2wayTxt Blog

Make Any Day Black Friday with an SMS Sale 11/25/2011 01:00 PM

It’s a big day for retailers and shoppers alike: Black Friday. Retailers make big plans to offer deep discounts, and each year they open their doors a little bit earlier to the crowds of consumers eager to get a deal and save a buck.

For one day a year, retailers are able to capture shopper loyalty (and dollars!) with these significant sales – but who says it only has to happen once a year?

With mobile marketing on the rise, and the market saturation of cell phone ownership, retailers can make it Black Friday any day by offering an enticing discount to the VIPs on their opt-in list.

Here are 3 easy steps for using SMS-based marketing campaigns to have people waiting in line any day of the year.

Build Your List
Use a traditionally busy day – or week – to offer a special prize or discount to consumers for signing up to receive text messages from your store. This could be a Sweepstakes with several high-ticket items, or it could be a generic coupon that recipients are able to forward to friends and family. Either way, make sure the deal is sweet so that you capture as many subscriptions as possible.

Keep Them Engaged
Building shopper loyalty isn’t just about sales and coupons. Consumers like to be treated well, whether they’re making a purchase or not. Remembering their preferences goes a long way in their likeliness to return to your location versus a competitor. SMS-based marketing campaigns are a great way to move specific inventory, like closeout merchandise, sale items, and end of season products.

Launch a Deal
Now that you’ve got a base of loyal, happy shoppers, you can use SMS messages to build buzz about an upcoming sale or event. Offer a minimal discount for anyone who walks through your doors on the sale date, and be sure to text your VIP subscribers that they get an extra discount for their loyalty.

Explore the mobile marketing possibilities: www.2waytxt.com

As Wireless Market Matures, Marketing Opportunities Abound 10/28/2011 12:40 PM

“Can you name 3 people that don’t own a cell phone?”

Ten years ago, this was my favorite question. I found that after a few seconds, nearly everyone I asked in 2001 could think of several friends and family members that hadn’t entered the world of wireless.

When I ask people that same question now, they struggle to think of anyone that can’t make a call on the go — even their grandparents are cell phone owners!

Recently released statistics from CTIA, The Wireless Association, validate this sentiment: the US now has more wireless connections (327.6 million) than it does people (315.5 million). That’s a saturation rate of 103.9% – and a show of the wireless industry’s explosive growth throughout the past 10 years.

When I first entered the wireless business, the market was mainly focused on post-paid contracts, where consumers with good credit were able to purchase a wireless device and pay a monthly fee for service.

The non credit worthy consumers that wanted to go wireless then had to pay big deposits to do so. This excluded many potential customers based on their credit rating, but it proved a secure route for providers to continue growing their base without fear of non-payment.

As confidence grew, and consumer wireless saturation reached 75% in 2006, the pre-paid sector skyrocketed. Now, even people with poor credit could have a cell phone. Pre-paid agreements had several perks that drew in new customers: there was no early termination fee, it was easy to switch carriers, and minors (those under 18) were allowed to take out their own plan for the first time.

At this point in wireless history, the market reached fair value, and consumers could finally pay a fair price. The need to “sell” wireless to the masses diminished — people were already hooked.

It wasn’t until 2010 that the wireless market had fully matured. When the Universal Service Fund began offering Lifeline Assistance for wireless, it was the first time individuals with no credit could regularly use a cell phone — and for free!

With almost no remaining barriers to entry, a dwindling landline market, and an influx of new technology, the wireless industry officially entered its prime.

Now that everyone I know — and probably everyone you know, too — has a cell phone, I’m committed to harnessing the power of this network to quickly and effectively communicate marketing messages.

I also have a new favorite question: “Can you name 3 people that don’t use texting?”