An ill-timed text message can confuse your mobile subscribers.

Have you ever received a text from a business that left you scratching your head? Perhaps you received it late on a weeknight or maybe after a limited time deal had already lapsed. When it comes to text message marketing, timing is both an art and a science. A well-timed message can mean the difference between customers feeling excited about your brand or slightly confused. If you are using text messages in your business marketing toolkit, here are some tips for timing them right.

Learn about Your Target Customers' Behaviors

Part of the art of timely text messaging is learning about your target audiences' behaviors. Understanding who your mobile subscribers are and what a typical day looks like for them can help you time your text messages more effectively. For example, are most of your mobile subscribers college-age students or are they young professionals working 9-5 jobs? What are their daily patterns? Do they shop or eat at restaurants frequently during lunch time hours? Talking to your customers or conducting a short survey can help you learn more about them. The more you know about your target audience, the better you will be able to time your text marketing efforts.

Think about When You Want Them to Pay Attention

Another important thing to think about when it comes to timing is the type of offer you're sending. For example, are you a restaurant owner that's hoping to capture the attention of the lunch crowd with a special discount? Or maybe you are hoping to drive more foot traffic to your business for happy hour on a Friday evening. Take a look at what you are trying to accomplish with your offer before you schedule a time to distribute. To some degree, the type of text message you will share with your mobile subscribers will dictate the appropriate time to send it.

Avoid Certain Times

While it may seem obvious, it's important to avoid certain times with your text messages. It's a good rule of thumb not to distribute messages early in the morning or late at night. You may also want to avoid typical commute times if your target customers are already in the workforce. While you may be able to capture the attention of some people taking public transportation to get to and from work, you will likely miss a good portion of your audience that commutes by car. Avoiding certain times of day can help you get the highest possible reach for your mobile marketing efforts.

Timing is important when it comes to text message marketing, but many business owners have trouble timing their campaigns properly. There are a few key factors to look at as you are scheduling your text message marketing efforts. Learning about your target customers' behaviors, timing your messages according to the type of offer you're sending, and avoiding certain times of day can help you get the best response from your campaign. If you are interested in getting started with text message marketing, try Club Texting for free today.

Drip campaigns are an effective approach to initiating ongoing mobile communications with your target audience.

There are a number of different approaches to mobile marketing. Some businesses choose to launch limited time offers to get their target audience's attention; others take a different approach and create a drip campaign. While there are advantages to both approaches, many prefer to send ongoing communications via a drip campaign. If you are interested in getting started with text message marketing and you're wondering what the best approach is for your business, here is some helpful information about how drip campaigns work.

What is A Drip Campaign?

A drip campaign is a mode of text message marketing in which a business sends multiple messages to potential customers over a period of time. Typically, companies will work with a mobile developer to time their messages effectively in an effort to get the best possible response from recipients. Most often, customers opt-in to a certain group that's based on a keyword which a business creates in the early stages of their campaign. After they've opted in, recipients receive text messages as often as the business running the campaign chooses. For example, if a company is using drip text marketing to draw attention to an exclusive weekend event, they may send texts to potential customers every 12 hours from Wednesday through Saturday night when the event begins.

Why Is this An Effective Approach?

Drip text marketing is effective for one major reason. Instead of just sending one message that can potentially get lost in a recipient's inbox, businesses opt to send multiple reminders to potential customers. This increases the likelihood that your target audience will actually remember your event or offer. Since texting is such a quick means of communication, and recent data suggests that mobile subscribers in the 25-34 demographic receive an average of 1,130 texts per month, it can be easy for messages to get lost in the shuffle. If you are interested in getting your message above the noise, a drip campaign can help you achieve your goal.

How to Get Started

Getting started with your drip campaign is simple. First, it's important to have a specific goal in mind. Sending ongoing messages to customers about something generally related to your business may not be the best approach. If you have a special limited time sale or an exclusive VIP event coming up, you may want to draw attention to your business with a drip campaign.

Pay close attention to your calls to action as you're creating your messages, and keep texts short, yet direct. You want your customers to know exactly what the next step is as you are distributing your messages. Think about timing as well, both in terms of how much lead time you want to offer customers and how often you want your messages to be distributed. After you've done some brainstorming, reach out to a mobile developer to get started.

A well-timed drip campaign can help you grab your customers' attention and give your business a boost.

Are you interested in exploring a drip campaign for your company? If you want to reach more customers ahead of a special event or sale, try ClubTexting for free today! Your target audience is waiting to hear from you!

A compelling limited time text message is hard to resist.

Act now! This offer is available for a limited time only! Chances are you've seen many variations of that slogan on television commercials, print advertisements, and products on store shelves. Many businesses launch 'limited time' marketing campaigns in order to turn potential customers into buyers. This tried and true advertising strategy is popular because it works. If you are interested in grabbing the attention of more customers with your upcoming mobile marketing efforts, here's how to craft a limited time text message that will give your business a boost.

Apply a Short, Yet Realistic Timetable

If you want your limited time text message campaign to be a success, it's important to choose the right timetable. You want to strike the perfect balance between something that's short enough to create a sense of urgency for your customers, yet realistic. It's important to give them ample time to visit your business and take advantage of the offer. Since texting is such a fast-paced means of communicating, limited time offers should be structured slightly differently than if you were running a limited time print campaign. Otherwise you run the risk of your customers forgetting about the offer altogether.

Consider distributing your text, and giving your customers a day or two to redeem your offer. For example, if you are trying to get patrons into your restaurant for an upcoming weekend event, you may want to send your text message on a Wednesday and say that the offer is valid from Friday to Sunday. This gives people enough time to plan, but not so much time that they'll forget you sent them a message in the first place.

