SMS Uses - Page 2 of 2 - Best Text Marketing

Emergency Text Alerts

Providing emergency text alerts is a good way to reach a niche market. This article explains how emergency text alerts may be used, an the pros and cons of emergency text alerts.

The cell phone is one of the most prolific and flexible forms of communication we have today. Almost everyone has a cell phone, and the ways that they can be used to communicate are varied. From voice, to video, to text, cell phones offer a number of ways to get in touch with others. The text message is probably one of the most used ways to communicate. It is fast and effective, and many people like using text messages. On top of being a great communication tool, though, the text message can also be used in emergency situations to convey important information.

Using Emergency Text Alerts

Because it is possible to reach thousands of people at one time, with the same important message, emergency text alerts have great potential. College campuses already use them to provide updates on weather conditions and class cancellations. There are many reasons that text messages are ideal for emergency text alerts. Here are some of the characteristics of SMS text messages that make them so useful:

Short: Most text messages are short and to the point. There is no need to try and keep attention. A short text message can get the emergency information across effectively.
Attention grabbing: Most cell phones alert users when a text message comes in. Unlike email alerts, which can be sent to the junk mail folder without ever being seen, cell phone SMS text messages are usually read. The fact that the cell phone draws attention to the emergency text alert increases the likelihood that it will be seen — and complied with.
Customizable: It is possible to customize your emergency text message alert to say what you want it to. You change the text as conditions change, or provide updates. It is easy to customize an emergency text alert.
Reach thousands at once: You can send emergency text alerts to everyone on the list at one time. Every number that you have in your database can be reached at once. You only need to send out one message and thousands are made aware of something important.

As you can see, there are a number of advantages to incorporating text messages into your emergency alert system. For smart phones, it is even possible to create emergency text alerts that can be location specific, a type of SMS Proximity Marketing. You can set up a system that interacts with smart phone GPS to warn people away from a certain areas, as well as direct them elsewhere.

SMS marketing is fast becoming a way to reach hundreds — or thousands — of people at once. It also provides opportunities for SMS niche marketing that allow you to reach certain populations quite easily. For those interested in providing value added services, emergency text alerts can be helpful. Governments, schools, non-profit organizations, emergency responders and others can use emergency text alerts to keep the people on their list informed, and up to date on what is happening. There are a number of uses for text message marketing, and the ability to send emergency alerts is just one advantage that is available with the widespread use of cell phones.

School SMS Texts

Rather than banning group SMS text messaging, some schools are putting the new technology to use. All over the world, school SMS texts are keeping schools, parents, and students in touch and involved with each other. This article explains how.

SMS: What It Is

SMS, the acronym for Short Message Service, is a type of brief message that can be received by cell phones, but can be sent from cell phones, handhelds, or computers. SMS messages can be sent singly for a private conversation or in bulk for communicating with an entire community at once. Limited to 160 characters—including the alphabet, numbers, and other Latin alphabet symbols—the messages can be less disruptive than a phone call and more private than a phone call or instant message. School SMS text systems may provide capability of a larger number of characters than the standard 160.

SMS for a School Community

It is the nature of the school community that there’s always a lot going on. There are classes, homework, rehearsals, events, practices, games, meetings, testing, and conferences. On the other hand, there are also warnings and cancellations. Having an efficient system of communication that minimizes cost and staff time and maximizes effectiveness and participation are key. For some schools, SMS texts form an integral component of their communication system. The ideal is to find the niche marketing that works well by combining SMS texts with other means of communication, including snail mail, telephone, Facebook, Twitter, public address systems, etc. Given the likelihood of secondary and college students to have cell phones, to keep them close at hand, and to be very experienced in their use, they’re an ideal population for SMS texts to be part of the school’s communication system. In fact, a multi-faceted system is the best, capable of meeting the needs of different “customers” and carrying the different types of messages that might need to be sent in the most appropriate ways.

School SMS Texts and Their Uses

Schools use SMS texts for a variety of purposes.

