However you use your SMS service to engage with your customers, all businesses need to consider how SMS usage fits into the overall customer communication strategy. What’s that, you say? You don’t have a customer communication strategy? Then read on and find out if you’re making any elementary mistakes and missing valuable business opportunities.

Creating a great relationship between your business, brand and customers all points back to one core objective – which is to create a desire for what you provide via listening to your customers needs and delivering on these within a profitable framework. In terms of communication strategy, a business which puts its customers first will always rise to the top. In essence, it’s really as simple as that – but businesses, time and again, continually fail to deliver what their customers need due to a lack of understanding of basic principles. Make sure you don’t fall foul of some of the basic guidelines of customer communications by checking out our top tips below:

1. Make your customers feel wanted

As a company which already uses business SMS services such as TextMagic, you’ll already be aware of the power of communication and how this can benefit your business. But – make sure that this communication isn’t one sided. The golden rule is that business communications aren’t just about telling your customers how great you are – far more importantly, it’s about giving your customers a chance to tell you what they want and what they think about you.  You’ll learn much more about your business by listening to your customers than by any other method.

So how do you make sure your business communications aren’t one-sided? For starters, ensure your staff are trained in customer care, that they ask and listen, that they understand each individual customer’s need – even if they’ve just popped in to buy a pencil. Treat customers as individuals and genuinely care about their requirements – and particularly if they have a complaint or issue – and that’s the cornerstone in any good customer communication strategy.

2. Give your business a communications health check

How many times have you heard complaints about companies such as ‘I was on hold for hours’ or ‘I got passed from person to person’ – or even ‘I couldn’t find the right telephone number for the customer care section’?  Customers get frustrated when companies aren’t proficient at handling incoming queries, particularly when it’s regarding cancellation of a service or a product or service complaint. Make sure you don’t fall foul of this by making sure each element of your business has a dedicated phone number and email address – and more importantly, is answered promptly during business hours by the right member of staff. Don’t forget that communication channels can only be effective if people can find them – so ensure all these numbers and email addresses are clearly promoted via your website and on your advertising and promo literature.

3. Use social media to up your communications game

If you haven’t considered Facebook and Twitter as business communication channels, you’re missing out. Not only are these – and other – social networks adept at increasing footfall to your website and increasing awareness of your brand and product, they’re also invaluable for analysing what’s being said about your business and – most importantly – should be used as a customer care channel to speak directly to your customers who are talking about issues they’re having with your business. Most importantly – if you’re using social media, make sure you broadcast this via your website and advertising – and use it regularly. A poorly managed social media channel which leaves customers expecting replies which never come is a timebomb waiting to explode inside your business.

4. Give customers a reason to help your business

Business and product surveys land in our inboxes every day – and whilst they’re useful for identifying customer opinion and requirements, they can be time consuming to complete. That’s why you should always give something back to customers who take the time to help you – it’s just good manners and you’ll receive a much higher response rate. So, whether it’s a money off voucher for their next purchase with you, an entry into a prize draw, or even a free gift, make sure your customers feel valued.

5. If you’re using SMS as a one-way channel, you’re missing out on 50% of its effectiveness

There are times when a ‘one way SMS’ approach seems to be the only way to use this hugely powerful communication tool, such as appointment reminders. But, don’t forget that text messaging was developed not as a one-way broadcast system, but as a way for people to communicate effectively and concisely with each other – and this is also true of business SMS and marketing SMS use. If you haven’t done so before, you should look at unlocking the power of two way SMS usage, such as via TextMagic’s SMS Reply Service.

Two Way SMS helps build even stronger relationships with your customers, as by giving them an easy way to engage with you and your company, they feel closer to your business and also experience a sense of personal involvement and ‘ownership’ which just isn’t available via one-way SMS messages. So, for instance, if you’re sending appointment reminders, why not use the SMS Reply Service to ask for a confirmation of attendance – ‘reply with YES’ if you are able to keep your appointment’? The benefits for your business are clear to see – and you can receive replies to your mobile phone, to your email address or via the web, so you can perpetuate and expand that relationship wherever you are.

