Textabit Blog

SMS is Vital to Crafting Retail M-Commerce Strategies

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:30:27 +0000

Mobile sites and mobile apps may command most of the sex appeal when it comes to mobile marketing, but SMS is vital to online retailers’ marketing strategies.
While retailers and marketers spend ample time developing mobile apps and sites, David Geipel, co-founder of QWASI Inc, says text messaging is the workhorse of mobile marketing, and can work to boost the profile of apps and sites. “Text messages are direct, conversational and interactive, something that is not always true about other forms of mobile engagement,” he says. “As brands deploy apps and mobile web sites, SMS becomes even more important to drive customers back to the apps or newly designed and updated mobile web sites.”
Every retailer faces the decision about how to balance various parts of a mobile marketing strategy, he says. But every mobile marketing plan needs to include text messaging. “SMS is the lowest common denominator to any strategy, and it cannot be ignored,” Geipel says.

Mobile Commerce To Grow Rapidly, with SMS Playing a Critical Role

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:03:25 +0000

Mobile commerce is expected to reach $31 billion by the end of 2016 and grow at a rate of 40 percent each year for the next five years, according to a report published by Forrester Research.
Coca-Cola, for example, is currently testing the use of vending machines that accept payments via mobile device with SMS, eliminating the need to carry coins to make a purchase.

With these machines, consumers can simply walk up and text in to buy a beverage. Consumers do not have to register or download an application to use this form of payment, and the cost of the beverage is charged to the consumer’s mobile phone bill. The brand also benefits by using the SMS data to send special post-purchase offers to consumers, and therefore drive additional purchases.

Doug Busk, head of mobile brand strategy for global connections at Coca-Cola Co., said: “What we’re seeing in a couple of use cases is that this increases purchasing frequency … Any time you take friction out of the system, you increase frequency.”

Payment by SMS text is also now accepted and widely used by major nonprofit organizations.

Many charitable organizations, including the American Red Cross, Feed the Children, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and United Way have started to integrate text-to-give tactics as part of their fundraising campaigns. By texting a specific number or phrase to a short code, consumers are able to donate funds. The micro-donation is simply added to the donor’s phone bill.

CBS Favors SMS Campaigns

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:24:06 +0000

Broadcast network CBS has opted for SMS calls to action as opposed to QR codes within its print advertisements to draw in primetime viewers. CBS is creating buzz for its fall lineup that includes five new series with SMS calls to action, which let consumers learn more about the TV shows. The ads bridge mobile, video and print.
“Everyone has phones that support SMS,” said Philippe Browning, vice president of advertising and operations at CBS Mobile, Los Angeles. “QR codes have an added barrier with a download and although we are interested in it and have experimented with the technology, it doesn’t have the same value of a text,” he said.
With their campaigns, CBS was interested in using SMS because of its simple format that draws in any consumer with a mobile phone. “We wanted to do something that everyone could interact with”, Anne O’Grady, executive vice president of marketing at CBS, said.
SMS marketing is particularly useful for print advertisements because it makes a static medium more interactive by connecting readers to digital content. Also, there is no need to download an application. “We wanted to use short codes because it’s an easy way to incorporate mobile and give users additional content,” Ms. O’Grady said.

SMS Remains at the top of the Mobile Marketing Eco-System in 2011

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:44:42 +0000

Consumer usage, mobile ad spend, smartphone penetration and mobile site proliferation tell the story that the mobile medium has reached the level of maturity that no brand can afford to ignore.

But what are the big mobile playgrounds of 2011? SMS Text Marketing is right at the top. From day one SMS delivers universal accessibility without huge barriers such as driving application downloads, navigating Bluetooth protocols, or hoping a consumer walks by your geo-fence.
SMS is the flexible intermediary – it can deliver a jump off to a mobile Web page, a phone call or the beginning of a two-way brand relationship. And in contrast to Twitter, an SMS campaign can use the targeting and customer segmentation of a brand’s most sophisticated direct mail drop.

In 2011, brands will more broadly begin to use SMS to engage consumers directly in two-way discussions, amplify campaigns from other channels such as print and outdoor, and solve “no one opens my app a second time” challenges.

Using Mobile To Find Restaurants to Eat

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:31:47 +0000

It’s no surprise that finding nearby restaurants and dining options is one of the ways that people use their mobile phones. Everyone’s got to eat, right? New findings from a broader mobile study last year by Yahoo and Nielsen, however, aim to shed more light on the connection between cell phones and eating out or even or ordering in.

To find dining information, about a third of respondents (34%) remembered seeing a dining ad on their mobile device via mediums such as text messaging, and most of those (77%) “sometimes” or “always” looked at it. “The data shows an evolution,” says Edwin Wong, Yahoo director of market research, in a Yahoo blog post Monday. “Before, it was the early adopters and ‘foodies’ who were driving toward fine dining and niche dining experiences, with users accessing sites like Yelp.com. As mobile usage has grown, we’re seeing more interest in mass market dining info. That’s a trend we expect to continue.”

It also makes sense that if people are already on the go, using their phones to find a place to eat, they’re more likely to opt for a less upscale place to eat, rather than a restaurant requiring a reservation. “When on the go, people often make dining decisions spontaneously, according to the Yahoo/Nielsen study. “They do a little research, usually taking no more than a few minutes to come to a decision.”