“The best way to get something done is to begin”

The unknown author of the quote above makes a point that we can all recognise. Procrastination in putting a mobile marketing plan together is completely understandable. Inertia is a powerful force. To counter this, one of the strengths of mobile marketing is that you can get going quickly and efficiently and with next to no budget.

There will be no need for committees, conference calls or meetings in bland hotels halfway up the M5. You will be able to set up a free bulk SMS account and have your first SMS campaign out the door is something less than half an hour.

Mobile marketing isn’t mysterious or complicated, you just need to have an idea about what you like to communicate with your customers, prospects or staff . You only have 160 characters to get your point across, so you’ll not need to chew your pencil, agonising about the right creative.

Set up an account now, used promo code NIRVANA10 and your account will come preloaded with 100 free text credits, so your first SMS marketing campaign could cost you nothing. Using your bulk SMS account is very straightforward and intuitive. In terms of button pressing help you can either watch a video on the basics or if you prefer you can download full written documentation.

When you first log into your account, you’ll be taken to a screen called Quick Send. From here, you can send yourself a test message from just one screen. You simply copy and paste your numbers , write your message and press submit .

So now could be the time to get started. If you would like to chat through how mobile marketing could work for you, please feel free to call us on (0117) 205 0202.

Choosing the right supplier from the mobile marketing industry is frankly a bit of a nightmare.

Companies seem to package things in different ways, have different sms pricing structures and appear to do as much as possible to confuse the hell out of you. There also appears to be a very wide range of prices for what appears to be the same product. Why on earth does it have to be so complicated? Well for companies who are looking for a simple outbound sms solution that allows them to communicate with their customers or staff by text, it really needn’t be too tough.

There are however a few simple guidelines to buying sms marketing services that we think you need to be aware of.

Guideline number 1.
Beware the sms credit.

We’ve come across a number of text marketing companies that quote their services on a per credit basis. Sounds reasonable, 1 credit means 1 text right? Wrong, unless you happen to be sending your messages to Dubai that is. Be warned that to send sms messages to the UK networks may require using 1.7 or 1.8 credits. So what on face of it might appear to be an amazing deal, actually turns out to cost nearly double what you had expected.

Guideline number 2.
Don’t buy before you tried!

When you choose a text messaging company you’re making a reasonable commitment, so it’s worth getting it right. You should be allowed to test the service, have a play, make sure you’re happy with everything before you start spending your cash. Does the system do what you want and expect it to? How was your support request handled? Did the support team seem experienced?

Guideline number 3.
Don’t reinvent the wheel.

The chances are that your use for sms marketing will have been done before either for a company in your sector or possibly a competitor. So choose a company who can advise you on the best way to run and structure you campaign. Why make mistakes that have been made before. We’ve all had the ‘rookie error’ experience and they can be costly. (You can always ignore the advice if you don’t rate it!) Take a look at our ‘Seven Deadly Sins of Mobile Marketing’ e-book to avoid the worst howlers.

Guideline Number 4.
Price is important… but make sure you’re comparing eggs with eggs

We all buy on price, it’s our basic instinct. What makes things slightly more confusing in our industry is that there are a huge number of possible services, and a huge range in the quality of these services. I’m not just talking here about the ‘value added’, nice to have stuff either, I’m referring to the basic reliability of being able to send a text and it actually arriving on the phone with no delay.

If you’re buying other telecoms services such as phone lines, the product is pretty much always the same; not so with sms services. There are hundreds of ‘gateways’ that sms providers can use to access the UK mobile networks. Some of these are woefully unreliable and do not support even the most basic tools such as delivery reporting and sender ID, (who the message is from.)

It won’t be a surprise to learn that the lower quality gateways can be offered at a lower price than premium gateways. For some applications, where a client is sending hundreds of thousands of messages a month, then these gateways make perfect sense, but for many companies who might be sending a few thousand or less, this is a serious false economy. It’s also worth keeping an eye on how pricing effects your monthly spend on SMS marketing. If you are sending 1000 texts a month, a price difference of 0.6 pence per message makes a whopping  difference on your monthly spend.

