If you haven't considered SMS marketing for your business, take a look at the following statistics. Among 18 to 44-year olds who have smartphones, 79 percent have them with them 22 hours a day. Not all mobile phones are smartphones, of course, but 81 percent of mobile customers use SMS messaging. That's a huge market, and as you can see, it's not just for teenagers. If you want to tap into this market, keep reading for three ways you can use text message marketing in your business.

Smartphone users almost always have their devices on hand. SMS marketing is a great way to reach these highly connected users.

1. Use text messages for time-sensitive communications.

If you're having a slow day and want to offer customers a discount for stopping by, text messaging is the perfect way to get that message to your customers. Of course, with time sensitive messages, you want to give your customers enough time to take advantage of the offer. If you plan to offer half off milkshakes from 6 pm - 8 pm, for instance, your message should be sent early in the day so customers can plan accordingly.

2. Use SMS marketing programs to reward loyal customers.

People value their phone privacy. If a customer has given you his or her mobile number - a number that allows you to reach the customer any time, day or night - you can bet that person is a loyal customer. So, with that in mind, you should make your text messages meaningful, valuable and timely. Don't interrupt dinnertime, for instance, with a text message. And don't send SMS messages for every little promotion you offer - save it for big discounts, free upgrades and other VIP offers.

3. Use text messages to remind customers of appointments.

If your business is service-based, SMS reminders are a convenient, non-intrusive way to remind patients and clients of their appointments. These services are popular with dentists, stylists and other professionals that operate on a tight schedule. Offering text appointment reminders is a great way to build your SMS marketing list, too.

Offering appointment reminders is a great way to build your text message marketing list.

Before you jump into text message marketing, keep these things in mind:

• Establish a relationship with clients first. Text message marketing doesn't work well for cold leads.
• Provide social login options to make it easy for customers to log in and interact with your site when clicking a link from a text message.
• Use SMS marketing in conjunction with your campaigns across social media, email and your website for the greatest effectiveness.

Remember, text messages are a communication medium that people consider extremely important. Users open 98 percent of their SMS messages, and most are opened in three minutes or less. Provide value and engage your customers, and you'll have a happy and effective SMS marketing list.