Text Message Marketing: Is it Something You Should Consider?
Written on November 3, 2008 by admin
Perhaps you’ve heard of the latest way to reach your target audience: SMS. I like to say it stands for “Sell My Stuff.” Ba dum bum. It actually stands for short message service, or in your language, text messages.
Companies have been threatening promising to start sending consumers marketing messages via text for years. I attended CTIA 2 years ago and met a lot of text message services. But until this year, I hadn’t seen any in action. Here’s what I feared text message marketing would be:
- Invasive. There were plans for stores in a mall to know when you walked in and immediately bombard you with coupons for their stores. Not something I want.
- Difficult. I met companies at CTIA that offered barcodes that could (hopefully) be scanned off of a phone to be redeemed as coupons. If you had the right kind of phone.
- Expensive. The cost of texting has gone down significantly, but I know I had concern that I would be charged for the message when I didn’t necessarily want it.
Fast forward to 2008. As some of you know, I own(ed) a Marble Slab Creamery (more on the past tense of that in an upcoming post). The latest promotion we had was a text message coupon promotion. Visitors to our store could text a specific code to a specific number, and they would begin receiving coupons. I signed up, of course. About once a week or two I get a text with an offer for buy one get one, get $1 off, etc. All I have to do is show my phone to the Marble Slab employee and they would apply the discount at the register.
Non-invasive.
Simple.
Cheap.
I thought it was a great concept. So tell me then, why did no one sign up for the promotion? Why did we get no takers on the text coupons? I have no idea. Maybe the world isn’t quite ready for text message marketing. What do you think? Have you seen or used text messages as marketing promotions?
I think it’s invasive. Phones have been a safe haven for communication with your ‘network’. I’m starting to see unsolicited text come through and it bothers me. As a marketer, I wish this were not the case. Maybe I’m wrong…hope so.
Wes–
I agree that it can be invasive, but I don’t think we have a choice in the future of text marketing. I just got back from the Loyalty Expo and heard several mobile marketing companies speak. The good news is that MOST should be opt in.
Text marketing may not be all that convenient in my opinion but I guess we will see.
Although I don’t hate the idea of being marketed from texts on my phone, I tend to associate text messages with 14-year-old girls who can send novels from the phones in their pockets based on touch only.
Do you think that these kinds of marketing campaigns have a place with adults, or will it have to be a primarily youth-driven phenomenon?
Tamara–
I agree that the demographic is shifting from 14 year olds. But just think: if you got a coupon to your favorite store via text and didnt have to carry a coupon, how useful that would be!
[...] teens as apathetic; it’s just that my generation grew out of it). Where Millennials prefer text message marketing and Facebook applications, Generation X reacts better to direct mail and [...]
Dear Susan:
To answer your question requires some more questions.
How did your customers sign up? Did your employees tell each customer that if they joind your Marble Slab VIP club that they would get discounts delivered to their cell phones from time to time? Do your customers know how to use text messaging. If they are older, then they need help on setting up their cell phone to receive your offer. Young kids “get it” and generally do not need any help.
Did you promote the campaign by printing the codes on everything printable and tents on the table with the codes?
When customers come in, are they asked if they have signed up for the VIP club?
If not then I have presented a few reasons why no one took your company up on your offer.
I have a small text message advertising business and am working on opening a broadcast service. My current website really depends on people finding me when they plan a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. This year I am changing the name of the website and implementing an adwords program.
For all the naysayers who have contributed recently, these tools that I am using to deliver these coupons are 100% permission based. On my website you have to opt-in to receive the message to you phone. In other words, you asked for it. There is no way you can get my coupons unless it was in a viral manner, i.e. one of your friends forwarded it to you. Which brings up another question.
The owner of the Marble Slab starts getting all of these viral coupons and there is a “run” on the store. Will he be happy or mad. Around here, would be mad. They don’t like coupons but offer them because everyone else does and they pray that no one uses them. Their attitude is nuts I think, because everyday there is a battle for the consumers’ discretionary dollars in every town across the US. And if it takes the mobile coupon to get the rest of their pocketbook in your store that day and you get some of their money, then it seems like you won the battle for the day over everyone else in your town.
I argue with these business owners all the time about the coupons, pro & con.
Well, anyway, it sounds like maybe they needed to talk the vip club a lot more than previously and help the customers allow their phones to receive your offer.
Joe West
North Myrtle Beach, SC