They identified 5 barriers that were responsible for repressing the take up of opt in sms services.

The full research article is available on the IAB web site and is well worth a read.

The 5 barriers to consumer opt-in

1. Awareness. 32% of consumers did not know about this type of service, or the benefits associated. The IAB and DMA recommend promoting the mobile marketing service using existing relationships and touchpoints, and welcoming consumers with an initial message once you have their details.

2. Perceived cost. This remains one of the most significant barriers to getting consumers to opt-in, with many believing that it will cost them money to receive messages from brands – 71% of respondents were wary of any costs that may be associated. It is essential that sms services are exceptionally clear in their communications with consumers of the costs associated with mobile messaging, which are often zero and should consider making responses also free.

3. Relevance. If consumers are to accept brand messages on their mobile devices, they remain adamant that these offers should be relevant and targeted – 71% saw unwanted sms messages from brands as a real barrier to opting-in. Brands have a real responsibility to let consumers know what kinds of messages they will be receiving, with a clear activation and retention programme.

4. Control. As always, consumers are keen to retain control over the mobile messages they receive from brands – 70% of respondents were concerned about having no control over what was sent to their phone, whilst 61% were worried about not be able to opt-out once having opted-in. Whilst reassuring consumers about the frequency of mobile messages is important, brands are required to adhere to the ‘Universal Stop’ policy, which makes unsubscribing easy.

5. Privacy. In line with digital communications in general, consumers are very conscious of sharing personal information – 64% of those surveyed did not want to opt-in to SMS or MMS because they thought they may have to share personal details. From the outset, brands need a clear communication to give consumers confidence that their privacy will be protected, and ask permission before sharing details with any third parties.

Jon Mew, head of mobile for theIAB said: “The research shows that once the mobile audience are opted-in to your communications, they can be one of the most receptive and engaged groups for brands, with many seeing mobile messaging as the best way to keep informed of relevant offers and services. The challenge now is for marketers to work out the best way to get these people on board – respect them, reassure them, and make sure they know there are no costs associated with this type of marketing to maximise your customer acquisition and retention strategy.”

Choose your bulk sms supplier with care

If only sourcing the right sms software company was as easy as finding the lowest price and signing up. As usual, it’s a little bit more involved than that. Companies package their products and pricing in different ways that make differentiating all the possible suppliers a tricky business.

So here’s a list of simple questions that you should be asking of your potential sms software company. You’re after straightforward, waffle-free answers that give you confidence that they can deliver.

Is the bulk sms pricing transparent?

We know that some companies have a complicated credit system where it takes more than one text credit to send to a UK mobile. So what on the face of it appears to be a great price could actually cost you up to 50% more. Are there any set up fees, minimum orders of ‘price plans’? You should be able to set up a free sms account and then purchase as many or as few sms credits as you need. Also, watch out for expiring credits that get removed if they haven’t been used in 12 months.

Does the company use a direct connection to the UK Netowrks?

This is a popular topic amongst us sms software companies and has been covered thoroughly in a previous article. All you really need to know is that non UK sms gateways suffer reliability problems and often have poor or non existent delivery reporting. So a UK connection is the only option.

Where are the sms software company’s systems hosted?

How reliable are the servers that your business sms service will run on? What back up procedures are in place? Are there any guarantees on ‘up time’?
Granted this is all dull technical stuff but it’s important that you can rely on the service being up and running 100% of the time.

Does the sms service have an opt-out / unsubscribe tool provided at no cost at the point of setting up the account?

The best practice guidelines issued by the Mobile Marketing Association state that you need to have a text opt-out option on your text campaigns. This means that customers who no longer wish to receive your sms alerts can quickly and easily remove themselves from your list. If the sms software company is not offering this as standard, then you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

What are the payment options?

Flexibility is the key here. You should be able to make payments for sms text credits online and automatically. Are the text credits added to your account automatically or does someone have to add them manually. Can you pay by invoice if you wish without a price penalty?

What experience does the sms software company have?

How long have they been about and who have they worked for? Mobile marketing is not just about having an efficient sms solution but it’s also about getting the advice in getting the strategy right. Choose a company that want to get involved in helping your sms campaigns succeed.

