Supercharging your Social Marketing for your Small Business

Supercharging your Social Marketing for your Small Business

Business marketing has changed beyond all recognition since the turn of the century. Nowadays most customers will have some form of technology such as a mobile smart phone, tablet or PC. With such advanced mobile technology it is important that businesses offer a service that can reach potential customers and fans directly.

Social Media is a really fantastic way for small businesses to keep in-touch with clients. It allows businesses to inform customers about new products and services they have. It is also a very important place for a business to build good and trustworthy relationships with their clients.

There are some great ways that you as a business owner can boost your social media marketing;

• ·         Once you have built up a solid fan base, keep them interested in your business by inviting your customers and fans to interact with you over social media.
• ·         Get them involved in interesting discussions. This doesn’t necessarily need to be about your business or its products.  It could be about anything you think is going to spark a debate.
• ·         Offer your audience information that they will find helpful. Give tips and advice on topics that adhere to your business. For example; a cake maker would offer tips on getting a great rise on their cakes. Also using the 80/20 principle for you content will work wonders. Use 80% content that isn’t necessarily about you business or it products and services will keep your audience interested.
• ·         Be consistent with your posts and interaction. Take time to research when your audience is most active. This way you can invest more time to working on your Facebook or Twitter at the best times that will yield better results.
• ·         Small businesses should take time to brainstorm ideas. Planning content for your social media marketing in advance is a must to enable smooth flowing content and interaction for customers.

Mobile media marketing is another invaluable tool for small businesses. The majority of customers have some form of mobile phone. Being able to offer your customers the choice to use their mobile to purchase your products is vital if you want to remain up to date.

The average person checks their mobile phone 150 times in any day, therefore the use of SMS media messaging is a really great form of advertising for small businesses. You have a direct link to the customer, 98% of text messages are actually read. Having the ability to send them an SMS (text message) can enable you to offer customers special deals and promotions that they can access easily. Incorporating your SMS marketing with your social media marketing will broaden your success financially. You will be able to reach customers and make them aware of any social media sites you may have running. Sending SMS alerts to your customers will give them the satisfaction that you as a business are there to help them and provide a service above and beyond the ordinary. 

Thanks for reading!

The Text Guy

www.thetextguy.com

248-690-6929

jason@thetextguy.com

How to make SMS (Text) Marketing Work for Small Business

How to make SMS (Text) Marketing Work for Small Business

Mobile or SMS marketing is on the rise and yet few small businesses have taken advantage of the opportunities it presents. As many as 55% of businesses now have a mobile optimized website, according to a recent Econsultancy survey. This may seem like a big number but it all depends on which side of the fence you sit on. There are still a lot of businesses out there yet to establish a mobile presence.

SMS (text) Marketing should form a part of every small business’ marketing strategy because recent studies have shown that all mobile phone users use SMS for over 45% of the time. Below are some of the compelling reasons why small business owners should engage in SMS marketing:

• 98% of text messages are read compared to 29% of tweets, 12% of Facebook posts and 20% of emails are opened. What this shows is that there is great potential with text message marketing
• Mobile and Smartphone users check their texts an average of 150 times a day
• For 14 out of the 24 hours in a day most users have their mobile or Smartphones within reach
• Up to 70% of participants in a survey indicated they would like to receive coupons via SMS
• Users will redeem SMS coupons 10 times more than email or newspaper coupons
• The quick response time to SMS (90 seconds) compared to 2 days for an email

What therefore is stopping businesses from leveraging the growth in mobile and Smartphone usage? There are a number of reasons and these include various misconceptions about SMS marketing. The biggest one is the lack of knowledge about the rules and regulations surrounding mobile marketing. A lot of marketers and business owners wrongly believe that SMS marketing is a minefield with a lot of regulation involved.

This cannot be far from the truth. SMS marketing is quite highly regulated, just as much as the telecommunications industry. Regulation is there to protect users and marketers alike from spammers and unsolicited SMS. However high regulation does not mean complicated in any way. When it comes to SMS marketing following the following guidelines will mean you stay on the right side of the law:

• Always confirm the subscribers opt-in with the very first message
• Remember opt-ins expire have a system to manage opt-in expiry
• Build a robust database and ensure data is strictly protected
• Just with any marketing strategy do not spam your subscribers because you will lose them faster than you can say…

As you can see from the information above SMS marketing is the next revolution which holds great promise for small business. If you are not already engaging in mobile marketing then this should be reason enough to get started. Grow over the myths often surrounding the SMS marketing industry and you stand a great chance of growing your business. Mobile marketing should not be unchartered territory for small businesses. Get familiar and get profiting.

