Personal shopping is all about taking away the hassle of shopping for clients by understanding their personal style and recognizing items they will like. Effective communication is key to succeeding in personal shopping. One way to enhance your customer service is to use SMS marketing. People are already turning to their smartphones and the Internet for assistance with shopping, making it a natural tool for the savvy personal shopper. If you are unsure how to incorporate SMS marketing into your business, then try one of the following strategies.

Offers and Deals

One way to encourage more business is to send out offers and deals through text messaging. You can incorporate your SMS marketing into your other marketing collateral, including print, television, radio, and digital ads. Text-based calls to action have been found to work better than other CTAs. And it is simple to add a keyword and your long code to your marketing material. By offering a discount to those who sign up, you increase the number of people who will take action and sign up.

Updates on Your Shopping

Once you have a client, you can use your SMS marketing program to keep him or her updated during a shopping trip. Although your clients may accompany you during shopping trips some of the time, many people hire a personal shopper to shop independently. It is possible to send photos of clothing to see if your clients are interested, or you can just send a message saying that you have found an item or that a new collection has come into the store. It is also beneficial to use text messaging for any transactional messages to keep your client informed.

Fashion Tips

Many people turn to personal shoppers to help them to find clothing, especially if they do not have a good sense of style for themselves. To help enhance your service, consider sending out fashion tips to your customers through text messages. Your SMS marketing subscribers can be put into groups on your texting platform. Then, you can send out personalized style tips to the different groups, based on a variety of factors including age, gender, style preference, body shape, and more. Your clients will enjoy learning how to better put together outfits based on your expertise.

VIP Benefits

People enjoy being rewarded for loyalty, and it is possible for you to create VIP benefits for your repeat customers. Some of your clients may just work with you once or very sporadically. However, you can create a special group of your most loyal clients and give them special benefits. This could be first look at a new collection or other priority services, such as extra rewards, discounts on your services, exclusive gifts, and more.

Appointment Reminders

As a personal shopper, you also have to schedule appointments with your clients, who are often very busy. To ensure they do not forget your appointment, it is beneficial to send them a text reminder. Texts have a near 100 percent open rate, so you can ensure that your clients have seen the reminder. It is best to send it about a day before the appointment to give them time to get back to you if they need to reschedule.

There are many other ways that you can incorporate SMS marketing into your personal shopping business to better serve your clients and grow your business. The personal shoppers at Nordstrom's are taking advantage of the benefits of this technology, and so can you. It is a simple to use and a cost-effective tool that will enhance your business.

Ready to get started? Try ClubTexting for free today!

The Christmas pudding has digested its way through everyone's systems and the hangover from the New Year's sherries has finally worn off. Back into the usual grind of work and weekends, everyone is pushing harder, drinking less and running out of excuses for the one thing they all know they should be doing: exercise.

With this latest wave of partly-motivated, partly-reluctant clients flooding their way, personal trainers tend to experience a two-part flow during January -- although their newest additions seem keen at first, they usually wilt away after a few weeks. Keeping them to the plan is never easy, but there's one form of communication that could provide the extra push they need: mass text messaging.

Mass Texting to Maximize Training

Text message marketing is growing in popularity among trainers, gyms, health clubs and other similar businesses, as it gives professionals the opportunity to motivate their clients from a distance, remind them of events and commitments, and make them aware of new offers.

Not only does this aid the valuable relationship trainers already have with their clients, it can also be personalized and categorized with different messages sent to various groups. That way, what a trainer says to their Monday spinning class will be relevant to them and not their Friday weight-training proteges.

As for the possibilities themselves, there are numerous ways to put mass texting to good use. Here are some of the main ones to get the imagination flowing.

Schedule Extra Classes

A trainer's dentist appointment gets canceled and suddenly they're left with a free afternoon. They'd love to take this opportunity to fit in an extra lesson this week, and with text marketing they can quickly muster a big enough gathering to make it worthwhile.

Fill in Those Final Places

It can be frustrating for trainers when a few people don't turn up to class and they can think of others who'd really benefit from taking their place. With bulk text messaging, they can reach them instantly and leave no mat unoccupied.

Advertise a New Class

The world of personal fitness is incredibly varied, and with so many methods to try trainers will often want to branch out into new areas. Advertising these in a bid to find new people can be costly and ineffective, yet being able to inform their existing -- and satisfied! -- clients through a text marketing service is more likely to result in a successful head-start.

Dietary Reminders

Sticking religiously to a new diet is never easy, and it's hard to motivate clients when you only see them occasionally. Being able to send the odd reminder via text marketing -- whether it's a kind note to eat more fruit or a cynical comment about leaving the kid's birthday cake alone -- helps keep them on track.

Try out Text Marketing for Free Today

Mass texting can open up so many new opportunities, and the list above only scratches the tip of the iceberg. Put it to good enough use and a trainer might even find their clients are sending them the first text instead.

Seeing as this is a relatively new concept for many, it helps to have an easy-to-use platform when getting used to it, with live support there to give some helpful advice if needs be. We can provide just that, and what's more you can try Club Texting for free today. Get marketing now, and see how texting can revolutionize training.

The music industry is notoriously difficult to break into, but it is easier today for bands to find a following through social media and other digital marketing channels. One lesser known way to keep in contact with your fan base is mass text messaging. Many bands opt for what seems to be the more cost-effective way to engage fans through social media and email marketing, but text marketing has a very low cost and a much higher engagement rate than other platforms. There are many ways you can use mass texting to increase your band's fan base, including the following.

Event Reminders

Social media and email marketing provide invaluable tools to reach a large audience and inform them about your concerts or other events. However, people do not always check them at regular intervals, so you typically need to post the information days, weeks, or even months in advance to ensure your fan base has a chance to see it.

Mass text messaging helps alleviate this by offering an immediate communication channel through which to remind them about the event. You can advertise the event through multiple channels, and then on the day before or even the day of the event, you can send out a text message reminder so that more people show up. Most people open their texts within a few minutes, so it's a good way to send last-minute reminders.

