Inbound text messaging service allow businesses to receive text message from mobile subscribers. This is cost effective way of communicating with customers, employees, field sales, marketing, polling, etc.

To receive a text message carriers provide 5-6 digit number which is capable of receiving and sending only Text or MMS messages between mobile subscribers and an web, or desktop application. The short code needs to provisioned with carrier after their approval of your application, this is known as dedicated short code. It takes 10-12 weeks for getting your own short code number provisioned and certified. Text message marketing company like TXTImpact can provide you with shared short code, which you can use immediately without any wait time.

The other way to receive and send text message is a virtual phone number also know as long code or number. You can still receive and send text message from applications, but there are still some of major drawback of using long numbers. 

Through TxtImpact effective and affordable Text Message Marketing and group text messaging services now businesses will be able to launch their mobile marketing campaigns without any hassle! Contact sales if you're interested in using long number for your text messaging services.

Click here to contact TxtImpact sales and learn more about current promotions and their text sms marketing services

A HEALTH trust has been successfully piloting a text messaging service to remind patients of upcoming appointments.

Since July 2011, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides specialist health and social care services for people with a learning disabilities, mental health issues, and drug or alcohol problems, has been piloting the SMS text messaging reminder service for outpatient appointments.

Each year, hundreds of service users miss their appointments simply because they forget when it is and each missed appointment costs the Trust £160, on average.

Text reminders have been tested by other NHS organisations around the country and have been proven to substantially reduce the number of missed appointments.

Trust business manager for general adult mental health services, Martin Vokes, said: “Sending out text reminders has proven to be a great way of reducing the number of missed appointments for other NHS organisations.

“Reducing the number of missed appointments can reduce service user waiting times as cancelled appointments can be reallocated to others. By reducing the number of missed appointments, waiting times for appointments can be reduced too, as cancelled appointments can be reallocated to others.”

The service is currently being tested with two areas of service and will be evaluated in March before a trust-wide roll out is agreed.

We have recently added option to receive Replies directly to your text message broadcast using Group Texting or Broadcast text message feature.

How it work?

• Reply option applies to Text message broadcast and Group Texting features only
• Should you have Reply options configured and enabled, all replies from recipients to any text message sent from Broadcast or Group Texting tools, will be forwarded to configured email and mobile phone.
• Text message credits will be deducted for all messages forwarded to your mobile
• All replies will be available online in Received Messages regardless of forwarding option

How to enable Reply Forwarding to Mobile and/or Email?

• Logon to management console using your credentials
• Click on Reply Settings menu.
• Enter mobile number and/or email where you like to receive replies.
• Press "Save"
• Should you like to receive replies to email or mobile only, then enter only email or mobile number.

How to disable Reply Forwarding to Mobile and/or Email?

• Logon to management console using your credentials
• Click on Reply Settings menu.
• Enter mobile number and/or email where you like to receive replies.
• Press "Disable"; Disable option only available if you had configured the forwarding options.

Though not seen much on the campaign trail, mobile strategy is expected to be important for attracting younger voters.

Social networks played an important role in the last U.S. presidential election, but the explosive growth in smartphone usage and the introduction of tablets since 2008 could make or break the candidates for president in 2012.

As the Republican primaries heat up, the major contenders show on their official websites a strong recognition of social networking and connecting in digital ways via desktop computers. But the GOP and President Obama's campaigns are not yet making many mobile-specific connections to supporters via smartphones or tablets, analysts noted.

Some campaigns have special links on their websites for getting updates via SMS to a phone, but they don't appear to have candidate-specific downloadable mobile apps on Apple's App Store or the Android Market so far.

"Smartphones and tablets are much more mainstream now, and these devices are literally driving the Occupy movement and the revolutions in the Middle East," noted Rob Enderle, an analyst for Enderle Group. "The ways we connect to one another have changed quite a bit in the last couple of years. Candidates need a good social media campaign to win, and social media done right includes mobile, because mobile allows candidates to loop in supporters in the moment and stay in touch and respond in real time. Mobile makes social networking more important."

Click here to Read More

By Sandeep Gulyani

Continue with our Text Message Marketing series, today I like to talk about Text message marketing using Auto responder also known as Text-for-Info. Our clients have been using auto responder campaigns from past 5 years. It works exactly as our text-to-join text message marketing campaign.

Text-for-Info Text message marketing campaign

With Text-for-info campaign, customer receives an auto response a predefined text message when they text your mobile keyword to the short code. The auto response may include

·     Business contact information (Business cards)

·     Store Directions with link to Google map

·     Event organizers can provide Event registration details, exhibition direction, customer service number etc.

·     In Political Fundraising or Non-profit, patrons can text to receive contribution details

·     Product brief along with mobile or web site link or details

·     Customer care/support information

·     Song/Ringtone download link given as reward

·     iPhone or Android App download link very popular with VOIP providers

·     Realtors can use Text-for-info to provide property information along with house photos.