Link Up Mobile Solutions
Jason Matznick "The Text Guy"

(248) 690-6929
jason@thetextguy.com
www.TheTextGuy.com
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Your Room/Table is Ready...

Your Room or Table is Ready...

Have you ever went to check into your hotel room only to find out it's not ready.  Or you're out to dinner at your favorite restaurant and there's a 1 hour wait, FRUSTRATING!  Until now the only option's businesses  have had was to either ask the customer to check back every so often or use a coaster-type pager.  

What's the problem with these options?  Well, asking them to check back in is incredibly inefficient.  Instead of customers walking around and shopping at other local businesses to help boost the economy, they are just sitting getting even more impatient.  You could always use a paging system.  But this has some cons.

• High Start-up Cost
• Limited Range
• Bulky
• Non-Hygienic
• Cannot Capture Customer Info
• No Marketing Potential

Don't fret, there is a solutions to solve all these problems.  What is one thing almost every person has with them at all times?  Their MOBILE PHONE! By harassing a existing system we can send them a simple text message to let them know their table/room is ready.  Not only can they go about their business while they wait, but you can even send them offers to boost sales.  

Some examples would be:

"HOTEL: Your room is ready! Thanks for using our Room Alert System.

Enjoy 15% off your bill @ Hotel Restaurant. Show this message to redeem."

Or...

"FOOD: Your table is ready. See hostess to be seated. For more offers

reply with the word ENTREE & get a Free Appetizer."

A text message system from Link-Up Mobile Solutions will save you money, increase business, provide a fun, interactive way to engage your customers.

For more info:

www.thetextguy.com

(248)690-6929 Call or text

jason@linkupmobilesolutions.com

Connecting a Community

CONNECTING A COMMUNITY

Keeping the community connected is essential in this day and age.  With more and more cell phone being activated, people look to their phones for directions, where to eat or to updated their status.

Incorporating a Mobile Text Alert System is an easy, cost-effective and reliable way to get the word out.  Whether it be to reminded residents about a downtown events or warning them about criminal activity, making sure what you send out gets read is key.  Print can take awhile to get out and the read rate is extremely low.  Email works well, but sometimes it can be hours or days before anyone reads it.  Social Media is always great and should definitely be apart of your communication efforts.  But when you really want to ensure your message that you send is read, you must turn to SMS or Text Message.

People like to stay informed and up-to-date with community happens.  Some might read the local paper.  Others utilized Facebook & Twitter.  But taking your community to the "Next Level" of marketing and communication is great way to further broaden the way you interact with residents.  Once you have a list of subscribers you can send out alerts, reminders or establish a two-way communication.  Implementing a Text Message Service is easy as spreading the word.  Using existing communication print, website, social media or in office.  Once you get the word out and people opt-in, you can then send messages out at will and know that 97% of your subscribers will read within 5 minutes.  

Because of its immediacy and viral sharing nature, SMS messaging can be very effective in helping community and emergency services get the message out. Messages can be sent at scale to inform community members of weather-related emergencies, for example, or less urgent messages, such as the deadline approaching to pay for their water bill.

Importantly, SMS can also provide an easy way for disabled (e.g., deaf or speech impaired) residents to request information or non-emergency services help.

As always thanks for reading.  For more info check out our website, "Like" our Facebook page, send us and email, give us a call or send us a text.

Link Up Mobile Solutions

www.linkupmobilesolutions.com

http://on.fb.me/MgnSvV ( Facebook)

jason@linkupmobilesolutions.com

(248)690-6929 (Call or Text)

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Is There A Doctor In The House?

With the every one in such a hurry now a days, remembering your doctor or dentist appointment can be a challenge.  No longer is that a problem.  Text message to the rescue.  With snail mail postcard reminders getting lost or tossed in the recycling bin and having your receptionist call each client can be costly & time-consuming.

In swoops texting to take your communication efforts to the next level.  Having your clients opt-in to your text message platform, you can set-up appointment reminders a day, month or year in advance. Clients can just give your their mobile # and name, then you just enter them manually or have them opt-in to your keyword.

