4 Tricks To Get The Most Out Of This Year's SMS Marketing Campaigns

Entry By Jason Brick

Would you like to see better results from your SMS marketing efforts this year? Often, adding just one new technique to your existing campaigns is all you need to see a significant change in response. Better yet, test all four during the first quarter, then go strong with the most effective technique for the remainder of the year.

1. Coupon Synergy
You're already putting virtual coupons into your SMS messages. Now, add your text message codes to all of your print coupons. This means everybody you reach with traditional coupons has the option of joining your list. This can be especially effective with "daily deal" coupons like Groupon, with their wide first-time reach.

2. Put Your Keyword Someplace Weird
Keywords are rapidly becoming as invisible as cell phones. No longer novel, they're a part of the landscape - unless you put them someplace people don't expect to find them. Like an elephant in the lion cage, out of place objects get attention. Uniforms, equipment, "gimme" merchandise and elaborate set pieces can get some new attention. Think twice about that tattoo, though.

3. Add a Second Level
Invite people already part of your regular mailing list to join an elite level for additional offers, sneak previews and chances to affect company decisions through polls and events. Half of customer management is identifying the core 20 percent who will bring you 80 percent of your income - and this plan can do exactly that.

4. Change Your Call to Action
Spend January and February experimenting with the call to action in your SMS messages - which you are, of course, making part of every single message in your campaign. Track the numbers carefully to learn which calls work best. Broadcast each call several times, on different days and at different hours, to cull out variables like happy hour and weekends.

Your mobile marketing campaign is an opportunity to leverage your contact list and market advantages at a lower cost than nearly any other option. What you do with it in 2012 may well make the difference between the company you have and the company you want.

Want to learn more about improving your SMS Marketing campaigns? Check out our free SMS Marketing Resources Center.