If you’re serious about customer relationships and even more serious about doing great business, you’ll put great customer communication at the core of everything you do. Maximise the potential of the incredibly powerful tool which is business SMS – and you’ll be keeping your customers happy as well as making a sound business decision.

If you’re using SMS marketing systems such as TextMagic to communicate with your customer database, you’ll already be sold into the huge benefits of how mobile marketing helps you speak more directly and efficiently to your target audience. However, as with all methods of marketing, it’s vital that you maintain a level of responsibility for your activities, particularly when sending information direct to an individual’s mobile phone – and keep within the law.

We’re all familiar with the concept of spam – the generic term for unsolicited bulk messaging – and it’s likely that most of you will already have junk mail filters set up on your computer to avoid receiving unwanted communications which you’ve not signed up to or have no interest in. The world of email is rife with spam, and we all know how annoying it is – not to mention potentially dangerous, should a link through prove to be to a website which compromises the security of your computer system.

So, spam is annoying and immediately sets you against the company and its products. At least there are systems in place within email clients to filter out the worst of the spam. With SMS marketing, there is no such filtering system in place – which is why it’s even more important to ensure that you never spam your customers.

How do you get it right – and make sure that your SMS marketing communications are not only welcome, but effective? And what differentiates a great marketing communication from spam? Here are a few tips to help you get it right.

1. Not your customer? Get their permission first. Perhaps the most important rule for SMS marketers to remember is that, if you’re planning to roll out an SMS marketing campaign to individuals or businesses which you have no prior trading relationship with, you must gain their permission to do so first. This permission must be obtained by the individual or business actively agreeing to receiving communications – for example, via collecting information from visitors at a business open day or via a page on your website where they have to actively tick a box.

This permission must be able to be easily proven and clear to the individual as to what they’re agreeing to – so for instance, collecting business cards at an event which you then add to your SMS marketing list doesn’t quality for ‘opting in’. One final thing – you can’t use the same communication method to ask if individuals would like to opt in – so you can’t send an SMS to ask if they’d like to receive SMS messages.

2. Let your customers choose the way you speak to them. Simply put, that means putting the customer in control. You should always provide a simple ‘get out’ clause for your customers to de-register for SMS marketing communications, whether that’s on your website, via a ‘STOP’ textback service or additionally, even in person via telephone or at your premises.

Get this right and you’ll be creating a core marketing list of targets which are receptive to your SMS marketing systems and will actively respond to them; get it wrong, and you may be liable to prosecution. Take the case of Visit Britain, who are currently at the centre of a US class action, following complaints about alleged spam SMS messages being sent to students’ mobiles; by sending unsolicited SMS messages, you may well be putting yourself at risk of similar prosecution.

3. Unsubscribe or further target? Unless you’ve got a great existing analysis of your customers’ buying habits, it’s likely that some of your SMS marketing messages may not be of interest to your entire target group – which may well drive the unsubscribe request. That’s why it’s sensible to drive potential unsubscribers to your website, where you can offer them either the choice to fully remove themselves from your SMS marketing list, or alternatively choose the type of messages they would like to receive.

For instance, your customer may only be interested in receiving money-off incentives or sale notifications; alternatively, they may only wish to receive information on a certain type of product. Box clever and use every chance you have of engaging with your customer as an opportunity to find out more about what they want from you as a business – again, putting them in control.

4. Keep SMS messages regular – but don’t overdo it. Your communications should be regular enough to keep your business at front of mind, but not so often that you end up frustrating your customer and therefore falling into the ‘spam’ trap. If you keep in mind that every SMS marketing message should have a clear reason or event to publicise, and you don’t send messages just for the sake of getting your name in front of the customer, you’ll find that you immediately start to reduce the potential for spamming – and that your customers will find your communications informative, useful and will act upon those clear call to actions that every marketing message needs.

So – by following a few simple rules, you’ll ensure you stay on the right side of the law, keep your customers – and potential customers – happy, and very importantly, ensure that the investment you put into your SMS marketing campaigns is well targeted and has the best chance of success.