Text messages bring in a staggering 97% read rate within 5 minutes and a person's mobile phone is never more than 3 feet from them (even when they sleep).  Getting the reminder to them FAST cuts down on cancellations, late arrivals or missed appointments.  

A text message system for Link Up Mobile Solutions also works great for information sharing.  Say your a Pediatrician and have a "NEW" mom who wants updates, information or tips about parenting.  Easy, just have them opt-in to a Group keyword to receive weekly text messages.  This is a great way to engage your patients.

Dentist could always send a daily message to all their patients to "Floss".  I know if your like me, I always forget to do it and that's the only thing they seem to tell me to do when I'm in for a check up.  Since we generally are only at the dentist twice a year, you can utilize a text message service to offer promotions on Zoom or some other cosmetic teeth beautification procedure.

Help streamline your communication efforts with your patients and save money while doing it.  Your patients are MOBILE, so should the way you engage with them.  Partner with Link Up Mobile Solutions today and let's take your business to the " Next Level"

For more information contact us at (248) 690-6929 or visit our website www.linkupmobilesolutions.com

  

Salons...Hair & Tanning

 

Salons...Hair & Tanning

 

 

 

 

 Everyone always wants to look good.  From highlights to haircuts to keeping your skin that summer golden bronze.  Salons are on the forefront of the industry on providing customers these services.

 

With trends changing all the time, so should the way you market to your customers. There are 5 billion cell phone users in the US and this number grows daily. Reaching them when you want is essential to boosting sales.  Text Marketing is leading the way to the most efficient way to literally get into your customers pocket.  Text messages have 97% read rate and are opened within 5 minutes.

Now I know these sounds great, but your thinking "How is this help my business?"  Good question. Building a strong, market whenever you want list.  You can achieve this by sending offers on slow days or months.  Cut down on appointment cancellations by reminding customers with a text message a day before.  Reward them for staying opted into your text campaign or send them a birthday message ( maybe with a little gift).

 

 

Keeping connected to your clientele to the one place that they will always look, their cell phone.  With them day & night, even next to them while they sleep.  Taking your marketing mobile is where is is.

 

Let Link Up Mobile show you how to reach these obtainable goals at a super affordable price.  I work with local, small business  because I'm a small business too.  I know how hard it is to market and the money it cost.  That's why I have figured a way to have your cake and eat it too.

 

So if your ready to take your marketing to the "Next Level"  Contact me today.  I have some links below.  Lots of great info on the website and be sure to "like" on Facebook to keep updated.

 

Link Up Mobile Solutions Website

 

jason@linkupmobilesolutions.com

 

Link Up Mobile Solutions Facebook Page

 

 

 

 



Understanding Your Customers

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMERS

 

 

Knowing your customer is key to any businesses success. One reason customers come to your business is to purchase a good or service. Getting them to bust down your door can be a task at times. Utilizing mobile marketing to have customers knocking at your door when you want doesn't have to be Rocket Science.

People are creatures of habit.  When it's morning we want coffee.  When it's noon we want lunch. When we are on our way home from a long day at work, we want an easy dinner.  This is when you take advantage of our internal clock and hit us with an offer. 

• 50% off a large coffee
• BOGO free lunch (so we can bring a friend)
•  A free order of breadsticks to go with a pizza.

Sending a offer right to their phone is instant with a high redemption, because they view the message within 5 minutes of receiving it.  No other marketing can do that.

Making your customers feel special or elite is a excellent way of getting them to opt in to your Text Messaging Service.  People want to feel like they are getting special offer that no one else is privy to, like some secret society. Offering a special sign up coupon along with promotions that only text message opt in's receive, gets people grabbing for their phones.

Rewarding your customer's for staying loyal shows that you appreciate them.  Sending them sequential messages for staying signed up 30,60,90 days even up to a year, keeps them opted in and staying loyal.  You can also send birthday reminders with a birthday gift.  Maybe a free gift, a discount or special offer.  Everyone likes to get a present on their birthday, no matter what it is.

Ever heard the saying "Its cost less to keep a customer, than it does to gain a new one." This can't be more true.  Before you spend your time and money going after new customers and clients you do not currently have a relationship with consider the following statistics:

• Repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers.
• Referrals among repeat customers are 107% greater than non-customers.
• It costs six times more to sell something to a prospect than to sell that same thing to a customer.

