Sunday, August 7, 2011

SMS Marketing using SMS Software - Benefits and drawbacks

By Bobby Lee


SMS Marketing using SMS Software: The increasing mobile phone penetration globally has immediately resulted in SMS becoming an effective alternative to traditional modes of business communication. With over 1.2 billion mobile phones and growing penetration among semi-urban, rural areas cellular text messaging (SMS) just can't be ignored by marketing frontrunners.

SMS Software is an effective tool to send short, instant and personalised text message (SMS) to the target audience. Brand managers prefer to be in contact with their existing customers and potential customers to inform them about new goods, features and other value-added offerings for them using SMS Software.

Their main concerns for marketing leaders related to SMS marketing are security of their database, getting a versatile platform to run SMS campaign at a schedule convenient to them, doing the campaign successfully, regardless of the numbers of messages to be sent. The critical questions related to SMS marketing, from the perspective of marketing leaders, are listed below:

Whether the platform provided by service providers is secure?

Is the delivery being carried out using reliable channels?

Are the message delivery service levels measurable and is the client information is private?

Is there enough transparency e.g. online delivery and real time reports?

SMS Marketing using client application software:

A flexible and high throughput service using client software is the solution to marketing men worries. Companies such as ValueFirst Messaging Private Limited (www.vfirst.com) provide highly efficient SMS Service solution to marketing companies, marketing agencies to carry out in-house SMS marketing campaigns. In fact, such companies offer an end-to-end service using its software products for complete marketing activities which may be accomplished on SMS.

The user is able to develop his own campaign and carry it out without any participation of the service company. The client software application products are installed at consumer premises and campaigns are performed with clients getting on-line MIS. Delivery reports which are provided by the service provider help the user in cleaning-up his data-base. It is simpler to do small campaigns, run contests and marketing agencies can use the platform to hold out synchronised campaigns for multiple-customers.

SMS limitations: While SMS customers appreciate several advantages such as sending an instant, personal message which is always read, there are limitations associated with SMS. It's nothing more than 160 characters of text, devoid of audio, photos and special effects of conventional print media. Regardless of the restrictions SMS has its own particular uses which help entrepreneurs give specific information to their customers. Incoming SMS on 4-digit or 5-digit short codes along with conventional media is now the most efficient tool for making prospects and carrying out contests for promoting brands.




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