Would you use Text Message (SMS) Marketing

To me, it is like spam in your e-mail. My phone is for people I know to get a hold of me, or customers to call. I do not want to get advertisments on my phone, unless I ask for them to be delivered.

Just my opinion.

I guess I never looked at it like that. My fear is now that the cell phone numbers are going public, we will get spamed without anyone selling the numbers. Maybe I am wrong.

Right now, it isn't something I would be interested in, because I have been using free advertising and it works so well.

That said, people spend more and more time on their phones checking email, shopping, playing games etcetra. I can see that text marketing would be a way to go.

Back in the day when Americans drove down route 66 and other famous hwys, billboards worked great due to the high volume of traffic.

If your audience uses text more than calling, it would be a good fit.

I am a startup business in tax prep. I am the only employee I have. What free advertising are you using, how is it working, and can you give me any ideas on marketing? Obviously my busy season is coming up in late Jan, so I have some time to get things in motion.

I appreciate your insight. Would you be interested in being contacts? I am open to new ideas, just sometimes a little thick headed and need a good nudge in the right direction. You seem to be a good person to do that. Any help I can give you, I will.

Hi George. I am using reciprocal marketing on social media sites.

It's a simple process. You send an article/info about your business to someone and they post it somewhere. In return they send you an article/info about their business and you will post it somewhere.

Of course it is best to collaborate with relevant businesses. I would guess that since you are in taxes, you could work with accountants, office suppliers and virtual assistants.

I run a business resource site (http://iiwomen.com) and would like to collaborate with you. I have a Facebook fan page, Twitter page and blog that I could post your info onto. What sites are you on?

You can contact me here or at qsm@mail.org.

Leah

I just got off the phone with my best friend, a NY actor, and he laments that people are now so wedded to their cell phones that if the service went out, people would have no idea what to do with ourselves.

I see it in my own niece who is texting to everything under the sun, and my friend told me of an actor who missed his entrance because he was reading a text.

If we get too involved with texting, then what will we miss. He even said that people coming off the subway were bumping into others because they never looked up.

So in some sense, I can see the value, but it's very delicate balance between communicating and spam and also between getting a message you want or need vs getting so many messages that you lose sight of any value as well as the opportunities swirling around you.

I like the idea of reciprocal marketing, however, I find it difficult to come up with relevant companies to market with. I'm starting a web design and development company, but also with aims of offering computer repair, and eventually a bit of sales. What way could I find relevant companies, that are not competitors?

Hi Bobby. You should look for companies that your customers would use.

How about a logo or graphic designer?

If you work with mainly PC find somwone who works with Mac, or vice versa.

I assume your customers will be new/small business owners so how about working with other business service companies.

You wouldn't be in competition with a Virtual Assistant, Marketing Co, Business coach, etcetra.

Amanda... If SMS text message advertising works the same way twitter works (i.e. You choose who to follow and you un-follow with just a click), I can see some value in opting-in to a feed that I would be interested in.

I actually participate in that right now through the RSS feeds that I subscribe to on my blackberry. (Blogs and Twitter)

Hey, I guess I'm already using a form of SMS text messaging. I just realized it while writing this post.

Hum...? Does that sort of negate a paid service? Sounds like a tough sell to me.

...Howard

I have ran a SMS Marketing business since 2005 and I can confidently say that in the past two years the value of mobile has reach an outstanding level. Here is a case study of a local business (http://whammobile.com/waveland-bowl-small-business-sms-package/)

Also I have found that if you utilize SMS for longer than 3 months you will truly see the value because of gaining large subscriptions. It not the SMS as much as it is the marketing plan.

how does it work,cos i am really interested. Thanks

There are many applications for this form of marketing. Most of my clients who have implemented and grown their business use it to stimulate foot traffic in take action offers...

Extended happy hour: food or drink specials DJ and special events reminders Last Minute Clearance sales

And for those who actually work on building a community, their patrons want to be involved in regular communications and updates... why do you think Twitter was hatched?