By using an SMS message system such as TextMagic, where your spend is easily tracked and managed via the Pay As You Go system and no contractual requirement, you’ll be fully in control of your marketing budget. Not only that, with a variety of different easy-to-use TextMagic communication methods, such as Email to SMS, Web to SMS and the downloadable SMS Software, there isn’t a simpler or easier way to roll out those SMS marketing campaigns.

So now you know how to avoid SMS spam and keep your customers happy – what are you waiting for?

If you’re running a busy events company, you know that one of the biggest challenges presented to your business is keeping your clients fully briefed on the project they’ve commissioned. That’s why Welsh corporate entertainment company Bounceamania made the move to using the TextMagic SMS service – and hasn’t looked back.

‘TextMagic makes it so easy to keep in contact with our clients at every stage of the process,’ says Andrew Morgan, Director of Bounceamania. ‘Our services at an event are often just part of a complex mixture of different suppliers. By using TextMagic business SMS services, we make sure that the client is fully briefed at every step of the process, without interrupting their workflow with phone calls, or leaving it to chance that they’ve read their emails.’

Using SMS for new business communication

Bounceamania start the TextMagic SMS integration into their customer care system at the very beginning – when sending out quotations. Andrew says, ‘Using TextMagic business SMS messages to follow up quotations is an effective way to provide a courtesy check that the email has arrived with the right person – without putting undue pressure on the potential client by calling them direct. Furthermore, getting hold of people on the phone can be time-consuming and difficult ,and we’ve found that using SMS messages as quotation follow-ups gets an instant response – saving us and the client time whilst helping us provide a first-class service.’

Providing up-to-the-minute information to event clients via SMS

When it comes to signed contracts, Bounceamania has found that the TextMagic SMS service is the perfect addition to their communications hub. ‘We use TextMagic to ensure that clients receive key information, direct to their phone, which is particularly important when it’s time sensitive,’ says Andrew. ‘That includes information such as time of arrival on site and the contact name and details of the person who will be our onsite representative. Whilst we use TextMagic for many other key notifications, it particularly comes into its own on event days, as we need a failsafe method of getting information quickly to the client, wherever they are. SMS messages are less of a distraction than telephone calls, and also take away the need for the client to write down information. It’s the perfect way to communicate with people on site when time is at a premium and accuracy a must.’

TextMagic SMS – it’s a hit with clients too

Bounceamania isn’t alone in finding that TextMagic business SMS has simplified and improved its business communications – its clients have been coming forward to shower praise on the way they use SMS to convey information. ‘All of the clients we’ve used TextMagic SMS to communicate with have commented on how it’s really made a difference to the quality of our operations. It’s really given us the reputation of ‘going that extra mile’ for our customers – and it’s cost-effective and easy to use, as well. Even large corporate clients such as Amazon have been really impressed by our TextMagic service – which can only help to further our reputation in the corporate market.’

Andrew summarises, ‘I’d recommend TextMagic SMS to any company looking to find a way to improve its customer communications. With just a small change to the way you do business, using TextMagic makes a huge difference to how customers perceive your service – and it shows you really care about doing a good job.’

Bounceamania:  Wister, Crossgates, Llandrindod Wells, Powys. LD1 6RP
Office: 01597 851 999   Sales: 0208 123 7677   Fax: 01597 851 111
Email: sales@corporatefun.net    Web: www.corporatefun.net

The Textmagic SMS service is now bigger and better than ever –we’ve just celebrated our 13 millionth text message! To celebrate this amazing milestone, we’d like to offer YOU the chance to win an incredible prize to celebrate our continuing success.

If you send an SMS via TextMagic from today, Thursday 14 July until Wednesday 21 July, you’ll automatically be entered into a draw to win an amazing 1300 FREE TextMagic credits. That translates in up to 1300 free text messages – to be used whenever you like, however you like!

To be in with a chance of winning this amazing celebratory TextMagic prize, all you need to do is get to your computer and use your TextMagic SMS service. It doesn’t matter which TextMagic service you use – Email to SMS, Web to SMS, Two Way SMS, API or the downloadable TextMagic SMS software for PC or MAC – texts sent from any TextMagic system will qualify. The winner will be picked at random from all the text messages sent during the qualifying period – so the more you text, the more chance you have of winning!