• Safety Issues In case of emergency, it can be critical to share information as soon as possible and as widely as possible. SMS texts play a part in emergency notification systems, a number of which were put in place after the massacre on the campus of Virginia Tech raised awareness of how important communication was to campus safety. Students are required to opt-in to the system, and while some other schools have relatively low adoption, Virginia Tech itself has nearly 100 percent participation in the emergency text message system. Some students allow students to make anonymous reports of school bullying via SMS messages.

• School Closures In communities that regularly experience inclement weather, school cancellations are a yearly event. But other, unexpected, circumstances can lead to a school cancellation, and a phone tree isn’t a good choice in a school with 600 students. Bulk SMS, however, can quickly alert students and parents to a cancellation, weather related or otherwise.

• Attendance Checker In elementary and secondary schools, truancy as well as forgotten calls to let the school know a child is ill can be handled speedily with text messages. Parents can be encouraged to use SMS texts to report children’s absences in the first place.

• General Communication with Parents Rather than trusting students, particularly young ones, to deliver messages to their homes, SMS texts sent from the school can ensure that the information reaches the intended target. Parents can also be informed when report cards are sent home, when parent-teacher conferences are upcoming, when the PTA is meeting, the planned afterschool events for the day, and what the hot lunch menu is for the week. Progress reports from individual teachers could be sent via SMS message as well.

• Homework If appropriate for your educational setting, students could use the school SMS service to contact teachers with homework questions.

Sources

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36566978/ns/technology_and_science-security/

http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2009/11/025017.htm

http://www.fabit.com/products/mobile/sms/schools/Default.aspx

Retail SMS Text Alerts

Short message service (SMS) text alerts provide an opportunity for retail businesses to deliver messages directly to interested customers, build a more loyal customer base, and increase traffic and sales. Retail SMS text alerts can be an important part of a retail business’s marketing or advertising campaign.

SMS text messaging is rapidly becoming one of the most popular forms of communication, and retail SMS text alerts let businesses use text messaging to connect with their customers. When retail businesses start an SMS text alert campaign they are able to send short text messages directly to the phones of interested customers, which helps to keep the business fresh in the customers’ minds and encourage them to come in and shop.

There are several ways a business can use retail SMS text alerts to draw in potential customers:

Send SMS text alerts to customers to remind them about sales and other special events.
Use SMS text alerts to give customers exclusive updates, such as when a new product becomes available or a seasonal product line goes on sale.
Start a VIP text alert group for customers who sign up for SMS text alerts and send them special limited-time coupon codes, such as for an extra 10% off during a sale or over a holiday weekend. This motivates the customer to shop because they are getting a special deal and they don’t want to miss out on the extra savings.
Offer special contests for customers who receive SMS text alerts and come into the store, such as drawings for prizes or the chance to win special coupons during big sales events.
Invite customers to participate in polls or to share their thoughts about certain issues by responding with a text or going to a website. This allows customers to feel more involved with the store, which can increase customer loyalty, and it can provide useful feedback for retail businesses. A retail business may want to find out what new products customers are most interested in, when customers prefer to shop, or even which local charity the business should make a donation to.

Though there are many ways businesses can use retail SMS text alerts to connect with customers, there are a few important tips for increasing the success of retail SMS text message marketing:

Always get a customer’s permission to send text alerts to their mobile number. Never collect a customer’s phone number without their knowledge or send them messages without their consent. This is considered spam and will usually drive customers away.
Text alerts must be short (under 160 characters), but they should also be easy for all potential customers to understand. This means using traditional spelling and grammar, and not using texting shorthand, when sending out messages.
Retail text alerts should always provide information that customers will find useful and that will motivate them to do something, usually to come in to shop. An example might be, “Big sale this weekend at Store X. Come shop and save an extra 10% with code Save10.”
Find the right text alert frequency. Sending text messages too often will annoy customers and reduce the efficiency of text alerts, while sending message too rarely usually fails to help keep the business fresh in customers’ minds. Retail businesses may want to try sending SMS text messages once a week or every other week and then adjust their timing from there.
Track the success of an SMS text alert campaign. By giving text alert customers special codes, businesses can keep track of how much business the text alerts are bringing in, and they can use this information to make adjustments to their text alert campaign.

Medical SMS Texts

Medical SMS texts can serve a variety of functions for health care providers, both providing them with timely information and passing information between providers and patients. To understand more about the possibilities of medical SMS texts, read on.

