Why don't you use SMS text?

[Textlocal]

You can't ignore the growth of SMS. Programmes like X Factor, Pop Idol, Question Time (which I am watching in the background as I write this) have shown the power of the medium to enable instant interaction between a business and its customers.

You now see SMS short codes (text a WORD to SHORTNUMBER) (e.g text ALASTAIR to 60777 for a call back from me!) on TV, magazines, newspapers, radio all the time.

So, if you don't invite your customers to text a shortcode - what is holding you back? By printing a keyword on all your marketing material, your loyal customers opt in to receive SMS news and promotions from you.

You can then communicate with your customers any time - any message - instantly for pennies. 100 customers for under £5.

SMS marketing is customer initiated - your customer opts in and can opt out again any time. They are in complete control. You can then send time limited promotions whenever you like.

SMS is NOT spam - if you manage your system with common sense it is possibly the most effective marketing tool available to you today.

SMS offers you pinpoint accuracy, your messages delivered in an instant - whenever you choose for it to be delivered - with a 100% read rate, and response rates as much as 80%.

You don't need to plan in advance, you just send using simple online tools whenever you need to. Let's say you manage a shop and it has been quiet morning. Your opt in customers - who have either joined your "text club" via filling in a form, or by texting something like "FASHION to 60777" will certainly have their phone nearby them. Why not send a quick campaign? They will get your message and, if the offer is attractive to them, may be inspired to visit your shop on the back of that message. For example, a new product range has arrived... or you may run a time limited promotion.

Remember, even if you have a list of 50 people - you can contact them for around £2.50. You only need 1 person to purchase to cover the cost of the campaign!! You can measure the response to your promotion within hours or even minutes.

So... why don't you use SMS text for your business? What is stopping you from contacting your most loyal customers with your promotions and news - directly to their pocket for pennies?

I look forward to your replies.

Thanks,

Alastair.

 

[Geoff T]

Marketing/sales/etc = spam...

Inappropriate in my game for now - so has to be a no, but I'm sure the young 'uns will be around after the pubs chuck out to shoot me down!

(Do pubs have a closing time any more?):|

 

[Textlocal]

Thanks Geoff. So.. you consider it spam - even when your customer has asked you to contact them via SMS text message? Please can you clarify?

If you printed "text URECALL to 60777 for a free telephone consultation" on your marketing material - so potential new customers could request a callback from you to discuss cashflow and credit control - do you think that would be of use to your business?

New leads would be delivered free of charge into your email inbox - within seconds.... surely that is a powerful tool?

Al

Marketing/sales/etc = spam...

Inappropriate in my game for now - so has to be a no, but I'm sure the young 'uns will be around after the pubs chuck out to shoot me down!

(Do pubs have a closing time any more?):|

 

[Geoff T]

Nope Al if a client asked me to text them, it's because they KNOW me, and my service...

SMS could have role in my game, but not for marketing...it's a finance thing I think...

my role is finance-based - and "cool" stuff doesn't work in marketing in my experience...you just have to get out and meet people... the "face to" element will NEVER be replaced in some industries/ geo areas, no matter what the marketing guru's or young 'uns throw at us...

Most people - especially for finance, etc - will deal with a PERSON they trust... a text message will never replace a face for them... sorry, but true.

I'm sure the positives will be around soon

 

Hi Al....

I have to say i do agree with Geoff (sorry!)

Personally, the industry that i'm in has a bad enough reputation anyway and i really don't think SMS marketing would work - i know you will disagree with me (that's your job!).

I do though, on the other hand think it would work very well for other industries and i like the example you give of a clothes store.

Just my two pennies worth.

Lucy

 

[Textlocal]

Thanks Lucy.

SMS is not just for marketing... you can use it for lead generation, appointment reminders, conference reminders (to increase attendance) - and in your industry you could send out tax return reminders "Dear firstname, don't forget the self assessment deadline. If you need any help then call us on 0845xxxxx". When messages only cost a few pence you can cover the cost yourself - it is a "value add" for your customers...?