It’s for this reason that we’ve had a surge of software developers that are switching to Text Marketer’s SMS API. We’ve put together an incredibly attractive package that allows software developers to switch SMS API suppliers with the minimum of effort.

Many software companies have bulk sms deals in place that are no longer competitive and in some cases we’ve been able to reduce the cost per text by as much as 2.5 pence. For a company sending around 50,000 sms per month, that’s a saving of £15,000 a year.

Switching to a lower cost SMS API is not just about the cost saving though. There is redevelopment work to be done that requires time and resource. There’s also the uncertainty that comes with a new supplier. Are they going to be reliable and trustworthy?

The software developer package that we’ve put together addresses these concerns and provides a solution that minimises the hassle and worry about choosing a new SMS API provider.

Why choose Text Marketer for your bulk SMS API

• One low, flat rate per sms, regardless of the sms volume that your systems send
• No set fee or monthly fee
• Loyalty rebates for long term customers
• Free test platform with as many free text credits as you need
• Unlimited technical support – both over phone and on site
• Dedicated integration technician – express response – all support queries addressed within 30 minutes
• Connections to all UK networks (Not via the Isle of Man or Jersey.)
• Bullet proof systems and IT infrastructure – hosted with global leader Rack Space – 100% ‘uptime guarantee’
• All systems developed within Text Marketer
• Blue chip  clients include Microsoft, Samsung, MOD, Exxon Mobil, Red Bull, Interflora, Cineworld etc.

So the cost savings are there to be had! We’d welcome the opportunity for you to put us to the test. You can be sure that we’ll do all we can to make the transition as hassle free as possible. Please contact us on 0117 9249207 for a chat.

The charity has put together a Quizaid Pack that contains quiz questions and all the materials needed to publicise the quiz event. In order to make it easier for fund raisers to apply, Christian Aid are using Text Marketer’s SMS software to allow people to apply for their pack by text.

The process is simple. Applicants simply text the word QUIZ, followed by their name and address to short code 88802. The sms software then captures the person’s mobile number and their details and sends them an automated text response letting them know that their pack is on its way. By making it easier for people to apply, the charity is maximising the response, resulting in more fund raising events taking place throughout the country.

Lower costs drives increased use of sms software

SMS software and text response services have become increasingly affordable in recent months. Text Marketer’s sms software is completely free with sms credits at the lowest rate in the industry. A text response service costs just £25 per month and there is no minimum period or contract. The service even has a 7 day trial so that companies can see that the service is right for them before spending any money.

With such low costs, many more companies are incorporating an sms service into their marketing and communications strategies. By including a text response on advertising and marketing materials, companies can expect uplift in overall response of between 15% and 20%. Additionally, by giving customers the option, around 50%, choose to make contact with the company by text. (source Mobile marketing association)

To find out more about how sms software can benefit your organisation, please give us a call on 0117 9249207. Alternatively, you can set up your sms response service by following the simple wizard.

Will we see an sms voting service in 2015?

As the dust settles on the election, Orange have released some figures revealing that 20% more of us would bother to vote if there was a text messaging service that allowed us to do so.

The stats come from the Orange Election Report, which surveyed about 2000 nationally representative adults. As well as the need for a text messaging service, the survey also found that nearly a quarter of 18-24 year olds have received information on the general election via social networks and 11% have actually commented on it using social networking sites.

Anthony Parker, author of the Orange Digital Election Report says: “It’s clear from this research that the use of technology by the political parties has made politics more accessible and interactive, and ultimately more interesting to a younger audience.”

What’s particularly striking about this research is the implications that it has for our electoral system in the future. If 20% more people voted because there was a simple text message service, then it would seem very probable that this type of technology is lkely to become more prevalent next time around in 2010.

A text message voting service would undoubtedly bring some logistal challenges around data security and the voting procees would also need to be fairly slick or people would lose interest and either not bother or vote in the tradional way.
So let’s hope that sms services and technology in general play a more central role in engaging the country’s younger voters with the whole process.