Invites to Concerts

Why not invite your mass text messaging subscriber list to your concerts? People who choose to receive information from you will already be fans, making them the perfect audience to invite to your live music events. You can also separate your fans into different markets using a mass texting platform so that you can send invites to only those in the geographical region of your concert.

Exclusive VIP Access

People enjoy feeling special, so treating your SMS subscribers as your VIP fans could be a great way to reward them. Since you can designate specific groups using your text marketing service, you can choose to send messages to only your most loyal subscribers. Then, you can share special VIP offers via text message for upcoming shows.

Tour Updates

Marketing is much more about creating a relationship than it once was, which is why many bands head to social media. It is important to be personable and interact with your fans. Mass text messaging also offers you a personal way to communicate with fans and update them on your tour, studio time, and more. This helps you to create a much tighter knit group of fans who feel as though they are part of your crew.

Deals for Free Music

Although fans will most likely inevitably go out and purchase your latest album, they will always enjoy getting free music from you, especially if it is exclusive. By offering exclusive downloads and free music to your SMS subscribers, you can grow your text marketing list. Then, you can get subscribers to come to your live music events by sending special invites.

Mass text messaging can help you to engage with your fans and build your fan base. You can communicate with them almost instantly, and with a near 100 percent open rate you can almost guarantee everyone will see the message, whether you want to get people out to an event or just cultivate your relationship. Ready to get started? Try ClubTexting for free today!

Pets are important and beloved members of many families. Pet owners in the US spend billions of dollars every year to ensure that their furry friends receive the best care possible. As a result, professional pet sitting businesses are becoming increasingly popular and lucrative. It takes a great deal of trust and faith to leave your beloved fur-babies in someone else's hands. Mass texting not only helps alleviate fears that families might have while you're caring for their pets, but can add value to your services and improve your pet sitting business.

Text Updates from Pets

Whether you decide to attempt personalized texts sent directly from Fluffy or Spot, or just provide simple updates on a pet's daily activities, text messages can go a long way in comforting your clients while they are separated from their pets. Try to keep your messages upbeat. Consider sending fun updates with emojis rather than those that might cause the client to focus too much on how sad the pet is while they are away. While it's nice to be missed, you don't want your client feeling as though they are causing their pet any discomfort. You can also send fun videos and photos via text message which can help your client rest easily while they are away from home.

Reminders of Reservations and Other Appointments

Not every text you send has to be a promotion, nor should it be. Text message services also allow you to send reminders about upcoming reservations and other appointments. When your client receives a reminder of their pet sitting appointment, they can immediately add it to their calendar or notes on their phone, without interrupting their work day or other activities in which a phone call might be inconvenient.

Pet Sitting Discounts or Deals

Mass texting is especially ideal for sharing pet sitting discounts or deals throughout the year, especially during seasons when clients are looking for reliable pet sitting services. Text message campaigns with special promotions also provide a great opportunity to award referrals for forwarding or sharing the message with their friends and family members.

Occasional Pet Care Tips

No matter the type of text message you send it's important you don't inundate your clients with too many messages and, of course, make sure you have permission to communicate with them this way in the first place. However, if you occasionally share pet care tips for house training or information on foods that are dangerous, your campaign can become an extremely helpful tool for your clients and their fur babies. For longer and more detailed messages, you can include a link to your website, allowing your clients an opportunity to read up on your pet care tips later if they choose.

In pet sitting businesses where establishing a trustworthy and dependable relationship with your clients is crucial to your success, mass texting can make a huge difference. Whether you send a text to help comfort clients while they are away or occasionally send important and helpful pet tips, text message marketing can benefit your business considerably. Get started with your first campaign and try ClubTexting for free today!

People have many businesses to choose from when they send their autos out for repair. To stand out from the competition, it is essential to provide better customer service and incorporate enhanced communication methods with your clients. Text marketing is an effective way for auto repair service shops to communicate with their customers in a way that also improves the customer's general impression of the overall service. If you are looking for ways to incorporate texting into your auto repair shop, following are some tips for getting started.

Appointment Reminders

Many of your clients will make an appointment to get their auto serviced, including for non-emergency repairs such as oil changes or wheel alignment. As their schedule fills up, it can be easy for them to forget, especially if they made the appointment weeks or even months in advance. You can avoid this by offering appointment reminders through text message. This service is helpful for your customers and can reduce your number of no-shows.

Offers and Discounts

Offers and discounts are a mainstay for text marketing campaigns. You can advertise a special discount on a service for customers who subscribe to your mobile program. After a customer has subscribed, you can periodically send more offers, such as discounted oil changes with a full safety check inspection. It is also possible to create groups in your subscriber list so that you send a tailored discount to your subscribers. For example, keep track of when people are in need of an oil change and send them a special offer.

Tips on Auto Care

To retain your subscribers, it is important that you continue to offer them something of value through your text marketing messages. Although many people will appreciate any offers and discounts you send out, they are most effective if people actually need some type of repair or service. To maintain customer loyalty between visits, consider sending periodic tips on auto care. People will appreciate learning ways to extend the life of their car, and this will help them to continue to see your company in a positive light. When they do need service, they will think of you first.

Updates About Repairs

Another beneficial way to use your text marketing service is to send your clients updates about their repairs, especially when their automobile has to undergo extensive service that takes days. Providing these updates assures them that their car is not just sitting in your garage, forgotten. This also reduces the number of clients that will be calling you for updates, allowing your staff to concentrate more on other tasks.

General Customer Service

It is also possible to use your text marketing service for general customer service. Set up a two-way communication channel so that people can text you questions about their car or a repair. A majority of people prefer to communicate with customer service agents via text message, so by offering the service, you increase customer satisfaction.

Text marketing can serve many purposes for your auto repair shop. You can send special offers via text and use text messages to stay in touch and manage customer service inquiries. Try ClubTexting for free to see how it can help you boost business at your auto repair shop.