If you haven’t already got an account, you can set one up here. Use the promo code ‘nirvana9′ and you’ll receive 50 free credits to test the service.

Give us a call on 0117 2050202 and we’ll do our best to demonstrate that we’re not talking nonsense but can actually deliver on this. We look forward to hearing from you

Question(s):

What’s the differencee between long codes and short codes? When and how should I use them? How much do they cost?

Short Codes

Short codes are mainly used to generate response from advertising or marketing activity. A responder will text in a keyword to a 5 digit short code, e.g 88802. The responder then receives an automated text response letting them know what will happen next. The responder’s mobile number, date and time of text and the content of the text itself are captured and stored.

The incoming text can be routed to an email address and can also be viewed in your Text Marketer account where all responder information can be downloaded to an excel spreadsheet or csv file.

As long as the keyword is at the start of the text and followed by a space, then everything else is captured. This means that you can collect other data such as email or postal addresses.

We offer 2 types of keywords. Value keywords start with a number (e.g 2book) and standard keywords are any word that you wish.
Value keywords cost 5.00 + VAT a month with no minimum period and the first week is free. Standard keywords cost £25.00 + VAT a month, again with no minimum period and the first week free.

You can find out the availabilty of keywords here.

Automated text responses cost 3.7 pence + VAT

Long Codes or Virtual Mobile Numbers

Using a long code allows people to reply to the bulk sms campaigns that you send them. They do not need to start their text with a keyword, so no matter what they send, their entire text is captured. Long codes can also texted directly so customers might be able to text you with specific query for example.

The incoming text is routed to you via email. You can then reply to the person by text, using your email system. The reply is then routed back to the person’s mobile as a text. So that you can see who has sent what, the entire conversation thread is captured.

All responses are also captured in your account and can be downloaded to an Excel or CSV file.

Long codes costs £10.00 + VAT per month. There is no minimum period or contract, so you can cancel at any time.
Each organisation has their own virtual mobile number or txtUs number.

If you’d like to get up and running, stage one is to get a free account set up. Use the promo code Nirvana8 and you’ll receive 50 free text credits.

Chapter 7 – Getting an SMS Campaign up and running & The Costs

Firstly, of course, you need to have your data sorted out. We’ll assume you’ve got this but if not, it is covered in Chapter 1.

Let’s start with the costs. Always a popular topic! Text Marketer offer the lowest rates of text messaging in the UK for quality SMS delivery (see our SMS Buyers Guide to read more on quality).

Our highest cost is 3.7p per message, for lower volumes. But, you can get buy at 2.6p per message for much higher volumes. See our Bulk SMS prices page for the full sliding scale of costs.

So for example, an SMS Campaign of 1000 would cost just £37. If you compare this to say direct mail, which would probably be around £500 (or more) per 1000, you can see it is incredibly cost effective – not to mention more responsive! (There’s a great direct marketing comparison article which looks at the benefits of texting over other direct marketing and compares the costs and responsiveness and ROI – there’s even an environmental benefit of using texting!).

GETTING A CAMPAIGN UP & RUNNING

Here’s the easy bit. Sending out a text campaign is as easy as copy & pasting your numbers in the system, writing a message and pressing the send button! Most could have a campaign out within a few minutes and the messages would be on people’s phones within seconds.

As a great visual example, take a look at our videos page and watch the “How it works in 60 seconds” video.

I WANT TO GET STARTED – HOW TO …

Over the years, we’ve heard this from literally thousands of companies. But, they’re not sure what information they need. So we’ve produced a “Getting Started in SMS Marketing” page which has 5 categories of customer and the ‘basic’ information required as well as ‘advanced reading’.

This will provide all the information you could possibly need in terms of getting your first campaign out.

Don’t forget our 50 free credit offer below too – why not give it a go just with 50 of your customer base and see what the results are!?