What Are SMS Texts?

Short Message Service texts (often referred to by the acronym SMS) have become one of the most frequent ways people communicate. SMS text can be sent to cell phones from other cell phones, from computers, and from handheld devices. In the United States, messages are restricted to 160 characters, and allowed characters include the alphabet, numbers, and other Latin alphabet symbols. The message consists of content, a header, the message length, the phone number of the destination, and the time of sending. Multiple messages can be used to send longer content by employing a User Data Header (UDH), which connects a multi-part message, but cuts down on the characters that can be used in each part, as it, itself, takes up message space.

Your Medical Practice

Medical practices commonly have a need to have discreet, timely, and efficient interactions with many people. Medical SMS texts have the potential to be more discreet, timely, and efficient than phone calls or emails, and certainly more than snail mail. Beyond this, neither person is required to be at a computer for such a message to be sent or received, and if the message isn’t directly received and dealt with immediately, there is less chance of another person having access to it, considering how close at hand most people keep their cell phones. These characteristics of healthcare practice make it at least possible that using SMS texts for sending and receiving some of the practice’s messages—that is, using it as an adjunct to other forms of communication—might be useful.

Because there are laws about spam, and because patients have to pay to receive SMS texts, it is important to secure permission to use texting prior or initiating a program. It’s also important to consider whether texting is part of the lifestyle of your patients to know whether it would be a valuable addition to your particular practice. If your patients are older or unable to afford cell phones, instituting a medical SMS text program would not be a significant asset.

Potential uses of Medical SMS Texts

There are services available to help healthcare practices set up medical SMS texting, and they can help with setting up medical SMS texts for a variety of potentially useful purposes:

—From the Office to the Patient There are several types of information that a healthcare provider may wish to send to patients.

• Appointment Reminders Research has found that text messages to patients significantly reduces missed appointments. This can be particularly true for appointments that are made a long time in advance, or for patients who may have memory issues.

• Visit Follow-ups SMS text messages can provide a means to quickly check in with a patient after a visit, find out if treatment is working, and making sure that further care is not required or establishing that it is, in fact, necessary.

• Compliance For a patient on a complicated regiment of medication or a patient for whom compliance is an issue for any reason, SMS texts may assist in treatment adherence. SIMpill in London has created a pill bottle containing a SIM card to this end. It the bottle is opened at the expected time, a message is sent verifying the dose. If no message is received, the patient is contacted with a reminder message.

• Test Results A test-result delivery system called ResultsSMS works in 6 stages. 1) A medical test is performed. 2) The patient provides permission and a cell phone number for results, and in return receives a password. 3) An SMS informs the patient that test results are available and requests the password. 4) The patient sends a message with the password. 5) The test results are sent via SMS. 6) Optionally, further information based on the test results can follow.

• Health Alerts These are specialized alerts designed for target groups. It might be a reminder to susceptible patients to receive a flu shot, information about air quality or allergens for those who are likely to be affected, or information for pregnant women, or families with newborns, for example.

—From the Patient to the Office Similarly, there are several types of message that a patient might wish to send to a provider’s office.

• Patient Questions Particularly for a patient who is at work with a pressing question, initiating the conversation with a text message may prove to save time and maintain privacy.

• Prescription Renewals The prescription renewal process might be streamlined if patients sent an SMS text with a keyword so that all such messages could be gathered and dealt with at once, rather than using up an employee’s time on the phone.

—From One Medical Expert to Another Communication between healthcare providers and other providers or with support industries might also benefit from SMS texts.

• Medical News Access for Health Care Providers At least one service provides medical headlines via mobile phone.

Sources

The Federal Trade Commission’s CAN-SPAM Act website for businesses: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/134274.php

http://resultssms.org/

http://www.thetextworks.com/case-study/medical-services

http://www.doctorslounge.com/sms.htm

Church SMS Text Messaging

Unlike other sectors in which SMS text messaging is a no-brainer for greater reach, whether or not to use group text messaging should be a more considered decision for a church community. Keep reading to learn more about church SMS text messaging.

What Is SMS?

