Mobile Messaging Company rolls out bigger Mobile Stimulus package
Melbourne, 27 January 2012
Last month saw Mobile Messaging Company, SMSGlobal launch a Mobile Stimulus program to reward brave, new Australian business customers for entering the market. With many eligible entrants and qualifying applications, the Mobile Messaging company continues sharing the love just in time for Valentines Day and reissues the offering, this time to new global business.
“With almost a quarter of million users globally, it made sense to extend the Stimulus package to businesses around the world” said Carl Krumins, SMSGlobal CEO. “Last month’s number of Stimulus Package applications gave SMSGlobal a taste of Australia’s small business talent and we hope to continue rewarding that talent worldwide with a global offering”.
Eligible Australian businesses who last month qualified for the SMSGlobal Mobile Stimulus package included Enlace Fashion, Obee Table Reservations and Stillness Reminders. These three and other eligible businesses who were awarded with the package were thrilled with the giving attitude of SMSGlobal. Dr Samantha Graham from Stillness Reminders recently commended the company on the initiative “We teach meditation in the corporate world and as part of the program we run, send out SMS reminders to participants. What a fantastic way to show your new customers support and encouragement for growth SMSGlobal, it’s refreshing to see such a demonstration of giving”.
SMSGlobal, having experienced early international growth and expansion themselves, want their customers to grow just as quick as they did. So now, for a limited time, they’re giving a huge 5,000 complimentary SMS to eligible international businesses.
To find out more about this bigger and better start-up initiative for global enterprises, together with determining your business’ eligibility, contact Denice Fraser, PR, Communications & Marketing Manager on +61 1300 883 400 or visit their website www.smsglobal.com
Mobile Messaging Company creates Mobile Stimulus Package for SMEs
Mobile Messaging Company creates Mobile Stimulus Package for SMEs
Melbourne, 14 December 2011
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” Albert Einstein.
We know that starting a business in itself, is a brave thing to do. More so, in a global economy that is somewhat flat or unyielding.
SMSGlobal have recently demonstrated they’re committed to helping small business grow – in whatever space they’re in. Putting money where their mouth is, they’re offering small businesses a kick start to help build their mobile strategies.
SMSGlobal, having experienced early international growth and expansion themselves, want their customers to grow just as quick as they did. So, for a limited time, they’re giving 1,000 complimentary SMS to eligible new businesses.
“We know that turning your business mobile sometimes takes a back foot to other paramount aspects of running a business” says SMSGlobal CEO, Carl Krumins. “And that’s precisely why we want to help our SMEs out”.
Tisha Lazaro, business creator and proprietor of Mommy Cat, an online children’s designer wear store, spoke highly of the initiative, “I was thrilled to be selected as the first business who qualified for the 1,000 free SMS. Having launched Mommy Cat the same week as the initiative implementation, it really did seem like the universe was looking after me. Thank you for your generosity SMSGlobal. I hope to put those free SMS to good use in the not too distant future” said Tisha.
To find out more about this very special start-up initiative, together with determining your business’ eligibility, contact Denice Fraser, Marketing Communications Manager of SMSGlobal on 1300 883 400.
Create closer relationships with your customers
Melbourne, Australia - 18 October 2011
Create closer relationships with your customers on the run
The immediacy and relevance brought to customers via their mobile handsets is one of the strongest ways to engage in meaningful communication with those you want to build closer relationships with.
“The way to create a closer relationship with your customers is to communicate via a means that they appreciate. Even more effective, are targeted mobile messages, which not only consider key criteria through subject, but hit all the right buttons with respect to content or offer”says SMSGlobal’s Communication & Marketing Manager, Denice Fraser.
Mobile phone users have their phone at reach an average of 14 hours a day* and according to a study held in 2010, more than four from five young adults sleep with their phone on or near their bed#. Further, many expressed reluctance to ever turn their phones off.