So this chapter is all about answering this simple question….

Am I allowed to send my customers a mobile marketing campaign?

This really is one of the most frequently asked questions on the subject of mobile marketing . The place to go to get chapter and verse on this is The Information Commissioner’s Office website. There, you’ll find a very dry document, the vast majority of which is irrelevant to mobile marketers.

On the site they do however have a helpful FAQ’s sections where the following, very specific question is asked.

Q: I want to market my customers, both existing and potential, by phone, fax and email. Is there anything I need to be aware of? (Mobile marketing is covered by the same rules as email marketing.)

The response is as follows:

Emails and text message

“You must not contact individuals without their prior consent UNLESS you have obtained their details in the course of a sale or negotiations of a sale, you only contact them about your own similar products or services and you give them the opportunity to opt out of receiving further marketing messages each time.”

So if a customer or prospect has given you their mobile number, then you are more than entitled to include them in a bulk sms campaign without them having specifically opted in. You need to make sure you include an sms opt out and that you’re not selling them something completely different.

All Text Marketer accounts come with a free opt out code that customers can text in to remove themselves from future mobile marketing campaigns. It’s a failsafe system that adds their number to a stop list, so that they can’t receive any more text messages from you.

So hopefully that’s cleared it up for you if you had any doubts. I think the rules are common sense really but please feel free to call us on 0117 2050202 if you need further clarification.

If you haven’t already got an account, your can set one up for free. Use the promotional code ‘Nirvana6′ and you’ll get 50 free text credits.

The next chapter is all about the practicalities of getting a campaign up and running. Where do you start and what it is likely to cost?

Chapter 5 – The Response Mechanic

It’s always struck me as such a pretentious marketing bullshit expression, ‘response mechanic’, but I can never come up with a succinct alternative, so we’re stuck with it I’m afraid.

So what we’re covering is how should people respond to your mobile marketing campaign, what are you asking them to do? There a few golden rules here; mainly common sense but definitely worth spelling out.

Be Clear
You’ve only got 160 characters to get the message across. So you’ve got to crowbar in the offer and then the instructions. So whether you’re asking them to call you or reply to the text, make sure it’s absolutely clear what it is you want them to do.

Be Instructive
You’re trying to get people to act here, so you need to instruct people what to do. So, if you’re wanting people to call you, don’t just quote the number but ask people to call it. E.g – “Call us now on 0118 2345600.” If yo’re asking them to reply to your mobile marketing campaign, make sure it’s clear what they need to reply with.

Call or Text?
Whether people should call or text you depends on your market, your offer and what’s likely to most appropriate. Think like a customer. What would be the path of least resistance for your target market? You’ve just sent them a mobile marketing text so in most instances, it’s logical for them to able to reply to the text you’ve just sent them. Don’t make the customer work too hard. The easier you make it for people to response the better the response is likely to be. (We once had a customer who amazingly said that he didn’t want to have a text reply option as he didn’t think he’d be able to handle the response.)

Should I also include a link to my website?
Including a link to a website in your mobile marketing campaign in theory is a great idea. it allows you to break free of  the restrictions of 160 characters and can give your customers more information when their interest is at its peak. This is only a good idea however if your website is optimised for mobile or you have a specific mobile site. You end up looking a bit silly if you merrily send people off to a site that takes 5 minutes to load and is completely unusable.

So keep your instructions simple and logical. Make sure that you’re not making your customers junp through hoops.

Why not set up a free account so you can get your first mobile marketing campaign going? Use the promo code nirvana5 on sign up and you’ll get 50 free text credits. Bargain.

Next week we’ll go into a bit of detail on the legal side of mobile marketing. You’ll find out whether you are actually allowed to send your customers bulk sms campaigns. Scary stuff. (Not really actually.)

Chapter 4 – Timing

So all your mobile marketing ducks are in row. Data segmented – check, irresistible  offer created – check. Now you’re ready to unleash your mobile marketing campaign onto a grateful and appreciative customer and prospect base. But when should you send it? What’s the best day of the week? What time of day? How much difference will getting the time right make anyway?

