The Growing Power of Mobile and SMS Marketing and How Your Brisbane Business Can Start Using it
Question: What do some industry experts believe is 300% larger than the Internet?
Answer: The Mobile Phone Network.
In this post I’m going to look at the power of Mobile phone and SMS marketing and introduce a service that Redcliffe Marketing Labs can set up for Brisbane area businesses.
In fact the service works in 40 countries so if you are an exporter you could just as easily run a campaign in China.
‘So….. what do you do?’
How many times have you been asked that question by new acquaintances or at a networking event?
Imagine being able to say and do this:
‘Have you got your phone on you? Good, TXT your email and the word ‘coach’ to this number and I’ll show you’ as you pass them your business card (replace ‘coach’ with a word related to your industry.)
As soon as they send the message they get a reply SMS thanking them and telling them to check their email. An email arrives in the next second explaining exactly what you do and offers them a discount coupon or access to a free resource that you have written about your specialty. (Rolling out in the near future their phone will also ring and your recorded voice message will play when they answer the call.)
You have immediately set yourself apart from anyone else they have met that day; you have captured their email address and mobile phone number for later follow up if needed and provided them with information that establishes your expertise in your chosen field. If you included a discount offer then the prospect has a strong call to action to follow up with you if they are interested in your product or service.
Now imagine doing this from a stage with a room full of people interested in what you have to say and provide…..What a way to collect leads for your business and generate some buzz in the room.
The same message can be included in multiple touch points of your business – newspaper ads, vehicle signage, flyers etc.
You can try it yourself to see how it works:
TXT your email address and the word marketing to 0429883462
You might be thinking ‘Hang on, this is nothing new…’ and you might remember the call to action in the quit smoking campaigns of ‘SMS QUIT to XXX XXX’.
Try to find another SMS marketing system that:
1. Is affordable for small businesses, tradesmen, speakers and bands,
2. Is free from long term contracts,
3. Incorporates email functionality,
4. Allows you to set up a complete campaign of pre-populated SMS messages and emails that go out on auto-pilot, and
5. Has a 30 day trial for $1.
SMS messages have an incredibly high open rate at 97%. Do you have many customers that don’t carry their mobile phone on them? Many people are flooded by emails so this system can greatly increase the chance that your email will be read as the receiver has been alerted by SMS that it is there.
Moreover, it’s hard to craft a message with a compelling offer or pass on an online link address in a 160-character SMS, so the email functionally provides this extra capability. Its a great partnership.
Thinking hat time!
How could you use this in your business to improve your lead capture and customer communication ability?
Are you a restaurant owner with a slow evening ahead and want to drive business via a broadcast of a last minute discount?
Are you a speaker looking to sell those last couple of tickets for an event and want to let your subscriber base know.
Are you a band playing at a local gig and want to remind your fan base to come along and get involved?
I’d love to know how you think you could leverage this in your business and would be happy to bounce ideas with you in the comments section below. Please feel free to add your thoughts.