medium to your advantage. If you need to increase your customers between lunch and dinner, send a message at lunch time with a promotion that entices them to come in to your location between the hours of 2-5, for example.

Don’t abbreviate or use slang: If you want your customers to take you and your business seriously, just don’t do this.

According to Portio Research, global SMS messaging will break eight trillion by the end of this year. With an open rate above 95 percent, there is no other marketing medium as powerful. With prices as low as $25 a month, there has NEVER been a better time to “go mobile” by using TXTIn Mobile Marketing. So don’t wait, contact us today.

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2. Text Message Advertising Tip: Promote Your Promotion
3. Text Message Advertising Lets Consumers Participate In Ad Campaigns

Mobile E Cards are a fun and powerful way to show your customers that you appreciate their loyalty like no other medium available. Our platform makes it possible for you to send birthday wishes, holiday greetings or any other note, helping you further your relationship with particular clients while positively branding your business.

Mobile eCards can appear as simple mobile text messages, or as a vibrant picture message. They can be directed to everybody in your database during the holiday season, or to specific people at specific times to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or any other special occasion. They also act as a great way to inform your customers about special holiday discounts and promotions.
You can choose from one of our templates or design your own custom Mobile eCards. Upload any image, insert your own text, and send to any mobile phone via MMS. It’s incredibly easy, personal and a sure to grab your customer’s attention.

Here are some examples of the messages you can send:
Happy Birthday Day from Tina’s Bakery. Stop by today and pick up a free cupcake!
Make this Valentine’s Day special by treating your loved one to our half priced sushi and sake deals at the Sushi Shack.
The Silvercrest Golf Club is having their annual golf tournament this weekend. Show this message at the pro shop to receive your commemorative gift.

Start today by signing up for one of our competitively priced plans, starting as low as $25 a month. Our platform is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. By following a few simple steps, within moments you can be sending your customers your own mobile e-card. We even have a pre-designed template for Valentine’s Day. So don’t wait, get started today!

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The days of clip-and-save are gone. Even click-and-save is old-school. Consumers today get their information on the move, and mobile coupons allow retailers to keep pace. In fact, if redemption rates are any indication, retailers who use mobile coupons are leading the pack.

Call it tap-and-save.

Mobile coupons make sense because they combine new-age, smartphone technology with the age-old desire of consumers to save money. But rather than hassle with browsing the local newspaper, clipping and storing paper coupons, and remembering to carry them along during their next trip to the store, consumers more and more prefer to eliminate the work and receive coupons on the device they always carry with them.

Numbers tell the story. Traditional print coupons typically enjoy a 2-percent redemption rate; by contrast, some mobile campaigns see redemption rates as high as 40 percent! Why the gap? While reaching consumers on their cellphones certainly plays an enormous role, so too does the audience to whom you’re communicating. Unlike print ad coupons, which simply go out to people in a particular region, mobile coupons reach consumers who have specifically requested to receive a retailer’s text messages. Your database might only include a few dozen cellphone numbers, but every one of them belongs to a consumer who has expressed an interest in your product or service.

Restaurant owners might offer a free appetizer with a meal over $20. Golf course managers might offer $3 off a bucket of balls at the driving range. The possibilities are endless, whether a business owner opts to send out simple SMS messages or include graphic-enhanced MMS messages. In either case, retailers have the ability to speak to their entire client database on a level that feels personal and one-on-one.

Have a mobile success story to share? Tell our readers about it on our message board. 

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Text message campaign promotions can appear in print, online, in store signage, or anywhere your customers will see it.

One of the more unique aspects of a text message advertising campaign is that, on one hand, it is a promotion, a means to promote your business.

But on the other hand, in order for it to work, you must promote it.

This unique quality sets text message advertising apart from other traditional advertising vehicles. Businesses rarely promote a print ad, a TV commercial, or a radio spot. Those ads are one-dimensional promotions that encourage people to buy your products or service.

Text message advertising, however, requires promotion because text ads aren’t sent out en masse to anybody with a cellphone. They’re only sent out to people who request them. While this need to “promote your promotion” may seem to some business owners as another confusing step in the advertising process, it really underscores why text message advertising is so impactful.

By promoting your campaign properly, you are building a database of people who are most likely to become customers – or repeat customers. It’s that targeted ability that gives a text message campaign an edge that other advertising forms lack. Traditional advertising intertwines with mobile marketing when the former promotes the latter. If you’re a long-time print advertiser venturing into the text message advertising world, be sure to promote your text campaign in your print ad. It’s a great way to filter readers of your print ads and get an immediate response from what is traditionally a clip-and-save crowd.

Do you include mobile promotions in your print ads? Share your success stories on our message board. 

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Text message advertising lets consumers participate in ad campaigns.

One advantage text message advertising has over other forms of advertising is that it is a “participation medium.”  Fans love sports radio call-in shows because they can participate. Blogs have essentially invited members of the general public to participate as working journalists.

Technology has enabled people to do more than consume media; it lets them get involved with media. Text message advertising allows business owners to strike that same chord, even holding conversations with customers via text message.

On its recent list of “Top 5 Things to Know About SMS Advertising,” imediaconnection.com asserts that campaigns that create a dialogue with consumers are more effective in generating conversions. Along those lines, consider that traditional ads talk TO potential customers; text messaging lets advertisers talk WITH potential customers.

A conversation via text message between a business owner and a customer might be as simple as a “Yes, No” question. Or it might involve a series of one-on-one messages that span the course of hours, even days. In either case, a customer is left to feel special, in part because he or she was able to participate.

Why do you think text message advertising works so well? Share your thoughts with readers on our message board.

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Text messaging remains an important part of any mobile marketing campaign.

Nielsen recently reported that four in 10 cellphones in the United States are smartphones, and that number continues to grow.

But if you’re considering a text message advertising campaign, here’s another way to look at that statistic: six in 10 cellphones are NOT smartphones.

To make sure customers and potential customers are able to view your mobile marketing messages, it remains safest to rely on the simplicity of standard SMS marketing messages. Eye-catching graphics and explosive videos are great, and certainly play a role in many effective mobile marketing campaigns. But much of their impact is lost on consumers who simply don’t have the tools to receive them.

Standard text messages, on the other hand, are accommodated by better than 90 percent of cellphones in the U.S., and every message is opened within minutes of being received.

In an age when video screens are seemingly everywhere and graphics are plastered wherever an eye or a camera lens might aim, the simplicity of text message advertising remains an effective, and important, part of any mobile marketing campaign. As critical as the text messages an advertiser sends – perhaps even more important – are the means by which an advertiser collects a database of numbers. Ensuring that future messages reach a receptive audience of likely buyers is the goal. Business owners, particularly owners of small, local businesses, must employ the right strategy in luring consumers to opt in.

How business owners engage consumers once they have opted in is a decision all advertisers have to make. Look around and see the kinds of phones your customers are using, but keep this mind: If you convince 500 people to join your mobile club, on average about 200 of them likely own a smartphone. The other 300 do not.

Thoughts on the smartphone revolution as it pertains to mobile marketing? Share them on our message board. 

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Mobile Voting could play an important role in the 2012 Presidential Election.

A majority of American voters have already “gone mobile.” It’s only natural that voting goes mobile as well.

As the 2012 Presidential Election begins, industry experts predict that a strong mobile presence will play an even larger role than it did four years ago, when forward-thinking mobile initiatives helped propel President Barack Obama to the Oval Office. This time around, those mobile initiatives are likely to include mobile-optimized websites, mobile tie-ins with social media, and candidate apps.

Driving it all could be an SMS marketing feature naturally geared for the political arena: mobile voting. Already being used to great effect by retailers who want to better understand customer opinions, mobile voting uses mass text messaging technology to not only connect with consumers, but to hear what those consumers think. In the case of politics, Democratic and Republican strategists are using mobile voting to satisfy their never-ending efforts to know precisely how select groups of people feel about particular issues.

Short of letting people cast their official election votes via text message, the Mobile Voting feature at TXTin Mobile Marketing is the ideal tool for politicians to increase their understanding of how people feel about important issues. Campaign teams in some districts have already embraced the platform, and are using it to gauge voter opinion and to keep voters informed of important upcoming events as the election heats up. TXTin records every vote and reply message, and every mobile number that participates is captured in a database that can be accessed for future news and text alerts.

Voter feedback is valuable, but so too is the ability to reconnect at any time to those voters. The database of numbers gives political teams the means to direct voters to other important mobile components, whether a link to a mobile website, a Facebook page, or an Internet commercial.

Mobile has already greatly affected retail sales. Many think its impact on politics isn’t far behind. As Bill Dudley, group director of product management at Sybase365, said: “2012 is going to be the year that if a campaign doesn’t do anything with mobile, they’re dead.”

Do you have a mobile voting success story to tell? Share it with our readers on our message board. 

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Small-business owners would be wise to include SMS marketing in their 2012 marketing plans.

Coming off a breakout year in 2011, mobile marketing continues to grow at a pace only forward-thinking businesses can keep up with. From mobile apps and websites, to QR codes and GPS technology, marketers clearly have a lot of tools at their disposal with regards to reaching consumers on their mobile devices.

So where does that leave SMS marketing? In most opinions, it makes text message advertising an integral player.

The ability to communicate with clients on a personal level via SMS and shared short code remains an important factor in the mobile movement simply because it’s, well, simple. While business owners and consumers alike scramble to keep up with new-tech capabilities, both groups continue to develop a comfortable familiarity with sending and receiving text messages.

Consumers, as a group, evolved in 2011. At the start, people were willing to exchange text messages with their favorite businesses. Throughout the recent holiday season, it became clear that many of those same people are not only willing, but actually prefer to receive text messages from businesses. Surely a number of factors spearheaded that evolution. Data plans changed, letting more consumers to send and receive text messages without monthly limits. And in 12 months, texting simply became a more accepted form of communication.

For those reasons and others, small-business owners would be wise to keep pace as they develop a marketing strategy for 2012. An SMS marketing component should be considered as important as traditional staples like Yellow Pages listings and direct mail.

The quick lesson? People love to text, and not just with each other. Consumers nationwide receive text messages from restaurants and real estate agencies, beauty salons and bowling alleys. Most important is that those consumers prefer it that way.