Make Your Call to Action a Priority

Your campaign's call to action should be a top priority when crafting a limited time text message offer. It's important to remember that you only have a limited amount of space, and keeping things short and direct is beneficial in a couple of ways. A well-crafted call to action can help heighten the sense of urgency of your limited time campaign. It can also help capture your recipients' attention more successfully than a longer text message. Recipients don't necessarily want to have to scroll down to read a longer message. One example of an effective CTA for a limited time campaign could be something like the following. "Redeem this offer in the next 48-hours at our Main St. location." It's short, to the point, mentions a timetable, and tells customers how to redeem your offer. Creating a sharp call to action can help make your limited time text message campaign more effective.

Use limited time text message offers to connect with more customers.

Limited time offers are an effective way to grab the attention of potential customers. The simple fact is that everyone loves a good deal, and applying a short timetable to your offer can help increase redemption rates. If you are thinking of launching a limited time text message offer for your business, focusing on timing and developing a compelling call to action can improve your chances of success. Try ClubTexting for free, and start building your text message campaign today.

A useful text message can help turn potential customers into loyal ones.

Businesses large and small are using mobile marketing to engage with customers. If done right, text message marketing can help you raise awareness about your company and drive sales. But many businesses are hesitant to get started, despite the potential benefits. One of the most common reasons that business owners steer clear of text message marketing is that they are concerned about their messages being categorized as spam. While this concern is valid, there are several ways to ensure this doesn't happen. Here's a basic guide to creating useful text messages that will help you connect with customers.

Make Sure Your Messages Are Relevant

One of the best ways to create a useful campaign is to make sure that your text messages are relevant. Sometimes this means dividing up your mobile subscribers list to send targeted offers to a particular customer segment. For example, let's say your nightclub is having a ladies' night this weekend and you are interested in getting the word out. Chances are you would probably want to focus on disseminating the message to your female customers because it's one that's specifically relevant for them. As you are developing your text marketing campaigns, keeping your audience in mind can help improve the relevancy of your messages.

Offer Something Valuable

Another way to build a more relevant campaign is to offer something valuable to your target audience. This could mean different things for different businesses. For some, it may mean sharing a coupon or discount code via text message. For others, it may mean connecting with existing customers to draw their attention to a new product or service being offered. Your audience is more likely to take action if your text marketing campaign highlights a relevant, intriguing incentive. A well-crafted offer is a win-win for both your business and your customers.

Cultivate Relationships with Customers

If your business is no stranger to text message marketing, and you've had success with this approach in the past, you may want to consider using it as a tool to cultivate relationships with your existing customers. Whether that means sending out a greeting to them during the holidays or personalizing your campaigns to create offers that are more relevant for a specific audience. For example, if a subset of your customers purchases a certain product regularly, you may want to send them an offer for a future purchase. This approach to text message marketing can be used to help build customer loyalty.

Focus on creating useful offers for your audience to get the best return on your campaigns.

There are a number of things you can do to make your texts more useful for your target customers. Focus on creating relevant text messages, offering your customers something valuable, and using text message marketing as a tool to cultivate relationships with your existing customers. It's time to get started with mobile for your business. If you're interested in learning more or crafting your first campaign, try ClubTexting for free today!

Mass texting beats email marketing in a few different ways.

Things are very different than they were just a decade ago. Mobile technology and the Internet have made it easier than ever for us to communicate with one another. These tools have also opened up many new doors for business owners interested in connecting with their target audience. But is one approach to marketing more effective than another? A quick look at the data shows that mass texting beats email marketing in a few different ways. Here are three reasons to consider mass texting over email for your upcoming advertising efforts.

Mass Texting Campaigns Have Higher Open Rates

Did you know that the average open rate for an email campaign is only around 22 percent? That means if you're relying on email marketing alone to reach your audience, nearly 80 percent of your customers may be missing your message. By comparison, text messages have an open rate that is closing in on 100 percent. The latest data suggests that 98 percent of texts are opened. Both marketing approaches require that your customers opt-in somehow to receive communications from your business. Wouldn't you rather allocate some of your marketing spend to reach almost all of your audience rather than just a small portion?

Recipients Are More Likely to Click-through

Not only are mass texting campaigns more well-received by potential customers than email, your recipients are also more likely to take action. Text messages are fast-paced by nature, an immediate form of communication designed to elicit a quick response. Emails often sit in a customers' inbox for a while before they are opened. The fast-paced nature of mass texting works in favor of businesses sharing compelling calls to action with recipients. A recent survey by FunMobility suggests that approximately 36 percent of mobile customers take further action upon receiving a text message from a business. Email click-through rates average around 3.2 percent, according to recent data from MailChimp.

The Audience is Larger

There are more mobile subscriptions than there are people in the world, and mobile users are more attached to their phones than ever before. If you are interested in a large audience, mass texting is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to do it. This is true whether your customers are located in a remote corner of the world or just down the road from your business. While there may be more email addresses than mobile subscriptions, it's worth noting that your audience is more likely to actually read texts from your business. This makes your overall mobile audience is much larger than your email audience.

Mass texting allows you to reach more customers than email marketing alone.

While many business owners may be happy with the results of their email marketing efforts, a mass texting campaign represents and important opportunity. If you want to get your message across, get your customers to take action, and connect with a larger audience, consider exploring text marketing for your business. A well though-out mass texting campaign can help you increase your sales. Try ClubTexting for free today - your customers are waiting to hear from you!

A short, well-crafted text message is an effective way to get your customers' attention.

What is 160 characters long and interesting to your customers? The answer is an effective SMS message. The key word here is effective because it is possible to send an SMS message that's longer than 160 characters. But in many cases, it's better to keep things brief. While 160 characters may not seem like enough space to get your message across, it can be if you take the time to develop an effective campaign and call to action. Here are a few reasons why keeping your text marketing communications short is important.

