Using SMS Text Messaging for More Than A Good "LOL" - A New Social Marketing Strategy

Nicole Hurdle - 9.15.2009 4:30 PM

A New Use for SMS Text Messaging:

Over the weekend, I helped out at an event in Downtown Denver.  This event was a scavenger hunt to win a $15,000 engagement ring donated by a local jeweler. Over 250 couples showed up for the race in hopes of winning the ring. The key to winning the ring was to receive the highest amount of points by a certain time in the day. Now you may be asking yourself, what does this have anything to do with Social Marketing?

It is important to note that when couples registered for the event that were required to enter their cell phone number and cell phone carrier. This was a key to their participation in the race.

The entire scavenger hunt was done via SMS (short messaging system) text messaging. It began sharply at 11:15am when couples received their first text message. The text message gave a riddle, or hint about a particular location within a 2 mile radius of the starting point. Couples then had to travel to the location by foot, bicycle, scooter, rollerblades, etc…(as long as it was not by motorized vehicle.) Once at the destination discovered through their first text message, they had to reply back to the text the location of where they were. From there, another text would come through asking them a question specific to that area (i.e. what color is the building directly to the left of the entrance?) Once the couples would text back the correct answer, they received points.

If couples could not figure out the destination, they could text “HINT” to receive more detail about the location. This of course, cost them negative points to their score. If they wanted to skip that specific location, they could text “NEXT," and they would get the next question. The catch to this is once you skip a question, it is no longer available for you to answer, giving you less chance of receiving the most points.

Isn’t it amazing that an entire race around a huge city with a $15,000 prize can be conducted solely via SMS text messaging?! Not only is this a new trend in activities such as this one, but it is also a newer way of marketing to your clients. Many more businesses are adopting the idea of sending discounts, promotions or information through SMS text messaging.

Why is This Relevant to Your Business?

SMS marketing allows you to get your message directly to your clients, fast. It is a much more direct message than e-mail or really any other form of marketing at this point in time. It provides you with an instant connection between yourself and your client, especially since almost everybody in the world today has their own cell phone. This lets you extend your message to many more consumers. Not only is it generated out to many people, but it also has been found to have a high conversion rate in comparison to other mediums.

There are some disadvantages with SMS marketing to keep in mind:

Since our cell phones are more personal, sending out an SMS text message from a business must be done properly or else it may be seen as an intrusion of privacy. In addition, depending on how you conduct your SMS marketing, it can become very pricey, very quickly. As in any form of marketing, it is all about weighing your potential ROI with the cost involved.

How Do We Use This at Webolutions?

Here at Webolutions, we have recently implemented an SMS feature for our clients to join our new Social Marketing group.  By using a system we have in place, anybody can take their cell phone and text “80565” with the word “Social," a space, then their e-mail address to sign up for our Social Marketing for Business Group – Join The Conversation. Once they have sent this message, they will receive a welcome message back which links to the RSVP for our meeting on Meetup (www.meetup.com/SocialMarketing.)

At this point, they have been added into our eNewsletter for the Social Marketing for Business Group and will receive updates, articles, information about upcoming meetings as well as useful tips for their own Social Marketing.

As this trend continues to evolve, SMS marketing from businesses is sure to become more prominent in our everyday lives. 

Have you used or experimented with SMS marketing in your own business?

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