Measuring Value of your SMS Broadcasts and Tweaking their Content

Measuring the effectiveness of your SMS broadcast is almost as important as sending it. Measurements provide a plethora of insights regarding your promotional SMS.

One of the most straightforward ways is to not just announce that there is a sale on in your premises on a certain date, but to be more direct and proactive with a call to action that can be quantified. This can usually be in the form of SMS based vouchers/coupons/tickets that can be redeemed at your cash/payment desk. Thus, the number of redeemed vouchers compared to the volume of  the list that you sent out can give you a direct percentage of success. There are other ways, but that is definitely one of the most crude and direct methods as it can be quantified and compared with other data such as sales revenue from a day prior to sale, or a day after sale etc.

If the campaign is not as successful as you hoped, then what can be tweaked to improve the next outcome?

• Perhaps investigate the content of the message (is it too ambiguous, avoid text abbreviation that can be misunderstood or not understood in its entirety, text symbols that can be mistranslated on a person’s phone etc.).
• Was the time you sent it too inopportune that people simply were distracted and ignored/deleted it (for example commuting times/meal times of 5pm to 6pm, 8am -9am)?
• Was the offer not enticing enough or the product relevant to your subscriber base (can you refine by age/gender from your CRM systems to qualify the mobiles)?
• Were the subscribers based in a reasonable proximity to your store (again can your CRM allow you to extract this location parameter?).

Just remember the key points:

• Keep the SMS content direct, unambiguous and relevant to your subscribers. Ensure the basics are covered, such as a sale information; ensure date, time, location/store branch are directly mentioned.
• Personalize the message to grab and hold a person’s attention- be it by a firstname or loyalty points stored or some other relevant tag.
• Have clear brand awareness so your customers can immediately identify and associate with your business (a sender identifier can do this or have your business name mentioned at the beginning of the SMS).
• Ensure you send at an optimal time that does not irritate your customer base. Think of your subscriber base, and do not send before late morning/early afternoon to avoid waking those who are on night shifts and do not text after the “watershed” hours  late evening such as 9pm. Also do not send multiple messages during a short period of time as this barrage loses people’s interest and usually causes them to opt-out.
• Create a dialogue without spamming. Perhaps instead of one message, send 2 distanced apart. Say for example 1 week to your sale you send out promotional message containing a promotional redeemable voucher, then a day before the sale you send a quick reminder, encouraging the recipient to cash their voucher.
• Always, always only send to opt-in subscribers. Never send to a general list. Keep it legal, and do not tarnish your brand or attitude from your total potential customer pool. And always include an opt-out mechanism within your broadcasts; make it simple for people to stop receiving your broadcasts.
• Ensure cost control also; just remember to watch your message length. This is a key factor in your bottom line margins when assessing sales from a text campaign. For example, if you are sending to 2000 customers,  a message that is even 165 characters long, then that is the equivalent cost of sending to 4000 customers (i.e. equivalent 2 messages each).

Data Extraction to Build your SMS Mobile Marketing Details

Over previous posts, we mentioned various repository type resources to gather data such as a person’s name and their mobile number, as well as if they have registered interest in accepting marketing information,  to make opt-in marketing lists, but what are the best methods to extract the information from your repositories?

Well, it is down to the way the information is stored, whether the information is structured or in an unstructured format, whether it is in a database repository type environment, a spreadsheet, a text log, a webpage etc. Some of the techniques you could employ to gather your requisite information can be:

1. If you have the information stored in a database then a version of SQL (Standard Query Language) that is appropriate to your database software environment should be availed of. This is possibly the most straightforward method of extraction, and would be the most popular.
2. If the information is stored within a file, such as a text based log or html based page, then you may use string type manipulation and extraction techniques- again the types of string manipulation functions you use all depends on the programming language that you prefer to use, functions such as strpos(), instr() are quite useful in finding locations of data for extraction but can be a tad restrictive/limiting.
3. Finally, for this brief blog post, one of the most flexible is the method of regular expressions. This can be especially useful for unstructured data where you are seeking a pattern. They can be more convoluted than using string type functions, but do offer a degree more flexibility. For example, if you were looking for a first name to personalize your SMS (Hi xyz, you have xyz loyalty points stored), then there may be a value in the log such as Ben- so you could potentially scan the log using a regular expression to take the value that lies between the nodes and .

There are other methods of extraction, but these would be some of the standard ones, businesses tend to use to mine their data to extract appropriate user base information.

