In Australian there are more mobile phones than the total population. Every single phone can receive SMS messages. Now I hear what you are saying- its tacky marketing, basic text and a limit of 160 characters, however there has never been a better time for this type of communication as it cuts through to the consumer better than any other medium 90% of the time.
The average Email open rate is 22%, 29% for Tweets and 12% for Facebook ads.(Source: Frost & Sullivan 2010, Slick Text). With these numbers it only makes sense to test this medium.
The key issues that will directly influence the success of a SMS campaign are;
- Using Permission based mobile numbers
- Clearly identify who has sent the SMS
- Simple way to unsubscribe
There are many ways to brand your message so that is does not look generic. You can personalize it with the name of the recipient as well as including in bold your company name and offer.
Avoid acronyms and abbreviations as this makes it hard to decipher. You can always include a link to a URL landing page for further information and registrations.
As with any direct marketing offer make sure you have a call to action and an expiry date so as to give your offer a sense of urgency.
DataConsult can help you with designing an SMS package including list selection and broadcasting.
Costs for SMS including data selection and broadcast are $0.50 per mobile send. A $350 set up fee is also charged. GST +. Minimum 10,000 records.