SMS and MMS Marketing?

[Paper Shredder Clay]

This doesn't really belong in Traditional Marketing and I am not sure if it does here, but how many of you is using some form of texting to market your items? I know its popular with singers and some other industries.

[vangogh]

This forum is probably the best place for this topic.

There's something that still doesn't sit right with me about advertising via SMS or MMS. For one I'm paying to have the ad delivered to me. I only pay for a certain amount of text messages on my phone so ads are actually costing me money. Even if they weren't I wouldn't like them. The feel more intrusive. Your phone is in your personal space and ads generally aren't welcome. I know I would think less of companies that push ads through SMS and MMS. The hit to their brand is probably not worth any benefit the ad might bring.

Having said that I think it's inevitable we're going to see more advertising over mobile devices and I think there will be ways to make business work over mobile devices. I'm not sure if it's going to be advertising, though I expect people to try.

I think we're starting to see how businesses are going to profit over mobile devices and it's in the form of the apps we download. For example Starbucks just came out with an iPhone app (I'm not sure if it works on other platforms, though I'm sure it eventually will) The app lets you store and share your favorite drink recipes and things like that. Where it will bring business though is the app will display a bar code and you'll be able to pay for your Starbucks order by waving your phone in front of a machine that can read it. It's going to be tested in limited stores on the west coast, but assuming it works well it should spread quickly.

That's a great way for Starbucks to sell more coffee and keep people thinking of them. They'll also be able to advertise through the app itself. I'm sure they'll push drink specials, etc. It will be to their target audience and the ads will probably be welcome.

That's a huge difference than sending out an add over SMS or MMS.

[Harold Mansfield]

I have to agree with VG. If I willfully sign up for updates, that's one thing, but to be advertised to on my personal, or business cell phone that I pay for to have service is taking it a bit too far, and if my service provider cooperates in any way with any text advertising, I want a discount on my bill. There is no wat y that I will stand for them selling my number to advertisers, and yet still getting full payment from me as well.

As VG pointed out, that's why companies are creating so many iPhone and Facebook apps..it's like an invitation into your personal space.

On the other hand, I think people that use free email addresses like Yahoo , Gmail etc should expect to be advertised to through those accounts, or else pay for your own private email address.

[Paper Shredder Clay]

I agree with both of you. It does seem more "wrong" to get an SMS or MMS advertisement than an email. All of the txt messages that I have received, outside of the carrier's alert messages, were a result of me texting them to vote or to get their free ringtone. After texting them, to enroll in their texting lists, I was sent a text message telling me how to unsubscribe. So I think that is acceptable if I signed up with them. But I disagree with businesses approaching a cell user without first that user agreeing to receive their messages. And I think such advertisers to "eat" the cost of their advertising but I do not think that carriers have such an arrangement.

[vangogh]

If you've made contact with the company first then I don't think it's bad. That is assuming the contact you made with them was via SMS. If I visit a company's website and they start sending me text messages it won't make me happy.

[Harold Mansfield]

It's funny, that is the one thing that will make me NOT sign up for something...if one of the required fields is a phone number (or cell phone number), I won't do it. I don't even like when my friends text me. I hate text messages, because most times it means I have to respond with a text when we could have just called and gotten it over with.

The only alerts I want to get on my phone are sports scores and deposit alerts into my checking or Pay Pal account,

[billbenson]

That's the beauty of email. It's not real time. Texting is real time which has little value unless it is a shopping list or something you want in textual format. IMO anyway.

[Harold Mansfield]

That's the beauty of email. It's not real time. Texting is real time which has little value unless it is a shopping list or something you want in textual format. IMO anyway.

Now if I sign up for text alerts at the local supermarket, and they actually text me while I'm in the store (only) with a sale and direct me to the isle...that would be pretty sweet:D

[billbenson]

got a feel'n your not married eborg :)

[vangogh]

.if one of the required fields is a phone number (or cell phone number), I won't do it.

Or my phone number becomes (123) 456-7890 for the purpose of the form.

I don't know why people ask for information that we're not going to give them. Get the absolute minimum needed for the purpose of the form. Anything else you can get later.

[Harold Mansfield]

got a feel'n your not married eborg :)

No I'm not and I can see where that would be a problem in a clothing or toy store.

[KristineS]

I just started texting and love the convenience, but I'm not sure I want companies texting me with advertisements. I'm with eborg that it would be great to get texted about specials if you were in a store grocery shopping or something, but I'm not up for random advertising texts. If I sign up for an app or something then it might be acceptable, but otherwise it wouldn't be, at least to me.