Have a 2011 text message advertising success story you want to share? Post it on the TXTin Mobile Marketing message board and see what our readers have to say.

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Business owners can send a mass text message from a computer.

One misunderstood reality about text message advertising involves the tools required to run a mobile campaign. It’s true that text messaging is typically a cell phone-to-cell phone form of communication. But advertisers can conduct an SMS campaign by sending a mass text message from a computer.

To reach the people who have opted to become a part of their database, advertisers can send a mass text message without ever touching a cell phone. In a matter of minutes, a message can reach hundreds, even thousands of potential customers, 97 percent of whom will open and read that message within minutes of receiving it. That’s the power of text message advertising.

As easily as posting a Facebook status update or sending a Tweet, business owners can log on to a website, type a short message, and send a text message from a computer that will instantly reach every person in their mobile database. It’s easy and it’s fast, two reasons that explain why text messaging in general has become so popular. But while text messages are often written in a very informal manner, business owners would be wise to give text message writing the same level of care they do the copy that appears in other traditional marketing materials.

Everyday text messages are often loaded with abbreviated words and phrases, hardly the work of polished writing professionals. But business owners should treat text message writing the same as they do when choosing copy that appears in display ads, on a website, or on in-store signage. Words should be chosen carefully, perhaps even with the help of a professional copywriter.

Whether you’re sending a text message from a computer to issue a mobile coupon or simply share company news, it’s important to choose words with the most impact.

Do you have text message writing tips that work? Share your success stories on our message board. 

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SMS Marketing; From Prospective Customer To Loyal Customer

The application of SMS mobile marketing is not just restricted to reaching out to a target market. Sure, smart mobile phone marketing will have prospective customers come knocking on your front door. However, SMS mobile marketing also goes a long way in retaining the customers after attracting them.

Ideal For Small Businesses, Perfect For Large Ones Too!

Small businesses use text message advertising to stay in touch with their customers and clients. From informing the customers about their order details to wishing them a happy birthday, SMS mobile marketing is an incredible tool which breeds customer loyalty. Examples of smart use of SMS mobile marketing in customer services include:

• Marketing & advertising
• Mobile phone coupon
• Reminding of service expiration
• Appointment reminders
• Text message alerts with updated news and information
• Mobile voting to learn to better meet customer needs
• Mobile Ecards on birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year etc.

Your Customers’ Interaction Determines Their Reaction

How your customers interact will ultimately determine how they react. How well you make their experience of dealing with your company will affect their loyalty towards your company. A smart mobile marketing company can get you in the good graces of your customers by offering them a simple and efficient way of communicating with you through SMS mobile marketing.

It’s Easy For Your Customers To Switch Loyalty, If You Aren’t Smart With Your SMS Marketing

According to a survey, 3 out of 5 consumers said that they would switch their internet, cell phone service or cable company after just a couple of bad customer service experiences. This is a very great cause of concern for a service provider, or any business for that matter. Lack of efficient mobile phone marketing to create a strong customer services can cost you customers and thousands of dollars. You need a smart mobile marketing company to retain all those customers you attracted and serve.

Cost-Effective Marketing

Of course, the cost effectiveness of SMS mobile marketing is a big PRO when used for creating a superior customer service. Outranking conventional and expensive means of communication such as telephone, mobile text marketing offers an incredibly efficient means of maintain customer service and building customer loyalty. This cost-effectiveness makes it easier for small businesses to offer excellent and intelligent customer services, boosting their customer loyalty.

Integrating Technology Into SMS Marketing

Text message advertising has been around for quite some time now. Even after all the years, it is still a practical and widely used channel for inducing and enhancing customer loyalty. While SMS mobile marketing itself is pretty basic and not exactly a new technology, it can be used as the warhead on the missile of cutting edge technology like cell-phone based GPS, location based services, Google Maps etc. How great would it be to send an SMS to your customers who are driving by your company’s office, shop etc.?

SMS mobile marketing has been around for some time and is still going strong as it helps businesses connect with their consumers. Every business must be sure to take advantage of a smart mobile marketing company that can help them boost their customer service and customers loyalty.

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Starbucks has conducted 26 million mobile transactions since launching its app.

Of all the numbers that support the power of mobile text marketing, the latest come from coffee giant Starbucks, one of the retail pioneers in mobile advertising.

Recent reports show that one in four Starbucks transactions is now executed via a Starbucks card, and a fair number of those are monetized via mobile. In fact, it was less than a year ago that Starbucks launched an app that accepts mobile payments, and since then the caffeine king has shown 26 million such transactions.

These telling statistics were presented to emphasize that 2011 was in “the year of mobile,” for Starbucks specifically, but for retailers in general. The company saw $110 million reloaded to customers’ Starbucks cards via mobile, a fair chunk of the $2.4 billion in total card action for the year.

The high response is attributed largely to the convenience of mobile, a mantra that repeats itself as retailers consider the benefits of campaign initiatives such as text message advertising, mobile websites and apps.

Twenty-six million mobile transactions? The year of mobile, indeed.

Read more about Starbucks’ mobile success on LinkedIn. Do you think 2011 was ‘the year of mobile’? Tell us how on our message board. 

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Business owners should make their mobile campaigns fun for users.

Despite becoming efficient and effective business tools, mobile phones to a majority of the consumers who use them remain a source of entertainment. For that reason, experts agree that business owners who are launching mobile-based campaigns should keep in mind the importance of making the experience a fun one for users.

Whether employing video, apps, or even the interactivity of QR codes, mobile marketing presents businesses with a chance to engage with consumers on a level more personal than ever before. The last thing a retailer wants to do after promoting a mobile campaign is have a potential customer be bored with the mobile experience.

The Mobile Marketing Association points toward a recent Army National Guard campaign that entertained visitors by showing a Kid Rock music video and a special appearance by NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to make the visit a memorable experience for consumers. Naturally, most small-business owners don’t have access to pop stars and pro athletes to help spark interest with clients. But the sophistication of mobile devices and their ability to utilize videography, photography and back-and-forth text message communication make it possible for anyone to dream up a campaign that entertains. Contact the experts at TXTin Mobile Marketing for help in developing your next mobile advertising campaign.

Seen a mobile advertising idea you thought was brilliant? Have an idea you think would be a clever and affordable concept for a small business? Share it on our message board. 

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You’ve promoted your mobile text marketing campaign, built your database of customer cellphone numbers, and now you’re ready. It’s time to issue your first bulk message promoting a special event or offering exclusive Mobile Club savings.

Even after you’ve decided what you want your message to say, there’s still one more piece of marketing strategy to consider: How are you going to say it?

The writing of a text message advertisement is as important as the promotion and database-building toward which you worked so hard. One simple tip to keep in mind is the order in which you present information. Remember the nature of text messages, and the fact that people often read them quickly, even on-the-go. For this reason, it’s important to put the most salient point at the top of the message where people are sure to read it. Imagine you own a restaurant called The Hamburger Hut, and you want to boost Thursday store traffic by offering your Mobile Club members a special offer. Consider the difference between these two writing samples:

Sample 1: “Visit The Hamburger Hut for delicious half-pound burgers made to order. Stop in any Thursday between 5:00-7:00, present this message, and save 50% on your order.”

 Sample 2: “Half-off special at The Hamburger Hut this Thursday from 5:00-7:00. Present this message to your server for this exclusive Mobile Club savings.”

By placing the offer at the top of the message, Sample 2 is much more likely to capture the attention of recipients. It’s hardly a new marketing strategy, but one that business owners would be wise to remember as they orchestrate a mobile text marketing campaign.

Do you have a tip of your own to pass along? Share it with our readers on our message board. 

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A keyword will drive your mobile text marketing campaign.

It wasn’t that long ago, business owners were faced with a then-new dilemma. As more and more consumers were flocking to the Internet to make buying decisions, business owners wondered, “I have to have a website created; what should my domain name be?” In the course of answering that question, they were presented with expert opinion on factors to keep in mind.

Make it concise. Make it memorable. Make it easy to spell.

Flash forward to today. Business owners are taking on those same challenges as they settle on keywords to use in a mobile text marketing campaign. The fuel that powers a mobile marketing campaign is the opt-in responses it generates, and to generate as many as possible, it’s important to market the right opt-in keyword. As with creating a domain name, coming up with the most effective mobile text marketing campaign keyword is often simple.

The trick is to make sure your keyword is something that customers immediately associate with your business. Put your keyword through this five-step test to give yourself the best chance at success.

Make it easy to remember

Since people don’t always respond with their opt-in text on the spot, it’s vital that you choose a keyword that’s easy for people to recall.  For example, a store called “The Baja Surf Emporium” would be wise to stick to words such as “BAJA” or “SURF”.

Make it easy to spell

Since all mobile text marketing campaigns rely on a particular keyword, a misspelled keyword will not reach its destination – your database. Be wary of uniquely spelled business names (example: O’REILLYS) or words with more than one commonly accepted spelling (example: “DONUT” and “DOUGHUT”)

Don’t be overly clever

Unless you plan to manage multiple mobile campaigns, there is little benefit, if any, to being too creative with your keyword selection. In other words, a restaurant named “Bob’s County Diner” would be better served to use “BOBS” than it would to try and grab attention with a phrase such as “FILLYERBELLY”.

Make it all uppercase or all lowercase

No, your mobile text marketing campaign is not case sensitive. Texting “Bowling” is the same as texting “bOWling”. This is particularly important to remember if your keyword is a multiple-word phrase such as “JIMSSPORTINGGOODS”. The coupling of consonants can be tricky to remember.

Make it short

One of the reasons texting has become so popular is the convenience with which people can communicate. That often means quick, abbreviated messages. Don’t go against that logic by asking people to text “PLEASANTVILLEBOWLINGALLEY”, when “BOWL” would be simpler and have a greater impact.

Read more tips to use on your next mobile text marketing campaign on the AfterMarketer Club’s website. Want to pass along a few tips of your own? Post your keyword lessons on our comment board. 

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Toy retailers like Toys 'R' Us lean on mobile text marketing to propel holiday sales.