Carl Krumins, SMSGlobal CEO added “Mobile has transformed us – the way we think, the way we do. Smart businesses know this. Smarter businesses are acting on this knowledge and integrating a customer centric, mobile strategy into their sales and marketing plans” . Consider the statistics surrounding mobile messaging, then using mobile methodology, consider the results.
For further information, contact SMSGlobal on 1300 883 400 or go to www.smsglobal.com and download a copy of the SMSGlobal A to Z Guide to SMS Marketing.
# Pew Research Centre Study 2010 * http://www.slideshare.net/impigermobile/mobilestrategy-2011-for-companies
SMS Gateways – Price Comparison
SMSChoice brings you a comparison of pricing across a number of SMS Gateway providers. More in-depth discussions and reviews will follow.
| Company | 5000 SMS | 50,000 SMS | 250,000 SMS | 1,000,000 SMS |
| SMSGlobal | $380 | $3,500 | $16,000 | $64,000 |
| Bulk SMS | $750 | $6,500 | $27,500 | $95,000 |
| Value SMS | $800 | $7,500 | $35,000 | $110,000 |
| Traitel | $450 | $4,500 | $22,500 | $90,000 |
| SMS-Tech | $375 | $3,700 | $17,500 | $68,000 |
SMS Marketing – Running a Mobile Campaign (Part 1)
SMS marketing is an effective marketing strategy for businesses and organisations of all sizes. An effective mobile campaign can drive sales and customer action, either independently or as part of a bigger multi-modal campaign. When considering your approach to SMS marketing, there are a few factors to be aware of in order to ensure your success.
Be mindful of time
Make sure you choose a reliable SMS gateway service. No one wants to receive promotional messages at odd hours in the morning, or when they are about to sit down for dinner. SMS is near instantaneous – because of this, people have higher connectedness and response to SMS than ever before, and will not appreciate messages at certain times. A reliable gateway service will be fundamental to making sure messages are delivered in a timely manner, regardless of the volume being sent.
Offer something valuable
Cases have shown that SMS coupons and sale advertisements have relatively good (low) opt-out rates. However, harassing your customers to the point of annoyance is a sure way to have them unsubscribe! Capture their interest and imagination by carefully considering your message and how you hope the customer will benefit from it: whether it’s savings to be made, changes to your business they should know about, or a special offer just for your special mobile subscribers!
Mode of response
Consider how your mobile subscribers should respond to your message. Is it just an informative message? Should customers message back to show their interest straight away? Should they use a specific keyword in responding? Do you want to continue a dialogue with interested customers, and provide additional information? These kinds of questions will help focus the content of your messages to ensure effective response to your campaign, whether short or long term. You might also like to consider using a virtual dedicated number – this way, customers are able to send an SMS message directly to you at any time, and even pass that number on to their friends as well, allowing you to harness the power of word-of-mouth and buzz marketing.
Be mindful of length
SMS can be hugely effective for marketing because effective messages can be short and to the point. Spend a little time considering the content of your message, and try to be concise while carrying a strong impact. Remember to allow space for long names if you are sending messages tailored to each recipient, and remember to take opt-out messages into account. Play around with wording and format until you find the right combination of elements to reach your customers with.
Research the relevant law and regulations
Some countries, such as Australia, have laws regulating who you are able to contact when it comes to SMS marketing campaigns. It is critical for you to consider any applicable laws and how they might affect the content and target of your messages. For Australian campaigns, refer to the guidelines set by the ACMA, and the Australian SPAM Act. If your SMS is broadcast to a number of mobile handsets, ensure that recipients are able to identify who is sending the message and able to opt-out from future messages if they so choose.
There are obviously a number of factors that will enhance the success of your SMS campaign, and this is just the beginning! Check back with us later for more tips and tricks involved with SMS marketing.
10 ways your business can use SMS to save company time and money
Mobile phones are ubiquitous in the business world. With the advancement of SMS technology and services, the potential for businesses and individuals alike to utilise the benefits of the near universal reach of SMS services is ever expanding.