Using Mobile Marketing based SMS within your Business in 2015

There are many reasons why SMS is so prolific and enduring for businesses in 2015 despite the mass choice of new communication-type mediums. These include, the simple nature of both creating its content and the method of its delivery. As well as, of course, that it can operate and deliver on a GSM network, so can reach even the most rural or remote of areas.

The impact 160 characters makes can really have a bearing on increasing your brand recognition, the growth of your enterprise and the traction with your customer base; to name just three benefits. With the advent of Twitter, businesses have become extremely creative in even reducing that 160 character limit down to 140, to match what they have perfected on that social media medium.

SMS does not require specific software to be understood on a phone, nor a specialized app to be downloaded. One of its core strengths, is that it can easily be adapted to more modern technologies ,such as data mining, to enhance the potential outcome of any marketing message. For example,

• When is a low peak trading window?
• Send messages to only people within a centre radius of your business.
• What age or demographic do you wish to send SMS to?
• Sending a specific marketing message to a specific gender.
• Only send to those with a certain amount of loyalty points (perhaps as a bonus for their custom, or on the other scale- prompting them to understand why their loyalty account is not currently used).

These types of areas can easily be understood and effectively extrapolated by what you already have on your own systems, be they sales or customer databases or CRM type systems. Ensure though that you filter out for exclusion those who have stipulated that they do not wish to receive marketing messages. Lists such as these can be sent by many means to mobile phones, usually by either a group software system or an email to SMS based service. Just remember to always keep in mind that each message you send reflects your business, so quality, consistency and clear company name recognition are always important, as well as a seamless opt-out list.

This can be summarized by:

1. Who are the target audience?
2. What type of content do I wish to include and is it relevant? Have I tested quality control by sending to a few colleagues to understand their interpretation and also its translation on different handsets?
3. What sort of reaction do I want to prompt, namely, what is the call to action to generate a decent response, and thus an enhanced return-on–investment to my marketing campaign?
4. Have I included an unambiguous opt-out system?
5. Does this message accurately and fairly portray my business in a positive light? If you wanted, you could go further by increasing your brand awareness, and hence immediate message recognition, by replacing the sender identifier number with a label that is either your brand, product, name, service (max 11 plain characters).
6. What measure of effectiveness do I wish to use in order to calculate the viability/success of the broadcast? Do I wish to track for redeemed SMS vouchers versus Overall Sales, for example?

You could even consider SMS as a green technology, as it cuts down on distribution of leaflets, tickets, coupons etc. Again adding not just a positive reflection on your company but also a tangible cost benefit to your company’s marketing operation. And reduces the disposal clutter of your customers- remember SMS is a push technology so they are instantly aware of your message unlike mass marketing postal mail (for example).

And finally, another benefit for your business, is that it allows a degree of flexibility and spontaneity, unlike other methods, SMS can be sent immediately in an ad-hoc basis (for example when you wish to offer a discount coupon that has a limited timespan for use, during times of poor trading).

Example of Combining the Benefits of Mobile Technologies

Just a brief example on how SMS is finding roles in combination with other technologies in order to enhance an existing business service; in this instance, access alarms. A theme that has been previously mentioned before in this blog under a more general guise,

I came across an alert based system that is using a combination of mobile technologies. Interestingly, text messaging was the assumed default option for communication within this system; identifying zones and so forth that are relayed to the mobile handset via plain text. What is noteworthy about this product, was that the other options of voice or using a router were further down the preferred options of communicating alerts due to the sheer reliability and inexpensive nature of text messaging, and the location of the system (especially within a rural area). Thus, reach is an issue that is resolved using text messaging. Broadcasting to unknown and varying mobile handset types are also a factor that are resolved via SMS,  the system standard default medium is a text message which can be read on any mobile phone.

What is also worth consideration is that the system uses a Smart Phone App in tandem with SMS based alerting. So the strengths of both mobile technologies are used in combination, one to control the system and the other to receive alerts from it. In addition, text based SMS replies can be received by the system, which include plain ASCII based commands, such as to turn the system off  or as an assumed backup if the Smart Phone App not available, or for just sheer convenience for people who receive the message but do not have a Smartphone.

