Here is how it works: businesses pay a monthly fee to be part of your service. The service includes a listing on your website, and a text message keyword (example: joespizza). Local shoppers can go onto the website, view the business and request the coupon be sent directly to their cell phone - OR - the shopper can text directly to the keyword and get the coupon without having to go to the web. Either way, that business now has a new 'subscriber' that they can send weekly updates and offers to via their cell phone.

Benefits of Mobile Marketing

Immediacy
Mobile campaigns are relatively easy to create and execute, with messages being delivered to recipients in a matter of seconds.

Reach
Delivery of SMS messages to mobile phones is almost guaranteed, which, for example, is not the case with email.

Mobility
Customers will receive the messages on their mobile devices anytime and anywhere.

Affordability
The cost of sending SMS messages is very comparable to that of email broadcasting rates: on average you will pay around 5 cents to send each message. Prices drop as volumes increase.

Effectiveness
The average SMS response rate is 15%, versus 3.5% for traditional promotional methods such as direct mail.

Personalization
Text messages or personalized content is targeted to individuals who have opted to receive them.

Cross-medium form of marketing
The mobile channel is highly complementary to press, radio and TV advertising.

Viral communication
The mobile technology encourages viral marketing with the built-in tools for forwarding of the messages to the existing social networks.

Mobile Marketing Facts

97% of all active cell phones have text messaging capabilities.

TEXT-based campaigns typically experience response rates of 20%-70%

Mobile advertising has exploded - about 38.6 million text message - based advertisements were sent in Dec 2007

• Mobile is the hottest, newest form of advertising.
» It's hip. It's hot. And it's your most direct link to your customers.
» 84% of Americans have cell phones.
» Around 50 billion text messages are sent every single month.
» It's an extension of the Internet and all its marketing applications.

• Effective tool for connecting with customers.
» People take their mobile phones everywhere they go.
» Mobile is a highly desirable CRM tool for Customer Care and PR.
» Mobile can help enhance any print, radio, TV, online and email-based marketing.

• Affordable and easily available to every small business.
» Mobile advertising is no longer just for big brands with big budgets.
» Having a mobile presence is now very affordable.
» Mobile is great for both local or national marketing campaigns.

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