Parents have long taught children the importance of sharing their toys. This year, toy retailers are hoping parents practice a different form of sharing. As the run-up to the holiday shopping season picks up speed, more and more retailers are using the powers of mobile text marketing to help propel holiday sales, urging shoppers to share product information, sale details and other information via text message to get cash registers ringing.

Target is among the retailers to develop a mobile website that allows consumers to tap their smart phone screens to recommend a product. The user is then given an option to share that recommendation on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, by email, or by SMS. The inclusion of the text message option is an important one, more personal than social media and more direct than email.

It also represents a relatively new way to employ mobile text marketing to reach consumers. Shared short codes have largely been utilized by retailers in opt-in campaigns that connect traditional ads and ecommerce sites. The new use recognizes that text messages have become a widely accepted form of communication, capitalizing on the recent finding that 73 percent of all adults with mobile devices are frequent text message users.

Meanwhile, toy king Toys ‘R’ Us has planned an extensive mobile campaign this season, led by its inclusion of QR Codes with its much-anticipated catalog, “The Great Big Toys ‘R’ Us Book.” Those QR Codes will direct consumers to product information on the toy store’s commerce-enabled mobile site. While that mobile site doesn’t offer the “share” feature previously mentioned, it does make use of mobile text marketing by including a tab on its mobile site that collects user cell phone information.

That 10-digit piece of information is critical in today’s marketplace. Once a retailer has that, they can share information with consumers on a whole new level.

Read more about the SMS sharing trend at Mobile Commerce Daily. For additional details about the Toys ‘R’ Us mobile campaign, visit Mobile Marketing Watch. Do you have a mobile text marketing success story you’d like to share? Post it on the TXTin Mobile Marketing comment board. We’d love to hear from you!

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Stay-at-home moms are building careers in mobile marketing sales.

Imagine you take a few minutes to check your email because the dishwasher’s loaded and running, the laundry’s already on spin cycle, and the baby is tucked in for a late-morning nap. One item in your inbox stands out. “You’ve been paid.”

Stay-at-home moms across the country are turning those pockets of free time in their days into extra money by capitalizing on the popularity of mobile marketing and the ease with which it can be sold. By introducing local business owners, doctors and restaurant managers to the benefits of text message advertising, full-time moms are becoming part-time mobile marketing liaisons and turning it into big-time cash.

Consider the many business owners to whom many stay-at-home moms already speak on a regular basis. They chat with the man who owns the farm market every time they shop. Maybe their neighbor owns a bowling alley. And after working out every Saturday morning for the past year, they’ve gotten to know the manager at the health club on a first-name basis.  All of those business people, and the many others with whom women interact on a regular basis, can benefit from the powers of mobile marketing. And since stay-at-home moms have already developed a personal connection with them, a great opportunity exists to turn those existing relationships into a lucrative career on the side.

With that relationship formed, work-at-home moms need only understand the powers of mobile advertising. How does text message advertising work? Why does it work? And what is SMS marketing?

It’s simple: it works because text messages, more than any other communication vehicle, reach their intended targets. As more and more people communicate by text message, business owners have begun to realize the benefits. But too many business owners haven’t recognized the potential, which is where stay-at-home moms come in. By serving as the conduit between the local business community and TXTin Mobile Marketing’s powerful platform, moms can fill those gaps in their days by selling mobile marketing and generating extra income.

Mobile marketing, text message advertising, and SMS marketing are interchangeably used names for how businesses use this powerful, popular communication tool. Business owners have embraced it because it puts their advertising message in the hands of potential customers, all of whom have opted to receive the messages. And because text messages are sent and received almost instantly, business owners have the ability to speak to customers in a way that traditional advertising mediums don’t provide.

But in order to take advantage of it, business owners must recognize its potential. And that’s where work-at-home moms have an opportunity.

The kids are at school. There are chores to do and errands to run. But that trip to the market can lead to more than just that week’s groceries. It might land a sale.

Have you had success selling text message advertising? Tell our readers how they can turn those pockets of time during the day into a lucrative career in sales. 

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With the recent passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, retailers of all products and services – even everyday items like fresh fruit, gym memberships and dental checkups – would be wise to understand that Jobs leaves the world much more than iPods, iPads, desktop computers and other lifestyle-changing gadgets.

He also leaves valuable lessons in marketing. True, Jobs’ product lineup was revolutionary, and without those products there would have been no Apple, regardless of his marketing skills. But in order to build one of the most successful companies of all time, Jobs relied heavily on his proven ability to get people to believe in those products, and his knack for accomplishing it is something from which all retailers can learn.

As you develop your next marketing campaign – even as you consider small details like the phrasing of your next text message ad to opt-in customers – keep in mind the efforts that helped Jobs attain such remarkable success. See how you can implement these four core fundamentals into your next marketing strategy.

Believe in what you sell
As a small-business owner, your company is more than a source of income; it’s something you deeply cherish, protect, and nurture. You take great pride in your products or services, whether a round of golf or a quality hairstyle. The belief you have in your company, in yourself, is the fuel that drives your entire organization, and it should be the focus of your marketing efforts. You likely aren’t the only golf course or salon in town. Consumers have options. Leading them to share your belief is why they’ll choose your place of business over the one down the street. Getting millions of others to believe that Mac products were state-of-the-art is what helped Jobs sell computers, mp3 players and phones to a world full of digital gadget options.

Communicate clearly what you stand for
You don’t just sell cakes, flowers or hardware supplies. You sell YOUR cakes, YOUR flowers, or YOUR hardware supplies. Jobs hit it big time by showing the world that he wasn’t just selling another computer; he was selling a computer like no other. His marketing message made promises that his products could keep, and while many small-business owners may have trouble paralleling the lofty nature of Apple’s greatness, those parallels exist. Find them. Don’t just tell people they should buy your products. Make them understand why.

Build a sense of community
No company in recent history has succeeded in creating a cult reputation like Apple. That cult reputation was at the core of Jobs’ creating a community of devoted Apple buyers, and in the end, sales that numbered into the billions. As local business owners strive to develop a similar community of loyal customers, they shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity that mobile marketing presents. By its opt-in nature, text message advertising allows business owners to form the roots of such a community, one that will become the heart of a business’ customer base.

Create a buzz
Who needs to advertise when your every move becomes headline news? Jobs was so successful in positioning the launch of Apple’s products as ground-breaking that there was hardly a need for Apple to run a traditional campaign. Strive to create a similar buzz with your products, using a blend of traditional outlets and new platforms to accomplish it. Mobile marketing, with its ability to work in tandem with print ads, online ads and social media platforms, presents a great opportunity to plant the seeds for community excitement.

By studying Jobs’ efforts with Apple and applying those efforts to their own product line, small-business owners can understand that advertising isn’t necessarily about sale prices and savings. It’s about building a public persona, an identity that makes customers feel as connected to your company as you already do.

How has Steve Jobs inspired you in your business? Did we miss a key point in our tips? We want to hear what you think!

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3. 3 steps to ensure your text message marketing campaign doesn’t violate spam guidelines

Self magazine is using SMS marketing in its health club marketing campaign.

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In order to run any successful marketing campaign, it is important to know who to target, and who is most likely to respond to your offer. Recently, some of our colleagues ran a study of the demographics behind who is opting in to SMS Marketing campaigns. It may surprise you to know that on average, 44% of Americans have already opted in to an SMS Marketing campaign. Here is a quick summary of their findings on opt in text message statistics:

• Overall, 57% of men and 33% of women have opted in to a SMS marketing campaign
• Among 18-25 year olds, 46% of men, and 33% of women have opted in to an SMS marketing campaign
• People among the ages of 25-35 are most likely to respond to an SMS marketing campaign. 57% of men and 58% of women have opted in.
• Of those 35-55, 41% of men and 38% of women have opted in to a text marketing campaign.
• Customers 55 and older are the lease likely to opt in to an SMS marketing campaign. Only 40% of men and 21% of women have opted in.

So what do you think? Does this change your strategy for your next marketing by sms campaign, or were their findings way off? We want to hear from you!

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1. 3 steps to ensure your text message marketing campaign doesn’t violate spam guidelines
2. Advertising Gets Personal with Text Message Marketing
3. Why Small-Business Owners are turning to Text Message Marketing

As with any advertising initiative, an SMS marketing campaign is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. QR codes. Apps. Marketing by SMS. Mobile websites. As the list of mobile opportunities continues to grow, so too does the list of anecdotal evidence that tells us what works, when it works and most importantly, why it works.

Technology makes it possible for advertisers to do a lot of things they couldn’t before, but doing something just because you can is risky business in marketing. There may be no better example than the QR code.

How many companies have you seen simply slap a QR code on a print ad, only to be left wondering why it didn’t work? The stories are many, and to learn why some fail, advertisers would be wise to closely look at those that succeeded. That list too is growing. Starbucks continues to stand out as a retailer that combines technology with purpose. Maybe part of the credit lies in the fact that their demographic matches that of the smartphone crowd. Maybe they struck an effective balance between high-tech marketing and traditional imaging when developing their SMS marketing campaign.

But undoubtedly, they did more than simply include those little black-and-white pixel grids on their in-store posters – they did it with a reason.

What are QR codes?

It wasn’t long ago that even savvy smartphone users were blind to the purpose of QR codes on advertisements. But times have changed quickly.

As consumers have quickly come to understand – and use – QR code scanning technology, advertisers have been equally quick to jump on board. Now, randomly patterned black-and-white boxes are everywhere, as big as subway billboards and as small as cigarette pack inserts. Consumers can aim a cellphone at one, scan the grid, and be redirected virtually anywhere on the phone’s web browser. Some advertisers send consumers to an interactive mobile website. Others steer people to a mobile coupon. And in most cases, the user’s contact information is captured and used in future marketing by SMS campaigns.

So, where’s the payoff?

In the case of Starbucks – as well as JCPenney, Allure Magazine, Coca Cola and the many others who’ve employed QR codes in wildly successful campaigns – technology was just the vehicle. In the end, Starbucks made sure a reward awaited their customers, whether a deal on coffee or an interactive mobile experience.

Where Starbucks has succeeded is in integrating QR code technology and traditional marketing smarts. QR codes may have been – and may still be – the flavor of the month in advertising, and that popularity no doubt has contributed to the strong response Starbucks has enjoyed from its SMS marketing campaigns. But it’s important to understand that Starbucks never marketed itself with QR codes. It marketed itself and found a reason to include QR codes in the campaign.