Companies wanting to find out more about how they can reduce the impact of their waste on the environment, now have the option of texting a keyword to a 5 digit short code. The text response option is now being implemented on a number of business marketing materials being deployed during 2010.

Traditionally an sms service such as this has been used mainly by business to consumer companies but increasingly B to B companies are taking advantage of the increased response rates that can be achieved. If you give people the choice around half of them will choose to make their initial contact by sms. (source – Mobile marketing Association)

The take up of sms services by business to business companies has been surprisingly slow and the feeling that sms solutions are the preserve of the consumer still remains failry well entrenched. The notion that you need thousands of people to make sms marketing worth it just don’t stand up. Just because a campaign is going out to a relatively low number of recipients, it doesn’t mean that it is in any way a less effective channel.

SMS services – an attractively low cost option

A text response service costs just £25.00 a month and there’s no set up fee or minimum term. An outbound sms account can be set up for free and you can purchase as many text credits as you need for your campaign.

If you’d like to find out more about how sms could work for your business, please give us a cal on 0117 9249207.

When most people think of how their business might use a web sms service, they think of using it a marketing tool, a way of contacting thousands of customers or prospects with a sales message.

Well that it of course true but there’s also a much more mundane and down to earth use for a text messaging service. Think of the mobile phone simply as another way of communicating with people. In the same way that you might drop someone a quick email you can also send them a text alert. It doesn’t have to be all about selling, it could just be that you have an interesting bit of news that you’d like to let everyone know about.

Increasingly customers are using web sms as a way of keeping in touch with members of staff, particularly if they are home based or spend much of their time out of the office.

Sending someone an sms that requires the recipient to do something, creates a sense of urgency that sending an email just doesn’t achieve. It’s all too easy for people to say the email never arrived or got stuck in a spam filter. So if you need something done now, then sending a text is an obvious way to go.

Whether you’re sending a text to an individual or thousands of people, the whole process takes a minute or so and there’s no software to download or install.

As there is no minimum order or set up fee, Text Marketer’s sms software is the ideal tool if you’re looking to dip your toe in the water with web to sms. The text message prices are the lowest in the industry and there is a ‘best buy guarantee’ that ensures that you are getting the best deal.

Guide Dogs deliver mobility and access services that meet the needs and aspirations of blind and partially-sighted people in the Uk.

Registered runners for a wide range of races receive an sms alert of encouragement the day before their big race.

“Good luck tomorrow! We’ll be there to cheer you on & meet you after in the Royal Albion. Thanks for your support! To reply, send DOGS + your message to 88802.”

The bulk sms service also includes a text response option so that runners can respond to the texts of support that they receive.

Jayne, who was one of 500 Guide Dogs runners in the inaugural Brighton marathon, texted:

“im so looking forward to the first brighton marathon 2moro and doing my little bit for the guide dogs. I think its going to be a brilliant day. Jayne ”

There are dozens of events nationwide where people are running to raise money for Guide Dogs, the next one being the London Marathon on 25th April. The bulk sms service is an innovative way for the charity to make a stronger connection with its supporters on whom it depends.

The mobile optimised site has been plugged into Text Marketer’s SMS gateway so that order confirmations are now sent to customers by text. By integrating into the sms gateway, customers receive messages that merge information from the customer’s record such as products ordered, name and address and order value. For customers who are making their first purchase from their mobile, the sms alert provides peace of mind that their order has been received correctly.

Increase in SMS Gateway Traffic

Text Marketer has noticed a rapid increase in the use of its sms gateway in the past 12 months as more and more business start to integrate the use of sms into their web sites and applications.

Integrating your systems with the sms gateway is very straightforward. Account s are free to set up and come with 10 free text credits so you can test the sms gateway before you spend any money. Text Marketer’s low sms costs, combined with its Best Deal Guarantee will ensure that you always have the best overall package.

If you have any queries, please feel free to call us on 0117 9249207.

They have integrated their own customer contact system with the sms gateway as a powerful and flexible solution to their sms communication requirements.

By using the sms gateway rather than a standard account, there is no need for them to export mobile data from one system and upload it into another.

Text campaigns are sent directly from the customer’s system and can use specific customer information to send tailored text alerts. Individuals receive messages specifically for them as opposed to one message being sent to a group.