·     Car dealership can use it as off-hours sales tool. Prospects can text unique code found on windshield stickers and receive car details.

Possibilities are end-less, you just have to think and plan, rest we'll do for you.  

How it works?

·     Setup Text-to-Info campaign using our mobile marketing platform. You can choose your desired mobile keyword on our shared short code or on your dedicated short code hosted with TXTImpact.

·     Promote the keyword in your adverting material, at point of sale, flyers, etc.

·     Customer send text message to short code with your company mobile keyword.

Now, this is great tool for providing customer instant on the spot information while business put your contact details in their hand; business can also capture customer's mobile number and built their opt-in list. Businesses may follow-up with customers using mass text messaging and include promotional codes, special offers, deals, etc.

"To go further level Mobile Coupons feature can be added to your text broadcast, or a mobile web site or simple mobile page to provide customer more information."

Through TxtImpact effective and affordable Text Message Marketing and group text messaging services now businesses will be able to launch their mobile marketing campaigns without any hassle!

Click here to contact TxtImpact sales and learn more about current promotions and their text sms marketing services

How campaigns can reach supporters through one of the fastest growing forms of communication.

Ambitious political candidates are now using text messaging to communicate with their supporters in the hope of replicating President Obama's 2008 social media strategy. But these imitators may not enjoy the same success, in part, because they’re not developing a mobile marketing strategy around their text messaging effort.

Text marketing needs to be part of an overall communications strategy that includes print, online, radio and TV advertising. Moreover, campaigns need to have a strategy in place for collecting supporters’ mobile phone numbers and using those numbers to push for action.

The Obama campaign, for instance, built its enormous mobile phone database by promising to break the news of his vice presidential pick via text message. Obama’s campaign messaged more than 1 million mobile phones with the announcement that then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) had been chosen.

Obama’s strategy also included running a Super Bowl ad in February 2008, asking supporters to text “HOPE" to 62262 (or O-B-A-M-A) on their mobile phones. The campaign collected the mobile numbers and used them to inform supporters—particularly elusive young voters—about speeches, local volunteering opportunities and, eventually, get out the vote (GOTV) efforts.

Making text messaging interactive and requiring supporters to engage is the real key to success when it comes to utilizing this communication channel.

Take Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold (D), whose 2010 text effort showcased one example of how to successfully capture cell numbers. On opening day for the Milwaukee Brewers that April, his Senate campaign asked people to text them predictions of who would win the infamous mascot sausage race—Bratwurst, Polish, Italian, Hot Dog or Chorizo. The Polish sausage won, by the way, and while Feingold didn’t it was undoubtedly a clever and successful text marketing technique.

By some estimates, there are 4.3 billion text messages sent every day to the some 330 million mobile devices in the United States. Here are a few ways for campaigns to harness this fast growing medium:

Develop a database of supporters’ mobile phone numbers. It is essential that these lists are formed of supporters who have specifically opted in to receive text information from the campaign. Use meetings, monthly publications, newsletters and other events to gather this data. Don’t wait: start developing this list today, even if you don’t plan on investing in a text strategy until next year. This is crucial to the success or failure of your text campaign. 

Choose the right partner. This is extremely important. Sending large volumes of texts requires specialized messaging infrastructure and an experienced messaging provider to ensure successful delivery. If delivery cannot be guaranteed, campaigns have no way of knowing their messages were received and voters don’t know if campaigns received their response. Your service provider should be able to deliver real-time confirmation.

Decide how often to send messages to supporters. Text is a timely channel, but in some cases constant and repetitive messages do more harm than good. Some frequent messages turn into spam and annoy people. Text is still considered a spam-free channel. 

Once the data is collected and the text strategy is in place, campaigns can do everything from conduct surveys, inform supporters about voter registration and absentee ballot deadlines, promote down-ballot candidates or make a GOTV push.

It’s a powerful tool to send supporters a text message to remind them to “VOTE TODAY” or “BRING A FRIEND WITH YOU TO VOTE.”  In 2012, elections will be won by the candidates who get it.

Source:Campaign Insider 

New York City’s Office of Emergency Management is testing the personal localized alerting network or PLAN.

A total of six  alerts will be sent until 3 p.m. on 15th December, 2011.

A notification will be displayed on the screen of your mobile device with a text that reads: “Severe alert” or “Extreme alert.”

Officials say you will then see a message that says “This is a test from NYC Office of Emergency Mgmt. Test Message 1. This is only a test.”

It’s a new, free emergency notification service that will allow authorized government officials to send emergency alerts to enabled mobile devices on the AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon wireless networks.

Emergency Management Commissioner Joe Bruno says this is only for newer phones and those certain carriers.

“So there may be some phones out there that if they’re in the area where we’re broadcasting a message, they could get this message and see it,” Bruno said.

A pilot version of PLAN is set to go live in the five boroughs on New Year’s day.

