Texting For Dollars

Truth is, there are more text transmissions sent daily than there are people on the planet. While this continues to add billions of dollars to the profits of telephone companies, what can it do for a local business wanting to tap into the flow. As in every case when it comes to marketing, it is always about balancing the effectiveness of the message with the efficiency of delivery. So, can text advertising, for all of its efficiency, be effective in motivating people to buy?

The strongest argument to be made is based upon the idea that the population of consumers likes the less-intrusive and less time-consuming aspects of text. On some imaginary scale showing the "degree of engagement", text messaging might be on one end of that scale while a lunch meeting would be on the other. In between these two would be, email, e-letters , written letters, and phone conversations.

A text message that can get the point across without requiring more of the recipient than a glance at their cell phone might be ideal if the content of the message is instrumental in nature. For example, one of our clients uses our TextMarket service to regularly send texts to his restaurant customers informing them of daily specials. "99 cent tacos, 4p to 11p dine-in only" might be the entire message. He has declared repeatedly how effective this strategy has been for his sales. "We get 30 per cent response rates, when our old printed coupons might bring 1 or 2 per cent for the same offer." And why does this work so well?

Think about the fact that this simple text message is being sent to an individual who has chosen to opt in to this special group of customers. They are a fan and this message reinforces that fact while rewarding them for their loyalty. And more so, it is immediate, simple, (and perhaps this is the most significant point) it fits into the time-flow of a person's daily activity without requiring unwanted engagement. No web site to visit, no print out required, no coupon to clip, and no response required other than showing up at the right time and showing the text message to the server. Pretty simple. Very effective. Brilliantly efficient.   

Don't Shoot The Messenger

When the results of our advertising efforts disappoint us, often times we blame the medium we have chosen to deliver our message. It's been my observation that the radio, TV, on-line, outdoor, direct-mail or whatever we've utilized has done just what it was designed to do. The problem lies with our unskillful, or unplanned use of it. A more lengthy discussion of this point can be found at "Another Urban Legend Foiled".

Here, I want us to consider "social media" as these are loosely referred to when talking about Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and the like. These more recently-developed on-line communication tools have empowered the population with unprecedented control. The problem remains, as with all media, how best to apply each one and in concert. We must also ask how these are best used in coordination with other media.

The good news is, there are not as many rules for social media as there are for traditional media. These are still emerging and like any virgin territory, this process is guided by those in power. But this time, those in power are those who comprise the populace of users. While certainly, the purveyors of the service still hold title to the "land" and have control over the general structure, it's much more like the fence around the school yard that defines the area but allows you to do what you will with the space.

Unlike the days when a generation ago we all sat around glowing television sets and waited for the three networks to tell us how it was going to be, now, we decide that with every interaction, every posting, every key stroke. It truly is revolutionary. Of course some people want to apply the rules of the prior to this new environment, but it doesn't work.

An example of this is illustrated in the comments I received from a friend who told me that someone else had complained to him about me promoting one of our clients by inviting my Facebook friends to patronize the client's restaurant. "He's just doing that to profit his own business" this person complained. Right. Of course I did. What this person doesn't understand is the position any of us, and all of us occupy within this medium: we are the programmers. We are the network. We decide. And my decision to invite my friends is no different than one of the television networks inviting its viewers to patronize one of its advertisers. As to credibility, my position as a Facebook user, is much more vulnerable than a TV broadcaster. It's my personal reputation that's on the line and that of my company. So, to me, this encourages a greater degree of socially responsible behavior. I can't hide behind a corporate veil or assume some third-party immunity. The forces of free-market enterprise will continue to be in play. If my attempts are unsuccessful, I will have to modify or suffer loss.

As we go forward through this unexplored opportunity for communication, I suggest we all relax and try to enjoy the ride. We will continue to discover ways to make it work even more efficiently and effectively. We will continue to invent unique applications that can be incorporated into our "play". This may be bad news for those who are stuck in a traditional frame of mind, but for the rest of us, it is the most exciting time of our marketing and advertising lives.

Your Message In 30 Seconds Or Less

“Everybody experiences far more than he understands. Yet it is experience, rather than understanding, that influences behavior.”

Marshall McLuhan 1911-1980 Communications theorist

We live in a time when all of us are inundated with information on a daily basis at a rate that is unparalleled in history. In addition, all of us are “time poor”. More than ever, we are faced with managing personal, family, business, civic and religious activities, each of which are equally demanding.

For all of us, it means that in our communication with one another, we must be increasingly efficient, effective, and accurate. Our respective audience is unlikely to have much patience with us if we cannot get our point across within a short period of time. Likewise, we must be careful to use language that our audience easily comprehends in the manner we intend it to be understood. We must take into account the language of the day, of the sub-culture, even the individual group we are speaking to. If we are to be clearly understood, we must be concise, consistent, simple and direct.

Here are ten rules of communication that will help us in this endeavor*

1. Speak in simple terms avoiding big words when a small one will do.
2. Be brief. Use short sentences. Aim for thirty seconds or less.
3. Demonstrate credibility about your subject.
4. Be consistent in your message.
5. Offer a novel way of thinking about an old idea.
6. Observe the sound, tempo and texture of your voice.
7. Inspire others with your aspiration to deliver on a promise.
8. Use vivid words to help your audience visualize.
9. Ask questions more than giving answers.
10. Provide context. Explain why your message is important at the moment.

*adapted from “Words That Work” by Dr. Frank Luntz, 2007