The transition to 4G represents a significant leap in the capabilities of mobile technology. From just about anywhere, mobile users can transfer extraordinary amounts of data in next to no time at all. This has allowed for the introduction of more powerful applications that had previously been thought unsuitable for mobile purposes. With all this change and development, where does it all leave SMS though? Is the simple and reliable messaging service that has served us so well for more than 15 years finally at the end of its life?

Despite its age, the last couple of years have seen a rapid increase in the use of SMS messaging. While there are signs that growth may be slowing, it still represents a significant source of revenue for mobile carriers. In the United States alone, SMS messaging brings in over $25 billion annually.

4G, however, has changed the landscape and as a result, a number of challengers SMS have emerged. Instant messaging services are one of these that are becoming increasingly prevalent amongst those using smart phone technology. Applications like Apple’s iMessage and Blackberry messenger allow users to communicate through internet connections rather than mobile networks. As a result, they don’t incur any message charges which makes the standard 11 Cent cost for sending a 160 character SMS message look like a relic of the past.

The reason these new apps have not been able to properly challenge SMS though is the fact they lack its ubiquity. Typically, users are only able to communicate with others using the same application. Therefore, because of its near-universal use, SMS still remains the most reliable form of non-calling mobile communication.

For these reasons, the supremacy of SMS will endure well into the era of 4G. Only when is there a viable alternative that is used widely and across different platforms will its survival be in doubt. SMS therefore has an important role to play in the 4G world.

Want to find out more about SMS Marketing, then visit www.txt2get.com on how to choose the best solution for your needs.

Mobile technology has certainly changed the nature of trade and commerce in modern times. In particular, though it has led to a dramatic shift in the conduct of online retail. Where just a few years ago, we would be confined to desktops in pursuing our internet shopping needs, these days, consumers can bid and list auctions with just a few clicks on smartphones such as the Blackberry and iPhone.

The increase in eBay’s mobile sales has been staggering. In 2009, worldwide sales amounted to $600 billion. For 2010, that figure was $2 billion. With markets such as the United Kingdom a key part of this, eBay has gone to great pains to secure its position at the forefront of mobile retail.

eBay’s mobile retail experience is primarily offered through applications. In 2010, two of its popular apps were ‘Selling’ and ‘Classifieds’. While the names may not be revolutionary, both simplified considerably the process of listing an item for sale or bidding in an auction. For example, the time it would take to create a new auction was reduced to less than 60 seconds. Since then, eBay has continued to innovate and has regularly released new and more sophisticated apps. Recently, it announced that it is developing the first truly international mobile retail app in partnership with telecommunications giant, Telefonica.

eBay’s successful use of applications has in large part been a result of an equally successful marketing campaign. Its sponsoring of the tagging feature found in the music recognition app Shazam is just one of a number of ways that it has sought to increase the profile of mobile shopping and the number of people engaging in it. With its recent acquisition of specialist mobile marketing provider, ‘Where Inc’, eBay clearly intends for mobile advertising to be an integral part of its future.

Going forward, it is projected that eBay’s worldwide mobile sales will hit $4 billion in 2011. Through its partnership with Telefonica and the acquisition of its own mobile marketing provider, ‘Where Inc’, Yankovich’s prediction that the future is in mobile could not be more true.

To find out more about how you can make harness the benefits of mobile marketing, visit www.txt2get.com today.

SMS marketing is a cutting-edge, creative way to connect with customers and boost your advertising return through sales leads.

SMS marketing is a type of mobile marketing that operates through the medium of text messages. How it works is simple: customers see advertising with an SMS marketing call-to-action (something like ‘text CAR to 19 33 33 for a test drive’) and respond to the advertising by sending in a text message. An automated reply is sent back to them, and a customer-organisation connection is established.

With us so far? Great.