You can use your winning text messages for whatever you like – SMS marketing, business SMS purposes, bulk text messaging, appointment reminders – or just to talk to friends and family for free!

New to TextMagic? Enter the competition for free!

If you’re not already a user of TextMagic, you can still enter for a chance of winning, absolutely free of charge – just sign up for our free trial and get sending TextMagic SMS messages to your friends, colleagues or family. Our free trial gives you up to ten free credits – so that’s ten chances to win!

Spread the word about the TextMagic competition – and win yourself more great prizes!

We’ve also got five fab runners-up prizes for grabs, so there’s more than one chance to be a winner!

Simply send the following message via your social media channels to promote the TextMagic competition – and the five people who drive the most social media views prior to reaching the 13 millionth TextMagic text message will win 130 free TextMagic credits each.

First of all, check that you’re following TextMagic on Twitter and on Facebook – you can find us at www.twitter.com/textmagic and by searching for TextMagic on Facebook. Your messages will only count towards the competition on that particular social network if you’re following us – so don’t forget!

Here’s the message to share:

Enter the TextMagic 13 Millionth SMS Comp NOW to win 1300 free texts http://bit.ly/cIOG3I – Please RT

Remember, the more views you drive back to this blog, the better your chance of winning, so remember to keep on sharing the message to get hold of those free credits!

It’s official – companies who are using mobile marketing are overwhelmingly reporting that it always gets the results they’re looking for. Not only that – SMS technology is the most-used type of mobile marketing. So if you’re not using SMS as a primary part of your mobile marketing strategy, it’s time you made the leap.

A recent survey by Dynmark, ‘Inside the Message’, has looked at how marketing agencies are using mobile marketing techniques to create results for their clients – and how effective mobile marketing is proving to be. Within the survey, SMS has been identified as an ‘unrivalled’ communication technique, due to the personal nature of mobile devices, their always on/always present status, as well as the fact that messages are generally read as soon as they are received.

Read on to find out more findings from the Dynmark report, showing how SMS services such as TextMagic are a vital component in any mobile marketing campaign – and equally as effective whether carried out by a marketing agency or in-house by individual companies of any size.

SMS is a ‘killer application’

All mobile phones, no matter what type or price bracket, all feature SMS messaging. It’s the single common denominator which ties all mobile communications together, and a function which users will immediately familiarise themselves with when purchasing a new phone. Therefore, when reaching out to a mass audience, SMS has the best opportunity of reaching a wide demographic.

Businesses offering SMS ‘opt in’ and ‘opt out’ will build brand trust more effectively

Consumers need to feel in control of communications arriving on their mobile phone – which is why it’s key that companies offer simple ways for customers on their mobile marketing database to opt in and opt out of mobile marketing campaigns. A consumer who opts out of SMS notifications isn’t by any means a lost customer – but one that it is more likely to return to the business by other means by being treated with respect. A consumer who continually receives SMS marketing messages with no way to opt out is the consumer who is more likely to harbour resentment and distrust of the company who won’t give them an easy way to control the information they receive.

Mobile marketing achieves results and exceeds expectations

The Dynmark survey found that nearly 70% of respondents agreed that their mobile marketing campaigns always met or exceeded expectations. In a market where cash is king and results are everything, that’s a pretty strong recommendation for mobile marketing as a medium which delivers return on investment and presents superb value for money.

SMS is the cornerstone of mobile marketing communications

The Dynmark survey also looked at how respondents were using mobile marketing and the techniques employed. Overwhelmingly, SMS is the winner when it comes to mobile marketing – with a massive 80.4% of respondents using SMS texts to deliver brand messages. Not only that:  58.7% use SMS messages with URLs to mobile internet sites, and 34.8% use SMS technology to connect with their customer base to carry out mobile-based surveys.

SMS marketing – speed is everything

Finally, a clear message from the Dynmark survey is that mobile marketing methods (including SMS) are effective due to three clear reasons; it’s fast, it’s time sensitive and it has a high response rate. What other advertising and marketing mediums can you say this about?  Furthermore, other key plus points on mobile marketing included the fact that it’s low cost compared to other marketing methods, easy to use, and can be used to capture valuable new information about clients.