It Can Help You Reduce Your Marketing Costs

As compared with other forms of marketing, SMS messages are a relatively inexpensive way to reach your audience. But if you are interested in staying on budget, one way to do so is to limit your messages to 160 characters. There are two reasons why this is beneficial for your business. The first is that you can avoid the added cost of sending multiple messages to your customers in order to alert them of your campaign. The second is that more customers are likely to read your message, which can result in more sales for your business. Not only are you saving money, there's also the added potential to drive more sales.

You'll Reach More Customers

Today's customers have a short attention span. If you are not getting your point across in the first 160 character SMS message to your audience, you may be missing out on reaching potential customers. Your first message needs to be something compelling so that your audience feels like they must opt-in to receive more communications from your company. Unless your campaign is engaging from the get-go, mobile users may be inclined to ignore your messages.

Your Calls to Action Won't Go Unnoticed

Chances are you want your mobile audience to take action, or it's likely you wouldn't be exploring SMS marketing for your business. Whether you are interested in alerting potential customers of a new product, offering a special discount, or enticing them with a free gift, you want to make sure your recipients understand the campaign objective and take the appropriate next step. By keeping your messages short and direct, you are forcing yourself to make your call to action a priority. Rather than trying to get your point across in multiple SMS messages, spend the time writing a quick text with a compelling CTA. This way, your calls to action will be in the spotlight, and they won't go unnoticed by your audience.

When it comes to SMS marketing, it's a good idea to keep your texts short.

There's no scientific reason for the 160 character limit imposed on SMS messages. It was actually arbitrarily decided by a technology developer during the earliest days of the concept. But there are a few good reasons to abide by it when launching a text marketing campaign for your business. Staying under this limit can help you reduce your marketing costs, connect with more customers, and get your audience to take action. If you are interested in getting started with a text marketing effort for your business, try ClubTexting for free today!

Mass SMS can help you share important messages with your students quickly.

Does your school have a no text messaging allowed rule in place? It may be time to reconsider! Mass SMS is an effective marketing tool for businesses, but it's also a practical method of communication that can be used in other contexts. In recent years, many schools have been using mass texting to share important announcements with teachers, students, staff members, and parents. If you are an education administrator that's been considering mass SMS as a communications tool for your school, here are three reasons why it is so important.

Mass SMS is Effective

Smartphones are popular with teenagers as well as adults, and texting has become a prevalent means of communication in recent years. This has two important implications for you as a school administrator. The first is that parents, teachers, staff, and students are likely to own or have access to a mobile phone. The second is that they are probably using it to send and receive text messages regularly. This means that if you are interested in reaching a specific audience, mass SMS is an effective channel for getting your message across. Imagine being able to share an important message with everyone connected to your school in a matter of seconds. Mass SMS is a simple, effective, and inexpensive communication tool.

It Can Be Used In Many Ways

Are you interested in opening up the lines of communication among staff members at your school? Or perhaps you are hoping to use mass SMS to share important announcements with parents of your students? No matter what your communications goals are for the school year, mass SMS can help you achieve them. If you'd like to use texting as a tool to create more collaborative working relationships among your teachers, you can do it. If parent/teacher conferences have been poorly attended in the past, a well-crafted mass SMS campaign can help you increase parent participation. Mass SMS can also be used to connect with your students and share important school announcements.

It's Useful in Emergency Situations

While it isn't something any school administrator wants to think about, emergency situations have occurred at schools around the country. We often hear media reports of terrible situations like bomb threats and school shootings. In the event that a potentially life threatening situation occurred at your school, do you have an effective means of notifying people in order to protect them from harm? Mass SMS can provide an effective vehicle for notifying your students, staff members, and parents about potentially harmful situations quickly. In this way, this unique communication tool can actually be a life saver.

Consider using mass SMS as a communications tool for your teachers.

Mass SMS isn't just a business marketing tool. It's a practical way of sharing important messages with large audiences. Mass SMS can be used to transmit school-wide announcements with parents, alert students of potential emergencies and threats, and improve communication and collaboration among staff members. If you are interested in exploring mass SMS for your school, try ClubTexting for free today.

Entertainment apps are among the most popular downloads among consumers.

It's no secret that the mobile app market has exploded in recent years. In 2013, Apple announced that there were over a million applications available for download in iTunes. Many of these apps are paid apps and the market is expected to tip the scales at $77 billion by 2017. That's a lot of downloads.

Though many businesses have been developing branded mobile apps in recent years, data suggests that most consumers aren't particularly interested in downloading enterprise applications. The bulk of downloads are for entertainment. This piece of data has important implications for businesses interested in reaching new customers through mobile. Instead of relying solely on a branded application for potential customers to download, a better strategy may be to focus on an integrated approach or scrap the app idea altogether. Here's why many businesses are choosing text marketing after experimenting with mobile apps.

Entertainment Apps Reign Supreme
Recent data suggests that the most popular mobile apps are games. Nearly 22 percent of overall app downloads last year fell under this particular category. Business related mobile apps represented just 9.9 percent of total downloads. While mobile owners are using their devices to engage with businesses, they aren't necessarily doing it through branded mobile apps. Channels like social media and text messaging are popular among consumers interested in connecting with their favorite brands.

Personalized Marketing via Text

One of the reasons why many companies prefer to use text message marketing to reach their audience is because of the personalization factor. Instead of giving users a standard experience such as what they'd get from a mobile app, businesses can craft a text marketing campaign that allows users to opt-in for specific information. Companies have the option of customizing campaigns via geographic location, or tapping into data about subscribers' previous purchases to deliver highly relevant and customized offers. Businesses are realizing that in order to get their message heard above the noise, they need to focus on personalization with their mobile marketing efforts.

