There are a couple different names, but it is basically mobile marketing, or advertising done through cellular phones. More than 90% of the population has cellular phones, which is why this method of advertising is so effective. Of the population that has cell phones, more than 95% have the capability to receive SMS marketing messages.

SMS is an acronym which stands for “short message service”. This refers to text type messages that can be sent mobile to mobile or computer to mobile. Business owners are getting in on this cutting edge technology to reach a different clientele than they could with older methods. The days of newspapers, televisions, radio, and brochures are having virtual competition. While all of things have their place and there are many people who use them, the new generation of consumers are technological junkies. The average person received email, text messages, bills and various things all through personal cell phones. With the latest in marketing and advertising, messages can be sent right to the phone; and on average, it is read within 4 minutes.

Imagine sitting at work and receiving a SMS message that a favorite department store is having a huge sale. What if they were to offer a coupon in that SMS message? It sounds appealing to those who frequently shop there. This method of advertising is highly effective because it targets a specific group. If a home improvement store wanted to send out messages about a sale, they would send them to most men and women within a certain demographic range. The same would go for a big and tall store for men; they would target men, obviously. But, it is this very method of targeting that allows business owners to get a target audience and focus on them.

Here are some things that SMS marketing will allow the common business to do:

• Coupons-Announce sales and let the public know about promotions. Can even target frequent shoppers to make sure this is a sale for select people.
• Interaction-Through application, the public can actually interact with the businesses products through a process called text to screen.
• Have Fun-Running poles or contests are great data builders. People are always up for something that is free or almost free.

For those who still might be contemplating whether they should utilize SMS marketing, they should look at statistics. Traditional marketing only has an effective rating of around 1% to 3%, which is rather low considering the cost associated. Looking at the SMS side, 23% of all messages sent are getting responses. The costs are relatively low considering the costs of traditional advertising. An ad in a newspaper can cost thousands of dollars, just in black and white. The cost of SMS is a mere fraction of that. Hooking up with a company to help a business get off the ground is a wise choice. There are numerous companies which can offer direction and can manage the whole process for a business. It would make this new form of marketing easier and more cost effective.