In a survey 44% of Americans have opted into a text message campaign.  We see people everywhere with mobile phones but how big is mobile?  According to an ITU (International Telecommunication Union) report updated December 2011 –  87% of the world’s population has a mobile phone.  Why is this important to marketers?

• 45% of customers notice mobile advertising.
• 29% of people respond to mobile advertising.
• 47% of people in the UK who respond to mobile adverts make a purchase.

(Data taken from www.lightspeedresearch.com/press-releases/29-of-european-mobile-consumers-respond-to-mobile-adverts-they-see/)

I saw this in action last summer.  I was at an outdoor concert with my daughter.  Everywhere we went and everything we did she had to check her phone.  She had even saved some text messages offering her free samples and coupons at the show.  After seeing her in action I had to find out where she was getting all her discounts.  I then added a lot of these same advertising messages for myself.

Another example of a company that lost my business was a chain restaurant.  On my Android based phone I have it setup to received several of my email addresses.  I had received a coupon for a buy one get one free burrito offer.  I was running late from work and decided that burrito for me and my son would be fantastic and with BOGO it would be an inexpensive dinner.  I got through the end of the line and at the checkout I mentioned the coupon and brought it up on my phone.  I was then told that they do not accept the email coupons from the phone and must be printed.  I left the burritos on the counter and have never gone back to that restaurant.

Technology is here to stay and smart businesses are finding ways to use it effectively for increased sales, customer satisfaction and lower marketing expenditures.

Don’t know where to start with mobile marketing?  If you are based in the USA you can check out 84444.com or in Canada check out 84444.ca.

Mobile Marketing Reaches Customers When They are Most Likely to Buy When our short code, 84444, receives an incoming keyword, a response text message is immediately returned. Most important, the consumer’s cell phone number is stored for future database marketing efforts. Now that you have an opt-in from the consumer, you can choose to send future text message marketing messages to the prospect or customer.

Why use a shared short code?  After my experience with my daughter at the concert I decided that it was time to do some text message advertising.  I spent a month or two researching how to get a short code.  What I found out is that it is very time consuming and very expensive.  It was going to cost $3,000 to $5,000 per month just for the short code.  This is why a company like 84444.com is so helpful.  They have setup the code and all you have to do is pay a small monthly fee to use the service.  Not convinced?  They offer a 30 day free trial.  I’m sold and can’t wait to see the results of my first text message campaign.