I'm not saying a business should never gain new clientele, you just need to understand that these repeat customers come back to your business for a reason, YOU!  They're your biggest fan and they will let everyone know about you and your business.  Treat them well and they will for sure return the favor with business.

Keep your customers engaged with trivia, polls or contest.  Whether is be for fun, to win a prize or to get them in your business, staying connect with your fans is key.   Sure we all use Facebook and Twitter to post everything about our lives, but reaching them on the one device that you know for sure they will read that message you just sent.  Asking about products or a favorite movie quote to who's going to win the BIG GAME.  The options are limitless with Text Message Service ( especially from Link Up Mobile Solutions).


Thanks for Reading.

Be sure to contact Link Up Mobile Solutions to find why mobile marketing needs to be part of your marketing efforts.

For a Demo text LINKUP to 33938 (Msg/Data rates may apply).

Email Link Up Mobile Solutions info@linkupmobilesolutions.com

For Sale: A Realtors Guide to Mobile Marketing

For Sale: A Realtors Guide to Mobile Marketing

Sold! That's what every Realtor wants to hear.  Its  music to their ears and cash in the bank.  But, in these hard times of forecloses, bankruptcies and people just not having money.  Getting a house to sell is even tougher.  The one thing Realtors rely on is leads.  People who are interested in a home and want to buy.  The problem is that YOU as a Realtor do not sit and wait at every house you have listed, just waiting for a potential client to walk up and hand you cash. 

Sure you can drop a flyer in one of those plastic boxes or have a yard sign there.  These are great and needed, but they don't give you the one thing you NEED, a good contact lead.  That's where we welcome you to the next great way of obtaining a lead, Mobile Marketing, more specifically Text Marketing.

This is a low cost, high redemption way of advertising.  Now I know as Realtors your entire job revolves around marketing, for yourself as well as the homes you sell.  The world is going more and more mobile by the day, if your marketing efforts are not following your customers, well then you'll be left in the dark ages. 

We don't just stop with text marketing.  QR Codes are the next up and coming way of getting information to your customers.  From directing them to a websites to opt-ins for a text message offer.  These little, easy to make 2D graphics can be placed anywhere and will streamline your marketing efforts.

Mobile websites are also another way to mobilize your business.  With 5 billion smartphone users in the U.S. alone and this number grows daily.  You can see why your website should and must have a mobile version.  Not only is this formatted to mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, but it is a much more user friendly way to view websites.

Now, you probably asking yourself, " How can a text message help gain me leads?" Well, let me tell you.  First you place your keyword and short code on any material that is attached to the house for sale.  Yard signs, print outs, websites, Facebook, Twitter or whatever you want.  

The ad would look like this:

WANT MORE INFO?

Text REALTOR.4321LAKEST to 33938

Up to 4 msgs/mnth. Msg/data may apply.

800.555.5565 for Terms&Conditions

When your customers receives their text message it would look like this:

YOURNAME: Thanks 4 your interest in 4321 Lake St. This

2bd/2bth home is incredible. Full w/o basement and updated kitchen.

$129K check out more http://bitly.45dew.com or contact

yourname @ 800.555.5565

When you login to your Control Panel @ Link Up Mobile Solutions, you will have a good, genuine lead that you obtained when you were not even there.  This will show up as a phone # that you can get back within the next day or so. 

Whats great about our system is that you don't have to spend extra money purchasing more keywords.  Our system achieves this by using Groups function.  This is done by placing a decimal point (demo.1) after the keyword then using a 1-10 digit addition to your keyword that distinguishes your groups for opt-in purposes.  There is no limit to the amount of groups you  can have.  Plus, when you sell the home, which will all know you will, you can delete the list or keep it to keep customers informed on upcoming homes for sale.

With these next level marketing techniques at your finger tips.  You can ramp up your "OLD" way of reaching out to potential clients. 

Thanks,

Link Up Mobile Solutions



In Touch With The Congregation: Church Tips

Take YOUR Church To The Next Level of Communicating.

Keeping connected to your congregation is key in this day and age.  With everyone going mobile so does your communication efforts.  Young to old it doesn't matter, a text will reach them all. 