The answer I’m afraid is disappointingly woolly. And the answer is… it depends. It depends on who your target market is and what you’re asking them to do. In some sectors, optimum timing is easy to establish. Text Marketer does a lot of work with the fast food sector, where the objective is pretty obvious. Ring up and order a delicious pizza or curry. So clearly sending the message out just after breakfast wouldn’t get the phones ringing. The perfect time for a fast food mobile marketing campaign to land is  about 5 p.m. Early enough for you not to have put much thought into what you’re having for supper but long enough after lunch for the hunger pangs to be kicking in.

So what about other sectors?

Common sense applies. If your mobile marketing campaign is aimed at consumers then you need to make sure that they are going to be in a position to response immediately. Any gap will reduce the likelihood of that person responding. Even if the offer is bang on, life has a habit of getting in the way. A few more texts come in, the phone rings and before you know it your message is long buried in the inbox and forgotten.

With most of the country working, there are 2 main periods that we’d have a chance to respond. The first is around lunch time, between 12 and 2pm. It’s the first time that most people will have had the chance to check personal emails and texts. They’re also likely to be free to phone or go online to investigate your offer in more detail.

The second period is at the end of the day between 4 and 6. Many people’s working days are drawing to a close and thoughts are turning towards getting home. Lots of people will be sitting on buses and trains, going through their texts and checking their emails.

In terms of which day of the weeks is best, we haven’t really picked up any significant trends except to avoid Monday. It’s a grim day where we keep our heads down and get on with it.

Establishing the best time for you is all about testing. Try the same offer to similar clusters of customers at different times of the day or days of the week. It’s all about trial and error, refining and tweaking.

If you haven’t already got an account, your can set one up for free. Use the promotional code ‘Nirvana4′ and you’ll get 50 free text credits.

The next chapter is about the response mechanic. How should you ask people to respond? Should you ask them to reply to the text or should you quote a phone number and URL? Or all 3?

Chapter 3 – The Message

You’ve got all your data organised and in good shape and you’ve segmented your database into distinct categories. You’ve even come up with different gobsmackingly tempting offers to put forward in your mobile marketing campaign. Here comes the creative bit; the message itself.

A common mistake is to try and cram too much information into one text. Do this and you just end up with an incomprehensible mess that noone will understand. The golden rule is to keep it simple and make sure that you clearly tell people how to take up your offer. So the main points to bear in mind are as follows..

Don’t Use Text Speak
Some of your target audience won’t mind ‘text speak at all but a good many of them will be infuriated by it! Text speak can be confusing and can project an unprofessional image.

Don’t Cram In Too Many Points
A text is only 160 characters so don’t be tempted to crowbar in loads of offers. Keep your bulk sms campaign simple, concise and clear.

Tell Your Audience Who You Are
This may seem an obvious point but don’t assume your audience will immediately know who the text is from. Within your account, you can change the sender name so that the customer knows who it’s from before the text is even opened.

Have A Strong ‘’Call To Action’
Make sure that you make it clear what you want the customer to do. Don’t just quote your phone number but ask the customer to dial it. E.g Call us now on 080012345678

Use An ‘Attention Grabber
Try to start your text with an attention grabber that will arouse curiosity and compel the customer to read on. This is usually a single or couple of words, often in capitals. The word ‘’news is particularly effective.

We’ve put together a few example messages that may give you some inspiration for your own mobile marketing campaigns.

Example SMS Messages…

NEWS! EJ Wines are now extending their 20% discount offer until 6 pm this Friday. For amazing offers on all our wines, call us now on 01234567890. www.ejwines.co.uk

Weather forecast is cold and wet. Cosy up at The Rock Inn from £125.00 for 2 nights B+B. Roaring fire, local ales, fine wines and dining. Call 0123456789 or reply ROCK to this text.