Text Messaging Costs Less

Developing a mobile application can be costly for businesses, and the return on the investment may not be worth the money the app costs to create. Many companies are choosing to use text marketing instead of app development because it costs less overall. Text messages are also a reliable means of reaching a large, global audience, whether you're interested in connecting with current clients, potential customers, or your employees.

There are over a million apps available for download today.

In 2015, text messaging as a means of communication will continue to grow in popularity. Companies looking for the best return on their marketing efforts should consider adding text marketing to their advertising toolkit. Campaigns can be personalized easily and texting is an inexpensive and reliable way to reach potential customers. If you are interested in exploring how you can use mobile for your business, shift your focus away from mobile apps and towards text marketing. It's a tried and true approach that works. Get started with your own campaign and try ClubTexting for free today.

Text message marketing can help your business connect with more Millennials.

We've got some big news! Consumers in the 18-34 year age demographic are in love with their smartphones. While this may come as no surprise to companies that are using text message marketing to reach a Millennial audience, some businesses have yet to embrace the power of mobile in 2015. If your company hasn't added mobile to its marketing toolkit, you could be missing out on reaching potential customers. Here are some important things to note about text message marketing and reaching Millennial consumers.

Millennials and Smartphone Usage

The 18-34 year age demographic is a large and growing customer segment. This particular audience is among the most connected consumers in the world. They love their smartphones, and rarely leave home without them, which is why it makes sense for businesses to try and reach this particular audience via mobile marketing. Recent data suggests that a staggering 85 percent of Millennials in the United States own a smartphone. In terms of overall numbers, that's a potential audience of over 66 million people. Companies tapping into the power of mobile to reach this important customer segment are seeing valuable returns on their investment.

Why Text Message Marketing Works

Text messaging has become an increasingly prevalent means of communication over the past decade. Texts are a quick and effective way to send simple messages, and it's usually quicker to text someone than it is to make a phone call. From a business marketing perspective, the fast-paced nature of texts works in a company's favor. 90 percent of texts are read within a few moments of receipt, and mobile users have become more receptive to receiving marketing messages via text as long as they are timely and relevant. It's also worth noting that overall open rates for text messages are close to 100 percent. If you can encourage customers to subscribe to receive your messages, you can be sure that they are opening and reading what you send.

What Kind of Response You Can Expect

It can be challenging to gauge what kind of response you'll get from your text message marketing campaign. It depends on a few factors, including the size of your subscriber list and how many people opt-in to receive communications from your business. While there are some uncertainties, there's a wealth of potential that comes along with using text message marketing to reach a Millennial audience. Not only are you connecting with your audience through a channel that they are using frequently, there's also an opportunity to reach a large number of 18-34 year old consumers.

It's no surprise that Millennials are attached to their smartphones.

While it may come as no surprise that Millennials are using their smartphones and responding to texts, many businesses haven't begun using mobile as a tool to reach this key customer segment. Given the latent potential associated with text message marketing, there's no better time than now to add it to your business advertising toolkit. If you are interested in launching a text message marketing campaign for your business, try ClubTexting for free today!

Text message marketing can help you connect with more customers this year. Photo credits: danielfoster.

You know the old saying, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." When it comes to marketing, it certainly holds true. While you may be reaching some customers by focusing your marketing efforts on one channel, an integrated marketing strategy can help you attract more patrons to your business this year. If you're already using social media or mobile marketing to reach your target audience, you're off to a good start. Here's how to use the two channels together in order to maximize the impact of your marketing campaigns.

Learn More About Which Social Networks Are Popular with Your Audience

Before you jump into social media, it's important to find out which sites are most popular with your audience. To gather the information you need, you can either talk to your customers informally while they are hanging out at your club or restaurant or conduct a formal customer survey about social networking behaviors. This is an important step in the marketing process. After all, you wouldn't want to waste your time sharing content on a social networking site that's unpopular with your target audience.

Use Social Media for Networking

After you've determined where your customers are spending time online; it's time to get started with social media! Create an account for your business and share some interesting content. Rather than using social networks exclusively for promotional purposes, consider engaging your customers in a dialog. Creating an interesting, fun social media presence will help draw attention to your business. Remember, social media is the new word-of-mouth, so it's important to add some personality to your social networking presence in order to maximize your return.

Get Started with Text Marketing to Share Special Promotions

Social media and text message marketing can complement each other very well if businesses use these channels correctly. Many businesses use social media to not only engage with customers, but to collect important information about their audience. Demographic data such as age, sex, location, and interests collected through your business social media profiles can be used to create more personalized text message marketing campaigns. There's a lot of buzz about personalization in the mobile marketing industry today, and there's a good reason for it. Personalized marketing campaigns help businesses stand out with their target customers. If you are interested in developing a more effective text message marketing effort, taking a look at your businesses' social media profiles can help you personalize your campaigns.

Use social media and text marketing together to broaden your reach with potential customers. Photo credits: peterras.

Taking an integrated approach to your business marketing efforts can help you reach a larger audience. Before you get started with social media, make sure to find out which channels will be the most impactful for your business. Once you've determined which social networks your customers are using most frequently, start engaging with them on these platforms. Use text message marketing to share information about special promotions and complement your social media marketing efforts. If you are interested in launching a text message marketing campaign for your business, try ClubTexting for free today!

Make your club the hottest spot in town this year. Photo credits: whiskeytango.

It's a new year, and it's time to take things up a notch to attract new patrons to your nightclub. Whether you've recently opened your establishment or are simply interested in making some changes to your business to connect with new customers, there are a number of things you can do to fill your nightclub's dance floor in 2015. Here are four approaches you can take to make your business the hottest party spot in town.