Uses

Churches can find many different ways to use Text Messages. One major usage is reminding members of up-and-coming events and news. Churches can remind members of:

• a guest speaker appearance
• a youth night activity
• special holiday events
• question/answer session of a sermon
• study topics for the weekly Bible study session
• sending daily inspirational quotes
• keeping in touch with staff
• reminders of meeting times

Text messaging is powerful, when used for these purposes, because of its immediate manner of delivery and super high readability percentage. Text messages are delivered to a subscriber within 30 seconds of when it was sent, providing instant information. The vast majority of text messages are read within 5 minutes of receiving them. Think of this in terms of your subscribers/members. What better way to keep in touch with them almost instantly and have a near-guaranteed read. Other forms of communication–such as e-mail, phone calls, or direct mail–just don’t produce such results.

Examples

Here are some example messages of how a church could utilize a text messaging service to contact subscribers:

Youth Group Reminders
Youth group meeting Wed. @ 7PM. Bring friends! We will discuss several topics with refreshments afterward. See you there! Stop to cancel.
Daily Inspirational Quote
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson. Stop to cancel.
Reminders of Meeting Times
Don’t forget our special Christmas worship service Dec. 25th @ 10:00AM. Normal services are Sunday’s at 9:00AM and 1:00 PM. Come learn with us! Stop to cancel.

As you can see, there are several ways that text messing can be beneficial to churches for a variety of different uses. Members will be able to stay connected like never before when their local church uses text messaging as a means of communication.

Be sure to check out our website Link Up Mobile Solutions and like us on Facebook to keep connected with information.

Thanks,

Link Up Mobile Solutions

5 Tricks to Increase Profits This Month Using Existing Customers

5 Tricks to Increasing Profits This Month Using Existing Customers. 

Increasing profits can be a challenge for businesses from time to time.  Some rely on season, while others might rely on times of the day.  It doesn't matter when these times might be, you must capitalize on the off times and flip them into your busy times.  Here are some tricks using text marketing to help increase your monthly profits.

1. Send offers when customers are thinking of them.  Sending a dinner offer when a customer is on their way home from work will save them time on making dinner and make you more money.  If I'm on my way or getting ready to go home from work and I just received a text alert from my favorite pizza joint saying BOGO free large pizza's. I'm going to save the time and money by picking up dinner for the family.

 2. Send offers that force customers to spend their money.  For example: BOGO, percentage off or free item with purchase (i.e. appetizer w/ purchase of entree).  These types  of offers will get them in spending money, plus they feel good while they're doing it, because the are getting a deal.

3. Teaming up with a neighboring business is a great way to increase sales for the month.  shooting an offer that works with both businesses can benefit you both.  Signing up for a tanning package and then receiving a coupon for a hair cut gets you both sales.  The customer looks at this as a courtesy of a complimenting service.

4. Free is always better.  Any time you can put out a free offer be sure to attach a time frame to it.  This gets customer in your door when you want.  Whether it be the day, week or month, you decide.  If your like me I love to get something for free.  It doesn't matter if its a small coffee or a paper weight.  Everyone feels better when they feel like they got something out of you, especially something that is free.

5. Reward your customer's and they will reward you.  Customer loyalty is what every business own thrives on, well and making more money.  Running a referral program that gives a reward for referring your business to there family & friends.  This helps your our by making YOUR customer's work for you and has them spreading the word about your business and getting them in your store.  [ example.1 (space) your# to 33938 ]

These are a few way that you can benefit from text marketing.  Be sure to check out our website Link Up Mobile Solutions.

Thanks,

Link Up Mobile Solutions

Launching A Successful Text Campaign

Launching a successful text campaign doesn't have to be a hair-pulling experience.  One thing you need to keep in mind is you must give subscribers a reason to Opt-in.  There are several different ways to achieve this.

One of the best ways to get people to opt-in is to offer them something for FREE, yes free.  The public LOVE free swag.  It doesn't matter what it is, an ice cream cone, appetizer or a chance to win a prize.  I know this option might not be feasible for some businesses, but I give you other ways to gain subscribers shortly.  Once you have decided what is is you can afford to give away, whether it is an item, product or service, simply post it everywhere.

Friend Request Please

Facebook and Twitter are great ways to reach out about your new Text Message offers.  When posting here the key is to post often, as posts tend to get buried in the News Feeds.  Every couple of days should do, just until your list starts to build and it will. Can you say viral.