SMS is an abbreviation that stands for Short Message Service. It refers to a method of text communication that is used to contact cell phone users both from other cell phones and also from computers and handheld devices. Text messages can be used for private messages, for advertising, and for official communications to large numbers of people who are not present.
Any kind of regular text messaging should be done by having recipients of messages “opt-in.” This means having them make a positive choice to receive communications via text message. When sending advertising, it is imperative to follow the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing) to make sure you’re in compliance.

Your Church Community

Whether SMS contact will be of use in your community will depend on several factors. First, does SMS messaging fit with the message and style of ministry practiced at the church, or could it? In a church that focuses on a simple, unencumbered life, endorsing the use of what may seem to be a luxury item could be viewed as taking the message off-track. The second important consideration is whether your parishioners have cell phones and know how to use them effectively for texting. An older community may not either have the phones or the technology skills. The third question is—even if using text messaging is totally in line with your message—whether your community members can afford the extra cost of text messaging.

If SMS messaging fits the church’s message and fits the congregation, then it’s worth considering the variety of ways in which churches can use text messaging to be in touch with their congregations. It’s important to plan use of church SMS text messaging, inform your community, and secure their involvement before starting out with messages. Also important is not to replace face-to-face contact with electronic communication. There are companies that can assist with SMS text messaging programs and campaigns, or you can evolve a program on your own.

Potential Uses of Church SMS Text Messaging

There are a number of ways that SMS text messaging can be used to promote community by a church. Here are some ideas:

• Reminder of activities dates and time. Whether it’s letting people know about major events, like a church bazaar or a mission, scheduling changes, or special series, text messaging can provide initial awareness and reminders. Training for ministers or workshops would also fit this category.

• Information about special content of regular services. SMS text messages can also be used to create awareness when there is a special service that people would not want to miss, such as the funeral of a community leader, a baccalaureate celebration, a guest minister, or an interfaith celebration. It can also be used to announce the topic of a prayer group’s weekly discussion, for example.

• Spiritual messages. Text messages with daily Bible quotations or inspirational thoughts are a possibility. They could also be used to follow-up on topics raised in a sermon or homily or in a Bible study group or prayer meeting.

• News. When a community is close-knit, sharing news can be an important aspect of community life. If community members are engaged in ministering to their fellows when they are ill or in need, text messaging can be used to alert the community to the needs of their fellows, taking the place of phone trees, for example.

• Participation. Some ministers and pastors have experimented with using SMS texting as a way to elicit congregation participation during services, asking questions about the sermon, for example. Whether to try this should be a carefully considered decision, as it could be disruptive if not executed well or if not supported by the community.

• Communication. For those who text message avidly, it can replace email or phone calls as a way to stay in touch and minister. Whether to use SMS text messaging for personal communication with the Church community is probably best made on a person-by-person basis.

Sources
The Federal Trade Commission’s CAN-SPAM Act website for businesses: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

Fan Club SMS Messages

Fan club short message service (SMS) messages can be a very efficient way to communicate with fan club members. Fan club SMS message can serve a variety of purposes ranging from entertainment to brand promotion and marketing, but the different types of fan club SMS messages have some elements in common that fan club administrators should be aware of.

Fan club SMS text messages are a popular way for fan clubs to communicate with their members. SMS messages allow for direct, instant communication with fan club members through their cell phones or mobile devices and can also provide a way for members of fan clubs to provide feedback or input. Fan clubs come in a variety of forms, ranging from those supporting entertainers and artists to those promoting a business, brand, or product. Regardless of the type of fan club, fan club SMS messages can be used in many ways:

To alert members about special events
To share important or interesting news
To announce new releases
To offer special deals or contests
To get feedback from fan club members

Marketing with fan club SMS text messages can be very effective because it provides a way to send immediate, exclusive information to fans and build a better relationship with fan club members. Members sign up to join the fan club and receive the SMS messages because they are interested in the special news and promotions or contests offered by the fan club. The fan club administrators can then send out messages that they know the fan club members will be interested in, and that should reach the members when they need it to. There are several examples of how this can work to help organizations and their fans:

An artist can alert fans about a last-minute change of venue
A retail business can let fans know when a new product will be released and even offer a special coupon code to encourage customers to buy the new product as soon as it’s available
A band can have a contest for fans who attend a performance to win a chance to meet the band. The winner would receive a special message on their cell phone at the concert that they would use to get in to meet the band after the show
A sports team can let fans buy early tickets or get a discount on tickets or special seats
An entertainer can announce his or her tour schedule first to fan club members
A company that is designing a new product can get input from fan club members, such as by finding out what features they are most interested in

Organizations can find many creative way to use fan club SMS text messages. By providing fan club members with exclusive information and offers, they can allow fans to feel more involved, increase fan loyalty, and encourage fans to come to events or purchase products.