To learn how QR codes can be integrated into your mobile marketing campaign, contact a TXTin Mobile Marketing staff member at 877-TXTIN-77.

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Daily deal websites are now popping up in every major US city. Websites such as Groupon, Screamin Daily Deals, and Living Social just to name a few can lead to a tremendous increase in revenue for local businesses that choose to pair with them. What can possibly be the downside to that? Most often, the people using these deals only do so BECAUSE of the fabulous deal, and do not turn in to repeat customers. Enter marketing by SMS.

Smart businesses can combine the temporary increase in businesses brought about a local deal with an effective SMS marketing campaign. As a result, they will now have more loyal, repeat business. As an example, a local business called Gelato Spot in Phoenix did just that. When customers came in to redeem their coupon, cashiers simply asked them to opt in to their SMS marketing program, usually with the promise of a coupon being sent to them once they do. This has helped the retailer build their mobile database to over 1700. To read the full article, go to http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2102230/merchant-combines-groupon-sms-sweet-success

It really is such a simple solution. Combine the traffic generated by a daily deals website with a successful call to action and watch your sms marketing campaign continue to bring in more customers, more often. Along with staff participation, be sure to have sign posted in your place of business as well as putting on online sign up form on your website and Facebook pages.

So, what about you? When redeeming a deal you found online, are you likely to come back? Would you be more inclined to do so if they signed you up to receive more frequent promotions? We want to hear from you!

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3. Mobile Marketing Allows Business Owners to Go ‘Green’ for their Advertising Campaign

We at TXTin take the regulations regarding text messages very seriously, and continually strive to educate our customers. Anyone engaging in a mobile marketing campaign needs to ensure that they are fully aware of the guidelines set forth by the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association). Violation can results in a fine of $500 per text from the FCC.

Recently, our friends at Tatango conducted an extensive survey of 500 consumers, and they found that 68% of the US population is affected by text message spam. Some of their other findings include:

• More people say that they have received spam text messages (68%) than eat breakfast (60%)
• Women under the age of 24 are most likely to receive a spam message
• 84% of people under the age of 17 have received a spam text message
• 12% of Americans don’t have text messaging plans, which results in charges as high as $.20 per text

You can access the full article findings by clicking here

Was this information helpful? What other types of information would you like us to start providing you with? We want to hear from you!

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Recently, TXTin had an article featured on Mobile Marketer , one of the top news media outlets for mobile marketing commerce. We wanted to share the information in that article with you. The key points are written below, and be sure to read on to the end for a link to the full article.

Local advertisers looking to stay in front of their consumers’ changing demands have already jumped on the fast-moving mobile marketing train. But not every campaign is a smashing success. Retailers savvy enough to implement a well-planned campaign have reaped the greatest benefits. So, what is the foundation of a well-planned campaign? In short, it’s a database of opt-in users. But having this database is not enough.

Fueled by this database of cellphone numbers, any successful mobile campaign relies on a retailer enticing customers with special offers or incentives, and promoting those specials in the proper environments. And because mobile is the most personal of all advertising vehicles, retailers who enjoy success with sms for marketing find a way to take advantage of the medium’s ability to offer exclusivity to individual consumers.

In order to get people to opt in to your list, you must have 3 key ingredients:

1. Relevancy–
Your optin call to action must be something relevant to the customer to urge them to opt in, and should include some sort of incentive.  Maybe it’s a % off at time of purchase, a free gift, or access to an upcoming future sale. The best opt ins will give the customers the “instant gratification” of a discount or free item JUST for signing up, along with the promise of future discounts, promotions, and updates

2. Context–
Where is this keyword being promoted? To promote the keyword successfully, it should be promoted in multiple locations. If it’s on the front counter, make sure someone who works behind the counter points it out to every customer they talk to. At a restaurant, if there’s a card with the bill, make sure the waiter/waitress says something about it.  Don’t just put a little sign in the window, on your website, or on the table and have no one call it out to the customers.

3. Exclusivity--
They should feel special for receiving this offer. In other words, just don’t use the same ad that is on your website, your Facebook page, your direct mail piece, etc. It’s an EXCLUSIVE special, sale, or give away just for those VIP customers who have opted in to your list.

Read the full article here

Now it’s your turn. What type of calls to action have you found to be the most effective?
How have you differentiated your mobile offerings from your other promotions? We want to hear from you!

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Mobile has already begun to change how we are doing business, and how we communicate with each other. 96% of people in the US are using mobile devices and more than 25% of households are mobile only. Mobile has the ability to have tremendous impact on mobile commerce, especially if properly implemented.  As consumers become more mobile, your business must take steps to keep up with the new technology in order to remain competitive.

Mobile Marketing enables you to have a much more personal communication with your customers, because they feel that the message is coming to them one on one. Text messaging statistics show that consumers have already embraced text messaging on a personal level, it’s only natural that it extends to their favorite businesses. It’s all about incorporating mobile into your overall marketing strategy.

Here are 5 ways that you can grow your business through mobile marketing:

1. Mobile Coupons
A growing number of companies deliver coupons via mobile devices in an effort to appeal to consumers, many of whom would never think of clipping or carrying coupons.  Your customers will enjoy the benefits of traditional coupons minus the hassle of clipping and storing print coupons. Since the production time is a fraction of what it takes to run a print coupon campaign, your mobile coupon campaign gives you far more flexibility. Most importantly, mobile coupons have a typical redemption rate of 25-30%, with some as high as 60%! Compare that to the average response rate of a print ad, and it’s not even close.

2. QR codes
A QR (Quick Response) Code is a two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned by a smart phone’s camera to transfer important information back to the phone. They are being featured everywhere, from magazines and tv commericals to websites and Facebook pages.  People can scan your QR Code, and automatically link to a webpage of your choice for more information. Likewise, an automated text message can be sent back to them with a special coupon or offer, and you automatically store their mobile numbers in your database so that you can text them later.

3. Mobile Alerts:
Mobile alerts offer a convenient way to keep your customers informed of what’s going on with your business. Whether you want to promote an upcoming sale or let people know about your new store hours, mobile alerts give you the confidence in knowing your message will reach the audience you need.

4. Mobile Website:
Increasingly, customers are looking for businesses on their cell phone instead of their computer. If you want customers to find your company on their smartphone, you need a mobile website.  Mobile websites are condensed versions of regular websites that quickly give customers the information they need to make purchasing decisions. Most even feature convenient options such as click to call and paypal for quick and easy payments.

5. Local Listings:
If you’re a small business owner who’s looking for a better way to get more new customers, leads, & prospects, then one of the best ways is to setup a “local listings” account on Google, Yahoo, & Bing. Local listings have quickly eclipsed the traditional yellow page ad. They are a free service by search engine and local listing website directories that allow you to add your business information, products, services, photos, videos, coupons, offers, discounts and promotions.

Now it’s your turn. Have you tried any of these tactics? Which ones are working well for you? What would you add to this list that you think is just as important? We want to hear from you!

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Fitness marketing dollars are always best spent when a gym owner can convince people to make a healthy lifestyle a priority. It certainly doesn’t hurt when more people have already made such a commitment. A personal pledge. A…

…Resolution.

Timing is everything, and fitness centers nationwide can learn much from a recent mobile campaign executed by Viquest Wellness Center in Greenville, N.C. Viquest cleverly blended a powerful mobile marketing campaign with the in-season popularity of New Year’s resolutions to enjoy a strong boost in gym memberships. The center plugged its mobile campaign on local cable television throughout January and by month’s end pulled in more than 300 respondents, nearly half of which double-opted in to the campaign and asked to remain in Viquest’s mobile database to continue receiving future offers.

SMS marketing case studies that detail stories like Viquest’s are becoming more common as consumers and advertisers continue to warm up to the reality that text message marketing works. For consumers, it works as a premium way to receive instant mobile coupons right on the device that seldom leaves their hands – their mobile phones. And it works for advertisers because it creates a direct path to customers who, by opting in, have expressed interest in their products or services.

A successful fitness marketing campaign – as any mobile initiative – requires owners of gyms, athletic clubs and other sports centers to be creative in enticing consumers to respond to campaign promotions. Viquest, in its initial promotions, dangled incentives such as free club registration and free after-hours passes to anybody who texted in by a certain date. Future offers to consumers who double-opted in included an extended registration and a surprise gift.

But perhaps as much as any of those giveaways or special offers, the success of the Viquest fitness marketing campaign can be attributed to something even simpler: the clever simplicity of timing.

Did you have a great idea that led to a successful text message marketing campaign? Share your mobile success story with TXTin readers on our comment board.

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According to recent statistics by Business Insider, a clear front runner seems to be emerging in the race for domination of the smartphone market. Despite the apparent popularity of Apple’s Iphone, it’s share of the market has been hovering around 25% for the past year. Google, on the other hand, continues it’s meteoric climb. In the space of one year, Google’s Android platform has shot from 12% to nearly 40%. With this pace, it will most likely reach 50% before the end of year.
The chart, however, fails to tell the full story. While Google’s Android platform may be gaining in popularity, it must pointed out that several handset manufacturers (including HTC, Motorola, and Samsung) are sharing their space in the smartphone spotlight. So, when looked at from this perspective, Apple’s marketshare becomes more significant.
So, what do you think? Will a there be an ultimate winner in the smartphone market? Are you a devotee of Apple or Google? Let us know your thoughts.

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For any real estate marketing campaign to deliver results, Realtors – no different than any other advertiser – must put their marketing messages where more people will see them and respond. As consumers lean more and more on cellphones and text messaging as a primary means of communicating, real estate agents across the country are learning there’s no better way to market properties and stay in touch with potential home buyers than by employing text message technology.

A text messaging program offers Realtors benefits that might include sending out a link to a monthly newsletter, or letting potential home buyers quickly and easily access property information on their smartphone. The options are endless, but in the end the goal is to sell more homes, and a simple text messaging program can become the driving force that helps any multipronged real estate marketing campaign do just that.

So how can Realtors use text message marketing to their advantage? How does a standard mobile campaign drive home sales? The typical strategy is as remarkably simple as it is effective.