What you need to know is that there are lots of different ways to use SMS marketing. These range from the common uses: competitions, surveys, and coupons; to the more obscure recruitment tools and question/answer systems. Regardless, SMS marketing experts agree that there are 4 ‘best uses,’ and they are:

1. Send out mobile coupons

One of the most popular SMS marketing functions is sending mobile coupons to customers by text message. Compared to print coupons, mobile coupons make it as easy as possible for the customer to find, keep and redeem; which therefore gives them a higher redemption rate. The Brisbane Boat Show used our SMS marketing to offer mobile coupons for discounted entry to the show, and got 72% of the mobile coupons redeemed. This is particularly impressive when we note that print coupons have an average redemption rate of only 2%.

2. SMS to win campaigns

SMS marketing can also be used in competitions, surveys, and giveaways, to encourage SMS entry. Enabling text message entry takes away needless paperwork for both the consumer and the organisation. This makes the campaign more accessible and instant, which usually increases the number of entries received by 2-3x. Leading Edge Computers used our SMS marketing to make their computer giveaway more accessible, and got 3x the response they usually get for paper-entry giveaways.

3. Push texts/ subscriptions

SMS marketing also includes push texts and subscription SMS, which is where the game starts to change. Contrary to many assumptions, SMS marketing does not have to start with advertising. Organisations can also send out regular texts to their database of customers who have already opted in to SMS communication. This type of SMS marketing is a more immediate and concise alternative to an email newsletter, and can be used to send updates, news, appointment reminders, etc (even nightclubs use it to inform patrons of upcoming events). But remember: customers have to be able to opt out if they wish.

4. SMS for info campaigns

This was probably the first type of SMS marketing ever used. It attempts to solve the problem of limited advertising space, to send customers relevant information upon request. Instead of cramming unwanted information in advertising, organisations can use SMS marketing to distribute product or service information. Box Hill TAFE Institute used this SMS-for-info tool, to text out 2011 course information to potential students.

Interestingly, they ran the same SMS marketing campaign through 2 channels (TV and shopping centre tele-screens), and found that one was getting nearly 15x the response of the other. This figure would still be unknown if it wasn’t for SMS marketing, so Box Hill might have still been using advertising channels that weren’t right for them. SMS marketing’s measurability makes it attractive for SMEs wanting to find out if their advertising is actually working.

This article was written by Emma Rose Smith of TXT2GET, a leading SMS marketing company. TXT2GET supply affordable SMS keywords that typically increase ad response by 2-3x. SMS keywords also bring measurability & accountability to advertising, because you can see the exact time and date that responses come in. Click on the link to get free advice on how SMS marketing can improve your business’ advertising.

Google released the news yesterday that their new mobile marketing venture is to create a mobile payment system, possibly for release before Apple’s.

Google’s proposed mobile marketing development will enable Android users to pay for purchases in-store using their mobile phones. While this is not the first mobile payment system to hit the market, it’s significant because it has a higher profile than pre-existing mobile marketing payment options. This is Google we’re talking about here, not a cash-strapped entrepreneur.

Google has already made a foray into mobile marketing with its SMS advertisements for Google AdWords. Google used a mobile marketing call-to-action to encourage businesses to contact them by SMS. In return, they received a $50 AdWords mobile coupon- a clever integration of mobile marketing and search engine advertising.

Going back to the mobile payment system, we know that mobile marketing professionals have been speculating about this technology for ages. Why does anything change if Google is also in on the development? Because it might mean someone else won’t be. Apparently, Apple are also in the mobile marketing race for a mobile payment tool. Drew Sievers, CEO of mFoundry, comments on Google’s mobile marketing strategy:

“I think they are trying to steal a march on Apple and get out there a bit sooner,” he said.

As a technology that is still developing, there are still uncertainties and imperfections. Because the mobile payments run through MasterCard, this mobile marketing system is not accessible to those without a MasterCard account. Another potential problem for a lot of us (though one which Google probably won’t change) is that their mobile payments can only work on Android handsets. Whether Google gets the desired edge over Apple is still unsure, but ultimately they have had success in taking mobile marketing payment solutions one step closer to consumers, says Jagdish Rebello, senior director of IHS iSuppli, California.

“The solution essentially provides a commercial trial of the technology and is a good first step,” he said.