The SMS gateway uses simple HTTP GET requests to communicate with the Text Marketer gateway server which allows for flexible and rapid intergration of systems. The SMS gateway also generares delivery reports so that users can monitor that their campaigns are being delivered and any ‘dead’ numbers flagged.

Set up your SMS Gateway account in 1 minute

Setting up an SMS gateway account is free, accounts come with 10 free text credits so that you can test the system at no costs. (Please let us know if you need more sms credits for texting, we’ll be more than happy to add more to your account.) We’re pleased to offer very low sms costs even if your systems will only be sending low volumes of texts.

At Text Marketer we have an experienced team of techncial people ready to assist with any SMS gateway integration issues of queries that might arise. It’s very likely that they will have come across similar sutuations to yours and will be able to advice on the simplest solution.

We’ve helped many software developers intergrate with our SMS gateway, so please feel free to call on 0117 9249207.

The report in its entirety is a little ‘dry’ but the general gist of it, is that sms is likely to continue and evolve over time rather than be taken over by some new form of communication.

This is good news for marketers wishing to capitalise on the success and responsiveness of sms by using an sms gateway to communicate with prospects and customers. Unlike email which has become increasingly frustrating to work with, using an sms gateway is still refreshingly simple, cost effective and responsive.

Low Spam Count

One of the keys to its success is the lack of spam that we all receive on our mobiles. It’s remarkable that sms has been around for over 10 years yet most people receive little if any sms spam. When was the last time you received a Viagra offer by text? According to the Mobile Marketing Association, the open rates for sms is over 98%, the same certainly cannot be said of any other communication method.

Free SMS Gateway Account

So if your business hasn’t yet taken the plunge and started using an sms gateway, now might be a good time to start. With Text Marketer’s account, there are no set up or monthly fees and your account comes with 10 free text credits so that you can test the system at no cost. As well as taking advantage of the lowest sms gateway costs, Text Marketer is the only sms provider that gives you a free unsubscribe tool so that your customers and prospects can easily remove themselves from your list should they wish.
We are always on hand to give you ideas and advice about how sms can work in your business. Please feel free to give us a call on 0117 9249207.

However, a hefty 67% of people would be happy to receive sms text alerts in the future.

Nearly 60% would positively opt in and 80% of people say they would be interested in text response service that requested a call back.

The results of this survey are in line with a report from the telecom regulator Ofcom, which found that the UK is the second highest texting nation in the world, sending around 83 billion sms messages per annum.

It’s always good to have some stats to back up what we know customers feel about receiving sms alerts. So if you’ve been feeling unsure about whether to use a bulk sms service, now might be the time the act.

How can you set one up, quickly & easily?

1. Get a FREE Text Marketer account
2. Order a keyword to enable your account to receive incoming messages
3. That’s it. You’re set up for your customers to text you, receive instant automated replies and then text alerts.

Need to integrate texting into your company software or web site?

No problem. We have a full two way SMS Gateway Service which would allow your web or software company to integrate full incoming and outgoing text messaging functionality into your CRM Software or Web applications. Send your developer to our SMS API Integration spec’ for them to see how straightforward it is. In many cases, it’s a matter of hours and you’ll have the same functionality as you do with emails but by text messaging.

Setting up an account is free and our message costs are the lowest in the industry.

If you’d like a chat about how business text messaging could be used in your business, please feel free to call us on 01179249207.

The Mobile Data Association’s recently released figures show that our appetite for the medium remains undimmed and in the UK we send an eye-watering 11 million text messages an hour.

“The continued growth of sms messaging is highlighted by a 2009 daily average of 265 million text messages and 1.6 million picture messages. 2009′s text message total was 96.8 billion, while over 600 million picture messages were sent across the whole year.”

Some of the recent growth is down to new generation handsets, making it easier and quicker to send texts and the increasing popularity of ‘bundled tariffs’ has driven down the cost.

Bulk SMS – The prospects are excellent

These figures are good news for mobile marketers wanting to use bulks sms to get their message across. With sms remaining as popular as it is, there is clearly plenty of scope to use an sms gateway as both a branding and a direct response tool. Bulk sms still generates far more response than any other direct marketing channel and hasn’t been ruined by spam in the same way that email has.

