SMS Marketing - Example Campaigns

Texts.com’s Shared Short Code services can be used by small businesses all across North America.

While the possibilities really are endless, here are a few campaign ideas to get you started:

Restaurants & Food Service

1. Joe, a restaurateur, publicizes his shared short code on his menu, via a poster by their door to the restaurant, on their receipts, and on their website
2. The marketing offer reads something like, “Text the keyword 'SEAFOOD' to 77777 from your mobile phone to be alerted to dinner specials and last minute availability”
3. The restaurant patron would use their mobile phone to ‘opt-in’ to the restaurant specials campaign. They would subscribe by texting in the keyword. They would receive confirmation of their mobile subscription with a text to their subscribing number that sounds something like, “Thank you for subscribing. We will send you a text message with our restaurant specials. Unsubscribe at any time by texting the word STOP to 77777.”
4. The restaurant looks at their Tuesday night reservations and anticipates a slower than anticipated crowd. They also have just received dozens of live lobsters that must be moved or the inventory would perish. They log-in to the Texts.com service to initiate a campaign
5. The restaurant composes a brief text message as follows, “Joe’s Restaurant Lobster Fest – Tonight only. Call 604-555-9876 for reservations. Show this text and get 20% off your bill. To stop msgs, text STOP to 77777”  [msg: 156 character count]
6. Joe is happy. The lobsters are not.

Politicians & Elected Officials

1. Sarah, a small-town mayor, wants to keep in touch with her constituents. She publishes either a shared short code or a Call-to-Subscribe phone number on all of her direct mail pieces, in her email signature, on her stationary, and even on a billboard along the main commuter thoroughfare.
2. The marketing offer reads something like, “Sarah is listening. Text the word 'DEMOCRACY' from your mobile phone to receive SMS alerts on local issues. Give your feedback instantly.
3. Interested citizens would use their mobile phone to ‘opt-in’ to the town issues campaign. The citizen would text the keyword and receive a text back that is written something like, “Thank you for subscribing. I really care what you think. You will receive town issue alerts via SMS on your mobile phone. Unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to 77777.”
4. Sarah is faced with an important town issue concerning a new development and wants to survey her constituents. She creates a mobile marketing campaign that reads something like, “Are you in favor of a tax increase for a new Springfield park? Leave msg at 604-555-6666 with your opinion. To stop msgs, text STOP to 77777” [msg: 140 character count]
5. Sarah engages her audience at rates cheaper than direct mail. The community is happy that she cares what they think.

Local Sports Association

1. David, a football coach of a high school team, needs a quick way to keep in touch with his players and their parents. Because nearly every one of his players has a cell phone and are just adept at texting as they are at football, he creates an SMS campaign at the start of the season. Every player is told to subscribe to the short code from their mobile phones for team updates. In the orientation kit provided to parents, the shared short code is promoted.
2. The marketing offer sounds something like this [imagine it being said in a big booming football coach voice], “If we want to win, we all need to be on the same page. Sometimes things come up throughout the year. Scheduling changes. Game announcements. Pep rallies. And I may not have time to call each and every one of you. So take out your cell phone and text the word 'GAME ON' to 77777 now. All announcements will be delivered via your phones.
3. The players, not wanting to get on their coach’s bad side, will take out the phone and subscribe. They will receive a canned text that sounds something like this, “Go Raiders! You have subscribed to the team’s alert line. Unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP to this msg.”
4. The season gets off to a bumpy start and the coach decides that he needs to call an impromptu morning practice. A run a 6:30 AM in full gear. David logs into the application and creates an offer that reads, “Rise and shine. Extra practice tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM. Meet at the fields and be ready to run.  To stop msgs, text STOP to 77777” [msg: 133 character count]
5. Everyone gets the message.

Conference & Event Organizer

1. Jane, the conference coordinator for a local tradeshow, wants to provide her conference attendees with a value-added service. She wants to be able to communicate with them over the duration of the event with numerous offers. Email won’t work for most as they do not all have email on their devices. The majority of attendees do have cell phones, however. Jane creates multiple shared short code campaigns for conference attendees: one for “Things to do while in town”, two for “Conference Scheduling Announcements”, and three for “Post-conference feedback”
2. Jane publishes the shared short codes on the pre-show marketing material with the message, “Text 'CONFERENCE' to 77777 from your mobile phone and be alerted to local city events via text message during your visit to the conference.” The same announcement and the other numbers are promoted during the opening address.
3. Conference attendees subscribe to the campaign and receive a message from one of the sponsors [hey... never miss out on revenue generating sponsorship opportunities] thanking them for attending and informing them that they have opted in to the service.
4. One of the sponsors is running a golf tournament during the conference. But on the day of the tournament, hurricane force winds and rain, dampen the enthusiasm. Jane, thinking quickly, offers to communicate via text message to all attendees to promote a new in-door wine and cheese instead of soggy golf. Jane logs in to the Texts.com short code service to initiate a campaign.
5. Jane composes a brief text message as follows: “Rain has washed away the golf. Join {sponsor} for a hosted wine and cheese instead at 1234 main street starting at 2:00 PM. To stop msgs, text STOP to 77777” [msg: 156 character count]
6. Jane is a hero.

Language Schools & Tourism Attractions

1. Marjorie, the Executive Director for a private language school, has a challenge. She has 3 different campuses, more than 200 students (none of whom have English as a first language), and a need to quickly communicate with her students in the medium that they use. The old method of important news being read off at the start of class is not always timely (nor understood). Marjorie is also always looking to find ways to improve school revenues.
2. Marjorie subscribes to a shared short code that is used to broadcast school news. All students are encouraged to subscribe to the school's campaign upon enrollment. The shared short number is also advertised across the school on posters and in the welcome packages received by every student. The message reads something like this, “Send SCHOOL NEWS to 77777 to receive school news, bulletins, and city promotions from our partners”.
3. Students, upon seeing the short code offer, text the message from their mobile phones. They are greeted with an auto-reply message from Marjorie thanking them for registering for the service.
4. A local tourist attraction wants to bring more international students through their turnstiles. The tourist operator creates an offer for Marjorie to send to her students, paying the school a referral fee for any student who visits. The offer reads, “School City Tour tomorrow. Show this msg and get a free gift. Only $40 per person. See Marjorie if interested.” [msg: 143 character count]
5. Everyone makes money and is grateful for the service

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