This article was written by Emma Rose Smith of TXT2GET, a leading mobile marketing company. TXT2GET supply affordable SMS keywords that typically increase ad response by 2-3x. SMS keywords also bring measurability & accountability to advertising, because you can see the exact time and date that responses come in. Click on the link to get free advice on how mobile marketing can improve your business’ advertising.

A new McDonald’s restaurant in Wellington, New Zealand used SMS marketing to promote foot traffic during its opening weeks. The radio and SMS marketing campaign brought in just under 12,000 customers per week- about 2800 more customers than the average for pre-existing McDonald’s restaurants!

To promote the new location, radio advertisements were broadcast on Wellington radio. They featured an SMS marketing call-to-action: to receive a mobile coupon, customers could text in to the shortcode 244 (in Australia we use 19 33 33). The mobile coupons could be redeemed at the new McDonald’s location, and were valid for many menu items, ranging from McMuffins and sundaes to Big Macs or McChicken meals. Blair Wilson, Operations Manager at the new store, explains that the SMS marketing campaign’s results were better than his expectations.

“The guest counts during the promotional period far exceeded our expectations with 11,739 customers coming to the store that week. This is approximately 2800 more than an average week.”

Radio and SMS marketing brought in more foot traffic than that seen in pre-existing McDonald’s locations. Furthermore, it resulted in higher-than-anticipated revenue.

The new McDonald’s store had another need: to recruit around 50 staff members. They ran another radio and SMS marketing campaign to find quality staff members. To submit their resume, listeners to the radio advertisement could text in to receive a link to a McDonald’s Web page. From there, they could upload a resume. Wilson explains that recruiting staff by text message was new territory in SMS marketing, but it paid off.

“Using this method (SMS marketing), we had approximately 600 applications for positions in two weeks. We had the same amount of applications over a nine month period at the Johnsonville store.”

This McDonald’s case study highlights just two of the many possibilities for SMS marketing campaigns. Mobile coupons are already well established as a method of SMS marketing, and in this instance they made it as easy as possible for McDonald’s to give special offers away to their customers. In contrast, the SMS-to-recruit strategy was an entirely unique way to use SMS marketing. This just goes to show that there are still many other ways to use SMS marketing. So what’s next? SMS-to-pay?

This article was written by Emma Smith of TXT2GET, a leading SMS marketing company. TXT2GET supply affordable SMS keywords that typically increase ad response by 2-3x. SMS keywords also bring measurability & accountability to advertising, because you can see the exact time and date that responses come in. Click on the link to get free advice on how SMS marketing can improve your business’ advertising.

SMS text marketing is something that is new to most businesses and in fact mist of us have yet to receive a marketing text message to our phone from any business. Even though you do not see any evidence of text marketing it is out there in large numbers and for local businesses it offers a way to increase ROI by large numbers. Email subscription lists are the closest way to offer an example of how SMS text marketing can be used. Just as you would opt-in to an email list which only has an open rate of about 7 % you can opt-in to a cell text message list. With much less rules and regulations the SMS list could be abused but at the same time it costs more to send out mass messages which prevents spam at the numbers you get in your email box.

The risks of text SMS marketing are relatively new and not many professionals even understand what those risks are. The risks however although unknown are significant and great care should be taken to keep your company out of a potential lawsuit. Because laws have yet to be created to govern SMS text marketing spam this industry has had to self police what they do. If you were to scrape millions of cell phone numbers from the internet and send out massive spam to all of those numbers you would likely be contacted by the FTC and face penalties according to old Telecommunication land-line laws. SMS text messaging is much more expensive than email spam and so this is a very good reason why you have yet to get a ton of SMS spam messages as you see flood your email box on a daily basis.

One of the best means of getting your message out to customers and increasing ROI through SMS text marketing is by using it as a reminder service for customers. For instance, holiday events and specials restaurants have are great things to send out to loyal customers. If a fancy restaurant will be having a 5 course meal for two with 3 different menu selections for each course limited to 100 people this would be a hugely popular text message. If a restaurant had an SMS list of 500 loyal customers they would likely book that Valentine evening dinner for two event in under 1 hour.

