Maximising SMS marketing in the social media age

Asia remains the place to be, with the global ad market set to reach US$20 billion by 2015 (according to Gartner), and with Asia set to generate 35 per cent of it. Economic growth remains high in the region, with gains from that growth leading to new levels of affluence percolating away from major cities into small urban centres and in many cases even into rural areas.

This, in turn, in creating a larger number of consumers, hungry to get their hands on modern advances as well as goods and services previously unavailable.

Mobile phones remain high on the list of desirable items, as infrastructure improves to support greater numbers. In some developing markets in Asia, mobile phones have become keyhole devices, letting consumers leapfrog expensive PCs and laptops while offering excellent mobile access to the Internet. This higher level of communication and connectivity in turn empowers the consumer; by letting them access more and better information than ever before.

In more developed markets, the smartphone has become the personal accessory of choice, with close to 100% smartphone penetration in some countries. Part of the reason for this has been the development of local online/mobile services that cater to smartphone users, who need not wait for overseas companies to branch out to their territories.

China, in particular, is moving rapidly, with a constantly rising wave of mobile subscriptions combined with a rapid take-up of smartphones fuelled by the rise of Chinese versions of social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Smartphones, particularly, lend themselves to the use of social media, since the all-in-one devices let users take photos, record their personal moments, post updates and engage in conversation – no need for a separate PC.

Arguably, amongst the numerous mobile marketing options available today, SMS marketing remains a strong option in Asia and has several things going for it. Such as:

SMS is social. While social media might be the flavour of the month, voice calling and SMS were social connectors even before mobile phones could access the Internet. SMS messaging is still a widely-used means of communication and socialization in Asia, particularly for its low cost and ease of use. SMS marketing benefits from that – so coupons or other information sent via SMS can be easily shared with the users’ social graph, in a fashion that most users understand.

SMS is simple. In environments where infrastructure has yet to be fully developed, the volume of data required for rich media advertising can be daunting. But SMS is text-based, and works well even where 3G reception is spotty or unavailable.

SMS is universal. Because it is text-based, and works across the phone networks, SMS messaging works on any and all mobile phones, regardless of whether they are smart phones or feature phones, and of course, SMS messaging is platform/OS agnostic.

SMS is immediate. It is possible to set things up so that one is notified of any activity on social media networks, but in reality people tend to dip in and out of their social media, sending photos of an interesting meal, or popping in during a free moment to read others’ updates.

SMS messaging, however, is immediate – the messages are announced when they arrive, and 90% of them are read within minutes of delivery.

SMS is cost-effective. SMS messages can be distributed to large numbers of target consumers at a rate that is highly cost-effective, and has a reach that is unmatched by other channels.

Even in the age of social media, SMS has a place. As social media networks try to find ways to monetize their platforms and take advantage of their mobile users, SMS marketing is still a powerful tool in the marketer’s arsenal, one that appeals to users, is easy to use, and, if used properly, yields substantial results.

SMS messaging, however, is immediate – the messages are announced when they arrive, and 90% of them are read within minutes of delivery.

SMS is cost-effective. SMS messages can be distributed to large numbers of target consumers at a rate that is highly cost-effective, and has a reach that is unmatched by other channels.

Even in the age of social media, SMS has a place. As social media networks try to find ways to monetize their platforms and take advantage of their mobile users, SMS marketing is still a powerful tool in the marketer’s arsenal, one that appeals to users, is easy to use, and, if used properly, yields substantial results.