Find out What Your Customers Want

The best way to make your business more customer-friendly is to connect with your target audience. Ask your customers what they'd like to see from your business this year. You can conduct an informal or formal market research campaign to collect their feedback. Consider asking about your food and drink menus, music, and general nightclub atmosphere. Use the input you gather from your audience to make improvements to your business in the new year.

Get the Word out on Social Media

If you are interested in attracting a younger audience to your nightclub this year, consider getting started with social media marketing. Social networking is the new word-of-mouth marketing. Spend some time learning more about which social media sites are most popular among your audience, and create a profile. Add links to your social media profiles to your print marketing materials and your menus. This will help you establish a following of existing customers. Use this channel to share special promotions with your customers and engage them in conversation.

Introduce Themed Nights

One way to set your nightclub apart from others nearby is to introduce themed nights. For example, you may want to have a designated ladies night each week where female club goers receive a special discount, or a singles night where those who are unattached can come and mingle. Themed nights can add an element of fun to your establishment, and that element of fun is what's going to help fill up your dance floor this year.

Use Text Marketing to Reach New Customers

Another effective way to connect with a younger audience is through text message marketing. Younger consumers communicate via text message more frequently than traditional phone calls. As consumers have become more connected to their mobile devices, they've become more open minded about connecting with businesses through their smartphones. Consider working with a mobile developer to create a text marketing campaign for your business. If you want to make the most of your first campaign, entice customers to opt-in to receive communications from your business with a special promotion. Develop an offer that potential customers simply cannot refuse, and your business will be booming before you know it.

Pack your dance floor this year by revamping your marketing. Photo credits: kalooz.

If you're interested in getting new customers through the door this year, there are several approaches you can take to accomplish your goals. Consider talking to your customers, embracing social media, introducing themed nights, and exploring text message marketing to reach your audience. Get started with your first text marketing campaign and try Club Texting for free today. New patrons will be filling up your dance floor in no time!

Attract new customers with some fresh marketing campaigns this new year.

The new year is a great opportunity for a fresh start. This is true for both individuals and businesses. If your marketing efforts were less impactful than you'd hoped, it's time to step up your game in 2015. Whether you're interested in reaching a new audience or reconnect with existing customers this year, there are a number of approaches you can take that will help you achieve your business goals. Here are four ways to improve your marketing in 2015.

Revisit Past Campaigns

The best way to create more effective marketing campaigns is to learn from past successes and failures. Take a look back at some of your previous promotions, and spend some time trying to identify common elements. For example, are particular deals more appealing to your customers than others? Did timing play a role in campaign success? Is one marketing channel more impactful than another? Revisiting past efforts is the first step towards developing more effective campaigns this year.

Talk to Your Customers

One of the best ways to find out what your customers want from your business is to ask them. Conducting some formal and informal market research can help improve your marketing efforts this year. Talk to your customers when they visit your business, ask them what types of promotions grab their attention, if there are ways you can improve your food and drink menu, and how you can enhance their experience in 2015. Use the information you gather to map out your marketing plans.

Explore New Channels for Promotion

If your marketing efforts left something to be desired in 2014, it may be worth exploring new channels for promotion. Sometimes it's not your promotions themselves that are the issue; it's that you aren't choosing the best avenues to share information with your customers. This year, consider trying something different like a text message marketing campaign. Well-crafted text campaigns have high open rates and are an effective way to reach your customers.

Pay Attention to the Results

Are you tracking the results of your marketing efforts closely? If not, it's time to start. The best way for you to determine whether a marketing campaign is effective or not is to track the response from your customers. How you track this data depends on the channel you're using to reach your target audience. For example, if you launch an ad campaign online, there are platforms that allow you to monitor your click through rates. Paying attention to the results of your ongoing marketing efforts can help you create better campaigns.

Get people talking about your business in 2015.

It's time to refresh your marketing efforts and reach more customers this year. If you're interested in taking things up a notch in 2015, start by revisiting past efforts, talking to your customers, expanding your marketing horizons via new channels, and paying attention to campaign results. These four steps can help you achieve your business goals this year. Click here to learn more about how you can reach new customers with your marketing campaigns today!

Super Bowl Sunday is a popular time to socialize with friends.

Super Bowl is a big deal in the world of sports. A record-breaking 111 million people tuned in to last year's matchup between the Broncos and the Ravens. Sports fans plan parties at home and search for the best bars and clubs in town to enjoy the game. If you are interested in attracting more patrons to your business for this year's big game, there are a number of approaches you can take. Among the most effective is creating a mass texting campaign to grab the attention of local consumers. Here's how mass texting can make your Super Bowl event a winner.

Raising Awareness about Your Event Quickly

February is approaching fast! New Years is over and the next big social event for many people is the Super Bowl. Many bars and clubs have already begun marketing their businesses leading up to the big game. Potential customers are mapping out their monthly calendars and thinking about their Super Bowl plans. If you feel like you're a little behind with your marketing efforts, a mass texting campaign can help you get ahead of the game again. Long code text marketing campaigns can be set up quickly, and mass texting is an effective way to raise awareness about your business in time for the Super Bowl. Recent data estimates that text messages have a 98 percent open rate. Mass texting represents a huge opportunity for your business.

Sharing Information about Special Promotions

Many bar and club owners choose to run exclusive promotions related to the Super Bowl. Perhaps you're planning to offer customers a discount or your business has a special menu featuring delectable game day appetizers. Consider using mass texting as a channel to share information about any specials you're having in honor of the big game. Many potential customers have a hard time resisting a good deal, and a well-crafted text marketing campaign can help you attract their attention as the Super Bowl approaches.

Ongoing Benefits of Mass Texting

Not only is mass texting an effective way to connect with mobile users before game time, it can also be used as a tool to improve customer loyalty for the long haul. Once potential patrons opt-in to receive communications from your business, you can connect with them over time to share information about promotions, new menu items, etc. Mass texting is a great way to raise awareness about your business and keep customers coming back again and again.