Connecting with Consumers: The Initial Point Of Contact

One of the greatest benefits of a text messaging program is that it allows Realtors to connect with home buyers at an actual property site. By placing a mobile marketing message on a property’s “For Sale” sign, Realtors capture valuable information about consumers who they know are actively looking. The messaging can be as simple as “Text ‘HOMES’ to 12345 to see details of this property.” To engage smartphone users, Realtors may also choose to use QR codes with a message that reads, “Scan this code to see pictures of this home’s interior.” Either technique gives Realtors the chance to direct consumers to a mobile website that showcases property photos, descriptions and links to other comparable homes for sale.

Equally important, consumers who send a text message or scan a QR code are automatically added to a Realtor’s database, and can be contacted any time in the future via text message. This database will grow to become an invaluable lead list of qualified buyers.

Using A Mobile Database To Your Advantage

Having a list of qualified buyers is an essential tool for almost any marketer; having a direct – and personal – way to communicate with those buyers is priceless. Realtors can use their database to send future text messages with limitless possibilities. Future messages might be simple listings of a property new to the market, but Realtors also have the ability to send notices about properties that are comparable to the one in which the home buyer was originally interested, whether by location, price or amenities.

Often, however, future messages are less direct. Rather than advertising a specific property, a Realtor might promote a coming webinar, and use a text message program to invite everybody in his database to an event titled “The 5 Things You Must Know About A Short Sale” or “How To Make Your First Offer One They Can’t Refuse”.

It’s an opportunity for an agent to establish himself as a local real estate expert, the source to which home buyers will turn for their future real estate needs. It’s also an opportunity for an agent to communicate on a personal level with people who might need her services. But more than anything, it’s an opportunity to sell more properties, and that’s a layer that no real estate marketing campaign should do without.

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For the next 3 weeks, TXTin Mobile Marketing is giving away paid subscriptions for a full 3 months to the first 3 people who respond to this blog post.  That’s right, we are giving away our TXTin Plus packages–valued at $99/month for free ($300 total value)! In addition, you will have the benefit of our knowledge and experience in mobile marketing.Your success will be our number one goal!

Our team will partner with you and work hand in hand to help guarantee your success. We’ll help you pick the keywords you’d like, formulate the response people get when they opt-in, and give you all the tools to build up your contact database. You’ll get expert advice on what campaigns to run and then together we will track and analyze results. After the three months, we share your fantastic results with the rest of our community. It’s that simple.

We are looking for business from a variety of industries: Real Estate, Golf, Fitness, Spa and Salon, Retail and Restaurants just to name a few. Simply reach out via email to info@txtin.com to submit why your business should be considered for this great opportunity. Hurry these slots will fill up fast, we look forward to hearing from you in the next 3 weeks!

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In business and in life, there are lessons we can learn by watching the best. Building an effective mobile marketing campaign is no different. As local advertisers find their legs and learn better strategies for crafting and implementing a text message advertising campaign, there are no shortage of 2011 mobile marketing success stories from which useful tips can be borrowed.

Advertisers both large and small have demonstrated mobile marketing’s most powerful traits, benefiting from its ability to communicate personally, quickly, and/or to a targeted, responsive audience. And while the tactics can vary greatly from one campaign to the next, the best mobile marketing campaigns share one crucial characteristic: they work.

The boundaries of mobile marketing continue to grow, and now include innovative technological advances such as location-based “check-ins”, mobile websites, apps and QR codes. But most campaigns haven’t strayed from the relative simplicity of text message advertising, incorporating it to some degree in any campaign.

There are countless examples of international corporations such as Walmart and Coke adding SMS advertising to their marketing efforts, but as a reminder that it is far from a medium reserved for big-budget retailers, consider the story of Deer Creek Golf Course in Overland, Kansas. Deer Creek attended a three-day golf trade show and walked away with 500 new opt-in subscribers in its database. A few days later, Deer Creek sent those 500 golfers a text message promoting a same-day VIP special. The result? Twenty-six players redeemed the mobile coupon, and the course profited $650 on a day that had typically seen little action.

Riding the success from that offer, Deer Creek sent out another message to the same 500 golfers on the following Friday, promoting a VIP Sunday special two days later. Sunday was a cloudy, cold, windy day, hardly optimum for golf. Despite that, 18 golfers redeemed the mobile coupon and the course grossed $504 in greens fees alone, and more than $600 in total.

Text message advertising success stories like Deer Creek’s are more and more common as local advertisers gain an understanding that mobile marketing is not only easy, but effective – when implemented wisely. Critical to Deer Creek’s success was collecting 500 opt-in users at a trade show. Other retailer  segments – bars and restaurants, fitness centers, and real estate agencies – that may not provide business owners with the luxury of a trade show audience must rely on other means of finding a captive audience.

To some, it might be the customers who already visit your store. To others, capturing the attention of your social media audience is the ticket. Do you have a text message advertising success story to share? Want to ask how other retailers built their database? Post your thoughts to TXTin’s community of readers. And if you found this article helpful and want to pass it along, use of our social media share buttons below.

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For a few days now, I have had this craving for a sandwich from Chick-fil-A. Today I finally gave in and treated myself.  When I went to pay, I noticed a sign at the register advertising their text alert club. And that’s when it occurred to me;  I HAD a coupon on my phone that I had received via text just a few days ago.  No wonder I’ve been craving them! So, that got me to thinking…what came first, the chicken or the text?

Chick-fil-A was one restaurant that jumped on the text message marketing bandwagon early. Believe it or not, this chain has been doing it since 2009.  Restaurants, like many businesses, are able to promote their text message campaigns for little to no money. How? In addition to the signage in the store, calls to action can be placed on Facebook Fan pages and  added to an existing website. Chick-fil-A, for example, has the innovative option to join their “text insiders” club right on their website, and spells out how many text messages customers will receive and give instructions on how to opt out.

So, my business minded friends, I ask you what comes first, your customers or your marketing? To learn more about how you can implement a text message marketing campaign contact TXTin at www.txtin.com, or call 1-877-TXTIN-77.

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Smartphones are incredibly useful tools in our daily lives, and apparently they are also great for capturing images of ghosts.  This iPhone picture was recently taken by a friend of TXTin in a nearby San Diego suburb. It hasn’t been digitally edited in any way, and is one of the more eerie photographs I’ve ever seen.  Of course you probably would be on the Ghost Hunters website if you wanted to see pictures from beyond the grave, which brings me to subject of this week’s post – The Supernatural growth of Smartphone adoption in this country.

Traditional advertising has been undergoing a dramatic shift in recent months, as reach shifts from offline and print to mobile.  Case in point is the statistic recently reported in gigaom.com, “1 in 2 American Will Have a Smartphone by Christmas 2011″ .  The graph below illustrates the “death” of the feature phone category in the US.  Certainly not unexpected, but shocking none the less.

Smartphones open up numerous new possibilities for increased customers contact and engagement.  This study offers further evidence as to why Mobile should be at the center of any organizations marketing strategy. SMS however should not be overlooked, as it is still the dominant daily activity (38%) for smartphone and feature phone users alike.  In fact SMS Marketing is the best method for companies to reach consumers at a low cost while achieving a high ROI.

Reach a more responsive audience to make your next exclusive event a success. See how TXTin Mobile Marketing can help plan your next mobile ad campaign. For more information, contact TXTin at www.txtin.com, or call 1-877-TXTIN-77.

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There was a time when a business owner might send out thousands of direct mail pieces. Plaster her store with signage. Run expensive ads in newspapers and more ads on radio. To market a special in-store event, business owners had to shout loud to an enormous audience in order to ensure a successful turnout.

Times have changed. Just ask the folks at The Attic.

To market a recent exclusive in-store event, the southern California-based streetwear retailer relied solely on the popularity of social media and the personal, targeted abilities of text message advertising to reach an attentive, responsive audience. They did it without needing any paid print ads, online banner ads, or direct mail pieces. Essentially, they did it for free.

And they did it in just two days!

The result? The Attic leaned on a simple blog post that encouraged potential customers to text “AtticSale” to a designated shared-short code. In two days, they added 280 new cell phone numbers to their database, fired off text message invitations to all of them, and wound up with 232 people in a line wrapped around the store as the sale got ready to begin. The crowd spent a combined $20,000 in just three hours.

Success stories like those continue to catapult mobile marketing’s reputation as the No. 1 way to interact with consumers on a more personal level than any other advertising medium. And as people become more and more accepting – even demanding – of receiving advertising via their cell phones, business owners are jumping in line to realize the benefits.

Text message invitations have been used by marketers to pitch everything from concert tickets to oil changes, fitness memberships to fishing gear. Some promote their mobile campaign in traditional print ads. Some rely on the low-cost impact of social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and blogs. All wind up with a way to stay connected with their client base in a way that other advertising mediums have never been able to deliver.

The smart business owner has long known that an important part of promoting any successful sales event is getting his ad message in front of more eyeballs. And really, that much hasn’t changed.

It’s where the eyeballs are that has.

Reach a more responsive audience to make your next exclusive event a success. See how TXTin Mobile Marketing can help plan your next mobile ad campaign. For more information, contact TXTin at www.txtin.com, or call 1-877-TXTIN-77.

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Burger King got slapped with a half-million-dollar lawsuit. Simon & Schuster settled for a whopping $10 million. And in the priciest case on record against sending unsolicited – or “spam” – text messages, Twentieth Century Fox settled for a hefty $16 million.

What did those, and other SMS spam violators, do wrong when building and/or implementing their text message marketing campaigns? Put simply, they didn’t protect consumers’ opt-in rights, and sent unwanted messages to promote their products.

It’s a development that we at TXTin Mobile Marketing are watching closely as we create company policies on how clients can build – and especially import – a database of cell phone numbers. At TXTin, we take extra precautions and require that advertisers wanting to import an existing client list first fill out and sign a mobile opt-in certification form available on our website. The step provides a safeguard to ensure Mobile Marketing Association guidelines regarding MMS spam are not violated, and protect us in the event that those rules are violated.