However, yes.. SMS marketing is not so useful for finance... however for a local chip shop (2 for 1 Tuesday), church (service reminders, community announcements), football team (match results, fixtures, last minute ticket sale etc) - it can not be beaten

Also Lucy.. I see you have a "follow us on Twitter" link on your homepage... (which is great for the 1% of people that use Twitter). Surely if you got people to follow you (opt in) by SMS you get 99% reach? How does it differ - surely both mechanisms deliver the same thing, but with SMS you can reach far more people - instantly?

[edit] actually.. I have just seen your Twitter feed and that isn't something that should be sent via SMS - I see you are using it for inbound link building, which is a very different thing - however, if you were Tweeting about news or product offers - then it would be just as viable - and much more powerful to send via SMS!

A.

 

Thanks Lucy.

SMS is not just for marketing... you can use it for lead generation, appointment reminders, conference reminders (to increase attendance) - and in your industry you could send out tax return reminders "Dear firstname, don't forget the self assessment deadline. If you need any help then call us on 0845xxxxx". When messages only cost a few pence you can cover the cost yourself - it is a "value add" for your customers...?

However, yes.. SMS marketing is not so useful for finance... however for a local chip shop (2 for 1 Tuesday), church (service reminders, community announcements), football team (match results, fixtures, last minute ticket sale etc) - it can not be beaten

Also Lucy.. I see you have a "follow us on Twitter" link on your homepage... (which is great for the 1% of people that use Twitter). Surely if you got people to follow you (opt in) by SMS you get 99% reach? How does it differ - surely both mechanisms deliver the same thing, but with SMS you can reach far more people - instantly?

A.

Confession......i don't actually use the twitter must remove that! Never found it useful at all, again it just appears spammy.

Our main company Tenable Solutions Ltd is business recovery and turnaround........this industry has such a bad reputation, i really honestly do not think that SMS messages would help in the slightest, if anything i believe it would hinder it. Same for Tenable Business Support Service, cannot see how it would work.

Although, we do offer personal debt management plans through Pure Financial Management - possibly it could work for this but wouldn't really be a route to go down for us as we tend to just use it for sole-traders who are having short-term difficulties as opposed to the General public.

I am slating the concept...i do think it is a very good idea, just not for certain industries.

 

[saxondale]

Remember, even if you have a list of 50 people - .

I imagine that would be quite a number, can you show what the "sign" up rate is for several different industries

say

electrical

sandwich shop

nail bar

and



telesales?

 

[Ray_Stewart]

I think it is invaluable. I have to say I was sceptical when our paperless office program supplier told us they were integrating the OP company's facility to SMS from the desktop within the paperless office program - but it is so useful and easy I don't undertand why dentists, opticians, doctors and other appointment based businesses aren't using it.

We use it for reminding clients of appointments, chasing up information already asked for, reminding about year end information and general contact. It is appreciated (so I am told by clients) as a ringing mobile is not always convenient to deal with (driving, meetings, cinema etc), then they have to remember to listen for a voicemail later. SMS is so simple, cheap and ready to be read when convenient.

It is part of the modern world and we as a company embrace it.

 

[Textlocal]

I have 10,000 business customer in the UK - across every market sector - deliver 10s of millions of SMS each month.

One sandwich shop in Telford (leading chain) has 3 A4 posters saying "Join our SMS text club, get VIP offers direct to your phone".

In the first month they grew a list of **1,500** numbers

They then spend £40 on SMS text messages to deliver a 2 for 1 promo - with a code in the message

They measured a 49% response rate at the till - and on promo 1 generated over £600 profit.

Nail bars and tanning salons (and hairdressers of course) are very good customers - having a quiet day - simply send a message to the pregenerated opt-in list and fill your shop in minutes.. with 50% off promo.

It is so simple - incredibly powerful - and not spam if you get peple to opt in.