So, if you’re not already using SMS marketing and mobile marketing as the cornerstone of your marketing strategy, isn’t it time you compared the results and cost of your existing strategy with all the benefits shown above? With TextMagic, low cost and ease of use is even more pronounced than other SMS services, for you don’t need to sign to a contract, your spend is easily controlled via Pay As You Go Services, and all SMS services are low cost – there’s not a premium rate number in sight. Make the leap to TextMagic – with a free trial to help you on your way – and you too can start to see how mobile marketing is the most effective way to get unmatched return on your marketing spend.

SMS Marketing is undeniably one of the best ways to attract the attention of your customers and get news and promotions in front of them – fast. SMS Marketing messages have a fantastic open rate – over 98%, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan report. With Microsoft publishing figures showing that up to 97% emails, correspondingly, are considered ‘spam’, it’s clear that SMS marketing is the winner’s choice. Why would you stick with email marketing when your message has such a high chance of ending up in your customers’ junk mail folders?

One of the reasons companies may not be making the most of the hugely effective medium of SMS marketing messages is simply that they’re not sure how to use it effectively. Marketers are used to the relative freedom of email campaigns, which allow you to use unlimited text and images to get your message across. With SMS marketing campaigns, it’s all down to those 160 characters per message. But bigger doesn’t mean better – for by carefully wording your SMS messages, you can get all the impact of a marketing campaign into one single message.

Here’s how to make the most out of your SMS marketing campaigns and wave goodbye to low-response email campaigns forever!

1. Keep it simple – one marketing message per SMS
Many marketers will be used to using email communication as a monthly ‘roundup’ to get over multiple messages to their customers. With SMS marketing, the golden rule is to keep your text message simple, direct and singular. If you’re promoting one product, don’t feel tempted to add in ‘also sale on other products in the range’ at the end; all you’re achieving is losing precious space to talk about the main item you’re promoting.

2. Remember to identify yourself clearly
Dependent upon the SMS system you’re using, your company name may not show up on the customers’ mobile phone – and your location certainly won’t. If you use a product such as 2-Way SMS by TextMagic, your customers will see whatever brand or company name you designate – meaning you don’t have to waste your 160 characters on identifying who you are. However, if your SMS is regarding a sale or event at just one of your business locations, don’t forget to make this known – or else you’ll confuse your customers and lose impact on your SMS campaign.

3. Use a Call to Action
The best marketing messages include a ‘call to action’ – namely, a directive for the customer to act upon and interact with your company. With SMS marketing messages, including a call to action has never been more important. Before you craft your SMS campaign, think about what you want to achieve. Do you want to drive footfall to your store on a particular day? Do you want to increase sales on a particular product? Whatever your objective, make it simple and easy for the customer to understand what you want them to do – and give them a clear way to act upon it.

Using one of the above examples, if you want to drive footfall to your store on a particular day, give them a reason to visit. A good example would be, ‘Great anniversary event at our Regent Parade, Cheltenham store on 16 July! Special prices and deals all day – and arrive before 10am for free champagne!

4. Make your SMS campaigns measurable by inviting responses
One of the great benefits of SMS marketing campaigns is that they provide superb measurability. Engaging consumers by initiating a two-way communication helps them connect better with your brand or company – and by inviting a response, you can help strengthen that relationship as well as giving you the opportunity to gauge take-up on your promotions.

Two-way SMS marketing campaigns are also an ideal way to create an ‘exclusivity’ factor for consumers. For instance, ‘You’re invited to a special cardholders event at our Regent St store on 16 July, 7pm. Text back I LOVE (brand name) SHOES’ to qualify for 15% off during the event’

5. Finally – use SMS to drive business to your website
Can’t fit everything you want to say onto your SMS marketing message? Simple – include a call to action to visit your website and your customers will be able to read the entire promotion or campaign details there and see related imagery. The best marketing ties together ALL your communication methods – SMS, email, telephone and internet – to give customers multiple ways of connecting with your business. The easier it is for customers, the better your results will be – so focus all of your efforts around what your customers want and your marketing efforts are on the road to success.