Three Rules To Construct an Effective SMS

SMS functionality is pervasive and adaptable but requires structured messaging in order to maximize its benefits. For example, within marketing, SMS is proven to be a valuable tool in promoting your business, as statistics have demonstrated how rapidly people are drawn to reading their text messages. Within sectors such as server monitoring  and maintenance, it is equally as suitable when broadcasting alerts informing of various parameters that are about to be exceeded.

The other evening my eldest nephew told me about his idea regarding a fridge that would send a SMS when goods were about to expire, by analyzing their barcodes. Unfortunately,  I had to tell him that smart kitchen appliances already existed. It lead me to thinking,  though, how similar the core of those expiration messages might be to mobile marketing. Have they got something in common?

In essence, the variations of text message requirement types are many, but they all tend to have the following three key questions:

1. Who is the intended target recipient?
2. What concise message do I wish to get across in optimally 160 characters or less?
3. What sort of response or call to action do I want to prompt?

These three queries are what you need to consider. If a marketing drive, then
1. Opt-In Marketing List (Your Customers/Prospects)
2. A promotional incentive
3. People confirm they will attend/ show a discount coupon at the counter

If System/Web Monitoring:

1. Engineering staff/Oncall support personnel
2. Succinct alert regarding the system issue
3. A reply to say it will be handled & thus subsequently resolved

If delivery/logistics service:

1. Delivery/Transport personnel
2. New call destinations/alerts of garages with optimal diesel costs/Ferry schedule changes
3. A reply to confirm receipt of details

Essentially those 3 rules are what you need to keep considering when constructing a text message. While SMS is a powerful and flexible tool within many environments, if the messages are constructed incorrectly or less precisely, then the benefits will not have the total expected impact. And to conclude with our fridge example:

1. Family/owner of the fridge
2. Inform what products are expiring
3. Order/Purchase said item (with potential links such as m-coupons from retailer if messages are sponsored).

SMS, could be seen as a Student Messaging System

Now that schools are reopening shortly and students are returning, it is worth reflecting on the benefits of text messaging and its benefits within the education sphere. Primary and Secondary schools were mentioned in the following post, Some Brief Uses of SMS within areas such as Education. But how about 3rd Level?

There are multiple SMS uses, particularly around the benefits of allowing students to sign up to notifications regarding specific events; such as orientation, tutorials (scheduling/cancellations etc.), emergency college alerts such as alarms, specific course news, sports/activity based clubs notifications, discount offers from campus based shops etc.

One of the most innovative uses of text messaging with colleges has been the level of help for students with regards to Q&A sessions after the Leaving Certificate results; students could register for online Leaving Certificate Live Q&A sessions from colleges and receive notification SMS reminders on when those online sessions would be taking place.

Intelligent SMS Mobile Marketing to Maximize Customer Throughput

There are numerous marketing methods to both increase your sales and your brand awareness. There are leaflet distributions, local newspaper advertisements, localized promotional events within festivals, email listings, mobile marketing, social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook et al. But what gives the most immediate reassurance of both being read and responded to?

With Mobile Marketing, in the guise of SMS broadcasts, there seems to be an immediate feedback. Messages are known to be read almost instantaneously, and we have found from retailers that the replies SMS broadcasts generate and the subsequent increased level of footfall create an ongoing interaction between their customer and their business. But what are the most beneficial sharpest ways to drive an instant response using SMS?

For example, on certain days of the week at certain times you may find that business traffic is traditionally low. You can immediately send out a SMS to your subscribed opt-in list to say that there is a certain promotional offer between 2pm and 3pm (or whatever time you find business traffic could be higher). This can be reinforced by sending a discount coupon, called a m-coupon/e-coupon/m-voucher, within the SMS.

Example: Between 10:30am to 11:30am there may be a lowering of business in a café between breakfast and lunch time peak traffic. So at 10am you could send out a SMS saying “Show this Coupon at the cashier and receive a free muffin with your coffee. Only valid between 10:20am-11:30am today.”

So you can be surgical and reactionary about when you send a broadcast, unlike many mediums. Your business can react instantly to periods of downtime. This can be done simply from using a group messaging service or sending SMS from your email account. With reply functionality included within such a service, you can build up feedback from your customer base.

This type of intelligent mobile marketing allows your business to maximize both sales and your ability to encourage larger footfall in times when it seems traffic is low.

Another intelligent method of mobile marketing is to gather opt-in lists depending on the optimal time the customer uses your business.

