Mobile phones offer the best new product promotion tool since the advent of television.  Everyone has a phone, almost always with them, and they use it all day, every day.  The cost-effectiveness of mobile marketing is compelling, and if you are not taking advantage of all of the new marketing tools available, you are missing out on additional income and profits.

Text message marketing is an integral part of any mobile marketing effort, and just like all of your marketing efforts, proper planning and thoughtful execution will go a long way in helping consumers grasp what it is you are trying to sell them.

Text messages are officially known as SMS, which stands for Short Message Service.  The limit for most text messages is 160 characters, so a concise, precise message is essential.  The key is to get all of the important, effective, and PROFITABLE components of the text message into a limited space.

Here are a few things all of your text messages should include:

3 Essential Elements of a Great Marketing Text Message

1.      Mention Your Business Name

You would be surprised at how many text message marketing campaigns leave out this seemingly obvious point, but they do.  Display the name of your business in every message so people know who is texting them.  You can do this in two ways:

– Have your company name displayed as the sender.  No question who is texting, but the drawback is the lack of a phone number to reply with questions.

–  Provide the business number as the sender.  Be sure to include your business name in the body of the text.

2.      Make Sure Opting Out is Always an Option

The only way someone gets your SMS Text Message is for them to have opted in to your list.  This means that they want to receive your promotional offers and messages.  But you have to let them opt out of the list if they change their mind.  Knowing they can easily opt-out makes them more likely to opt-in to begin with, so make sure you explain the opt-out option when they sign up, and remind them it is available if they choose to do so.

3.      Put a Call-to-Action in EVERY Message

You have their attention; now don’t squander a great opportunity to tell them exactly what you want them to do.  They can bring in the coupon, sign up for the newsletter, or stop by for the big clearance sale – whatever it is, be clear.  Ask for the order.