ENTREPRENEUR 101: DO YOU HAVE A MOBILE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR 2014?

I remember opening my first bank account many years ago in second generation bank, a landmarke event for me given that i was just out of my teens then. Some months later i saw an sms message from the bank wishing me a happy birthday. WOW!!! Amazing, they know me? They know my birthday? These where the questions that ran through my excited mind. Needless to say I've been a loyal customer ever since and i tell people that the bank is a great place to bank with.

LOL..Now i know what they did. It worked though.

A simple(?) birthday text message turned me not only into a loyal customer, but an unofficial advocate and marketing officer for the bank. So do you still think your mobile phone is for making and recieving phone calls alone or a variation of your mp3 player?


SMS MESSAGINGS

Statistics have shown that 4 out of every 5 messages are read and 2 are usually followed through. What this means is that today, your mobile phone is more that just a phone, it's a critical marketing tool and how you use it for your business can have a tremendous effect on your business turn over.

With 125 million active phones in Nigeria,  it's clear the comparative advantage that lies in mobile marketing, and with the affordable pricing of this tool, it's clearly a win win situation. Sms Messaging, also known as Bulk SMS is one of the important tools of mobile engagement right now. It is concise, precise and targeted. You are sure that your target recieves it and can premise your ROI (Return on Investment) access on the feedbacks you get, which makes it also measurable.

So how do you go about it?

Firstly, you must have clear business objective. What do you want to achieve with the message, What story do you actually want to tell. As business owner, you must know that what you say about your business is as critcal as how you say it.

Which brings us to the next stage, what do you say. Because you only have 160 text characters, you are constrainted to be very creative with what you say. it's usually good you get a good copywrite or someone proficient in writing to write your message. This is because your written words speaks volume and if not careful can mean a whole lot  differently from what you intend. 

Timing is also a critical factor, your message must be receieved by your recipients at their most receptive period. Science have proved that people are most receptive to things in the mornings and late late evenings. These are periods when the mind is less clustered with things to do or doing. 
Consistency is also an important factor, you do not send a single message andexpect instant feedbacks, you need to a repeat sender, 4, 5 6 even 10 times if you desire huge marginal returns and enquiries. 
Have a Phone number as part of the message. many business owners often send bulk smses without an avenue for contacting them. This is wrong as it the whole essence of the project; they can't get in-touch.
Be friendly and familiar. You must try to write your message like you are writting to a friend. Your message speaks for you and you don't have to be formal or rigid with someone you can access their phones (wink)

In conclusion, If you have not started deploying bulk sms as a marketing tool, you need to start today.

Cellulant Nigeria is leading value added services (VAS) company based in Lagos. They have a wide range of mobile application services with key value propositions for Customers 

• Bulk SMS
• Shortcodes
•  CRBTs                                                                                                                                                    They are located in Lagos, Nigeria.