 Smartphones, and what I call my “dumb” phone, are an underused method for communicating with customers. Text messaging is like soccer: bigger everywhere in the world, but the USA. That is changing however, and because of that, mobile marketing is entering a new phase of acceptance and adoption.

No doubt you’ve heard that 2012 will be the year mobile takes off. Umm, it was also the year of mobile in 2009, 2010, 2011… Never mind all the prognostication. Just make sure that you open this door if your customer wants to keep up with you via mobile. The following 11 text messaging solutions may help you earn a new sale or keep an existing customer happy.

1. GroupMe. GroupMe is a completely free mobile app. If you have a small set of people you want to send a group text message to, this may be the ideal tool. You don’t even need a smartphone or mobile phone of your own to make this work.

2. Signal. Signal is a significant player in the mobile marketing space because that’s not all they offer. Their platform allows you to manage all your customer communications in one dashboard. E-mail, Facebook, interactive promotions (think surveys, geo-location stuff) are all in one place. Plans start at $30/mo.

3. Fanminder. I’ve mentioned these guys a few times. They combine the power of Facebook with Mobile. You can send social and mobile messages to your fans. The 0-100 Fan package is completely free.

4. TellMyCell. TellMyCell lets you upload existing contacts/customers via .CSV (spreadsheet) file and then create groups. You can schedule messages to go at specific times. It offers pay-as-you-go pricing, then bulk plans start at $29/mo.

5. TxtImpact. I like the simple way TxtImpact has designed their site. When you click on Text Message Marketing, you get a simple chart that shows the different ways small business owners can use it: Text-2-Join (build your list), SMS voting/polling (ask your customers for their opinions), and so forth. Free trial, then plans start at $25/mo.  

6. Trumpia. Trumpia makes it clear what you get in each plan. I like that they have a way to tie a QR code (that bar-code like technology that is growing in popularity) to your mobile marketing. Their appointment reminder option looks like a great one for many small businesses. Basic plans as low as $15/mo with annual prepayment.

7. EZ Texting. EZ Texting doesn't charge for incoming messages, so if your customer responds, you’re not paying for that additional message—many plans offer this, too, by the way. You can send a message from your phone or from the Web app. I like that you can send a voicemail broadcast, too. Starter plans begin at $29/mo.

8. Mobivity. Mobivity looks to be more of a full service shop with a team to help you develop a custom app and mobile marketing process at your company. Their basic plan starts at $79/mo and offers a limited free trial.

9. Clickatell. Clickatell offers a robust and detailed mobile marketing solution. You can get a dedicated two-way number that allows you to engage with your mobile customer. They have a clear message pricing calculator if you want to add specific options. Plans start at $9.95/mo.

General note: Some mobile marketing services offer you only a shortcode, which is not two-way—meaning you can’t start a conversation with your mobile customer—but often you don’t need that if you’re sending a coupon or one-way offers. 

10. Txt180. Txt180 has a simple, yet elegant service. It is flexible to the point that they even have an alternate opt-in message you can send to your customer. All mobile services, like many e-mail services, are required to send a message allowing the customer to opt-in or out (permission-based). Txt180 makes this easy and seamless. Plans start at $9.95/mo.

11. CallFire. CallFire is more than just text messaging. They are a full-service VOIP (voice over internet protocol) provider and have interactive voice responders, voice broadcasting and a cloud call center in addition to SMS marketing services. Pricing starts at $.03 (meaning 3 cents) per message, pay-as-you-go. I like that they break down their offering by industry, too, so you can see how others like you are using it.

To close, mobile marketing via text message (SMS) is not about spamming your customer base. It is only going to work on a permission based philosophy. You don’t need to listen to the hype around mobile marketing being the next big thing; that doesn’t really matter. The question is only can you share something via text message that serves your customers. If the answer is yes, then jump on the mobile marketing train.

Source: OpenForum

Fiserv, Inc., a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, announced today the results of a survey of the mobile banking and payment plans of top-tier financial institutions. The in-depth survey, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Fiserv in September 2011, evaluated the plans of 10 banks and credit unions that in total hold more than one-third of all U.S. deposit accounts. The results revealed that these financial institutions are moving beyond the basics to deliver increasingly sophisticated mobile capabilities. Transactional services such as remote deposit capture and mobile person-to-person payments will account for the bulk of mobile investment in 2012. However, despite a nearly unanimous commitment to expand overall mobile functionality, institutions remain split on plans to support mobile point-of-sale payments.

"After several years of technology-driven expectations, mobile banking is finally seeing sustained traction in the U.S., and banks have rolled out support broad enough to enable consumers with nearly any mobile device to access basic banking functionality," writes co-author Brad Strothkamp, VP, principal analyst, eBusiness and Channel Strategy, Forrester Research, Inc. in the May 2011 independent report, The State of US Mobile Banking: 2011. "As consumers gain confidence with the channel, their needs are shifting from simple functionality like account balances and ATM locators to transactions like bill payment and account transfers."