Nonprofit organizations can boost their fundraising efforts by incorporating text message marketing into their program. There are two popular options for using texting for fundraising purposes: text to donate and texting a link to a donation page. There are important differences between the two that you need to recognize so that you can create the best text message-based donation campaign for your organization.

Text to Donate

Make it easy for your donors to give money with text to donate.

Text to donate is a program that allows users to text a certain keyword to a special code to automatically make a donation of a certain amount, usually around $5 or $10. The amount for the donation is typically billed to the person's mobile phone plan. This approach provides an easy way for interested parties to donate money, since all they have to do is text a keyword to help out.

Although this option is simple for donors, it can be difficult for organizations to set up. It typically requires that you receive a large number of donations per year, often over $500,000. Additionally, it can take months to get a campaign up and running. Once your campaign is over, it also takes weeks or months for you to finally receive all the donations. Additionally, it does not give the donor an option to sign up for recurring giving or matching donations and may limit the amount they can give. The cost of running this type of campaign is much higher than a typical text message marketing effort. Because of these issues, this type of campaign is usually only developed by larger organizations.

Link to Page

The other option for fundraising through your text message marketing campaign is to text subscribers a link to your donation page. You can still promote your program in a similar manner by using a keyword. When people text the keyword, they will receive a text message with a link to your donation page. From there, they can make a donation of any amount they wish and even sign up to make recurring donations.

Work on having a web site that works across all Internet enabled devices

When you create a link to page campaign, be sure to make your donation page mobile-friendly so potential donors don't need to login to their computers to donate. That way you still benefit from in-the-moment donations that are easy to complete. Setting this type of campaign up is inexpensive, and you receive donations instantly via your website. The only caveat is that it really works best with those who have smartphones. Around 90 percent of American adults have a cell phone, but only 64 percent have a smartphone, so you may miss out on the percentage that does not have one.

Whether you should implement a text to donate or link to page campaign largely depends upon your organization, its size, and the goal of your campaign. For many smaller organizations, it is best to just create a text message marketing campaign and incorporate a link to page program.

Contact us to learn more about using text messages to support your fundraising efforts.

Text messaging is a great way to get your message out into the world, immediately. But marketing messages need a deft touch or they can send your customers rushing for the 'opt out' button. There are a number of important factors to consider when structuring your text messaging campaign. To avoid making a mistake, pay close attention to the following golden rules.

People love their phones - send great texts and become a part of that.

Get Permission

Nobody likes to receive messages they didn't opt-in for. Critical to running a successful text messaging campaign is to make sure that your audience actually wants to receive your messages. To do this, you need to acquire their permission before you start texting them. Potential subscribers can text you to opt-in or if your database is manually managed, you can obtain written consent. Getting permission is essential to your text marketing campaign. Failure to do so could result in legal ramifications, as well as damage your brand and annoy your customers.

Timing Is Everything

The frequency of your texts is important. Too many, and your customers get irritated. Too few, and they forget about your campaign altogether. Standard practice is to send between two and four messages per month.

Similarly, keep your texts within business hours. Respect people's privacy enough to leave them alone when their work day is done. There is the added benefit of people being more interested when they're active and up and about. Text marketing often requires immediate action to work well, and that's not going to happen if your subscribers have just been startled awake from a nice dream by a text message notification.

Vary your times depending on the product you're selling. For example: if you're marketing a meal at a restaurant, then just before lunchtime is the ideal time to send your texts.

Be Clear

Tell people what is going on, and don't take your time about it. The constraint of text campaigns that balances out their speed is that nobody really likes reading long text messages. So your best bet is to get right to the point, and make sure your call to action is strong.

Additionally, ensure that your terms and conditions are easily accessible and be clear about what your campaign is about, what is required and anything the customer should know. Use easy language and don't get wrapped up in the little things -- a clear sentence is often better than one with a bunch of fancy words.

Texting is an immediate and direct form of marketing.

Add Value

The service you are offering or the campaign you are promoting must do something for the customer. It must enrich their experience in some way. They've given you their permission to communicate with them via this channel, and they should get something good in return for that.

It's all good and well to try and sell a product via text, but if there is nothing about your message that engages with the customer, then you're just wasting characters. As Kern Lewis says for Forbes: "Be of use to your subscribers first."

In an age where there are very few people on the planet without a phone, it's not difficult to see how text message campaigns can help businesses expand their reach and grow their customer base. If you're interested in seeing what text message marketing can do for you, why not try ClubTexting for free?

Your call to action determines whether or not you get the engagement that you want from your marketing efforts. A strong call to action motivates your customers to click, buy, or otherwise interact with your company. Mass texting campaigns require a powerful call to action just like any other marketing effort. With only 160 characters, it can be difficult to find the perfect CTA for your text messages. One powerful choice for companies that have a physical location is "show this text."

The Power Behind Show this Text

People have their phones with them, making it easy to show a coupon.

When you send out an offer or discount to your mass texting subscribers, you may assume that they will inherently know to show the text to redeem the offer. However, if you do not specify that the offer only applies for those who show the text, then they may not realize that it is a special discount, or they may delete the text and then get frustrated when they are unable to redeem the offer. By specifically stating "show this text," it dictates to the customer exactly what you want them to do. It also helps to impart that they're receiving an exclusive deal, rather than a general announcement. This feeling of exclusivity increases their motivation to actually redeem the text.

Show this text is also a CTA that everyone can do, even those who do not have a smartphone with Internet capabilities. Although two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, it's still limiting when you send a text with a call to action that requires clicking a website link.

Convenient and Easy

Mass texting is a powerful marketing tool for many reasons. Texts have a high open rate and conversion rate. Additionally, almost everyone owns an SMS-enabled mobile phone. People also carry their phones with them everywhere, with 80 percent of smartphone users only letting them leave their side for about two hours per day. This means subscribers can receive the text even if they do not have Internet access or are on the go. It also means that they do not have to remember to print out a coupon or bring something with them to redeem an offer in your store; instead, they just need their phones.