I imagine that would be quite a number, can you show what the "sign" up rate is for several different industries

say

electrical

sandwich shop

nail bar

and

telesales?

 

[Babybots]

I get text messages from my dentist reminding me of appointments!!

 

I get text messages from my dentist reminding me of appointments!!

I've had them from the car garage reminding me when i've booked my car in.

 

[telemax]

Missed appointments must cost public and private sector industries billions. As a reminder service text messaging is peerless.

 

[Textlocal]

Ok.. so why is it that all businesses are not using SMS text?

My belief is that that assume it is spam, think it will be expensive, assume it is just for the "big brands" or are scared of new technology.

With Txtlocal.com we are showing that SMS text is none of these things - if used correctly it is the most effective communications tool available to UK businesses - enabling you to send instant messages to your own customers who have chosen to receive them - for pennies - using a powerful yet very simple control system - or by integrating into your legacy systems using the API of email to SMS gateways.

Mass adoption of SMS for SME's is coming - those that do not embrace "mobile" risk getting left a very long way behind....

 

Ok.. so why is it that all businesses are not using SMS text?

Because it's not suitable for ALL businesses

 

[saxondale]

Because it's not suitable for ALL businesses

I`ve sacked people for texting me.

 

[Textlocal]

Because it's not suitable for ALL businesses

So SMS lead generation could not be used by your company... if you ran a radio or magazine campaign? E.g:

"For a free consultation from one of our experts - text TEN to 60777"

.. the lead come in to your email address, and you call back the customer? If you don't already offer a freephone number, then this would mean the customer does not have to pay for the phone call.. and they don't get put in a queue....

Maybe not for your business, but you can see that many in your sector could utilise this?

A.

 

So SMS lead generation could not be used by your company... if you ran a radio or magazine campaign? :

"For a free consultation from one of our experts - text TEN to 60777"

It wouldn't work and yes we offer a free phone number

 

[Textlocal]

It wouldn't work and yes we offer a free phone number

It wouldn't work because you don't think people would text in - the wrong audience - or you just don't send out marketing?

 

It wouldn't work because you don't think people would text in - the wrong audience - or you just don't send out marketing?

Advertising in the press we do occassionally in the Sunday Times but having text TEN to XXXXX in my opinion wouldn't appeal to our target audience.

With regards to radio, well i am not a big fan of B2B on radio (i previously worked in radio advertising).

I am not trying to be argumentative but in business i think it is good no know exactly who your product would work and wouldn't work for.

 

[Textlocal]

www.txtlocal.com is clearly a B2B product and radio worked very well for us.. in fact I forgot all about it and I think I will try another campaign.

Theo Paphitis gave us a free radio campaign in a 2007 "local business award". It ran on local radio (see: http://www.smstoday.co.uk/blog/2007/08/theo-paphitis-d.html) - which we ran with a text number (text INFO...) - and we generated over 100 new signups (some very large companies that still purchase form us every week) and enough critical mass to take the business to the next level... I guess we were just very lucky. It even played on the bus that took my friends home from my wedding... and the bus company is now a customer too - use SMS for timetables and booking confirmations

 

[SFD]

When I worked in an estate agents about 9 years ago the company website had text functionality built in for people on the waiting list. They would set their criteria for the house they were looking for and when we added a property to the website it text out to all the people looking for that kind of property. We could also use it to confirm appointments and send out updates.

I thought it was a really good solution, saved a lot of time and customers seemed to love it as they were constantly updated.

I am quite surprised that 9 years on it doesn't really seem to have caught on that well within estate agency as it was such a great tool and win-win really.

In my current business I can't really see a use for it but I do believe it can be a great way of contacting customers in the right circumstances.

 

www.txtlocal.com is clearly a B2B product and radio worked very well for us.. in fact I forgot all about it and I think I will try another campaign.