The lawsuits mentioned above serve as proof that all is not clear in the mobile marketing world. In the wake of the government’s earlier “Do Not Call” list, and while other laws governing cell phone advertising are being written, mobile advertisers would be wise to proceed cautiously when in doubt. By employing an advertising vehicle such as mobile marketing that’s still in its relative infancy, advertisers – particularly small-business owners – routinely find themselves asking questions about mobile marketing’s everyday processes. “Is it OK to do this?” “Can I do that?”  We provide safe, play-by-the-rules answers to keep you from even unintentionally violating guidelines regarding text message spam.

To protect against possible MMA spam violations, advertisers can take the following precautions when initiating their next mobile campaign:
1) Ensure that recipients have opted-in to your program. Even when dealing with an existing client list, we require that database members receive a text message asking them to reply “OK” to be included in a text list.
2) Always provide clear opt-out instructions, and be sure that all participating consumers understand that standard text messaging and data rates apply.
3) When a campaign deals with alcohol or any other adult-related activity, be certain the opt-in process includes a requirement that recipients reply with their age.
For answers to any of your mobile marketing campaign questions, contact us at TXTin Mobile Marketing by visiting www.txtin.com or calling 877-TXTIN-77.

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3. Mobile Marketing Allows Business Owners to Go ‘Green’ for their Advertising Campaign

Everybody loves to win a prize, and the customers whose phone numbers make up your mobile database are no different. In fact, by opting in they’ve made the first move. They’ve shown interest. And now, they’re waiting to hear from you!

Capture their attention with an always-popular chance-to-win offer. Mobile contests are one of the proven ways to take the database you’ve worked so hard to build and put it to good use. It doesn’t mean your business has to take the plunge and offer a prize valued at hundreds of dollars. In fact, if you employ a little creativity, you don’t really have to part with anything. Consider these mobile contests:

To create a sense of urgency:
• A bar owner with 250 numbers in his database sees a big college football game on the weekend schedule. Looking to fill seats for the game, he sends a message to everybody in the database on Friday afternoon that reads, “The first 50 people to get to The Bar before kickoff of the big game tomorrow gets their first beer on the house!”

To create a potential for big savings:
• A floral shop owner with 100 people in her database prepares for Mother’s Day by sending all 100 people the following message three days ahead of the holiday: “Stop by The Flower Shop and draw a number to see what percentage you’ll save on your Mother’s Day bouquet.”

To create a team-themed charity drive:
• A bowling alley manager fires off a message to all 200 people in her database with the following contest: “Our Mobile Club is driving to reach 1 million pins this year! We’re at 230,000 after last weekend. Come bowl and help us reach our goal. It’s for a great cause!”

And keep in mind that, while mobile contests are a great way to engage with people currently in your database, they’re also in building or adding to that database. Coke is the latest national company to run a contest with its “Twist, TXT, Win” campaign. Coke consumers can find an alphanumeric code under every Coke bottle cap and text that number in to see if they’ve won a prize. By doing so, they’re entered into Coke’s mobile database and become available to receive future messages.

What Coke does with that database remains to be seen. It will, ultimately, be faced with answering the same question you’re facing today. “I have my database, now what?” A contest is just one option, and if done right, it’s an effective one. No matter what type of excitement you want your mobile contests to create, the ultimate goal is that past customers become return customers. Get people excited. Create a sense of urgency. If possible, use timing to your advantage, as the bar and floral shop owners mentioned above did. And most importantly, be creative.

After all, everybody loves to win. Even you.

Need ideas on how you can create a mobile contest? Contact the experts at TXTin Mobile Marketing and learn how the TXTin platform features built-in tools to make it easy. Visit www.txtin.com or call 877-TXTIN-77.

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You love the success your direct mail campaigns have had. But wouldn’t it be great to get an even bigger impact from – and develop a new way to reach the people who respond to – your targeted mailings? Mobile marketing gives you the opportunity to accomplish both, by adding the interactivity of text messaging or quick response codes to your mailings.

Mobile marketing and direct mail work hand-in-hand to add a layer to your restaurant’s marketing campaign that couldn’t exist until now. And since you already run a regular direct mail schedule, implementing mobile coupons to your messaging is a low-cost way to expand your advertising efforts. In short, your direct mail campaign promotes your mobile campaign by prompting recipients to text in or scan your QR code. Meanwhile your mobile campaign enhances your direct mail campaign by giving you important tracking information about who’s responding to your offers, and by giving consumers a chance to turn your traditional print ads into convenient mobile coupons.

Marketing for restaurants is forever changed with the advent of mobile marketing, which provides restaurateurs a channel to speak directly with potential customers in a way they never before could. Once a person texts in, or scans a QR code and is redirected to a sign-in page, their cell phone information is entered into your database. From there, you can contact them anytime, anywhere on the cell phone that never leaves their side.

As the U.S. smart phone market has exploded to reach 49 million in 2010, so too has text message marketing. And since text ads only go out to people who’ve asked you to send them offers, it’s even more direct than the direct mail campaigns you’ve come to trust. When it comes to mobile technology, consumers are on board. By now, they often expect restaurant owners and other retailers to offer mobile coupons. Gradually, business owners are catching on, finding effective ways to blend print and mobile advertising.

For advertisers, and especially restaurant owners and managers, the challenge of any ad campaign has long been getting the right message in front of the right group of consumers. Direct mail has been widely considered the most effective way to do so. Until now. See how TXTin Mobile Marketing can bolster your direct mail campaign by layering in a mobile component that will get you even closer to your client base. For more information, contact TXTin at www.txtin.com, or call 1-877-TXTIN-77.

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1. Lessons Retailers can Learn From Mobile Marketing Pioneer Best Buy
2. Why Golf Courses Should Consider Mobile Marketing
3. Top 5 Mobile Marketing Case Studies and How-To’s

Google, Visa, Walmart offer more evidence that mobile marketing is no passing fad

If a local business owner needed further validation that text message advertising is here to stay, consider three of the bigger fish that recently dove into the mobile marketing pond. Upon seeing the public’s demand to communicate with retailers via mobile coupons, Internet pioneer Google, credit-card giant Visa, and big-box retailer Walmart all recently announced plans to launch large-scale mobile initiatives. The three join a steadily growing field of advertisers who can no longer deny the impact that mobile advertising is having on how consumers expect to do business. All of it leaves retailers to ask themselves not “Will my customers embrace my mobile campaign?” but rather, “How long will my customers stay with me without a mobile campaign?”

Google’s entry into the mobile marketing field is a predictable – but still significant – development, given the company’s recent interest in purchasing mobile coupon trailblazer Groupon. In fact, that Google showed interest to the tune of $6 billion in buying Groupon was clearly a reaction to the fact that 90% of consumers prefer multi-channel options when responding to advertising messages. Google has always had its finger on the public’s pulse with regards to Internet- and mobile-related demands, so it should come as little surprise that they were quick to recognize the enormity of text messaging in today’s society – and the marketing opportunity it presents. The Google Offers campaign to compete with the likes of Groupon, Living Social and Facebook Deals will no doubt change the mobile marketing landscape, and will only advance mobile’s place as the preferred B2C communication method.

In a growing mobile marketing trend, Google Offers will employ location-based search capabilities of mobile devices, allowing retailers to target their digital coupons to consumers in specific locations. Visa plans to utilize similar geo-based capabilities in its SMS campaign, contacting consumers via text message based on their spending habits and whenever they swipe their Visa cards to make a purchase. And Walmart’s @WalmartLabs group will look to increase social media and mobile commerce by focusing on creating technologies and businesses the stay in touch with people using mobile’s growing capabilities.

All of this points to the undeniable reality that consumers today are not just open to the idea of mobile advertising, but they expect it, respond to it, and prefer it. Forward-thinking retailers of all sizes are realizing the need to get in now, adding an SMS campaign to either increase in-store foot traffic or boost online mobile website traffic. Whichever the goal, the personal nature of text messaging gives opt-in consumers the nudge they need to grow from interested buyer to cash-paying customer.

See how TXTin Mobile Marketing can help you stay ahead of your customers’ mobile marketing demands. Visit www.txtin.com or call 877-TXTIN-77 to consult with one of our mobile marketing professionals.

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1. Why Golf Courses Should Consider Mobile Marketing
2. Top 5 Mobile Marketing Case Studies and How-To’s
3. How Mobile Marketing Can Engage Your Social Media Fan Base

No paper. No waste. Just a more direct way to connect with consumers.  As Earth Day 2011 approaches this April 22, environmentally conscious business owners and consumers continue to more tightly embrace the spread of mobile marketing, the technology that puts the power of advertising in the palm of any consumer’s hand. Literally.

Mobile marketing allows companies to reduce or eliminate the paper waste produced by ad campaigns that lean heavily on the Yellow Pages, direct mail or newspaper advertising, not to mention the inherent print costs associated with those traditional advertising heavyweights. The power shift toward a new advertising champ is in full swing, and more and more business owners everyday are realizing the benefits of mobile marketing technologies such as text message advertising and QR codes. According to Nielsen, 90 percent of the U.S. population – or nearly 280 million people – actively uses text messaging in their daily communications, and advertisers have been quick to learn that the best way to reach a potential customer is through his or her cell phone

And why should advertising be harmful to the environment? With mobile marketing it doesn’t have to be. Earth Day 2011 is fast approaching. The future of advertising has arrived. Call TXTin Mobile Marketing at 877-TXTIN-77, orvisitwww.txtin.com to learn more about how mobile marketing can change the way you do business.

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1. Business owners build relationships with consumers as mobile marketing acceptance grows
2. Mobile Marketing Pumping up Business for Health Club Owners and Personal Trainers
3. Why Small-Business Owners are turning to Text Message Marketing

Most local business owners lack the resources to launch an ad campaign that would rival the spending of retail giant Best Buy. Just the same, there’s still much to be learned from the electronics leader’s trailblazing usage of mobile marketing. For any business owner, regardless of the size of his or her store, Best Buy’s use of text message marketing serves as the ultimate learning tool in realizing how mobile marketing can work.

If you’ve been intrigued by adding mobile marketing to your advertising arsenal, but reluctant to pull the trigger, you’re not alone. And be assured, even officials at Best Buy couldn’t have been certain that their mobile shopping initiatives would be met with such great success. But they have been, largely because Best Buy has been clever in using text message marketing as a customer-service tool, which in turn doubles as the ultimate database-builder.

