Using mobile keywords in marketing

(Image: Ildar Sagdejev, via Wikimedia Commons)

Mobile keywords enable two-way messaging, offering an excellent way for you to engage with your current customer base and entice new customers to opt in to your marketing messages. Once a customer opts in to one of your marketing campaigns, they are permanently added to your database for future promotions and advertising. Your aim is to ensure responding to your opt in keyword is quick, easy and error-free, resulting in prospective subscribers. Ensure the keyword is short (one word preferably), simple, punchy and free of special characters to avoid any ambiguity.

Mobile keywords are multi-functional:

• Run competitions to grow database subscribers
• Enable existing customers to respond to alerts
• Ensure compliance by allowing members to opt out eg SMS 'SENDMODE STOP' to 51234 to opt out
• Use unique keywords recognisable to your customers
• Track promotional success by using different keywords

There are numerous effective ways to promote your keywords both on and offline:

• Posters/Billboards
• Website
• Email
• Social Media
• Flyers
• Blogs

Top tips

1. Avoid using the letter 'o' and the digit '0', they are quite difficult to decipher on SMS and are easily confused.
2. Run a competition with a keyword to grow your customer database eg Win a weekend away for 2 with Sunshine Holidays by texting the word 'GETAWAY' followed by your answer to 51234 ....What group of islands does Majorca belong to?

For more information, go to www.sendmode.co.za.