Be Prepared

Your sales staff needs to be ready to accept coupons and other discounts via text.

If you send out a special offer such as a discount or coupon, exclusive access, or some other benefit and ask people to show the text, it is your responsibility to be ready to honor it. If your staff members or volunteers are unaware of the campaign, then it could lead to confusion and poor customer service. This will mitigate any positive effects of the campaign.

Show this text is a powerful call to action for your mass texting campaign because it is simple and imparts a clear order. To further increase the efficacy of your CTA, it is beneficial to create a sense of urgency and evoke emotion with your messages. Ready to see the power behind "Show this text"? Try ClubTexting for free today.

Although the real estate market has improved over the past few years, it remains a tough, competitive environment for agents. One way to stand out from the rest is to incorporate SMS marketing. SMS is an excellent way to keep in contact with your current clients, as well as prospective and former clients. If you are looking for ways to use SMS beyond sending individual texts as a way to boost your business, then try creating a message from one of the following categories.

Instant Property Alerts

Text clients as soon as a hot property hits the market.

Nearly everyone owns some type of mobile phone, and half of the population doesn't ever turn their cell phones off. This is one of the big reasons why people open text messages within just a few minutes of receipt.

Because texting is such an immediate communication channel, it is the best way to send property alerts to current and prospective clients. As soon as you hear of any hot new properties or a price cut on an attractive house, you can instantly send a notification to prospective buyers before others have a chance to get in the game. Your clients can also text you back their interest, setting things in motion right away and minimizing the risk of losing out to another interested party.

Market Updates

Another type of message that's interesting to your subscribers is market updates. This can include highlights of the latest properties on the market, as well as home price trends. It is possible to break down your subscribers by neighborhood or other geographic area to send targeted market updates, in addition to or in lieu of general updates.

Appointment Reminders

As a real estate agent, your calendar quickly becomes full as you take clients house hunting and work on offers. One missed appointment has the potential to throw your day off course. With SMS marketing, you can send out appointment reminders to reduce the number of missed and forgotten appointments. This not only provides a valuable service to your clients, but it also keeps your schedule on track.

House Hunting Tips

Current and prospective clients appreciate learning industry secrets, and you can use your SMS marketing program to send out house hunting tips to your subscribers. You only have 160 characters, so your tip can be something short and simple. If you have more to say, include a link to a blog post in your text message.

Tips for Selling Property

As a real estate agent, you not only help people find homes, but you most likely also help them to sell them. Your SMS marketing program provides a platform to send out tips on how to get the most money when selling property. It is easy to divide your subscribers into separate groups so that prospective sellers receive one set of tips and prospective buyers receive another set.

Special Offers

Partner with a maid service and offer exclusive discounts for your text subscribers.

One way to attract new business is to send out exclusive deals via text to thank clients for choosing you. This could be a free appraisal, free house cleaning, discounts on a partner moving company, and other related services that your clients would want. These additional services set you apart from the competition, and if they are only available to your text messages subscribers, they become even more powerful.

Incorporating SMS marketing can help to boost your real estate business in many ways. Before you start texting clients, it is important that you get their permission, which you can easily do when they sign up for your texting service. You can also attract prospective buyers to your list by advertising your campaign on your property listings. As people drive by, they can see your ad and opt into your campaign to learn more about the property and get the latest updates. Contact us today to see how texting can help your business.

Text messaging has become one of the fastest growing marketing channels, but many companies still rely on email marketing as a way to communicate with customers. Although mass texting works well as a standalone marketing tool, it can also complement your email marketing efforts. With the right plan in place, it is simple to leverage your texting program to capture email address and grow your subscriber list.

A Texting Call to Action

Get creative with your CTA to increase engagement.

Asking potential customers to sign up for a email list or send an email message does not necessarily make the best call to action. People may not be in front of a computer or have their email handy when they walk by a poster or billboard, see a TV ad, or read a print ad in a magazine or newspaper. However, they will have their cell phone on them and can instantly text to join your mass texting program. You will capture many more subscribers using an SMS-based call to action as opposed to an email CTA, helping you to grow your list of potential customers with whom to communicate.

Ask Your Subscribers to Text Their Email

Once you have your mass texting program underway, it is time to send a text that asks subscribers to opt-in to your email marketing campaign. You can create an auto-response as part of the initial sign up that also asks for their email address, or you can send out a text at a later time. Your subscribers can text in their emails, which are then automatically included in your customer data so that they receive your marketing emails too. Many text message platforms integrate with the popular email marketing platforms, making it even easier to integrate the two.

Promote Your Email Campaign to Your Mass Texting List

Instead of asking your mobile subscribers to text in their email address, it is possible to simply promote your email campaign via mass texting. Although you do not want to overwhelm your followers with cross-promotional texts, it is beneficial to occasionally let them know of other ways to stay in touch with your company and receive discounts. In a text, you can provide information on how to sign up for your email campaign, as well as why it is beneficial to do so.

Provide Value

In order to get people to sign up for not one but two different campaigns, it is important that you illustrate their value for potential subscribers. Even if you only use your mass texting as a way to capture email, you need to first offer some type of value. The most common way to do this is to simply provide an exclusive offer or discount for joining.

Offer your customers something for opting in.

If you do plan to run two campaigns, it is even more important that you offer deals exclusive to each medium. You do not want your text message subscribers to opt out because they feel they receive the same exact information from your emails, and vice versa. Instead, they should want to be part of both lists because they receive valuable information and offers from both platforms.

The customers who have signed up for your mass texting campaign are already engaged with your company and want to receive communication from you. This makes it more likely they will want to sign up to engage with your business via email as well. By smartly integrating the two, you can use your texting program to capture emails to have another way to communicate with your customers. Contact us to get started with a mass texting campaign.