There are no set up costs and sms marketers only pay for the messages that they send. Bulk sms message costs are also the lowest in the industry.

Using Text Marketer’s bulk sms account, they have been able to upload mobile numbers into different staff groups. Sending a message is simply a case of choosing the appropriate group, writing the message and selecting the time that they wish the sms to arrive. The sms campaign will then arrive on the mobiles simultaneously at the given time.

The bulk sms gateway can be accessed from anywhere with a web connection, so business sms alerts can be set up from wherever the sender happens to be.

Using sms as a way of keeping employees in touch, has an immediacy that no other communications channel can match and for field based staff can be an essential day to day business tool.

Accounts are free to set up and come with 10 free text credits. Bulk SMS message costs are also the lowest in the industry.

Using a bulk sms service really comes into its own at times like this. There is simply no more effective way of letting everyone know what on earth is going on. With decisions to stay open or close being made at the last minute a business text service keeps people informed instantly.

There is no set up cost or monthly subscription for Text Marketer’s sms service and bulk sms costs are the lowest in the industry.

The automotive retailing industry is very well suited to using sms as a way of communicating with its customer and prospect base. Dealers tend to hold a high proportion of mobile numbers on their databases but the potential of the mobile phone as a channel for communication is often overlooked. 

Dealer Benefits

Achieve higher response rates – text messaging is 5 times more responsive than direct mail.
Dramatically reduce phone bills. – sending a text to a customer is up 95% cheaper than a call to a mobile
Save time – time to phone 15 customers, 45 minutes approx. – time to text 15 customers, 1 minute
Create massive impact, builds customer loyalty -23% of people will show or forward an sms marketing message to a friend. (Source – Mobile Marketing Association)
Zero entry costs for SMS Service - accounts are free to set up and come with 10 free text credits
Easy to set up – no software downloads, only requirement is an Internet connection

Can I use my customers’ mobile numbers for sms campaigns?

There’s a huge amount of confusion in this area. Dealers are concerned that they might be breaking data protection or privacy legislation if they send sms campaigns to their exising customers. The regulations on this however are simple and make a lot of common sense.
If your customer or prospect has given you their mobile number during the course of your discussions, then you are permitted to send them an sms message or text alert You do however need to make sure of the following…

• Quote your company name in the message, so people know who the text is from!
• Quote your business contact telephone number.
• Include an sms opt out in your text (e.g ‘to stop further messages, reply STOP to this text) There is more information on Text Marketer’s opt out system later in this guide.
• You are only allowed to send sms messages on the same broad subject as your original communications. In other words, if someone rang for a new vehicle test drive, you can’t then send them a promotional text about a free pizza offer!

More information on this subject is available on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

Using an SMS Service – It’s not just about selling!

It’s easy to think about the potential for bulk sms just in terms of selling services, MOTs and new / used vehicles. The mobile phone is in fact just another communication tool that you can use to communicate with your customers and prospects on a range of subjects.
You might consider setting up a customer text club where customers receive regular driving safety tips, reminders to check tyre pressure, oil level etc.
The most effective mobile strategies combine service messages, which have a tangible value to the customer, with specifically targeted promotional text campaigns.

How can I use an sms service in my dealership?

There are almost endless ways that dealers can use text messaging, some examples are:
Car ready for collection – ‘Your car is now ready for collection, please call in at Service Reception where your keys are waiting for you’
MOT/Service reminders – ‘Your car is now due its service, please contact our Service Department and we will be delighted to book it in at a convenient time’
Courtesy/thank you messages – ‘Thank you for servicing your car at Ricardo’s Motors, we look forward to seeing you in the Spring’
Questionnaire follow-up – ‘Don’t forget to complete and return our customer questionnaire in time for the prize draw on Saturday’
Sales lead generation – ‘The all new xxxx has arrived! Call our showroom today and we’ll deliver a brand new car to your home for you to test drive’
Part now in stock – ‘The parts that you ordered have now arrived, please call in at the Parts Department’
Deferred Sale -‘Your tyres are probably due to be changed now. Please call Service Reception on 01234 56789 and we will arrange a convenient time to change them’

