Text message marketing allows businesses to advertise products and services directly to customers on their own schedule. To start, businesses need to choose a provider that offers affordable text message packages that can grow with the business. It's best to work with a provider that offers personal support to help set up and optimize campaigns. Businesses should promote their text marketing campaigns both within their business and using other advertising to build their subscriber lists. The goal is to provide great deals to subscribers to increase foot traffic and brand awareness. Monitoring message frequency and package limits helps campaigns remain effective over time.

1. Texting Marketing Advantages

2. Text Message Marketing is a new way for business owners to market to their customer base at a time of their choosing.

3. Today, they have the ability to market to their customers whatever product or service they choose and tomorrow it can be something totally different.

4. To begin a text message marketing campaign, a business owner needs to find a provider that offers a fair price and text a message package that fits their current need, but will allow them to grow.

5. There are a lot of companies to choose from on the internet.

6. Many of these companies are internet based, meaning you are only going to get help online or over the phone.

7. Personally, I think it is a better option to work with a company that provides you with a sales representative who will be able to walk you through the process of a Text Message Marketing campaign.

8. That person will be able to help you operate your internet back office and give you promotional ideas to send out to your customers.

9. Look for a company that has a short code that can be easily remembered.

10. What is a short code? It is the five digit number that the customer will text the "keyword" to, so they can opt in to your Text Message Marketing campaign.

11. If you have a short code that isn't easy to remember, you can have a lower opt in rate.

12. You are going to want to promote your Text Message Marketing campaign to your customers.

13. Promoting it can be as simple as hanging some signs over your cash register, at each table and in your windows, that say "Text (your company name) to 55555 and get discounts, coupons and FREE stuff".

14. This way is very effective for those businesses that have a younger crowd that will use text messaging a lot.

15. Other Businesses will want to offer an incentive to its customers to opt in.

16. For example, a pizza place could offer a free small pizza when a customer joins their Mobile VIP Club.

17. Try marketing your campaign as a Mobile VIP Club and let your customers know that they will get discounts, coupons and free stuff exclusive only to members.

18. You will need to market your campaign.

19. Advertise it in any other medium that you currently advertise your business.

20. Like, the phone book, newspaper, the internet and even on the back of the T-shirts your employees wear.

21. At the beginning, the name of the game is collecting phone numbers.

22. Once you have about 50 numbers, start sending out your first text message.

23. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is the message has to be good.

24. You have to give your customers a heck of a deal.

25. Remember, you are advertising in one of the most personal ways possible, in the palm of your customer's hand.

26. Give them some real good value.

27. "Buy one pizza at regular price and get a second of equal or lesser value free.

28. Today only! EXP 8/8/2010"

29. Once you start sending out text messages, the game starts to change.

30. You are still trying to acquire more numbers, but now you need to bring as many customers through the door as possible.

31. When customers start getting good deals from your Text Message Marketing campaign, they will start talking to their friends.

32. Thus, bringing in new customers. The bigger objective is branding your company in the mind of your customer.

33. You want them to think about your burger restaurant before they think of a McDonald's or a Burger King.

34. Text Message Marketing does just that.

35. Watch the number of messages you are sending out.

36. I would recommend no more than two per week.

37. Too many could cause your customers to start opting out, because they find the amount of text messages to become a bit of a nuisance.

38. If you are sending one message out per week and your list of numbers is close to 500 and your package only allows for 2,000 messages, then it is time to consider upgrading to the next higher package.

39. Remember, if your list of numbers is growing, then you are doing something right.

40. Don't be afraid to move up to that next package.

41. When you make that move, it means you have already increased your revenue and are in a position to increase it even more.