Text message marketing works best with retail venues like clothing stores, jewelry stores, music venues, and restaurants. The way to see a case study example is to look at how innovative companies are using it in retail malls. If you look at Hot Topic you will see that they are one of the fastest companies to adopt new and different trends in both fashion as well as marketing. They are currently sending out text messages about buying one shirt and getting a second shirt for free. Hot Topic is one of the only stores you canfind anywher that sells the very cool trendy band T-Shirts. This company is about as niche as you can get and so when their loyal customers get a super targeted text message like this you can bet there will be a high response rate and increased ROI.

In conclusion, when you find out about an obvious no brainer marketing strategy like this the key is how fast you implement the strategy. The quicker you move to adopt SMS text marketing into your companies marketing campaign the easier it will be to make the higher ROI that email subscription lists simply cannot deliver because of the low open rates. The added convenience of getting a coupon directly to your cell phone means that customers will be presented with easiest e-commerce solution to buy from you without any barriers in the way.

When deciding on using cell phone text messaging to market to your customers it is important to know the SMS Text Marketing Risks as we have outlined in this article. To investigate SMS cell phone advertising in more depth look at this: SMS text service

Email marketing has somewhat failed to hold audience attention, and it SMS marketing could be a viable alternative.

HubSpot’s recent research indicates that most 12-17 year olds prefer to communicate via SMS, instant messaging, and social media. Over the last 12 months, there was a 59% drop in their Web-based email usage. If most teenagers prefer to communicate with text messages, instant messaging and social networks, then email marketing doesn’t reach as far as it used to. SMS marketing could be a viable alternative.

HubSpot’s figures hint that SMS marketing isn’t just for teenagers. HubSpot report that “web-based email usage has been on the decline among ALL Internet users under the age of 55.” So SMS marketing could be important for all age groups.

This is not to deny the role of email, but to point out that SMS marketing deserves a place in mainstream marketing practice, along with social media marketing. SMS marketing has two main advantages over traditional marketing forms. The first is that its platform is a preferred mode of communication for customers (this why Facebook advertising is successful too).

Secondly, SMS marketing communicates more closely with the consumer than traditional marketing. The ‘one-way’ transmission model of communication is now redundant: we realised successful communication needs a two-way exchange. So SMS marketing, like social media marketing, works because it makes it as easy as possible for organisations and publics to communicate. When publics can send an SMS to an organisation and have it valued, SMS marketing has achieved success.

SMS marketing is not a ’silver bullet:’ it can and should be used in conjunction with other marketing channels. It has to be well-planned to be effective. Above all, it still needs to stick to marketing best practice and offer value to the customer. That 59% of teenagers who turned away from email communication won’t necessarily care about SMS marketing today, but as HubSpot put it, “today’s kids are tomorrow’s customers-and they’re probably not going to be reading your email.”

Watch this video for a quick introduction to SMS marketing: what it is, why it works, and how you can use it.[youtube:IWG2BqtevgA?fs=1;How does [link:SMS mobile marketing] work? What are its benefits? Mobi explains…;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWG2BqtevgA?fs=1&feature=related]

This article was written by Andrew Campbell, the Country Manager of TXT2GET Australia. TXT2GET are a leading SMS marketing company operating from the US, NZ and Australia. For more free insights, industry trends and research reports, visit the TXT2GET blog.

This is the first part in a series of short articles outlining the key tips to avoid mobile marketing opt-outs because when developing a mobile marketing system for your business, your most valuable asset is the database of mobile subscribers you’ve earned. Whether this is an SMS program, email opt-ins or even location based subscribers, the ability to push targeted advertising out is invaluable. After all your hard work, the last thing you want is too many opt-outs, so let’s take a look at three simple tips.

Firstly and all-importantly, begin by getting the initial opt-in consent right which is, in effect, gaining the consent of consumer. This is done by informing them clearly and concisely exactly what they are signing up for. By being completely honest and transparent with your audience, you avoid the first pitfall and consequently the nasty surprises which are going to result in people opting-out of your service.

Secondly, , it is vitally important to ensure to stay the path – in other words, don’t bait and switch. Too many marketers make the mistake of changing the content, the format, or even the frequency of the advertising they initially promised and that will lead to disappointed customers and an overall negative experience.