Make this year's Super Bowl Sunday a smash hit at your club or bar.

If you're interested in attracting more customers to your business for the Super Bowl this year, mass texting is an effective way to do it. Long code mass texting campaigns can be created quickly and used to transmit information about special game day promotions your business is offering. Open rates for text campaigns are high, especially when you're providing an enticing incentive for your audience. Text message marketing can also be used to improve customer loyalty over time. If you're interested in launching a mass texting campaign to reach new patrons ahead of game day, try ClubTexting for free!

Text message marketing can be used to share time sensitive information with potential customers.

Many businesses experience success by engaging with consumers through multiple channels. Thanks to technology, the options for connecting with your audience through your marketing efforts are almost endless. But email and texting are two of the most popular ways that brands interact with their customers. If you are interested in taking your marketing efforts up a notch in the coming year, you may want to consider adding these tools business marketing toolkit. Email and text marketing are effective, and if campaigns are done correctly, these particular channels complement each other quite well. Here's how you can create a marketing 1-2 punch with your email and text message marketing efforts.

Email Is One of the Most Trusted Forms of Communication

People have been communicating via email since the Internet's earliest days, so it makes sense that this channel would be among the most trusted forms of communication. Many consumers prefer to interact with brands via email. Recent data suggests that 64 percent of email users report being receptive to business marketing messages in their inboxes, and 50 percent say that they prefer to receive email notifications about special promotions from companies. Despite being a trusted form of communication, it's worth noting that email open rates tend to be low as compared with text message open rates.

Open Rates for Text Messages Are Higher Than Email

One of the biggest benefits of using text message marketing in addition to your email campaigns is that open rates for text messages tend to be much higher than email. If a customer opts in to receive text communications from your business, open rates for messages may be as high as 98 percent. Email open rates average just 20 percent, but that's not to say the channel isn't effective. Think of it this way, if your subscription list has 10000 members; your email has the potential to reach 2000 people. By the same token, you may be able to reach 9800 of those subscribers via text.

Email and Text Message Marketing Are Complementary

Many businesses choose to use email and text message marketing in conjunction with one another because they are complementary tools. The two channels allow for vastly different types of communication. Email can be used as an ongoing tool to share evergreen information about your business in an effort to build customer loyalty, while texts can be used to transmit time sensitive data about things like flash deals, special promotions, and appointment reminders. Email messages don't convey the same sense of urgency that text message communications carry, and the information that you share with your customers will likely vary.

Email is a tried and true means of cultivating ongoing business relationships with customers.

If you're interested in reaching a new audience or improving customer loyalty this year, consider using email and text message marketing to share information with potential patrons. Email is a tried and true form of communication which can be used to build ongoing relationships with your customers, and a well-crafted text message campaign can be used to pique their interest around time-sensitive deals and promotions. Start improving your marketing initiatives for the coming year, and try ClubTexting for free today!

An effective text message marketing campaign can help you reach more customers.

Have you ever opted out of a text message marketing campaign? Chances are you have. Perhaps you opted out of receiving communications from another business because the messages came too frequently, or maybe the content simply wasn't relevant for you. If you are thinking about using text messaging to reach new customers for your business, it's important to learn from others' mistakes in order to increase your conversion rates. Here are three of the most common reasons that consumers reject text message marketing campaigns.

The content isn't relevant or helpful to them

One of the major reasons why potential customers opt out of text message marketing campaigns is because the content simply isn't relevant or helpful. Businesses may make the unfortunate mistake of targeting the wrong audience or excluding incentives from their text campaigns. It's important to remember that consumers are more likely to opt-in to campaigns that provide them with a special discount or incentive in exchange for their subscription. Taking the time to do some research ahead of your campaign can help you effectively target the right audience and come up with an enticing offer that your potential customers simply cannot refuse.

They are receiving too many messages

Message frequency is an important consideration with any text message marketing campaign. If you send too few messages, your campaign may not be as effective as it could be because your brand is unlikely to stand out among potential customers. Alternatively, if you distribute messages too frequently, recipients may become annoyed and choose to opt out of your campaign. A good rule of thumb is to make sure that every message you send creates value for your audience. Sometimes that means getting creative to come up with content that's helpful. Other times it means scaling back a little to exclude content which lacks substance.

The tone is inappropriate

Many potential customers choose to opt out of text message campaigns because of message tone. When it comes to text message marketing, your tone should be professional yet conversational. While you want to keep communications somewhat light, it's a good idea to avoid humor and colloquialisms when addressing potential customers. Coming across as too informal in your communications can cause your audience to reject your text message marketing campaign. Before you launch your campaign, think about how you'd speak with a customer on the phone and use that information as a guideline to develop a more effective text message marketing effort.

Maximize the return of your text message marketing campaigns by paying attention to message relevancy, frequency, and tone.

As with anything else in life, some marketing campaigns are more effective than others. Whether you're just getting started with text message marketing or simply want to improve your conversions, there are a number of things to think about. Potential customers may reject text message marketing campaigns if the content isn't relevant or helpful to them, if messages are sent too frequently, and if the tone is inappropriate. Use this information to help improve conversion rates on your next text marketing effort. If you're interested in reaching new customers via mobile, try ClubTexting for free today!

According to recent research from selz.com, online sales during the first quarter of 2014 were up 13% compared to the same period in 2013, and mobile ecommerce was up an impressive 35%. If anything like that growth happens again this year, 2015 looks set to be a record-breaking year for cyber shopping.