1. Automation
Why spend time, money and resources doing what could be handled for you automatically? Across a number of industries, businesses are using SMS to automate previously manual processes, allowing people to concentrate on more important aspects of their business strategy. One of fastest growing examples of SMS automation is booking and appointment confirmations, and the application is obvious: why spend time and money doing what could be conveniently completed by SMS, leaving the customer with a record of essential details? Why miss out on opportunities to remind customers to visit, check out a sale or renew their subscriptions when such notifications can be automated? SMS allows for effective automation of workflow with the strong potential to increase returns, and allow workers to focus on more challenging tasks.
2. Customer contact and two-way SMS
In an ideal world, customer feedback is fast. SMS is the ideal medium for contacting customers with in a way that is convenient, fast, and direct. Two-way SMS ensures that your company is able to receive responses and engaging in conversation. Going further, with the use of a Virtual Dedicated Number, customers can even initiate contact directly with your business. Such speedy communication can lead to increased and immediate customer satisfaction.
3. Dedicated numbers
With the help of Virtual Dedicated Numbers (VDN), you can let customers communicate with you directly via SMS. VDNs are versatile, and can be advertised or given directly to existing or prospective customers. Your business has sole ownership over the VDNs, and can use the number to manage incoming messages in a variety of ways – forwarding messages to an online inbox, mobile handset, or email address. In this way, VDN provide great flexibility when it comes to interacting with customers, and can be used creatively to engage and inspire your client base.
4. Web to SMS
Sending SMS via the web saves your company considerable time, giving employees access to a central phonebook from anywhere at any time, and allowing you to author and manage SMS messages. Web SMS also allows you to easily send customised messages to groups, lists of numbers or even send customised messages for each recipient using SMS merge.
5. Orders and order confirmation
Just like booking confirmations, SMS can be used to confirm orders, particularly for time sensitive transactions. Confirm catering orders the day before they are due or services prior to the booked time. Such confirmation SMS ensure that any business or client you deal with is unobtrusively reminded about your agreement and ensures if there are any changes to requirements you will be informed, allowing you to adjust on-the-fly if necessary.
6. Internal messages
When workers or employees are required to go on-site, email often isn’t an option. In these situations, SMS is the most convenient way to get essential information to workers who need it; regardless of where they are. Information regarding their next job, updates to travel schedules, missed call information – the potential application is virtually unlimited.
7. Invoicing, billing and payment reminders
Increasingly, businesses are taking advantage of SMS to communicate payment matters with customers. As SMS is direct and personal, it is the perfect medium for reminders, alerting customers of any outstanding bills, invoice details or due payments and helping your increase the likelihood of timely payment.
8. Mass communication
SMS is fast, easy to perform en masse, and direct. In the event that many people need to be contacted immediately, SMS is an effective and competitive medium. For this reason, Governments and organisations all around the world are beginning to investigate the use of SMS for emergency and disaster situations. Businesses too can take advantage of the direct nature and flexibility of SMS. Venue changed for an event? Quickly inform attendees or fans where they need to go next. Last minute cancellation or disaster? Inform all necessary individuals at once.
9. Integration of SMS with Email
Chances are your business is already using email for all sorts of communication. Another brilliant feature of SMS is that it allows seamless integration with email to create an even more flexible communication platform within your organisation. Not only can you automatically send SMS by emailing designated numbers, but you can receive responses via email as well, allowing for 2-Way SMS communication, all seamlessly integrated with your existing email system.
10. Microsoft Outlook Integration
Already using Microsoft Outlook in your company? Did you know that Outlook, too, can be used to access to the convenience and utility of SMS messaging? Using Outlook Mobile Service, which is available natively in Microsoft Outlook 2007 and above, you can send SMS from your desktop to any mobile number. Using the mobile contact details in your contacts database, you are able to immediately communicate with contacts regardless of their location.