Increase open rates to e-mail campaigns with sms campaigns

Text campaigns are particularly effective at increasing the open rates of e-mail campaigns. Open rates have been dropping steadily for years now as we’re all buried under piles of virtual junk. In contrast to this, the open rate for SMS is over 98%. Using an SMS service can be a very powerful way to alert customers about an e-mail that will be arriving in their in box.
E.g – ‘News! Look out for an e-mail this afternoon containing exciting information about new service offers for your vehicle ABC ltd, 012345 56789′

Targeting your message to the right audience

The more relevant that you make your offer to the customer, the higher the response you can expect. By segmenting your customer database into different types of customer, you can send tailored text messages to the different categories.
Within your account, uploading groups is quick and simple and you can upload as many different databases as you wish.

What type of sms messages work best for car dealers?

Each dealer will want to tailor their text campaign for their own customer base. There are a few golden rules that can help you get the best possible response from your sms campaign.
Don’t Be Tempted to Use Text Speak
Some of your target audience won’t mind ‘text speak’ but you can be sure that some of them will be incensed by it! Text speak can be confusing and projects an unprofessional image.
Don’t Cram In Too Many Points?
A standard text message is only 160 characters, so don’t be tempted to crowbar in multiple offers. Keep it simple, concise and clear.
Tell Your Audience Who You Are.
This may be obvious but don’t assume your customers will immediately know who the text is from. Within your account, you can change the sender ID so that the customer knows who the message is from before the text is even opened.
Have A Strong ‘Call To Action’.
Ensure 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’
Start your text with an attention grabber that will arouse curiosity and induce the customer to read on. This is normally a single or couple of words, often in capitals. The word ‘news’ is particularly effective.

Can my customers reply to the texts that I send them?

Yes. Your account has a 2-way element that allows you to receive reply messages from your text campaigns.
To receive responses you require a unique keyword that is applied to your account. The customers then replies with the keyword as the first word of their reply text.
Replies are stored in your sms account and can be viewed live. You can also choose to have the responses e-mailed to you or sent to a web address if you wish.
Text Marketer will provide you with a text response number that you need to set as the sender name so that people can reply.

160 characters isn’t very much to get our message across. Can we send a longer text?

Yes. You can send a text of up to 614 characters or 4 standard text messages. If your message contains over 160 characters it will use more than 1 text credit. Longer sms messages arrive on the mobile phone as 1 message.

Is there a best time of day to send out my sms campaign?

To answer this question you need to think like a customer. For most working people the only opportunity during the day to sort out personal issues is during the lunch break. Aim to have your sms campaign arriving between 12pm and 2pm. If possible, avoid Mondays as this has been proven to be the least responsive day of the week.

How can I tell if my messages have been received?

For each text campaign that you dispatch, a delivery report is automatically created. This lists all the mobile numbers that you sent to and provides an outcome against each one. (Delivered, undelivered or pending.) Messages that are ‘undelivered’ indicate that the number you have attempted to send to is incorrect or is no longer active. You can remove the ‘undelivered’ numbers from your database so that you don’t send a text to inactive numbers again; this is a great way of cleaning your data and saving money on future campaigns.

How can my customers opt out from receiving further sms promotions?

Allowing people to opt out from your bulk text campaigns is crucial. There is nothing that will irritate your customers more than making it difficult for them to unsubscribe from your sms alerts.
Text Marketer have built a text opt out service into the standard sms marketing account which comes free for every customer. There is no set-up or monthly fee for either the account or for the opt out system. The system works using a keyword that the customer texts in to a 5 digit short code. An outbound text with an opt out might end with the following…
‘to stop texts, reply STOP’.
When the customer sends their reply, their mobile number is then stored in a database in the customer account. Every time an sms campaign is sent, the system checks the opt out list and deletes any numbers that appear in the opt out database. So, if someone has opted out from receiving texts, your account will not permit any further messages to be sent to that number.

Can I put a text response option on my marketing and advertising campaigns?