Knowing the numbers and taking advantage of them, however, are two different things. If you’ve never thought about sending a group sms message, or even considered how to go about encouraging people to opt in to a group sms text list, this year is a good time to look into the advantages of doing so. If you want to avoid getting left in the dust during 2015, check out some of these ideas for engaging digital shoppers this year: 

1) Dynamic Advertising

Canny fashion retailers are creating marketing campaigns which allow consumers to click through ads to gain access to the latest clothing collections. This may include browsing a brand’s entire catalog, viewing prices and watching embedded videos, but the only limitations to dynamic ads are your imagination. Dynamic clothing catalogs are also capable of automatically updating with new offers, so there’s no need to constantly adjust the interface. You can even include a link within the ads to encourage viewers to sign up for future group sms message alerts. These ads provide consumers with a window on your brand’s ethos, as well as an easy-to-use online shopping option. 

2) Apps

Mobile apps are an incredibly powerful tool for retailers, as more and more digital consumers rely on a good app to engage with brands. Good examples in the retail world include Victoria’s Secret, H&M and Kohl’s.

3) Sweepstakes

Running a sweepstakes on social media is a good way to keep consumers engaged in between shopping. Most people check their social media almost as often as they check their text messages; used in tandem with sending group sms messages to those who have opted in, a sweepstakes can keep the conversation going long after people have stopped thinking about your products. Plus, it’ll encourage more people to sign up for future group SMS message alerts. After all, who doesn’t want free stuff or big discounts?

4) Gift Guides

Online gift guides work brilliantly as a supplement to catalogs because so many people use their mobile devices to browse products prior to shopping. An attractive gift guide is one of the better uses of the oft-maligned QR code, so consider adding a QR code to your print ads, sending customers directly to a gift guide.

5) Content-Powered Commerce

Forrester Research coined the phrase ‘Two-Site Syndrome’ to describe a tendency for brands to use one site for engaging content - videos, industry information etc - and another to host the product catalog. The trouble with this approach is that it creates a disjointed user experience. So while it might seem easier to split your marketing content from your commercial interface, it’s better in the long run to create an integrated, one-site solution, where social media and blog posts serve the function of driving consumers to your catalog.

6) Geo-Targeting Technology

A retailer may wish to connect their online presence with their physical location via location-targeting tactics such as offering time-limited discount deals directly to mobile devices the moment it enters a retail store, or to customers who live (or travel) within a certain distance of the retailer. You can even send SMS to groups of people with the same shopping habits as soon as they find themselves nearby. Used in conjunction with mobile coupons and other text messaging strategies, geo-targeting promises to be one of the most powerful tools in the marketers arsenal this year. 

Recruitment marketplace Emprego Ligado has been helping Brazilians find employment by the million, all thanks to the explosion in cellphone usage across Latin America. Backed since 2012 by a number of high profile investors, the firm has just won Series A funding from a new rash of venture capitalists. The funding - to the tune of $7 million - will be used for continental expansion. 

If Brazil is anything to go by, Emprego Ligado’s expansion across the region will prove fruitful. Founder Jacob Rosnbloom claims to have created more than 2 million interview opportunities for blue-collar workers during 2014; 18% of them were offered a job the first day they signed up. Even more crucially in a country where long commutes are commonplace, he has helped jobseekers find work closer to home (within an average of two and a half miles, according to Rosenbloom). The proximity of worker to workplace is helping companies and employees cut thousands in costs. 

The international expansion of Emprego Ligado is not indicative of a major shift in the company’s model, which asks users to upload resumes and filter job opportunities via text message. The process takes just a few minutes. By opening the recruitment process to citizens for whom the only connectivity tech they possess is a feature phone, Emprego Ligado has increased potential job matches ten fold. 

Rosenbloom is almost as passionate about his role in reducing commute times as he is helping people find jobs in the first place. “People will spend over 3 hours a day in traffic to get to the downtown area for work,” says Rosenbloom. His idea was to enable people to find work closer to home so they can “spend more time with their families, be more productive at work and stay longer in their jobs.”

By turning text messaging into a recruitment tool, Emprego Ligado has contributed to Latin America’s employment boom. In Brazil - where only 7.5% of the population has a data plan - such growth wouldn’t be possible without SMS. Millions of nationals have found gainful employment using the platform, and as they expand across Latin America, millions more hope to do the same.

The holidays are a great time to connect with customers. Photo credit: mgkmphotography

The holiday season is here and consumers are flocking to local malls, stores, and restaurants to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. They are also relying on their phones more frequently to seek out the best possible deals nearby. As mobile has become a more prevalent communication tool, consumers have become accustomed to communicating with businesses via this important channel. If you haven't begun exploring mobile marketing to reach your customers, your company could be missing out. Here are three ways your business can use group texting to attract the attention of your target audience this holiday season.

Share Information about Special Events

The holiday season is a popular time for special events. Many establishments host an annual holiday party or have a New Year's Eve bash complete with a champagne toast at midnight. If your business is hosting a special event this holiday season, group texting can be a great way to get the word out to potential attendees. Whether you're interested in connecting with previous customers or reaching an entirely new audience, text message marketing can help you get people talking about your upcoming holiday party or New Year's bash. Partner with a mobile developer for your group texting campaign. There's still time to get the party started this season!

Transmit Exclusive Offers

Are you running any promotional campaigns during the holiday season? If so, group texting can be used to transmit exclusive offers to potential customers. Consumers are on the lookout for deals right now, so chances are they will be more open to receiving communications from your business. This is especially true if you're offering something that adds value for them. For example, if you're a restaurant owner that's interested in increasing your foot traffic, you may want to offer potential customers a free holiday-themed beverage in the spirit of the season. Group texting is a great way to share information about your holiday promotions.

Say Thank You and Send a Greeting

The holiday season is a time to be joyful and thankful. It's a great time of year to send your existing customers a friendly greeting and tell them how much you appreciate their ongoing business. Group texting can help you build customer loyalty during the holiday season and beyond. If you're interested in doing something nice for your repeat customers, a friendly greeting and thank you note is a wonderful gesture. You could even sweeten the deal by using group texting to provide them with a special discount to thank them for their business.