Businesses that have multiple locations don't have to always use the same mass text messaging campaign for all their stores. With a few simple actions, you can easily create multiple text marketing campaigns for each of your store locations, or you can text subscribers about all your locations. The following tips will help you to get the most out of your text marketing program at each of your stores.

To Use Multiple Keywords or Not

If your business has several locations, you may benefit from multiple keywords.

Using multiple keywords is an easy way to set up individual campaigns for each of your store locations. However, it's important to keep in mind that this doesn't work for every business. Generally, if you have multiple locations in one small geographical location, it may not be in your best interest to run multiple campaigns. Your customers can easily get confused if they are receiving unique offers for different stores within close proximity.

Businesses that have locations further apart benefit the most from using multiple keywords. Using your keywords, you can tailor your campaign to target offers for customers in one general area.

Be Wary of Text Frequency -- Schedule Smartly

It is important that you do not overwhelm customers with text messages, as they may become frustrated. When you have multiple campaigns running for each store location, you run the risk of sending a customer more texts than they want to receive. While most customers will sign up to receive offers from their closest store location, some may sign up for multiple campaigns. Recent data suggests the ideal frequency for marketing texts is around two to four per month. Therefore, it is important that you schedule your campaigns smartly so that offers don't all go out at the same time.

Make Coupon Redemption Easy

Make it easy for customers to redeem coupons across locations.

People are motivated by offers and coupons. But if you offer a coupon for one location and it is not accepted at another, you run the risk of frustrating your customers. Therefore, it is best to send out coupons that are valid at all store locations, even if you are running multiple mass text messaging campaigns for your different stores.

Choosing Keywords for Cross-Promotional Advertising

One thing to keep in mind when running multiple campaigns is your advertising. Generally, your television and radio ads are already targeted for the specific geographical region, so it should not be difficult to include a special keyword for each of your stores. But it may be more of a challenge to market your mobile program via your website and social media profiles. If you have geographical-specific sites, then it is easier. Otherwise, you may have to just list the different keywords for each region or store location and allow customers to choose which one to sign up for.

Monitor Your Campaigns Smartly

Keep track of your customers and campaigns so that you avoid duplication.

When you have multiple keywords, the organization and management of your mass text messaging campaign becomes more difficult. You have to ensure that you have the right subscribers listed under the right campaign. Additionally, you want to continually see how many people sign up for more than one campaign so that you can adequately schedule your posts. It is also important to ensure your campaigns remain unique for each location while also benefiting your overall business. Once you have a strong foundation built for monitoring your different campaigns, it will be easier to ensure they run smoothly.

Although having multiple keywords, one for each of your locations, may seem like a great idea, it is not for everyone. However, many companies with multiple locations find it beneficial to organize their marketing campaigns per location, and having special keywords for each location helps you stay organized. Ready to see how you can use text marketing to advertise multiple store locations? Try ClubTexting for free.

Do your social media followers know that you're using text messaging to engage with customers? If not, it is time to tell them! Your social media followers already have a positive opinion of your company and want to remain in contact. That makes them the perfect target audience for your text marketing campaign. Integrating your social media and SMS marketing campaigns provides you many benefits, helping to capitalize on the lucrative advantages of both mediums.

Target an Attentive Audience

Your followers and subscribers already have a positive relationship with you.

Social media followers and text message subscribers are attentive audiences for your marketing efforts. They have already indicated an interest in your business. They generally have a positive feeling toward your company and plan to visit it in the future. This means they may also be willing to sign up to communicate with you in another way, whether that is email newsletters, social media following, or text message marketing. You can promote your text message program to your social media followers and vice versa to expand the reach of both efforts.

Increase Customer Engagement

Having a large number of followers on social media may seem like the ideal goal, but the real prize is having a significant amount of engaged followers. These are the people that interact with your posts -- commenting, liking, or sharing with their followers. You may have hundreds, thousands, or even millions of followers, but if they do not engage with your posts, then you have gained little.

You can increase the level of interaction by integrating your social media and text marketing campaigns. For instance, you can run a text to win competition, asking your followers to text a particular keyword for the chance to win. Alternatively, you can use your text marketing list to promote your social media campaigns and get people to actively engage online. For example, you can text your subscribers and ask them to like and share a post for a chance to win something.

Similar but Different Messages

Your social media and text message offers should be unique to the particular medium.

Integrating your social media and text marketing campaigns helps you to grow your reach and engage with customers. However, it is important that you still maintain the two channels as unique marketing forums. In order to benefit from both, your customers must want to sign up for both. This means that they need to see the value in following you on social media and signing up to receive text messages.

You can create unique value by sending similar but different messages through the various channels. It is also helpful to offer different categories of messages across the different channels. For example, you could reserve your mobile program for offers and your social media accounts for news or tips. This provides you with extra space to reach the same people without over-saturating them with messages from one source.

A strong marketing plan integrates multiple marketing channels so that you benefit from their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. If you haven't integrated your mobile program with your social media, it may be time to start. Contact us today to get started!

Good customer service is vital to your company's success. People shop with their emotions, and poor customer service is one of the top reasons they choose to go to another business. There are many different tools you can use to build a strong customer service program. One cost-effective option is to use a texting service to improve communication with your customers. Some companies hesitate to incorporate texting into their customer service program, but they are missing out on the following benefits.

It Is The Popular Option For Customer Service

Many customers would rather text than speak to an agent on the phone.

Recent data shows that a large portion of customers, 64 percent, would rather use text messages than make a call to communicate customer service issues. That percentage increases to 77 percent for those between the ages of 18 and 34. By offering a communication channel that people want, you already set yourself up for a more favorable customer service experience, which in turn results in a more positive feeling towards your company. Your texting service can also serve as a two-way communication channel so that your customer service agents can hold a conversation with a customer.

It is Easily Accessible from Anywhere

The beauty of texting is that customers can communicate wherever they are. If they have an issue with your products or services or need information about a transaction or appointment, they can do so instantaneously. Most people have their phones with them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As soon as the thought occurs to them, they can contact you, even if they are in the middle of something. Furthermore, if they do have to wait on a response, they are not tied to a phone or computer. They can go to work, exercise, watch TV, play with their family, or go out with friends without the fear of missing the response.