For example, you can have people sign up to various mobile list groups: Breakfast Group, Lunch Group or Dinner Group. So SMS can be literally tailored to when they most use your restaurant service. For instance, a person who is commuting may stop for breakfast only as she passes your door on the way to a bus stop, so there is no point sending her offers relating to lunch.

However, there may be a cross-marketing potential approach that could also be taken. Infrequently, you could send a cross-marketing SMS to your “Dinner” group stating that if they stopped into your restaurant on their way to work between 7am and 9am they will receive a a free coffee with their breakfast by showing the SMS at the cashier.

These types of methods are endless, and require little effort to set up. But definitely allows your business to both be flexible and maximize the use of your existing customer base.

Slice of SMS and Irish Telecom Timeline

• 1984: SMS Concept Developed (France/Germany)
• 1985: Official (France/Germany) SMS Proposal Introduced in Oslo
• 1986: Eircell Formed – 1st using 088 Analogue Prefix, then in the 1990s Digital 087 (Ireland)
• 1992: The first text message was sent by Neil Papworth. Its content was simply “Merry Christmas” (UK)
• 1993: First Commercial Deployment of a SMS Service (Sweden)
• 1997: Esat Digifone Launched – 086 Prefix (Ireland)
• 1998: Go2mobile Solutions : Corporate Text Messaging Service Provider Founded (Limerick, Ireland)
• 2000: Vodafone Purchased Eircell (Ireland)
• 2001: Analogue 088 ceased (Ireland)
• 2001: Meteor Ireland established – 085 Prefix (Ireland)
• 2001: Go2mobile Launches Mediatext (Radio SMS Portal) and Group+ (Group Messaging Suite) (Ireland)
• 2005: 3 Ireland was launched (Ireland)
• 2005: Eircom purchases Meteor (Ireland)
• 2006: Digifone purchased by Telefónica (Ireland)
• 2007: Tesco Mobile – Ireland’s 1st MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) Launched – 089 Prefix (Ireland)
• 2010: eMobile, an Eircom company, is launched (Ireland)
• 2008-2013: SMS traffic Volumes

 

SMS Marketing for Small to Medium Sized Businesses

If you have a small to medium sized business, you may think that effective SMS marketing campaigns are outside of your budget. SMS is actually a very cost effective and responsive medium, complete with a beneficial ROI (Return on Investment). There are only a few basic procedures required In order to achieve this, and subsequently have a worthwhile campaign.

The first SMS marketing route is to promote your new service/product to your existing customer mobile lists that you have previously gathered.

• Gathered List: If you wish to announce your offer to your existing customers, often as not, you have their details garnered from a previous promotion or from a point of sale database or a spreadsheet. These numbers have to have an opted into status (meaning your customers have agreed to receive further SMS from your business). And you must include an opt out facility within the message. Once you have this list, you can upload them to any web service, type your SMS marketing message and schedule the intended time of your broadcast.

The next SMS Marketing route is to gain new customers while also building an opt-in mobile list.

• Gather List: In order to market this correctly, you need to build a customer mobile list. There are many ways that this can be done, the following summarizes an outline of just one method.

1. Create a marketing campaign where a person enters a SMS based competition for a prize (possibly a m-coupon). So you advertise (online/print medium) a mobile number to text to, along with your business or promoted name as the keyword, which acts as the response item, (enforces brand recognition).
2. Once this is received to your list, an acknowledgement text message is generally sent back to the mobile sender, often with a query regarding if the person wishes to receive further information from your business. If they text back a confirmation such as “y”, then they get added to your subscriber list.
3. Now you have built a customer list to text your marketing SMS out to. But always include an opt-out service.

 

SMS within Politics

SMS can be used within politics, but the mobile lists have to be more focused to include just party affiliated staff and supporters. There are multiple ways in which SMS is used, especially with regards to specific imminent election dates. This includes:

1. Providing a system to allow supporters to text in comments /feedback/ suggestions/ queries/ volunteering details.
2. Sending out messages regarding voting reminders, key campaign topics and candidate names reminiscent of mobile electioneering leaflets.
3. Date Reminders of meetings and electioneering gatherings in specific locations.
4. Internal communication amongst staff, between office and mobile based.
5. Conducting brief on-the-fly polls, by allowing people to text in their preference from a key set of topic headings.

One of the primary aspects of election candidates is name recognition; SMS can facilitate this by having the candidate’s surname or party name as the Sender Identifier as opposed to a generic mobile number. These have to be limited to 11 characters.