People or organizations that want to start an SMS text message fan club should keep a couple of guidelines in mind since sending bulk text messages requires an investment of time and money:

Before starting an SMS text message marketing campaign, decide on your goals and your budget for the fan club SMS messages, and then track your success so you can make adjustments as needed
Only send messages to people who signed up to receive them. Messages that people did not sign up to receive will usually be regarded as spam, which are a waste of money and can damage an organization’s reputation
Keep messages interesting. This means only sending messages when there is something to say, and not sending them so often that they become annoying.
Make sure the messages are clear and will make sense to the fan club members.

By carefully planning their SMS text message campaign, fan clubs can use SMS text messaging as part of an effective strategy to stay connected with their fans.

Bar or Nightclub Text Alerts

Many bar and nightclub patrons use cell phones and other mobile devices for text messaging, which provides an opportunity to connect with these customers through text alerts. Bar and nightclub text alerts are a form of short message service (SMS) text message marketing that offers many ways to increase business for bars and nightclubs.

The popularity of text messaging among the niche marketing of bars and nightclubs has made bar and nightclub text alerts a form of marketing with a potentially very high return on investment. Bar and nightclub text alerts can be effective because they:

Are targeted to a specific, interested audience
Reach customers nearly instantly, allowing bars and nightclubs to get their messages to customers exactly when they need to
Can feel more personal or exclusive to customers than many other forms of marketing or advertising

Bars and nightclubs can use text alerts to connect with their patrons in several ways:

Send text alerts to remind customers about special events
Offer exclusive discounts or deals to customers who are signed up to receive text alerts to encourage them to come in and bring friends
Use text alerts to confirm that customers are on the guest list
Notify customers of last minute changes through text alerts, such as a change in bands or a guest appearance by a celebrity DJ
Text customers with special offers to encourage more customers to come in when the bar or nightclub is below capacity
Set up several different text alert groups to target messages to specific groups, such as having a text alert group just for salsa night or for open mike night
Allow customers to interact with the bar or nightclub or give feedback through texting, such as voting on whether or not they like the current band or DJ or what their favorite drink is

One of the potential drawbacks of bar and nightclub text alerts is that customers need to sign up to receive them. Bars and nightclubs can encourage customers to sign up for text alerts by offering special deals to customers who receive text alerts. This encourages patrons to sign up for text alerts and to come in to the bar or nightclub to take advantage of the deals they receive. Customers who belong to a text alert VIP group or receive special deals through text alerts may also develop a stronger sense of loyalty to the bar or nightclub, making them more likely to show up and to advertise the bar or nightclub through word of mouth.

It is fairly simple for a bar or nightclub to set up a text alert campaign:

Sign up for a text alert service, such as an SMS text messaging service or a short code service, which allows the bar or nightclub to choose keywords that customers send to a special short code to receive text alerts.
Spread the word to patrons about the text alerts through signs, announcements, or other forms of marketing. Make sure customers know that they are signing up to receive text alerts and that they will receive exclusive deals and information for doing so.
Start creating and sending text alerts. The text alerts should be short, clear, and should always offer something interesting to customers and encourage them to do something, for example, “Ladies’ night tonight at Club ABC. Women text ‘Dance’ to 20000 for an exclusive code to get $10 off cover charge. Good tonight only, so hurry over!” Vary the deals offered to customers to keep them interesting.
Find the right frequency of text alerts to keep patrons interested without sending so many text alerts that customers start ignoring them. Bars and nightclubs may want to start with sending text alerts once or possibly twice a week per text alert list.
Keep track of the traffic generated by text alerts and make adjustments based on the results.