Flyer, Flyer on the Wall

Post flyers in your place of business, neighboring businesses, events, pretty much anywhere you can or feel comfortable posting.  This can be simple flyers with your business, what it is subscribers are opting-in for, the amount of messages they can expect to receive each month.  The rest they will receive on the auto-responder message when they opt-in.  Drop a QR Code on the flyer is also great.

Hello! Can You Hear Me?

If your a business that has lots of phone numbers, maybe a Voice Broadcast is a better option.  A voice broadcast allows you to record a message about your "NEW" text messaging program and send it to every phone number simultaneously.  This is a fast and affordable option to spread the word.

Off to the Presses

Print is still always an option for now.  If your using print ads, its nothing really extra to ad a line to your current ad.  This will also tell you is anyone is even reading your ad.  You are completing your own market research.  Print is slowing dying, but this can help with moving you marketing to mobile.  Now if you are getting a ton of opt-ins from this, then by all means keep using print.  Just be warned you might not like the outcome of this test.  You might see you have been wasting a lot of your money.

Having a FUN-Raising

A fun way to gain subscribers is to launch a fundraiser, not for you silly, but with an organization that needs to raise some scratch.  Little League, shelters, non-profits, anyone who is looking for donations. Check out our blog on Text Marketing Uses for more specifics. 

Hit the Streets 

Sign spinners are becoming more popular with businesses to attract customers.  This is driven usually by local city ordinances banning lawn signs on the street.  This is a unique and flashy way to promote your new campaign.  The more outlandish, crazy and eye-catching your sign spinner is, the more likely people will want to check out his sign.  These crazy individuals will be the talk of the town and so will your business' text messaging campaign. 

Get the Point. 

Point of Sale transactions are yet another way to spread the word.  Adding a simple line to the receipt and definitely mentioning it to the customer makes all the difference.  If your not putting

it directly in their face, they won't know about your great offers.

Shuffling Cards 

Business cards float around like leaves in a fall breeze.  If people usually want your info, they ask for your card.  Tag this with your keyword and short code.  While your at it slap a QR Code there.  Link it to your Facebook, Twitter, Website/Mobile Website or anything your little heart desires.

Teaming Up!  

Businesses that work together, succeed together.  This is never more true in this economy.  Working with your neighbor next door or across town, is the only way to double your exposure.  Compliment your business with another.  A Hair Salon works prefect with a Tanning Salon, no competition.  A Quick Oil Change might recommend that great Car Wash down the street.  If you don't know or have a business that would be willing to work together with you, stop in and tell them what you are doing.  I'm sure nobody would say no to doubling their business exposure and potential money.

Turn Up the Radio

This might be an expensive avenue to venture down, but it might prove to be a helpful one.  This isn't a way I would recommend most small businesses to take, as is the most out of pocket.  I just want to put out all the ways you can reach customers.  It is proven that repeat customers will generate more revenue by spending an extra few dollars than trying to earn a "new" customer.

Lights, Camera, Action!

TV ads rank even higher on the cost spectrum.  They fall pretty much in line with the same scenario as radio.  Its like casting your line into the water and hoping that the big one will bite.  High risk, but if you budget allows it could take you text message campaign to the next level.

These are some of the ways you can get the word out.  Remember just as your business needed and needs a lot of work, prepping an initial campaign launch is no exception.  If you put in effort they will be greatly rewarded.  This might be a challenge for some small business' and that's where we can help.  Link Up Mobile Solutions will handle everything for you so that you can do what you do best, run your business.  

If this was helpful, please comment below.

Many Thanks,

Link Up Mobile Solutions

Text Marketing Uses

A few popular strategies to maximize your text marketing database:

Text-2-Win 

It’s commonly known that running contests is the absolute best tactic to building your database quickly, as well as, increase customer awareness and participation in your business or service. No matter how big or how small the prize, people love to enter to win! Texting makes it instant and fun - for the business and the consumer.

Text-2-Vote

Polls are another great tactic. Asking your customers what they prefer can add valuable profiles to your customer database and help you target future campaigns more precisely. Combining a prize for customers that respond to polls is the perfect win-win! Plus, polls allow you to do market testing on the fly!

