In the last US election cycle we learned some very important lessons about internet marketing as a strategic tool. In fact, Barack Obama used text messages as an important part of his communication plan. He notified his supporters of his running mate choice, asked his supporters to reply with demographic data (zip codes) and urge recipients to vote. What’s equally important is that his supporters loved getting his text messages and signed up in droves to keep getting important information.

As a business, you can also use text messages to give your customers one to one marketing messages designed to meet their specific needs. And because your customers generally carry their cell phones with them during their waking hours, you can know that they are actually receiving important messages. Unlike email where your message may be filtered out or you must wait for your customer to login and read the message, you can use text messages and instantly reach your subscription base.

In business, text messages are primarily used as an alert system or when timing is critical. Some businesses use this method to announce impromptu sales. Others use to notify customers when certain thresholds are met in their account (such as having enough sales to quality for a 10% discount). And still others use to announce new product offerings or notifications for special events.

Text Message Basics Like email, you should always follow proper protocol. Use an opt-in service so your customers can knowingly sign up to receive text messages. Because most customers read every text message they receive and because some customers have to pay for incoming text messages, it is even more important to only send messages they are interested in.

Text messaging is a one-to-one marketing tool. You need to customize the message and the delivery to be as close to your customers needs as possible. When allowing customers to opt in, make sure they can select the activities that are more important to them. Letting the customer be in full charge of the messages they receive not only lets the customer know how important they are to you, but also caters specifically to their unique needs.

Composing the Message Because text messages are, by their very nature, short and simple, keep your communication short and simple. Do not add extra links or use fluff language. You can always follow up the text message with an email message that contains more information or ask your customers to visit a web page for more information on what you’ve sent out. Give out enough information to alert the customer that something important is happening and where they can go to get more information. Adding too much text will only turn your customers off and make them unsubscribe from your notices.

Carrier basics When sending a text message, you can use a specialized service or simply send an email. If you’re going to start small and use your email as the delivery tool, you need to make sure you collect the person’s cell phone carrier and follow the carrier’s template. For example, some common carriers and their rules are listed below:

AT&T or Cingular - number@txt.att.net

Verizon Wireless - number@vtext.com

T-Mobile - number@tmomail.net

Tracfone - number@cingularme.com

Sprint – number@messaging.sprintpcs.com. In the event your customer is a Sprint customer and their number is (222) 333-4444, you would send your email to 2223334444@messaging.sprintpcs.com.

photo credit: OnTask