Through a “text or dial” initiative, Best Buy encourages in-store shoppers to retrieve product information through text messaging. A seven-digit SKU numbers is printed on each item in the store, and when shoppers text that number to Best Buy’s designated short code, they receive a response message with product details and customer ratings. It’s a feature shoppers have embraced quickly, but more importantly for Best Buy, with every text sent in shoppers’ cell phone numbers are entered into the Best Buy database. From there, Best Buy has a direct way to issue mobile coupons and communicate with shoppers through the personal channels of text message marketing.

Best Buy features those same SKU numbers in weekly print ads and on free-standing inserts, furthering their campaign to reach beyond their pool of current shoppers. Best Buy also employs QR codes (quick response codes) that interact with its mobile website and smart phone apps to make even better use of mobile shopping.

The trick for local business owners is converting Best Buy’s techniques into methods that will benefit them. The lesson, if there were only one, to be learned from Best Buy is to be creative, and use the capabilities of the technology to their fullest extent. TXTin Mobile Marketing features plans designed for small- and medium-sized local businesses. See how we can help you launch a text message marketing campaign. Visit www.txtin.com or call 877-TXTIN-77 today.

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1. How Retailers like Starbucks are Using QR codes and Mobile Coupons
2. Why Golf Courses Should Consider Mobile Marketing
3. Top 5 Mobile Marketing Case Studies and How-To’s

MOBILE MARKETING PUMPING UP BUSINESS FOR HEALTH CLUB OWNERS AND PERSONAL TRAINERS

CARLSBAD, CA (March 28, 2011) – Have you noticed too many openings at your club’s free weights lately? Small class sizes for weekend aerobics? Too many stationary bikes sitting empty for too long? New Years’s resolutions fade quickly, it seems. Now that summer is just around the corner, sometimes a subtle reminder is all people need to get back on track. So how can health club owners and personal trainers give them the gentle nudge they need? Send them a text message.

By employing today’s most common communication format, text messaging, club owners and trainers are finding they can maintain a personal dialogue with regular customers who’ve expressed an interest in receiving club updates, as well as fringe members who perhaps need a little encouragement to stick with a health-improvement plan.

Gym owners, aerobics class instructors and personal trainers have all reaped near-instant rewards from this still-young form of marketing, using the technology to keep members in-the-know about everything from same-day workout specials to news of a new class forming. And people are responding, offering proof that their health-minded intentions often need only a few characters of encouragement.

“The big difference with text marketing is context and immediacy,” says David Lewis, founder of southern California-based TXTin Mobile Marketing. “Early in the day, a health club owner can fire out an evening special, and people who’ve opted in to receive such offers can make plans for the day accordingly. People are used to communicating immediately with one another. Why should communicating with advertisers be any different?”

In fact, because text messages are viewed as being personal, text advertisements are often not thought of as advertisements at all. Instead, recipients see them as personal notes, and since they’ve chosen to receive them, they’re more likely to respond than are readers of traditional print and online advertising. Furthermore, because text messages are almost always opened – more than 97 percent are received and read – advertisers are realizing response rates that dwarf what they’ve come to expect from any other form of advertising.

“Through all the recent advances in smart phone technology, text messaging is the common denominator and remains the most effective way to instantly reach people,” Lewis says. “It’s not uncommon for someone to stop mid-conversation with you to look at an incoming message. Mobile should be at the center of any advertising campaign.”

ABOUT TXTin MOBILE MARKETING

TXTin Mobile Marketing is a southern California-based company that strives to make text message marketing affordable to small- and medium-sized businesses through the use of “shared short code”. Shared short code allows local businesses such as healthclubs, bowling alleys, bars, flower shops and salons to drive keyword-specific text messaging campaigns at an affordable rate. To see how TXTin can benefit your business, visit us online at www.txtin.com or call 877-TXTIN-77.

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1. Business owners build relationships with consumers as mobile marketing acceptance grows
2. Why Small-Business Owners are turning to Text Message Marketing
3. Advertising Gets Personal with Text Message Marketing

There is no more viable market sector than mobile marketing today. Businesses want more customer foot traffic and customers want deals. There is one unifying factor that makes this the perfect time, something that everyone has on them at all times, the mobile device. Our friends at Hubspot have put together this extremely relevant report covering the top 5 mobile marketing case studies. We at TXTin provide the best product in the marketplace, tools, resources and training to help you build your own mobile marketing success story.

Top 5 Mobile Marketing Case Studies and How-To’s

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No longer should business owners – even small- and medium-sized retailers – wonder whether mobile marketing is an effective way to connect with consumers. The verdict is in. Consumers not only accept the idea of receiving advertising messages on their cell phones, but in today’s text message-crazed society, they in many cases demand it.

The popularity of mobile coupons continues to soar. When sent via text message, coupons and special offers are viewed as personal communications in a way that no other medium can deliver. When coupled with a two-way text messaging campaign that invites consumers to interact with a retailer seemingly one-on-one, text message marketing reaches an entirely new level in personal advertiser-to-consumer communications.

Owners of every kind of business, from golf courses to hair salons, are realizing the benefits of being able to reach a targeted, opt-in audience instantly, and are using the capability to fill suddenly open tee times on the back nine or suddenly empty chairs in the beauty parlor. Consider how one golf course manager has adapted his marketing efforts to not only include text message marketing, but feature it. First, he used his existing print and online banner ad campaign to promote his “text in” service. Once his database was built, he began leaning more and more heavily on text message marketing to reach those opt-in golfers with offers to save 20% on a bucket of balls at the driving range, save 50% on an 18-hole round when golfing as part of a foursome, even save a few bucks on a round of beers in the clubhouse. And every offer was prompted by a same-day text message offer, often one that was responded to within hours!

Of course, critical to mobile marketing’s success is customers’ willingness to participate in it, a fact that truly highlights the medium’s most unique quality. Consumers really do participate. Receiving an advertisement via text message is a far different experience than hearing an ad on the radio or driving past a billboard, particularly if a text campaign utilizes a personal and conversational tone in its messaging. Again, consider the campaign employed by the golf course manager cited above. At noon on Thursday, a golfer receives a text message while on his lunch hour that reads: “We’ve got 3 openings at our driving range this evening and we thought of you. Hit a big bucket for the price of a small one. Call Rolling Hills now to book. 555-1234.”

Guess where he went when he was done at the office.

To see how text message advertising can benefit your initiative, visit TXTin Mobile Marketing at www.txtin.com and learn how the TXTin platform features built-in tools to effectively communicate with your customers.

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2. Why Golf Courses Should Consider Mobile Marketing
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In today’s mobile marketing / social media world, more is not necessarily better. It’s a shift in philosophy to which many small-business owners and non-profits are still acclimating as they draw up an advertising plan, but it’s critical in order to realize the full potential of text message advertising. You want sheer numbers? That’s what TV, radio and print still promise. But if you want to communicate with people who are more likely to respond to your promotions by visiting your store or making a donation, then traditional media powerhouses can’t measure up with mobile marketing’s capabilities.

As long as the mobile campaign is executed properly, and that means utilizing all of the benefits of your social media fan base.

One of the most critical elements of any successful mobile marketing campaign is gathering the right contact numbers in your database. Don’t mistake “the right” contact numbers to mean “the most” contact numbers. Again, big numbers don’t necessarily mean big return. Ideally, your database will be filled with cell phone numbers of people who have expressed an interest in your product, service or organization. As you embark on a mobile campaign, then, the first question you ask yourself should be, “How am I going to build my database?”

Naturally, the first place to look is right in your office, store, club or mailing list. Goal No. 1 should be getting those customers into your database by offering an incentive that will prompt them to send an initial text.

But how do you reach beyond your current client base to find consumers who are likely customers or donors? These days it isn’t as difficult as you might think. Thanks to the Internet and the popularity of social media websites, you likely already have an extensive list of people who’ve shown their allegiance to your organization, whether via Facebook “likes” or Twitter followers. Because they’ve already declared a connection with you, those people become high-potential candidates to respond to your future communications.

How do engage them? It’s simple, really. On your Facebook fan page, post a status update that invites fans to text your keyword to your shared short code in order to receive a special offer, and watch the numbers stream in. Or send out a similar message in the form of a Tweet to all of your followers, and see your database grow. Simply by utilizing social media – a cost-free tool – you’ll increase the size of your database almost instantly. More importantly, you’ll be filling it with cell phone numbers of people who are high-potential customers or donors.

As technology advances and the ways in which people communicate change, so too must the advertising methods employed by small-business owner and non-profits. Text messaging is enormously popular. Social media websites are among the most-visited on the Internet. Those two realities are helping astute business owners further their marketing efforts, by letting social media fuel their mobile campaign while their mobile campaign monetizes their social media efforts.

To see how text message advertising can benefit your initiative, visit TXTin Mobile Marketing at www.txtin.com and learn how the TXTin platform features built-in tools to effectively use social media to your advantage.

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As advertisers continue to look for new, stand-out ways to engage consumers, two still-young technologies have emerged as effective, personal, mobile marketing tools that are changing the way marketing campaigns are designed and mobile coupons are delivered. Text message marketing and QR codes have taken the advertising world by storm in recent months, and while text marketing stands as the clear current leader given the worldwide popularity of text messaging, both offer retailers an opportunity to communicate on a far more personal level than traditional print and even online advertising ever could.

Opinions still vary on which is the preferred format, and surely there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Whereas SMS marketing has the potential to engage the 90 percent of (or nearly 280 million) Americans who send and receive text messages, QR (or Quick Response) codes require a scanning technology currently utilized by only 25 to 30 million people in the U.S. On the other hand, QR codes don’t require retailers to obtain a short-code, often a time-consuming process, and due to being relatively new to the scene, a QR code-driven campaign is still viewed as having a certain level of “cool”.

In any event, both technologies present retailers with an opportunity to connect with customers in a one-one-one manner that continues to make them the advertising vehicle of choice for makers of everything from soda to sweaters, and for everyone from political candidates to pro sports teams. Starbucks, which recently won high honors as the 2010 Mobile Marketer of the Year, has merged SMS technology with GPS capabilities to run mobile initiatives that are store-specific. Macy’s has utilized QR codes to provide shoppers with fashion tips and product information. Even President Barack Obama utilized text marketing during his 2008 presidential campaign.

