Integrating Text Message Marketing Into Your Marketing Mix

Have you ever been so fixated on your cell phone that you’ve walked into a pole? A plate-glass window? Or another human? If you can say “yes” to any of these questions, you will likely agree that the mobile phone has a firm grip on the modern human.

If, however, you have experienced all of the scenarios above, you may simply have a problem multi-tasking. Perhaps you should practice by walking while chewing gum. The truth is that your customers are glued to their mobile devices.

And the best way to reach them is to make sure your message appears on the screen in front of them. You need to start SMS marketing. If you’re not sure where to begin, look at how some brands in the hospitality space have used text messaging with great success.

Starbucks

If anyone is going to get SMS marketing right, you know it’s bound to be Starbucks (the proverbial pantheon to the gods of the coffee bean). The odds are that when you think “Frappuccino,” you think of a cat; the Frappuccino Cat, that is. Yes, this frisky feline discoed his way across many an iPhone during this summer-long campaign.

They also ran a successful SMS Trivia campaign that rewarded correct responses with a chance to win the Great Gatsby soundtrack. Their 12 Days of Christmas campaign featured a different sales item each week, including a refillable coffee mug that could be used the following January.

By offering deals to drive Starbucks brand purchases for Christmas gifts, they also incentivized recipients to return the next month — turning them into customers as well.

Six Flags

The biggest regional theme park company in the world–and the place where more flags equals more fun–uses SMS marketing to target the teenage demographic. After all, the best way to get a teenager’s attention is to text them.

By sending text alerts about text-to-win contests, VIP tickets, and other must-have information, Six Flags aims to make text messaging the go-to form of communication for some of its biggest events.

As “Six Flags Text Alert Campaign Generates 5000 Opt-ins During First 90 Days ” states, they not only gained 5000 new subscribers within three months, but also saw an increase in teen park attendance thanks to their text alert campaign.

Virgin

In an odd twist, Virgin Atlantic used SMS to make headlines — but not through SMS marketing. Yes, thanks to Sir Richard Branson’s groundbreaking 2012 announcement that his airline would be the first to allow passengers to send and receive SMS messages while in flight, Virgin Atlantic created quite an SMS buzz.

According to “Virgin Atlantic Allows You to Send SMS Inflight,” the airline’s move to allow mobile communications during flights recognizes the importance of the mobile phone today and the fact that SMS messaging cannot be overlooked.

By creating your own original SMS marketing campaign, you can ensure the modern consumer becomes your next best customer. And don’t worry about them walking into solid objects. They’ll only do it once — if they’re smart. If you’d like to learn more about SMS marketing, check out “How Text Marketing Provides New Opportunities.”

Author Bio: This post was contributed by Kimberley Laws is a freelance writer, avid marketer, and faithful friend to her smartphone, “Sam.” Surname “Sung.” You can follow her at The Embiggens Project and Searching for Barry Weiss.