You Can Set up Auto-Responses

With a texting service, you can easily set up auto-responses to help your customer receive the information they need. Although not all inquiries or other customer service issues can be handled this way, answers to frequently asked questions can be sent via auto-response. This helps you to automatically respond to the issue quickly.

Relieve Customers of Frustrating Wait Times

One of the most frustrating aspects of customer service is waiting on hold. By using a texting service, you can reduce customer wait times. Instead of sitting on hold for several minutes, your customers can text and receive a response almost right away. Even if it takes your agents awhile to be able to contact them with the information, the customers are free to go about their business while waiting. This helps alleviate customer frustration. If customers experience issues but receive excellent customer service, they may be more willing to continue to shop with you.

Customers Read Texts

People actually read their texts.

Another reason that you should incorporate texting to your customer service program is that customers actually read text messages. Text messages have a whopping 98 percent open rate, and the vast majority of texts are opened within mere minutes. This allows you to feel confident that your customers are receiving your messages.

Text messaging may not be the customer service channel of choice for every customer, but a large majority would prefer to have it as an option. By using texts to communicate with your customers, you can improve your customer service program and boost your business. If you're ready to get started, try ClubTexting for free today.

It’s no surprise to see market research focused on moms. Aside from making personal purchases, moms are making important family purchases every day of the week. A recent study conducted by BabyCenter.com highlights growing trends among on-the-go mothers and reveals how they are using their mobile devices to make smarter and more convenient purchases.  

According to the report, moms are using their mobile phones to complete purchases 33 percent more often than they were just last year. This might come as no surprise—after all, nearly every demographic has shown growth in mobile purchasing. 

Of the 1,100 respondents to the survey, 70 percent report having used mobile while shopping inside a brick-and-mortar store location. Moms are doing this for several reasons, most of which focus on saving money.

Using Mobile to Save 

Some of the ways moms use mobile in-store to save money include searching the Internet—56 percent report doing this —and comparing prices at other retail locations. 

More than half of the respondents reported the use of a retailer app and 61 percent use mobile coupons. 

One of the most notable discoveries is that moms are using mobile to scan. They’re scanning to get coupons, and they’re scanning to compare prices, possibly with apps like RedLaser or similar QR code scanners. The big takeaway here is that moms are 55 percent more likely to make a purchase after scanning an item. 

For physical stores, as well as online retailers, streamlining a mom’s mobile experience should be high on the priority list. Fifty-nine percent of moms said excessive typing hinders effective mobile purchases. Four in 10 moms agree that a one-click purchasing button would increase the likelihood of them making purchases via mobile. 

“Streamline the process and offer special deals in-store; brands can sell more by connecting directly with moms on-the-go,” said Julie Michaelson head of global sales at BabyCenter.  

The use of mobile while shopping in-store is a great way to interact with a mom who is already positioned to make purchases. It can also build strong loyalty with customers who perceive value in mobile activity.  

Moms are among the savviest shoppers; using mobile to reward money-saving activities is a smart way to reach moms and reward them for doing all the hundreds of things they do each day for their families.
 

About the Author

Jeremy Pollack has a B.A. in English from USC and has been writing professionally since 2001. He is the founder and editorial manager of Compelling Content Solutions, A copy writing and content marketing services company.

Mobile marketing is hot marketing. It’s so hot that companies are springing up daily to jump on the mobile marketing train. Marketing teams from big firms can’t always keep up with the every-changing mobile marketing strategies, which include mobile apps, text messages, SEO content, and other solutions. Specialized marketing agencies are taking over and filling in where in-house departments are lacking. All of this means we’re seeing new, innovative, and fresh approaches to mobile marketing that stem from each marketing agency’s attempts to one-up the other.  

In the ultra-competitive mobile marketing niche, we’re watching strategies and trends in the making, many of which come from a sense of urgency and most from a desire for growth in our changing times. With all of the new mobile marketing tactics, how do we know what really works? What’s the best way to gain new clients and customers via mobile marketing? Is there a best way?

Let’s take a look at some of the facts and data:

Social Media 

Social media is the most widely used mobile marketing technique. But, it’s still only used by 14.8 percent of mobile marketers. Clearly, social media marketing is a must in a comprehensive marketing plan, but it should not be the only solution you’re using. 

It’s going to take more than just getting social to reel in new users and customers. Mobile app marketing needs to include other channels like video ads, banner ads, and other marketing strategies. Remember, 85.2 percent of the time social media is not the most effective means of gaining users.

Digital Ad Spend 

VentureBeat surveyed 731 mobile developers, with more than a billion users among them, to find out how one can get the best mobile users. It analyzed data and created a chart that broke up mobile marketing tactics into 16 user acquisition channels. Social media marketing, as we’ve stated, came in first in terms of usage at 14.8 percent. Of the 16 channels, 8 can be executed without paid ads.

This means that about 50.8 percent of marketers say non-paid tactics are their most effective when user acquisition is the goal. A bit more than half of the marketing developers queried prefer strategies like ASO, incentivized installs, PR, email, web organic search, in-app tactics, and offer walls. For mobile marketing tactics that are effective, you don’t need to go the paid spend route. Paid can help fuel growth, and it’s desirable as a core focus. But, it’s not the only solution and it should be used along with other mobile marketing solutions.

Old-School Mobile Marketing Tactics Are Reemerging

As marketing techniques shift to mobile, we see old tactics reemerge as the new way to gain users. The past repeats itself as marketers strive for balance between what worked brilliantly before and the new-fangled strategies that teams feel compelled to jump on. What is the best tactic? It’s most likely a mix of old and new. What will make the difference in user acquisition from one company to the next? The business that has its marketing strategies down to a science will win. 