Theo Paphitis gave us a free radio campaign in a 2007 "local business award". It ran on local radio (see: http://www.smstoday.co.uk/blog/2007/08/theo-paphitis-d.html) - which we ran with a text number (text INFO...) - and we generated over 100 new signups (some very large companies that still purchase form us every week) and enough critical mass to take the business to the next level... I guess we were just very lucky. It even played on the bus that took my friends home from my wedding... and the bus company is now a customer too ;-)

Al.....as i said i am not being argumentative!

I talk from our point of view and as i have said in my previous posts i CAN see the benefit of SMS to certain industries.

Our industry takes so much flack and we are all generalised as a whole. We know what works well for our business......the same as you do for yours.

 

[Textlocal]

Al.....as i said i am not being argumentative!

I know.. I didn't think you were - and neither am I!

I have the same feelings about email marketing... I don't beleive that works for us. It is hard to inspire people to use new technology and commit their money to a company that they have never heard of.... and also, I don't beleive that there are any truely "opt in" email marketing lists - so you run the risk of spamming people, and that is clearly not in the interest of an SMS company that is battling against that perception!

If any email marketers are reading this - and you know better - then let me know! We can embed a tracking code in the email and give you half the profit generated forever (about 20k per month ongong per 1000 businesses).

That goes for the stationary company (Royale Graphics) that voted "this is not for us"... you could resell keywords and SMS messages to your own customers (buying them from us for 1 price, and reselling for profit) - for very little effort and very good rewards... we have many people doing this already..

A.

 

[Textlocal]

I thought it was a really good solution, saved a lot of time and customers seemed to love it as they were constantly updated.

I am quite surprised that 9 years on it doesn't really seem to have caught on that well within estate agency as it was such a great tool and win-win really.

In my current business I can't really see a use for it but I do believe it can be a great way of contacting customers in the right circumstances.

Out of interest, what is your current business - I would love the chance to suggest a use for SMS text for your business (inbound or outbound) or mobile internet if there is one!

Thanks,

Al.

 

[Textlocal]

In fact, that goes for anyone.. if you are not convinced that SMS will work for your business then let me know what you do, and I will do my best to think of something... either a way to generate opt-ins from your own customers, ideas for a campaign to boost repeat business, or another use of mobile technology which you may never have considered before...

 

[Jeff FV]

An interesting thread - something I've not really thought about before.

Struggling a little bit to see how we could use it in our business (dots and spots) that our Twittering, Facebooking and email newsletter doesn't already do.

But in my day job - as a deputy head teacher - I can see how it could be useful. For example, towards the end of the summer term we have various groups of children going on different residential trips. I could see how sending a text to parents to say the group has arrived safely, or another one to say -for example - will be back at school 1 hour later than expected due to road works, would be beneficial. I'll certainly have a good look at your website and considering running a trial or two next term. (and who knows, with what I learn through doing this for the day job, I might then think of how to apply it to our business!)

Thanks

Jeff

 

[Textlocal]

Absolutely Jeff - during the snow in early January we signed up hundreds of schools, all sending snow alerts to parents ("school is closed today, do not come in"). It beat asking the parents to all sit around radios waiting for their school to be listed.

I work with many schools sending:

1) Absence alerts, texting parents if the child is not in school
2) "Important letter" alerts - when the child is due to take home a crucial letter - you advise the parent so that the letter does not remain at the bottom of the school bag. For example: "we are going on a trip! Please ensure you read and sign the letter that will be delivered to you by <insert name> today"
3) Snow, burst water pipes etc - asking parents to either not come in... or to come and fetch children

.. + much more.

I have checked out your site - agreed, SMS would have limited impact. For "fans" of your business you could have a list of people who want to be first to know about your products.. remember and SMS is ALWAYS read - where Facebook and Twitter alerts can easily get list in the noise (I follow 300 Twitter accounts.. and about 50 Facebook groups. If I was to follow you too - your message would be 1 of 100's that pass through each day..).

Let me know when you have joined - for charities and schools I will gift 500 free texts to test the service out.