Add group texting to your marketing toolkit this holiday season. Photo credit: highwaysagency

Potential customers are open to communicating with businesses via their mobile devices. This is especially true during the holiday season because everyone is on the lookout for a good deal. If you're interested in using group texting to reach your audience, there are multiple approaches you can take. Consider sharing information about special events, transmitting exclusive offers, and thanking repeat customers for their business this holiday season. Try ClubTexting for free today to connect with your customers.

Author Bio: Jess Shepard is a content writer who enjoys researching and writing about marketing, small business, and entrepreneurship.

Text message marketing is a great way to reach potential car buyers. Photo Credit: Ian Sand

A recent study sheds new light on the most effective marketing channels for auto dealers interested in reaching more customers. For years, digital marketers have been buzzing about social media. Auto dealerships have been using sites like Facebook and Twitter in an attempt to reach potential buyers. But as it turns out, only 1 percent of consumers are influenced by social media when it comes to their vehicle purchases. This figure is slightly higher among Millennials, with 5 percent reporting that major social networks played a role in the car buying process. If you are an auto dealer that's interested in connecting with consumers, recent data suggests that mobile might be the way to go. Here are three ways you can use text message marketing to reach your customers.

Be Conversational with Your Text Message Marketing

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to text message marketing is that texting should be viewed as a conversation, rather than just an advertising medium. For example, if you are interested in reaching new customers, you may consider working with a mobile developer to create a texting campaign that asks a question. Depending on what types of deals you're offering, the following could work well, "We're offering a special discount on the 2015 Hyundai Elantra. Are you interested in learning more? Text YES to 123-456-7890 for additional information." Avoiding marketing speak and approaching text message marketing as a conversation can help you increase customer interest.

Set up Service Reminders for Existing Customers

Text message marketing can also be used as a handy tool for customers that have purchased vehicles from you previously. Some auto dealers are using mobile to send maintenance reminders to existing customers. For example, if a customer's vehicle is due for an oil change or tire rotation, they'll receive a text that asks if they're interested in scheduling an appointment. This approach to text message marketing works well because it adds value for your audience. It can also help you attract new business to your service department. It's a win-win for both your customers and your dealership.

Use Texts as a Tool to Disseminate Important Information

Another way auto dealers can create value for the customer with text message marketing is by disseminating important information via mobile. Customers might subscribe to your list to receive vehicle recall notices, helpful tips for driving in inclement weather, and updates about any special offers at your dealership. Again, this is an effective approach because you're providing your audience with valuable information. If you're interested in connecting with customers who've purchased cars from your dealership in the past, this text message marketing strategy can help you accomplish your goal.

Auto dealers have changed their approach to marketing as technology has advanced. Photo credit: Kevin White

There are a number of ways you can use text message marketing to reach car buyers. Whether you're interested in exploring mobile to pique the interest of new customers or making connections with previous buyers, a well-crafted text message campaign can help you reach your audience. What are you waiting for? Try ClubTexting for free and start connecting with your target customers today!

Author Bio: Jess Shepard is a content writer who enjoys researching and writing about marketing, small business, and entrepreneurship.

Text message marketing is an effective way to improve customer loyalty. Photo credit: Bantam10

Effective text message marketing is both an art and a science. It's all about grabbing the attention of potential customers with engaging, well-timed messages. If done well, text marketing can help you connect with a broader audience and build brand loyalty over time. One of the most effective approaches to text message marketing is communicating with repeat customers to keep them coming back to your business over time. If you are interested in using text messaging as a tool to improve customer loyalty, here's what you need to know.

Text Message Loyalty Programs Add Value

According to recent data, 90% of customers who participated in a mobile loyalty program felt that it was valuable, and two-thirds of those involved purchased something as a direct result of a text promotion they received. The bottom line is that well-crafted mobile loyalty programs truly add value for customers. They can also help drive sales for your business. If you are thinking about using text message marketing to engage with repeat customers, it's a win-win from both a customer and business perspective.

Messages Can Easily be Personalized

One of the emerging trends in mobile marketing is personalization. The idea is that potential customers will be more likely to take direct action if a marketing communication is highly relevant to them. Differently businesses choose to customize campaigns in different ways. Some may rely on location data to deliver messages that are geographically relevant, others might focus on timing.

A key benefit of a mobile loyalty program is that text message marketing communications can be personalized fairly easily based on key metrics like location and purchase history. Many businesses choose to customize their text communications using data about past purchases. For example, if a customer comes into your restaurant frequently and orders the same appetizer, you might consider sending them a text that offers a free app with their next meal purchase. Tailoring your text message marketing campaigns to your audience can help increase their effectiveness, and keep your customers coming back for more.

Text marketing programs are valuable for businesses and customers. Photo credit: Cubmundo

Spread the Word About Your Text Message Marketing Program

If you are interested using text message marketing to transmit relevant offers to repeat customers, it's important to spread the word about your program. Advertise your text message marketing initiative prominently via popular social networking sites, on your website, and in-store. Raising awareness about your program will increase customer sign-ups. Alternatively, you can also choose to reach your customers via mass text to encourage them to enroll in your loyalty program.

Text message marketing can serve multiple purposes for your business. Not only can you use texting as a tool to reach a new audience, you can also use it to cultivate connections with your existing customers. Many businesses are building customer loyalty and driving sales with well-crafted text messages directed at repeat customers. If you're interested in exploring text message marketing for your business, there's no better time than now to get started. Try ClubTexting for free today - you won't be disappointed!

Author Bio: Jess Shepard is a writer who enjoys researching and writing about marketing, small business, and entrepreneurship.