Texting has surpassed email and a number of other communication methods as the go-to choice for businesses—and for the companies that support business professionals and other travelers. Hotel guest services that use text messaging tap into an easier way of communicating with guests and make them feel their needs are being attended to personally.

Why Text?

Here are just a few ways in which text messaging makes it easier for hotel front desks to communicate with guests:

1. “The last mile.”  Many hotels are focusing on text messaging during “the last mile” – the time just before a guest arrives to check in, according to a recent TNooz business article. By connecting with guests during this time, the hotel can ensure that their questions are answered and that check-in goes more smoothly, boosting customer satisfaction and allowing the hotel staff to streamline efforts for greater productivity and efficiency.
2. Quicker contacts.  Guests who have checked in can text the front desk with any needs, questions, or requests.  Companies like Marriott, which recently launched its own chain-specific guest app, report that customer ratings on sites like TripAdvisor have risen in direct response to the app’s use.  Customers appreciate a simple, quick way to connect with hotel staff without having to leave the comfort of their rooms.
3. One-on-one communication.  Guests with disabilities or other special needs are often sensitive about their information being overheard by others standing near a front desk.  With text messaging, hotels eliminate this potential embarrassment by keeping conversations about a guest’s needs discreet.
4. Better ratings.  According to TNooz, one hotel chain chose not only to implement texting, but also to test its efficacy. The chain matched two groups of guests and gave one the option to text.  Positive ratings from the texting group jumped 20 percent over the control group’s ratings, with the texters specifically mentioning the texting option as one of the reasons for their increased satisfaction.  The numbers indicate that texting works for hotels that wish to improve their Net Promoter Score or other ratings.

Bringing the Future of Texting to Today’s Guest Services

A recent white paper by the Global Business Travelers Association (GBTA) found that while not all hotels have adopted texting, those that have are encountering similar problems. The organization recommended that hotels focus on several key areas when implementing a new texting method:

• Online check-in and room entry that perform seamlessly
• Text or app-based concierge service offering prompt, personalized responses
• Improving communications with airport shuttle services to make “the last mile” seamless
• Pre-trip communications that differentiate between business and vacation travelers in order to provide a more personalized experience
• Improving information exchanges between travelers, hotel staff, the texting service, and tracking systems, such as expense reporting software.

By harnessing technological tools like text messaging, hotels can provide exceptional service in a more efficient and productive fashion, boosting customer satisfaction and repeat visitors while gaining the most value out of expenditures on the project.

Today’s world is one featuring numerous ways to pay for, well, anything. The latest offerings are in mobile form, but just how safe are mobile payment apps? Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Kash, Paypal, Square, Levelup—these products make paying as easy as taking out your phone, but are they vulnerable to hackers? Are the companies behind these oh-so-convenient apps doing everything they can to keep user information safe? 

These questions and others are being asked in a new report by advocacy group, The Clearing House. The report, entitled Ensuring Consistent Consumer Protection for Data Security: Major Banks vs. Alternative Payment Providers, argues that payment app developers aren’t subject to the same regulatory oversight banks get regarding cyber security. The result is security flaws remaining under the proverbial radar until it’s too late and a breach occurs. Clearing House is owned by the world’s largest commercial banks. 

Gary Miliefsky is the CEO of SnoopWall, a company that specializes in cyber security. He says that the report highlights real cyber security concerns.  

“These alternative-payment methods certainly are providing something that consumers want, which is a convenient way to make payments,” Miliefsky says. “But I don’t think most of those consumers would be too thrilled to know that these companies might not be subject to the same demanding data-security requirements their banks deal with.” 

Security Breaches

Starbucks is one company that has already made headlines for its mobile payment app issues. The app is a favorite way for coffee drinkers to pay, however in May reports suggested it had been hacked. Experts believe the Starbucks app was targeted because it stores credit card information. For its part, Starbucks denied the app was hacked. 

"When it comes to reporting on breaches involving customer accounts at major brands, the news media overall deserves an F-minus,” cyber security expert Brian Krebs said at the time in defense of the coffee juggernaut. 

It should be noted that mobile payment options are still in their “infancy,” and that phones themselves are easy enough to hack through apps, wireless signals, and by simply picking the device up and going through it. Using a system that requires two-factor authentication is recommended, as is using completely unique passwords for each account. Mobile payment apps will certainly improve, and in the meantime it’s important to do what you can to preserve the security of your phone and all the accounts it features. 

Deleting old text messages on your iPhone is a good way to manage its performance. Large apps can take up a considerable amount of space on a phone’s hard drive; left unchecked, text conversations can rival the same amount of space, especially if you’re using video and photos. Deleting text messages is easy, and should be performed regularly to keep your phone running smoothly. But what if disaster strikes and you need to restore a deleted iPhone text? Is it possible?  

The short answer is yes. While the world may feel like it’s about to end, the truth is that recovering a deleted text message is not impossible, nor is it as difficult as you might think. In fact, there are three ways to accomplish this task:

Restore with iTunes 

The easiest way to ensure you don’t have a brain aneurysm if you accidentally delete an iPhone text, or need to recover old messages, is with regular backups to iTunes. You can easily recover deleted SMS messages simply by plugging your iPhone in to a computer. 

Once you’re connected to iTunes, click on your phone icon in the upper left corner. Once selected, choose ‘Restore Backup,’ and all of the previously backed-up settings, apps, text messages and so on will replace the current data on your phone. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. 

It’s important to note, however, that this method can only replace data from the most recent backup. There’s no way to recover material you backed-up three ‘backups’ ago using the iTunes recovery method. 

Recover from iCloud 

Apple’s iCloud is a great option for retrieving lost/deleted text messages, provided that your service area is within a territory that backs up SMS messages automatically.  

First, log in to iCloud using your Apple ID and password. Look to see if ‘Text Messages” is available. If it isn’t, you’re not in a covered territory. If it is, you’re in luck.  