A.

 

[Liybpg]

From a consumer point of view. If I would receive a message reminding me of something (e.g. job interview on a particular day, appointment etc) I wouldn't mind. If, on the other hand, it is some advertising (even offers), I would be very irritated as mobile phone is my private life and I don't what any advertising on there.
But maybe its just me. After all, if people sing up to receive these offers, they shouldn't be surprised if they do receive them. If, however they have just given you their mobile phone and you start sending them offers - it will most certainly have negative effect.

 

[Textlocal]

From a consumer point of view. If I would receive a message reminding me of something (e.g. job interview on a particular day, appointment etc) I wouldn't mind. If, on the other hand, it is some advertising (even offers), I would be very irritated as mobile phone is my private life and I don't what any advertising on there.
But maybe its just me. After all, if people sing up to receive these offers, they shouldn't be surprised if they do receive them. If, however they have just given you their mobile phone and you start sending them offers - it will most certainly have negative effect.

Absolutely...!

So.. do you fave a favourite local takeaway? I do.. Wok & Roll. (text WOK to xxxx to join our club - is printed on banners in the shop, till receipts, menus, newspaper ads, and on cards given to the customer with every order). Now.. imagine you have joined their club, and at 4:30pm on Tuesday you get a message saying:

"Hi friend, free rice or noodles with any order tonight + free drink. This weeks specials: Seafood with Asparagus £5.99 or Mussels with Black Bean Sauce - £4.99. See http://tinyurl.com/1c2 for menu. Call 01684555555 to order. Jim x"

It costs 4p for the takeaway to contact you - £4 per hundred loyal customers. If just 1 person comes in and orders the campaign cost is covered - if 20 people come in out of 100 = ~ £250 takings... for just £4 spend.

.. and you get a valued discount and a tasty meal from a local business.

 

[saxondale]

Absolutely...!

So.. do you fave a favourite local takeaway? I do.. Wok & Roll. Now.. imagine you have joined their club, and at 4:30pm on Tuesday you get a message saying:

"Hi friend, free rice or noodles with any order tonight + free drink. This weeks specials: Seafood with Asparagus £5.99 or Mussels with Black Bean Sauce - £4.99. See http://tinyurl.com/1c2 for menu. Call 01684555555 to order. Jim x"

It costs 4p for the takeaway to contact you - £4 per hundred loyal customers. If just 1 person comes in and orders the campaign cost is covered - if 20 people come in out of 100 = ~ £250 takings... for just £4 spend.

.. and you get a valued discount and a tasty meal from a local business.

no disrespect but all I`ve seen so far is your service "giving" money away

 

[Textlocal]

no disrespect but all I`ve seen so far is your service "giving" money away

... how? If it is 20 people who may not have come in to the takeaway that evening - and you are increasing brand loyalty - how is that giving anything away?

You are engaging your customers directly - from the shop owner directly to the pocket - offering something that will still generate profit for yourself, but a good value deal for the customer too.

Check out these 2 excellent food sector case studies: http://www.txtlocal.co.uk/casestudies/restaurants/

See these quotes from the food sector:

"Loving the Txtlocal service. We are getting 10-12% redemptions on texts sent out which equate to around £10,000 of sales for just £350 spent with Txtlocal.. phenomenal."
Domino's

"Txtlocal was recommended by a colleague who had experienced good results with the service. We use Txtlocal to inform our customers of special offer meal deal promotions. Campaign response rates have been as high as 24%, which is an excellent ROI for us."
Andrew P. Subway Franchise

"We achieved amazing results from our text campaigns. The service was easy to set up and is very user-friendly"
Marina: Le Cafe Anglais

 

[saxondale]

... how? If it is 20 people who may not have come in to the takeaway that evening - and you are increasing brand loyalty - how is that giving anything away?

You are engaging your customers directly - from the shop owner directly to the pocket - offering something that will still generate profit for yourself, but a good value deal for the customer too.

