SMS Marketing can lead to local success

By Jeff Rhoton, imobilize media

When I started receiving promotional text messages from Arby’s, Redbox and Budweiser, I started to thinking about how can the common local “Joe” company create a local buzz with a simple mobile text offer. You do not have to have a national ad agency with fifty employees dedicated to building out a cool mobile.

All you need is a simple offer, a keyword, a short code number to drive your customers to you and a relationship with a mobile marketer.

Find a group educated on mobile and marketing is the first step.
Work with a mobile digital group or individual who understands the market is key. There are plenty of mobile sms platform companies that offer it as a do-it-yourself deal with out the strategy, personal touches, and creativity.

Building a local mobile strategy is the second step.
Figure out your customer, what offer or mobile message creates value for them.

You spend so much time with your cellphone in your hand and users spend more time texting rather than talking on the phone.

Third step, the delivery.
Campaign launch day. Make sure your employees are aware of the mobile offer or sweepstakes, check with your mobile partner for daily or weekly results. You may have web-based access to check yourself. Match your data to the mobile providers data.

As brands continue to utilize new mobile technologies such as QR bar codes, mobile advertising and content into their campaigns, we must not forget how important SMS plays to the local customer. According to panelist at a CTIA Wireless 2011 session, all agreed that incorporating SMS in some way helps further the brand’s engagement with consumers. SMS is where the action is, but you need a nice blend of a variety of media platforms from in-store print to social media to make it work.

Example Case Study for a local business:

Writer: Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York
Family sports bar and restaurant Wild Wing Cafe ran an SMS campaign to engage its patrons and found that out of the 900 consumers that showed up, 72 percent texted in for a chance to win prizes. “Texting prompts appeared on window signage and staff members were trained to encourage patrons to enter the contest while they were dining,” said Rachel Jensen, marketing coordinator at Wild Wing Café, Atlanta.

Consumers were encouraged by the Wild Wing Café wait staff and in house point-of-sale to text the keyword HUNDO to the short code 84464 for a chance to win 3 Wild Wing $100 gift cards. The company used window signage to promote the SMS campaign. They have steered away from many paper advertisements due to the effectiveness of each SMS campaign.