Regardless of how a mobile initiative reaches its goal, the typical result puts mobile coupons in the hands of opt-in consumers who are far more likely to act on special offer than are random newspaper readers or Web surfers. Any mobile initiative, whether SMS- or QR code-based, is fueled by prompting consumers to make the first move, enlisting them in a targeting, trackable database that is then used by a retailer to send mobile coupons, special offers, business updates or any other relevant messaging. The key is amassing the right database, and Sprite recently struck gold when it rode the popularity of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest to reach an audience with a text marketing campaign that began by asking in-venue fans and those watching on television to text in to vote for contest’s best dunker. The campaign ignited a huge success for Sprite, the NBA, and broadcast partner TNT.

While the average local business hasn’t the resources to launch a similar mobile initiative, the advent of shared short code text message marketing now provides those same opportunities, and small- and medium-sized businesses are gradually getting on board to realize the benefits of running a mobile marketing campaign. Local bars send out Happy Hour reminders at lunch and see benefits later that day. Flower shops send anniversary and birthday specials to date-specific clients. Dentist offices issue appointment reminders to patients due for a sixth-month checkup. And salons fill openings caused by late cancellations and fill chairs rather than sit idle. The possibilities for business owners to communicate with customers are still being realized, and every day, more and more advertisers are wondering not “How can I use mobile marketing?”, but rather, “How can I not?”

To learn more about how a text message marketing campaign can enhance your current marketing strategies, visit TXTin Mobile Marketing and begin your free 30-day trial

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For savvy real estate agents who have stayed ahead of the property marketing curve, the days of making repeat trips to a home they’re marketing to stuff a new stack of property description flyers into the plastic bin dangling from the for-sale sign are a thing of the past. And it’s a chore they don’t miss. Realtors such as Coldwell Banker Colorado and Cushman Wakefield (Toronto) have helped home sellers capture more potential buyers by applying SMS marketing capabilities to their home-selling initiatives.

From simple text-to-enter methods, to more elaborate two-way-texting capabilities, realtors continue to get more clever with how they employ text message software to capture a captive audience of potential buyers. Adding a simple short-code message to their for-sale signage has helped agents for Coldwell provide potential homebuyers with limitless property information direct to their cell phones. In the process, Coldwell captures valuable contact information for people who are likely prospects who might also consider other homes in the area.

That relatively simple use of text message software has been effective, but it hardly marks the limit to how realtors can and do use the popularity of text messaging to their benefit. With smart phones becoming more and more common, realtors can include links in their bounce-back messages to steer prospects to mobile virtual tours, allowing people to tour a home without setting foot inside, and without having to wait until they return home to view the tour on their desktop computer. These days, potential homebuyers can take a virtual tour while standing on the property’s front porch. In addition to video, realtors can make property spec sheets, photo galleries, and anything else that can be stored and retrieved on the Internet accessible.

The beauty of a real estate SMS marketing campaign, as with any text marketing campaign, is the ability to stay in contact with people who are potential customers. By building a keyword-driven database that categorizes homebuyers by location, future messages can be delivered to anybody who expressed an interest in a particular county, city, neighborhood or even street. And text message software has grown so sophisticated that, coupled with geo-location technology, messages from realtors can be sent automatically to alert potential buyers whenever they travel within a certain distance of a listed a property.

While the sales benefits to Coldwell, Cushman Wakefield and any other realtors using SMS marketing have been great, the practical advantages are worth noting as well. The savings on print costs of documents such as business cards, signage, and, of course, those flyers, is substantial, as is the reduction in online and print advertising costs. And by eliminating the time spent tending to previously critical hard copy documents, realtors have more time to devote to answering questions of potential buyers and to walking people through a home. While the expense of obtaining a unique short code might be too great for most agencies to consider, the advent of shared-short code makes text message marketing a viable reality for real estate agents of any size. By eliminating the need to navigate the hassles and expense of obtaining a unique short code, shared-short code – like that offered by TXTin Mobile Marketing – allows realtors to enjoy all of the benefits of a mobile campaign. To learn more about how a text message marketing campaign can enhance your current marketing strategies, visit TXTin Mobile Marketing and begin your free 30-day trial.

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The benefits that golf course owners and managers realize after running an effective mobile marketing campaign are many. Filling tee times after late cancellations, increasing sales in the pro shop, and catching players at just the right time with a special offer to hit a bucket of balls at the driving range are just a few of the ways course owners are using mobile marketing. But the effectiveness of each of those examples rests solely on a promise that no other advertising outlet can offer: that most, if not all, of the people you’ll reach are golfers.

Provided you conduct a smart marketing campaign when collecting cell phone numbers for your database – which a quality, reputable mobile marketing company will ensure you do – only people who play the game will be receiving your special offers, notices and golf course promotions. That fact alone makes your odds of benefiting from the text message ads more likely than were you to place an ad in the local newspaper or run a banner ad campaign online. Neither of those outlets can assure that your ad will be seen and read by people who even own a set of clubs.

Golf course owners are seeing the benefits of text message marketing in so many ways, increasing traffic on the course, in the pro shop, on the driving range, and even in the clubhouse. Once your database of cell phone numbers is built (although you will always keep adding to it), you have the luxury of getting creative with your messaging, knowing that your offers will be read by people not only in your demographic, but by people who’ve likely been to your facility. Offers can range from “Get half off your first drink at the 19th hole after your next round,” to “Late cancellation: we’ve got an open tee time at 12:30 this afternoon. Call now and save $5 on your round.” There’s no end to the golf course promotions you can dream up.

Text message marketing may not be right for every business type, but for others, it’s the perfect way to connect with clients on a level far more personal than traditional advertising. Golf course owners and managers enjoy that luxury, provided they take the time to learn how to make use of this valuable new advertising tool.

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Advertising Gets Personal with Text Message Marketing

Mobile marketing is the best way to get in front of potential customers

From public buses to golf courses, classrooms to restaurants, the evidence is all around us. People’s eyes are directed toward the handheld mobile devices known simply as cell phones. To get your advertising message in front of more people, you have to get your advertising message on their cell phone screens.

Of course, a mobile marketing campaign can have many facets, such as mobile website banner ads and digital coupons, both of which share much in common with the traditional print display ads that are struggling to capture attention these days. But nothing has shaken the advertising world quite the way text message marketing has. America has gone mobile, and the advertising world is going with it.

Mobile marketing is the most direct way to establish a real-time, interactive connection with customers and potential customers, none of whom spend every waking hour in front of a television or even a computer screen, but nearly all of whom keep their cell phone within arm’s reach. Cell phone usage has become so common, that the numbers are staggering: 4.6 billion mobile phones are used worldwide; 293 million Americans own a mobile phone, 93% of which are SMS-capable; 1.81 trillion text messages were sent in the U.S. in 2010, 97% of those were opened, and 90% were read within four minutes of being received. Need more proof? How many unopened messages are there on your phone?

In a country that inundates consumers with advertising messages to the tune of $1 billion worth of advertising and 30,000 brand images in a single month, advertising must continue to find a way to emerge. Text advertising provides the vehicle. While newspaper coupon usage continues to plummet, mobile coupons are projected to generate $87 billion in sales in 2011. Text advertising is not “advertising of tomorrow”, it’s here, and retailers who’ve recognized its importance are already realizing the benefits. Imagine getting 10% of newspaper readers to even notice your coupon. With text message advertising, retailers are seeing 10% to 15% redemption rates! Never before have they been able to speak to consumers on such a personal level, and then so closely follow the impact a message has. Built-in mobile campaign analytics let you instantly track your ad campaign’s success.

Still not convinced? Add the personal, powerful of touch of text message marketing to your next advertising campaign. Sign up now and try a free trial with TXTin at www.txtin.com

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If ever there was truth to the belief that mobile advertising was reserved for deep-pocket companies with stores nationwide, those beliefs are fading quickly. More and more, small- and medium-business owners are realizing that not only can they afford to run mobile marketing campaigns, but that they can’t afford not to.

As smart phone use swells and consumers become more and more accustomed to receiving their news and information on the move, business owners, including owners of local establishments such as bars, gyms, golf courses, restaurants and real estate agents, are benefiting from this still-new means of staying in contact with customers and potential customers.

Although you may not feel that your company would benefit from a broad web presence such as owning a mobile website or app, a more targeted mobile advertising campaign driven by text message marketing might be just the strategy your business needs. According to a 2009 report from Charleton @ Engel Marketing, an ad in a newspaper with a circulation of 200,000 might expect a response from as few as two people, depending on the product being sold and other factors. Mobile marketing campaigns allow you to avoid such aimless marketing, and instead target specifically the people who’ve told you they’re interested in receiving your marketing messages.

Text message marketing continues to grow right along side text messaging itself, and industry statistics indicate that text message ads enjoy an open rate as high as 98-percent. Considering that each of the people opening your ad has already expressed an interest in the product or service you sell, a 98-percent open rate has the potential to lead to huge sales increases at the cash register. Although text messaging has become one of the most common means in which people communicate with others, it’s still viewed as one of the most personal ways to do so. So when your advertising message reaches the people who’ve requested you stay in touch, instead of viewing it as an ad trying to sell them something or spam to be deleted, they view it as a personal message targeted directly to them.

The critical part is building the right database of cell phone numbers, which will ensure that your text message ads are reaching people who are genuinely potential customers. To do so, begin collecting numbers close to home, typically with current customers; after all, ensuring that they become return customers is as important as attracting new ones. To extend your database (and thus your client base) begin adding your text message promotion in other advertising that you’re currently doing. Add it to your Facebook page if you have one. Soon, your database will be thick with people who are “opt-in” recipients of your ads, meaning they’ve requested them.

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Mobile Opt-In Certification

In order to to import your existing mobile number database, we must first be certain that you have permission to contact these customers.  This extra step not only guards us both against SPAM violations, but it also ensures that you’re customer’s actually want to hear from you.

By completing this agreement, you certify that all mobile numbers being imported into TXTin Mobile Marketing’s database are 100% opt-in and were not exchanged, rented, or purchased from a third-party or business entity in any way.

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