Yes.
If you give people the option, around half of them will choose to respond to your advertising and marketing by SMS.

Boost your green credentials

Using text as part of your communication strategy can project a strong environmental message. The automotive industry pushes billions of pieces of mail through the Royal Mail every year. The figures are really quite sobering and by using sms where possible to replace mailed items, the saving could be very significant.

But that is only part of the story. Just as crucial to reliability are the systems in place that connect to the networks. There’s no point in have a direct Network connection if the servers are prone to falling over on a regualr basis. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link, so the saying goes.

So when companies are assessing different sms gateway providers, they should be asking where the provider’s systems are hosted. Server hosting companies vary enormously in quality and offer different services level agreements. SMS gateway providers need to be using specialist hosting companies that will guarantee server ‘up’ time.

In order to eliminate any server issues, Text Marketer uses Rack Space who is recognized as the global market leader in server hosting. They offer a guarantee of 100% up time.

In addition to bullet proof server hosting, Text Marketer has also developed a system architecture that maximizes the reliability of the sms service. Now for non-techies, all this means is that we’ve done all we can to make sure your bulk sms campaigns are delivered as planned. For the more technically minded, you may be interested in a quick overview of how this is achieved.

1. Our servers are based in a load balanced, clustered environment.
The idea is that internet load is balanced between machines and should one machine fall over another can take its place. The application server is the machine that does the processing of our code.

2. Our servers have RAID 1 (or mirrored) disks
This is where you have 2 hard disks in the server that mirror each other, should one fail, the system can keep running.

3. We use 64 bit Unix
All this really means is that we are using the most up to date operating system on our servers.

4. Managed backup
We have systems in place that back our data up to an off-line storage medium. This means should everything fail we still have the data to rebuild our systems.

If you have any specific technical queries, Nick Rich, our Technical Director is the man to speak to. He can be contacted on 0117 2050202

This disruption might be the impetus that some businesses need to look at business sms as a low cost alternative to snail mail. Using a bulk sms service is an effective and simple way to make sure that day to day communications are untroubled by the chaos with the mail service.

Companies use business sms services for a whole range of day to day communications, not just for generating new sales. When they experience first hand how effective it is, they often use it in areas of the business that they hadn’t originally intended.

 “When we first got our sms account we used it in the Service Department for sending customers MOT reminders. Then the Parts Manager saw it and wanted to use it to let customers know when their orders had arrived. Now the Sales Department also sends out texts with latest used car event details.” Alan Wilding – Evans Halshaw

You can try Text Marketer’s bulk SMS service for free by signing up for a free trial today. Setting up an account will take no more than a minute or two and your account comes with 10 free text credits so that you can test the service before purchasing additional text credits.

Following customer research, we have now built into all accounts the ability to upload numbers straight from Excel, without having to save the database as a .csv or .txt file.
This improvement will save time when uploading your numbers and makes sending your bulk sms campaigns even easier.

When you are preparing your database for upload, make sure that your list of numbers is in column A and that there is no column header. Duplicates and badly formatted numbers are automatically removed in the upload process.
The following mobile number formats can be processed.
07900122321
447900122321
7900122321
+447900122321
Please see our detailed instructions if you would like more information on uploading numbers to a group.

We’re always looking for ways of improving our systems and big thanks to all our customers who gave us such useful feedback. If you do have any ideas for how you think your Text Marketer account can be improved, please let us know, we’d love to hear from you.

Red Bull are using sms to keep sales team members informed about the latest developments, so they are never out of the loop.

Bulk SMS Service – It’s not just about marketing

When many people think about a bulk sms service, they think about sending out a sales message to the whole database and using it as a direct marketing tool to drive sales. Bulk sms is indeed a very low cost and effective way of comunicating an offer to your existing customers and prospects.

But there are many other ways that text can be used within your organisation. Essentially the mobile phone is just another communication ‘channel’ that you can use in a similar way in which you might use e-mail, the postal service or a fax.

As mobile handsets become increasingly powerful, they are becoming more central to people’s working life and so it makes sense to incorporate their use into your internal communications.

Setting up an account is free and your account comes with 10 free text credits, so you can try the service at no cost.