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SMS Marketing, also known as Text Advertising or Text Message Marketing is mobile marketing that uses SMS or text messages to deliver its marketing messages i.e. via text message only. SMS Marketing uses SMS to deliver marketing messages to the consumer in a timely, efficient and personalized manner which also allows for direct user interaction. 

SMS Companies, also known as Text Messaging Companies, are companies that provide text/SMS services such as text/SMS marketing.

If you have a mobile phone database or cell phone database and you have not received a text message opt-in from those numbers or have otherwise received their agreement to receive text messages (such as through a signup form in a retail shop or because they are already a customer of yours for whom you have a legal opt-in) – then any SMS messages you send to that cell phone list can be considered SMS Spam.

Text Message Spam damages your brand, angers consumers and wireless carriers and leaves you open to being fined by the FCC. There is increasingly new regulations and laws on SMS Spam and you should ensure you have a legal sms opt-in from anyone you send text messages to.

Text Messaging Software, also known as mobile marketing software, is software used by organizations to send marketing messages via SMS to customers cell or mobile phone. The software allows an organization to send bulk SMS to customers cell phones from a computer in an easy and efficient manner. Find out more about InvolveMobile’s Text Messaging Software.

Text Voting, also known as SMS Polling, is a method of opinion polling conducted via SMS. Text voting is often used for decision making on reality television shows e.g. American Idol whereby viewers vote for their favorite contestant via text to a short code displayed on screen. 

It’s an excellent tool to capture your customer’s opinion or just to engage them and help with your business decisions. There are no limits to the types of SMS polling you can run, whether it be Option 1 v Option 2 or a multi-option poll that allows you to choose 1 from many, such as Vote for MVP in a sports game.

Find out more about administering Text Voting and SMS polling.

Text Games, also known as SMS trivia, text based games or mobile trivia, is a video game that uses text characters instead of vector or bitmapped graphics. Often used on mobile devices due to their ability to be played on a wide range of cell/mobile phones.

Text to Screen, also known as Text 2 Screen, is a technology allowing mobile users to send text messages to be displayed on screen. Text to screen is often used at an event where mobile users will be prompted to send their messages to a short code to be displayed on screen.

It’s one of the most used mobile marketing solutions by the event industry and also by entertainment companies and TV stations. It’s is commonly seen in sport stadiums, concerts, nightclubs, bars, large public venues, trade shows and parties. Find out more about Text to screen.

SMS Trivia is game of trivia conducted via SMS. Mobile users text their answers to trivia questions to a short code provided by a service provider. Find out more about running SMS Trivia.

An SMS gateway is the technology service offering single and bulk SMS transit used to deliver and receive text messages to customers and from customers who are on different wireless carriers. 

SMS gateway services are provided by Text Messaging, SMS or Mobile Marketing Software/Service providers. InvolveMobile contains a powerful SMS Gateway that delivers connectivity to nearly all wireless carriers within the US and simplifies tha process of mobile marketing for your business.

Mobile Coupons, also known as Text for Coupon or Text Message Coupons are sales coupons or  discount coupons which is sent via text/SMS to a consumer to use in a retail store and will typically include an offer to be redeemed, such as 2 for 1, 20-50% off, 1 free item with purchase.

Mobile coupons are very popular and can be a great way to attract new customers to try your products and services. Customers can receive mobile coupons in a variety of ways, see below for examples. Many large companies including Starbucks use mobile coupons  to foster customer loyalty and increase sales. Find out more about using Mobile Coupons.

Some examples of how mobile coupons work:

• Customer may text to the businesses short code to receive a mobile coupon. This might be from print, radio, TV, outdoor or in-store advertising.
• Customer may register to receive regular mobile coupons online, instore or by sending in a text message.
• Customer is registered to receive a weekly discount mobile coupon via text message

A mobile database is a database of customers that have or are willing to communicate with a business for mobile marketing or other purposes. The mobile database may have been created from customers sending in an SMS / text message, signing up via a website or mobile website or from an offline list that the business has determined is suitable for mobile marketing.

Businesses typically use a mobile database to send out bulk SMS or text alerts for mobile marketing purposes such as sale offers and mobile coupons. It is important to recognize Opt-in, Opt-out and spam requirements when managing a mobile database.  InvolveMobile makes it easy for you to manage your valuable data and requirements.

Mobile Opt Out is when a mobile or cell phone user unsubscribes from a mobile marketing program that they had previously opted-in to. If opting out via text message, the standard word that mobile marketing companies use is STOP. Other generally acceptable terms are QUIT, END, CANCEL , UNSUBSCRIBE.

Once a consumer has opt-ed out it is vitally important that the business previously sending mobile marketing messages recognizes the opt-out request and ceases to send any more SMS messages until that person goes through a mobile opt-in again. Companies are now being held legallty responsible and are being fined for sending messages which are classified as SPAM.

Mobile Opt in is when a mobile user subscribes to a program via initiating contact with a text message service provider or mobile campaign generally and by doing so is agreeing to be sent bulk SMS or text message alerts. This contact is in the form of a text message sent to the service provider  and is usually prompted by a marketing message on a range of media including outdoor and event advertising, internet, print and TV.

Sometimes there is a double opt-in process required whereby text message service providers are required to send back the response “Please text back YES to confirm you would like to opt-in for further communication”. Once a mobile user has opted-in, the business may send unsolicited mobile marketing text messages until they opt-out.

Mobile marketing campaigns or just mobile campaigns are a marketing, advertising or public relations campaigns executed using mobile device technologies including SMS, MMS and WAP Push. 

Mobile marketing campaigns allow organizations to reach their target audience in a timely, efficient and personalized manner which also allows for direct user interaction.

Mobile Marketing Companies (also known as Cell Phone Marketing Companies or Wireless Marketing Companies) are companies providing mobile or cell phone marketing services, sometimes referred to as text message companies or text message providers.

Mobile Marketing uses mobile device technologies including SMS, MMS and WAP Push to deliver marketing messages to consumers. Mobile Marketing allows to organizations to reach their target audience in a timely, efficient and personalized manner which also allows for direct user interaction.

Mobile Marketing, also known as Text Marketing or Cell Phone Marketing is a Marketing that uses mobile device technologies including SMS, MMS and WAP Push to deliver marketing messages to consumers. Mobile Marketing allows to organizations to reach their target audience in a timely, efficient and personalized manner which also allows for direct user interaction.

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) defines Mobile Marketing as "a set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network".

The next post we will talk about mobile marketing companies, mobile marketing campaigns, mobile database and mobile registration.

Mobile Registration is also known as Text Registration. This is the ability for consumers to sign up via SMS Text message or through a website or mobile WAP site to a mobile service or other offering. Consumers may text in to a Short Code to register their mobile or cell phone for alerts, to join a text club or enter their details on a website to receive mobile SMS coupons. When consumers’ text in to a short code through their cell phone, the mobile number is automatically transmitted to the account in InvolveMobile and if registration is part of the service offering, the cell phone number will automatically go into the database. Mobile registration is user for many different types of services including sms event reminders, text message confirmation, mobile contests and more.

Customer Relationship Marketing is also known as Relationship Marketing. Marketing focused on building long term relationships between an organisation and its customers rather than simply transaction based relationships. Relationship marketing is focused on capturing customer share rather than market share. 9USGX9FREYWM

The term is used to describe sending a single SMS/text to many recipients at once. Bulk SMS is facilitated by using Text Messaging Software such as InvolveMobile’s Text Messaging Software. Bulk SMS covers both Low Priority and High Priority messages. It is also sometimes used by businesses seeking to purchase large numbers of SMS and text messages at once.