Maintaining a consistent frequency for messages will help with relationship-building and will let users become more accustomed to them and instantly start to recognise them. Thus less likely to opt-out. Determine a timetable by which you will push your content to users and stick to it. Be visible but not annoying, be timely and respectful at all times.

These are just a few tips but by following basic principles, guidelines and best practice dictated both by common sense as well as by law, it’s easy to maintain a consistent and valuable database of customers, which, as we said, is your most valuable asset.

Learn more about mobile marketing. Stop by www.txt2get.com where you can find out all about TXT2GET and what it can do for you.

Mobile marketing with SMS may be sometimes seen as the least sophisticated type of mobile marketing. But that is about to change, in light of luxury automaker Jaguar’s recent success with SMS mobile marketing.

Jaguar offered test drives and promoted their 2011 Jaguar XJ model using SMS mobile marketing (Luxury Daily: http://www.luxurydaily.com/jaguar-taps-sms-for-test-drive-offer/). Jaguar’s advertisements encouraged customers to SMS ‘JAGUAR’ to the shortcode 524 827, using a mobile marketing call-to-action. In reply to their SMS, customers received a reply text which contained a link to Jaguar’s mobile Web page.

SMS mobile marketing made it as easy as possible for customers to access the videos and information on Jaguar’s mobile Web site. This is because the Web site link was sent directly to customer mobile phones. Accessibility has always been a key benefit of SMS mobile marketing, but in the past, many of its uses were for products targeted towards the average consumer. Jaguar’s mobile marketing shows us that SMS mobile marketing can indeed be targeted towards ‘luxury-seeking’ audiences.

“Many luxury brand customers lead on-the-go, connected lives that put the mobile device within a few feet of them wherever they travel,” said Jeff Hasen, chief marketing officer of Hipcricket (a US/Mexican mobile marketing company). “Also, because the price of goods and services is higher, affluent mobile subscribers often want to go further than a traditional ad.”

Mobile marketing is any kind of marketing on or with a mobile device. SMS mobile marketing allows customers to respond to advertisements via SMS, thus increasing the accessibility of advertisements. In the past, SMS mobile marketing has typically increased ad response levels by 2-3 times (see http://cms.txt2get.com).

SMS mobile marketing also brings accountability to advertising, because organisations can view the exact number of responses and the time and date they came in. This means that advertising effectiveness can be measured exactly for the first time. So while Jaguar may not have to consider tight budgets, SMS mobile marketing is a strategic investment for many SMEs who want an exact measurement on their ROI.

This article was written by Emma Smith of TXT2GET, a global leader in SMS mobile marketing for SMEs. For more industry trends and free campaign information, visit the mobile marketing website and click on the TXT2GET blog.

When developing a mobile marketing system for your business, your most valuable asset is without doubt the database of mobile subscribers you’ve earned. Our first part of this article series looked at how getting the basics and being upfront from the get go was an integral part to maintaining a successful mobile database. In this part, we’ll look at the actual content of messages and the role they play in minimizing opt-outs.

Relevance is one of the most important parts of maintaining a successful SMS database. Content needs to be short, simple and to the point. Try to remain formal whilst interacting with your customers on a personal level. The language used is of principle importance too – avoid text speak unless it is absolutely required by text size limits or is relevant to the demographic being targeted.

Another tip is to plan, plan and plan some more. Don’t, for example, rush headlong into an offer that just won’t work for the customer. Consider the time period on your offers for example giving the user enough time to take advantage of the deal. Also, choose a marketing company with a proven track record so as to ensure high levels of professionalism and technical ability, as technical difficulties or issues with technology will reflect back on you.

Rewarding users in your database is a great way to minimize opt-outs from your mobile marketing database. High value coupons and exclusive offers not only build positive rapport with your existing customers, but will often generate new subscribers through word of mouth advertising.

By following basic principles, guidelines and best practice dictated both by common sense as well as by law, it’s easy to maintain a consistent and valuable database of customers. For more tips, make sure to look out for other articles in the series.

Want to find out more about mobile marketing, then visit www.txt2get.com on how to choose the best solution for your needs.