Beat the queue! Show this text at Metropolis Nightclub before 10pm tonight and we’ll take you through the members’ only entrance. Free single shot at the bar with this text.

MOT NOW DUE! Your car is now due for its MOT. Please call Mullins Ford now on 012345 67890 to book your car in. www.mullinsford.co.uk

JOB ALERT! Please call Access Recruit now on 012345 67890. We have a number of exciting new vacancies that match your skills and experience. www.accessrecruit.net

A massive 50% off all sports products at Campus Leisure this weekend. Logon now to www.campusleisure.biz. This offer will end at 7 pm on Sunday, so logon now and quote code X13.

If you haven’t already got an account, your can set one up for free. Use the promotional code ‘Nirvana3′ and you’ll get 50 free text credits.

Next week’s chapter is all about the timing. When’s the best time for your offer to land on people’s phones?

Chapter 2 – Grow Your Mobile Database

Give people a text response option

You’ll have come across text response mechanics a million times on TV and radio ads. Typically, you’re invited to text a keyword to a five digit short code and someone will get back to you. The motor manufactures are particularly keen on this even if they don’t always execute it particularly well. (See a recent article on Volvo’s S60 campaign. In contrast one of our customers in financial services does this superbly.)

The results of including a text response on your advertising are pretty stark. If you give people the choice, around half of them will choose to contact you using the sms option. You can also expect to get an overal uplift in response of about 20%.

With these sorts of results, it surprises us in the mobile industry  that so few companies include a text reponse on any of their marketing materials. Essentially, if your advertising is about getting people to do something, then there’s a strong argument for including a text response on all your marketing. So any activity that includes your company phone number or website address should also include a text option.

So by far and away the best way of growing your mobile database is to allow customers and prospect to contact you by text.

Show me the tools

Using a text response on your marketing is low cost and ridiculously easy to set up. All you need to do is check that the keyword that you want to use is available. Then set up an account and order your keyword. The whole process takes about 5 minutes. The first week is also free so you can get the whole thing set up and tested before you spend any money.

Next week’s chapter is all about the message. You’ve got 160 characters, how on earth do you make the most of them?

Special Offer

If you haven’t tried mobile marketing yet, get a free Text Marketer account – use promo code NIRVANA2 when you sign up and get 50 free SMS credits.

So in the first chapter we take a look at the starting point of all campaigns – your data.

Chapter 1 – Your Data

Who do you think you’re talking to?

For business clichés, you’d have to rank the 80/20 rule as number one yawn. Coming just slightly behind that I submit, is this old chestnut. It’s 7 (or 8 or 10, in fact any number plucked from the ether) times more profitable to sell to your existing customers than it is to find new ones.

Cliché it may be but there’s certainly more than a grain of truth in it. So step one is to take a look at your existing customer data. Have you got any mobile numbers for your customers? How are they stored and can they be easily accessed?

Mobile numbers are your raw materials for your mobile marketing campaigns, so get them organised. Understand what you’ve got and work out how to export them from your customer database.

Once you’ve got to grips with that, you can take a look at how this data can be segmented into different groups.

Target the human, not the mobile number

With other direct marketing channels like email or direct mail, there is a limit on the number of different offers that you can practically implement. Mobile marketing thankfully does not share the same restrictions. As there are no creative costs, you can segment your database into much smaller target markets. The more precise and relevant a mobile marketing campaign is, the higher the response rate. So the lesson here is to create distinct customer types that you can target with offers that are most likely to appeal to them.

You’ll probably have a surprising amount of information on your customers, such as products purchased, frequency of purchase, revenue generated, lapsed customers etc. Use this wealth of information to create your target clusters.

Special Offer
If you haven’t tried mobile marketing yet, get a free Text Marketer account – use promo code NIRVANA1 when you sign up and get 50 free SMS credits to test the learnings from this chapter.

Coming up next week in Chapter 2 …
In the next part of this series, we’re going to look at how you can grow your target lists and how you can use sms response on your marketing activity to generate new prospects. Gripping stuff.