Mobile Marketing made Easy
Short Codes And Text Messaging
A short code is a 5 to 6 digit number that can be used to send SMS or MSM messages between mobile phones. They are specifically designed to be easier to read and remember, and each short code can be or already is owned by a particular person or company. These days, they are commonly used by businesses’ text message marketing campaigns.
A person texts in to a short code by putting in the number where the recipient portion of the text is, and then by putting a unique keyword into the body of the message. The keyword can be any word, but the shorter the keyword the easier it is for people to remember and join. When a person texts in it is possible that they are subscribing to a reoccurring subscriber list, although not in all situations. In any case, by law the advertisement asking people to text in must state whether the person is joining a list or interacting once with the system.
As a safety net to the consumer, one can always reply “STOP” to be taken off the list at any time. Also, if a person is on a list that they enjoy being a part of but accidently reply STOP, they can rejoin again. All in all, the system puts the consumer in control, just one aspect of its appeal to both marketers and consumers alike.
The cost to receive a message using this system is the standard rate and can be counted as a part of an unlimited texting plan. Common examples of situations where a person texts in but is not added to a list include texting in for a one time coupon, texting in for an advertisers contact information (like a lawyer or real estate broker), or texting in to a contest.
In order to obtain a short code without the help of an experienced company acting as a broker, a person would need to contact the common short code administration and dish out over $60,000 just to obtain the rights to the number. After that, one would need to develop the software which could send out messages via the new short code. In addition, the process would take over 3 months, with large upfront fees.
A much easier, and thankfully cheaper, way to get started with text message marketing is by engaging a company such as Opt It that has its own short code and rents out specific keywords to interested companies. This means that a company can utilize the full functionality of it, in addition to the software platform provided by the service provider, and pay only $50 a month starting. For these reasons and more, businesses who want to get started with mobile marketing are opting for Opt It Mobile 3.0.
Once a company has a list large enough to justify the investment to get a short code, Opt It can help the applying business through the entire process, by taking care all of the administrative tasks involved and offering its software for the technological basis. Companies such as the Sun Times have chosen Opt It for this purpose.
Text message marketing with a short code that allows consumers to text in and out as they please is truly the latest craze within the world of marketing. It takes literally 2 minutes to set up an account with Opt It and one is able to start advertising their text list. To top it all off, there is a 30 day free trial as well- try it now!