Check out these 2 excellent food sector case studies: http://www.txtlocal.co.uk/casestudies/restaurants/

See these quotes from the food sector:

"Loving the Txtlocal service. We are getting 10-12% redemptions on texts sent out which equate to around £10,000 of sales for just £350 spent with Txtlocal.. phenomenal."
Domino's

"Txtlocal was recommended by a colleague who had experienced good results with the service. We use Txtlocal to inform our customers of special offer meal deal promotions. Campaign response rates have been as high as 24%, which is an excellent ROI for us."
Andrew P. Subway Franchise

"We achieved amazing results from our text campaigns. The service was easy to set up and is very user-friendly"
Marina: Le Cafe Anglais

like I said "with respect all I see is your service giving money away" and you come back with more "buy one get one free" schemes.


the wife just changed hairdressed because of these text alerts.

 

[Investors-Wanted]

no disrespect but all I`ve seen so far is your service "giving" money away

This is just one example of what they offer. I have been a loyal customer with Txtlocal from the early days.

You could incorporate it to almost any application. Use it to remind a customer that their appoint is coming soon, send out birthday messages to loyal customers, put a form box in your website to have your business details sent to them as a text or even use it to give to you family to enable them to send a txt cheaper than pay as you go mobiles.

The only limitation I have found with Txt local is my imagination. I will be using it to allow users to send a message from my site about various businesses.

Look Saxondale, instead of knocking an idea, why dont you set up the free trial and explore how it could work for you. What have you got to lose!!!

Cheers

 

[saxondale]

Look Saxondale, instead of knocking an idea, why dont you set up the free trial and explore how it could work for you. What have you got to lose!!!

Cheers

I`m not knocking anything - coughs - read some of my other replies on the thread, not everyone wants disturbing

 

[Textlocal]

like I said "with respect all I see is your service giving money away" and you come back with more "buy one get one free" schemes..

How is creating profit that you sould not have done otherwise - on a quiet Tuesday evening - while at the same time increasing brand loyalty from local customers a bad thing?

Fine.. don't offer 2 for 1:

"Hi friend. Hungry? Come down to Wok & Roll tonight. This weeks specials: Seafood with Asparagus £5.99 or Mussels with Black Bean Sauce - £4.99. See http://tinyurl.com/1c2 for menu. Call 01684555555 to order. Jim x"

No special offers... just an announcement about this weeks specials - which you can take or leave. Menu attached.

You have OPTED to receive this... no one is going to be offended!!!

 

[Investors-Wanted]

I`m not knocking anything - coughs - read some of my other replies on the thread, not everyone wants disturbing

Sorry buddy, but I am a great fan of Txtlocal. They have saved me so much money compared to other systems I have used.

I do love their system becuase I found it so easy to link it to my exsisting system. their api takes the headache out of complicated scripting.

 

[Textlocal]

I`m not knocking anything - coughs - read some of my other replies on the thread, not everyone wants disturbing

.. try reading the thread. We are talking OPT IN... people chosing to receive messages. No... you don't like it. That's fine of course... but many millions of younger consumers in the UK do.

Besides.. if they have enough of your promotions, they can simply text STOP to opt out at any time. Simple.

A.

 

[Investors-Wanted]

.. try reading the thread. We are talking OPT IN... people chosing to receive messages. No... you don't like it. That's fine of course... but many millions of younger consumers in the UK do.

Besides.. if they have enough of your promotions, they can simply text STOP to opt out at any time. Simple.

A.

I get text's from my local domino's. Most of the times I don't want anything, but once a month I may take up their offer. Because they only text me once a week, I can see in the header who it is from, so I can read it or delete it. It is not much of an issue to me.

I do have the option to cancel the messages, but choose not to. I rather put up with a couple of text which takes a second or 2 to delete and save money when I do want to take up the offer.

 

[Liybpg]

Investors-Wanted,

Are you on commission? =)