Next, search through the messages and find what you’re looking for. Using your iPhone, navigate to the settings menu and turn on iCloud. Also in the settings menu, turn off Text Messages. A pop-up will appear. Click ‘Keep on My iPhone.’ 

Now you can turn your Text Messages back on in the settings menu. Click ‘Merge,’ and in a few minutes, the messages you selected from the iCloud will appear in your phone. 

Third-Party Apps

Finally, if all else fails, there are a couple third-party apps that come highly recommended for recovering deleted iPhone data. Some apps cost money, which is less ideal than just recovering a backup from iTunes. But when doom is imminent, one must do whatever it takes. 

WonderSahre is an iPhone data recovery software the runs the gamut. This app works on several devices and recovers just about everything, from lost photos and videos to voicemails and text messages. Another highly recommended recovery system is Tenorshare, which works in all the same ways and offers a free trail. 

Hopefully, your world won’t come to a screeching halt because of deleted or lost text messages. The takeaway here is that deleting your text messages should be a normal part of your iPhone’s maintenance, but so should backing up the phone regularly so you can get data back if you need it. 

Word of mouth sales have always been popular, but they’ve also been tough to track.  Businesses can find it difficult to determine exactly how well word of mouth is working, even when their customers are eagerly chatting on social media.  You want people to enthuse about your products to everyone they know.  How can you be sure that your efforts are making that happen?

How Do Social Media Leads (and Sales) Work?

A 2014 Gallup poll claiming that social media influences only about 5 percent of shoppers left thousands of retailers wondering if they should even bother with the social media world.  The answer is yes!  But, if you want to use it as part of your overall mobile marketing strategy, it’s important to know how social media drives sales.

Social media is social.  Users log in to their social media accounts to connect with friends, family, and co-workers – people they know and trust.  When it’s time to purchase a new item or find a qualified service provider, people turn to their own social networks for awareness, research, evaluation, and advice, as one Google study discovered.  Or they notice which of their friends have “liked” a product or company, and file that information away for later use.

In other words, if you’re trusting the click-through rate of your ads to accurately express your social media’s ROI, you’re missing most of the story.  

How to Maximize the Impact of Social Media for Your Business   

To leverage the power of social media advertising, think “awareness.”

Because potential customers are on social media networks to socialize and gather information, barging into their feeds with overt ads for your products or services can have unwanted effects.  It’s a bit like walking into a strangers’ dinner conversation and trying to sell a product.  You don’t know whether this group of people contains a single member of your target audience, and the diners are more likely to be annoyed than interested.

Instead, join potential customers at the awareness and information-gathering stage of their journey.  Here’s how:

• Use referrals.  Encourage current customers to refer their friends to your company.  Referrals encourage new customers to associate your company with the positive feelings they already have for the referring friend.  They also strengthen your relationship with the existing customer.  A referral may be as simple as encouraging current followers to like and share your company’s content, or as complex as a formal referral and rewards program.
• Encourage user-generated content.  An advertisement that is shared still looks like an advertisement.  To integrate your company into your target audience’s conversation, encourage customers to create reviews or other content.  When customers create content, they’re more likely to share it and to stand behind it.  They created it, and they want to be heard.
• Stay top of mind.  A combination of traditional, targeted advertising, shared content on social media, and user-generated content maximizes your company’s ability to stay top of mind.  When the customer is ready to purchase, your name will be first in their thoughts – and they’ll be first through the door. 

The shifting seasons provide an opportunity to regroup and re-evaluate, and perhaps come up with new marketing ideas to take advantage of changing consumer habits. Fall is especially important, as it represents the final approach to the all-important Yuletide shopping season. To give your mobile marketing strategy a new edge this Fall, consider trying some of these seasonal approaches:

1) Saving and Spending

An increasing number of canny shoppers are getting the bulk of their Christmas spending out of the way by Halloween. They’re looking around for early promotions and special offers to help save money. Target those consumers who won’t buy a thing until they see a deal. No need to mention Christmas - you can tie promotions in to Thanksgiving season, the ideal time for ‘Buy One, Get One’ offers.

2) Sports

Most of the major sports seasons begin during Fall, providing a good opportunity for marketers to capitalize. Get involved with a local team, either through sponsorship or a more indirect partnership. Remember, SMS polls are great for engaging your user base. Send surveys out to your mobile messaging contacts, asking them who their favorite college and pro teams are. Youth sports are a good avenue for marketing, and are more accessible to small businesses than national teams.

3) Focus on the Main Events

The two key holidays in Fall are Halloween and Thanksgiving. Keep an eye out for opportunities to promote your business using the language and themes of these two very different occasions. You might push ‘frighteningly low prices’ around Halloween, and push a message of gratitude to your customers during Thanksgiving. For the latter. why not send out cards to your loyal customers?

4) Don’t Forget the Smaller Ones

There are loads of lesser known holidays taking place throughout Fall: Grandparent’s Day (Sep 13th), Columbus Day (Oct 12th), Boss’s Day (Oct 16th), Daylight Savings (Nov 1st), Veterans Day (Nov 11th), First Day of Fall (Sep 23rd), and Small Business Saturday (Nov 29th). If you have an international audience, you can delight them with your knowledge of local holidays and surprise them themed offers. Give some love to Day of the Dead (same day as Halloween) in order to reach Hispanic shoppers, or have a Scottish-themed quiz on social media for St. Andrew’s Day (Nov 30th). Quick, one-day-only deals are easy to promote and won’t tie you into spending too many marketing dollars on something that isn’t working.

5) Tis the Season

Fall colors and images are pleasing to the eye. Browns and oranges, falling blossoms, piles of leaves, pumpkins, crafts, candy - the icons associated with the season are instantly recognizable. Keep these concepts in mind when re-vamping your website and social media pages during the run up to Christmas. 

Take advantage of the shift in seasons to shift your focus. Move away from summery themes toward a cozier, more contemplative autumnal vibe, make some timely special offers that put you ahead of the end-of-year commercial curve, and watch your Fall revenues blossom!