How Will Text Message Marketing Benefit My Firm?

It will increase your direct marketing response rate. Through the ability to build a list of potential clients who you can track, often classify, and follow up with repeatedly at a low cost. Enormous read and response rates make SMS marketing better than direct mail or email is.

What does the AppsDistrict SMS Sales Force Do?

It instantly captures a potential clients contact information, directs them to your firm’s custom landing sites where they are given information they are seeking and the opportunity to contact your firm instantly. Potential clients respond to your advertisements by sending a text message to your SMS SalesForce hub.  Your hub immediately captures their mobile device number or telephone number, and creates a unique log for that number.  Instantly, your prospect receives access to the targeted information your advertisement requires. They get instant access to a web link which collects user entered data in a form, and can see additional targeted, and customized information from your Firm. Just insert your keyword and phone / SMS number on any ad piece. The Call to Subscribe feature is automatically activated when someone calls the dedicated SMS number – The client hears a recorded message or greeting, is sent a text message, and is given the option to speak directly with an agent at your firm.

Another great use is to track your various advertising methods, location performance, and more.  By creating a special keyword for each category you would like to track such as Class of Claim, you can easily see how much response each advertisement is providing. This information allows for real time, results based decision making on your advertising campaigns.

What is Call-to-Subscribe Technology?

The ability to call-to-subscribe adds a huge advantage over other systems. This means ANYONE with a mobile phone can quickly and easily get on your list by simply calling a designated phone number. This is especially effective with RADIO advertising. It’s much easier (and a bit safer) to dial a phone number rather than texting a keyword to a number or shortcode WHILE DRIVING!

Can We Use a QR Code?

Yes.  QR codes can be an effective means of additional methods of capture.

What's the difference between a shortcode and a longcode?

A shortcode is a 5 or 6 digit number that the subscriber sends their text message to in order to subscribe or interact with the SMS system. Like television voting where a viewer texts the word “vote” to 54545 – the 54545 number is the “shortcode”.

Shortcodes have to be approved and accepted by each mobile company for it to work on their network. The process takes weeks or months and is very expensive. For this reason, an SMS marketing/list company will buy and set up the shortcode and then lease “keywords” on their system. A keyword is how their system knows what member to send the text message to. If you want to market a pizza shop, there’s a good chance you might want to use the word “pizza” in a campaign, like text the word “pizza” to 54545. The problems is, on a typical shortcode system, someone else probably is already using the keyword “pizza”, which means you can’t use it. This means keywords are precious and there’s a lot of competition. This also means keywords cost a lot of money. Not so with longcodes.

A “longcode” is just a regular local phone number.

Another nightmare we’ve seen with shortcodes is that since they are typically shared with hundreds or thousands of other users, someone might be spamming or abusing others with the same shortcode you’re using. Shortcodes have been dropped by mobile carriers for this very reason, and it resulted in lost service for more than just one subscriber.

 

Why is SMS Marketing So Important?

As the usage of mobile devices continues to grow at incredible levels, more and more people are turning to SMS for communication, and using their mobile devices for varying purposes.  Someone may not want to disclose personal information to an operator, and would rather input the information from their mobile device.  This allows your respondents to instantly have a way to fill out a form, receive information, and have direct, one push access to one of your customer service representatives.  Prospective client can even telephone directly from the page they are reading on your website!  If they are using an iPad with a messaging service, they can respond via web, messaging, or place a call to you directly from your website.