Text-4-Rewards

Whether you are running a contest or not, consistent promotion of your MOBILE VIP CLUB will grow your database and yield rewards to you and your customers for years to come. The key concept is 'exclusivity'.

Text-4-Alerts

Mobile alert programs make your communications efficient and effective while increasing attendance and participation for customers, employees, sales teams, etc. Once you have built your database, our marketing experts will schedule time-sensitive text alerts that can contain VIP offers and rewards, exclusive invitations, inventory arrivals, mobile coupons, or links to multimedia content and mobile commerce.

Text-4-Info

Text 4 Info allows a campaign to be setup which only provides information via the auto-responder message. Accounts using this option do not have the ability to send any messages to their end-users. Rather, the end-user will only receive the initial customized auto-responder message when they text to receive the information. This option allows for a full 160 character message to provide the information to the end-user. *Subscribers obtained through text 4 info accounts cannot be marketed to via text message.

Fundraisers

Hooking up with your local Little League or Church to help raise money is also a good way to build a customer list.  By working with a local groups, you can generate a massive list and they help you build it.  Here's how it works.  After you have selected a group, say a Little League, you agree on a set dollar amount per opt-in.  Then they go to work promoting your business to build money for the team.  The more opt-ins the more money they earn.  This is a win-win situation, because they earn money, your business earns a subscriber list and this is a tax deduction donation.  To maximize their efforts, include an incentive for opting in.  I know the donation is incentive, but you want to drive customers to your business. 

Appointment Reminders

This is a GREAT tool for any business that sets appointments.  You ask your customer if they would like to receive their reminder via text and that's it.  You save time and money by you or your staff being more efficient.  No phone call, reduce cancellations and save on postage and printing. 

Cross Promotions   


Just remember not only does your business need to succeed, but so does your neighbors.  This is why you both can benefit from cross promotions.  Using each others subscriber list to build sales is an excellent way to better your businesses.  Try to compliment businesses or services to maximize sales.  i.e. Tanning Salon/Hair Salon or Car Wash/Oil Change Facility.  You can work whom ever is willing, but try to think like your customers. 


Groups

The unique feature we offer here at Link-Up Mobile Solutions is Groups.  Groups main, and best feature is allowing you to do YOUR own market research.  You achieve this by one simple punctuation mark, a period.  Instead of buying extra keywords, we use this to give you as many as you want.  Say you want to see how many subscribers you get from your Facebook fan page.  You would just post on your Wall, 

Sign up for discounts and coupons thru our Text VIP Club.
Text Karls.FB to 55958. 6 msgs/mnth. Receive a free sm.
ice cream cone.


You can keep this group separate or send them the same information you'd send to all your groups.


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Link-Up Mobile Solutions

Text Messaging 101

For those of you who are new Text Marketing,  I'm going to run down the basic of how it works.  Throughout this blog series we will key in on specific niche businesses and how to maximize uses for Text Marketing.  

Let's  start off by explaining how a simple text campaign will work.  A subscriber signs up to your list via a Short Code (a 5-6 digit shortened phone number that wireless carriers assign to businesses sending text messages over their network.)and Keyword (a 4-12 alphanumeric key that differentiates your company on a short code), I will explain those a little later, then they receive a response message within seconds. 

A Call to Action ad would look like this:

JOIN OUR VIP TEXT CLUB

TEXT PIZZA TO 55958

AND RECEIVE A FREE BREADSTICKS.
YOU WILL RECEIVE UP TO 4 MSGS/MNTH.

Auto-Respond Message:

Johns Pizza:

Thanks for joining our club. 

You will receive 4 msg/mnth.

Show this txt 4 your free breadsticks.

Msg/data rates apply. Text HELP for help. 
STOP to cancel.  www.johnspizza.com 4 T&C's.

  

These Call to Actions can vary.  The sky's the limit for ways to get customers to sign up.  The main idea is to give them a reason to sign up, INCENTIVES.   Text Marketing works on many levels, not only to gain customers, keep loyal customers, but can be used as just a fast way to get information to people.  From cities to schools and restaurants to doctors offices and everyone in between.  This is a tool that will save you money, make you money and create a fun way to keep in touch with you customer base. I will get into more specific in later blogs.  Be sure to follow us.  

Thanks,

Link-Up Mobile Solutions

www.linkupmobilesolutions.com