As mobile phones have taken over the way people communicate, it is a natural progression for texting to become a marketing opportunity. In the Wall Street Journal article Teen Stores Try Texts as Gr8 Nu Way to Reach Out, author Christina Binkley explained, “Like many parents who have turned to texting to reach their teens, some youth-oriented fashion brands like Charlotte Russe, Claire’s Boutique and Vans are finding that young people are most accessible by text.”
Texting now can include more rich content, pictures and video. Marketers can send shopping passes, discounts, and offers. Rather than merely being a vehicle for chat, texting now offers a way to get customers to opt in and avoid illegal lists or spam. Customers can selectively pick who they would like to receive offers from, which leads to a higher chance of the sales message being received. The article stated, “People are five times more likely to open a text than an email. Five billion people text on mobile phones, while about two billion people use the Internet.”
This new form of communication has increased the speed of receiving offers and acting upon them. There is immediacy due to the ability to send messages that state things like “get 10% off if purchased within the next 3 hours.”
One of the hardest parts is to get people to opt in to receive the texts. Retails often post signs to ask customers to opt in by texting short codes. For more information, check out Top Links Explaining SMS and Short Codes.
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