Bulk SMS: Valuable Media or Intrusive Spam?
Mobile marketing using bulk SMS is no longer the novelty that it was, but rather an essential part of every marketer’s media arsenal. M:Metrics reports that in the UK, 87% of mobile phone owners send text messages on a regular basis. It is a preferred form of quick and affordable communication for any organisation or businesses wanting to send high-volume messages at the same time.
Text-based marketing is growing steadily across Western Europe and M:Metrics suggests that the growth is exponential with a 15% increase from 2007 to 2008. In 2007, the majority of text-based marketing messages were coming from mobile operators but the percentage of other organisations making use of this innovative medium is growing. These segments include financial services, entertainment, cars, clothing and travel. They also note that consumer response to text messaging adverts has increased, which is good news for marketers. However, consumers report that they are also receiving an increasing amount of unsolicited marketing messages. In France, for example, 9.5 million of all French mobile subscribers in 2007 had received unsolicited text message advertisements. In the UK, this figure stood at 10.9% of all text messages received.
Any organisation looking to use bulk SMS messaging to create awareness of its brand or products or services, even make direct mobile sales, should be aware that the ongoing effectiveness lies in bulk SMS marketing working on an opt-in basis, or receiving the consent of the message recipient. If this is not self-regulated, then consumers will view all SMS messages that are not from friends as spam and eventually completely ignore these messages or call for the tight regulation of this media, to the detriment of all.
UK citizens can take their spam concerns around these types of messages to Grumbletext; a UK-based website company that runs an anti-mobile spam initiative called SOS SMS. Aimed at educating consumers around commercial text messaging, the site gives consumers the option to report text scams and spam. They also offer information on how to unsubscribe to marketing messages. Supporter of the initiative and founder of 160 characters, Mike Grenville says that, “there are some very good legitimate mobile marketing campaigns but scams and spam are making the consumer cautious and ruining the experience for consumers and mobile marketers alike.”
Your organisation already has access to the the ability to send opt-in, personalised once-off, batched or trigger-based mobile text messages through a trusted Bulk SMS provider that can advise on how to maximise the utility of bulk SMS in any organisation.
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Tags: bulk sms, bulk SMS messaging, mobile marketing campaigns, mobile spam, SMS messages, text messages, text messaging, text-based marketing
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