Maria answers your SMS marketing questions

The Q and As from the webinar are right here or you can view webinar here

Q: If someone texts you saying they are interested in your offer how do you gather the rest of their information such as email address?

A:  Pure360’s SMS Interact package includes a reply handler which can be setup to read the email address when it is sent through after the keyword for example. The email can then be added to a list and sent to as normal.

Q:  Can you provide a service so a customer can text to find the nearest location of one of our stores?

A:  Yes, they would text in a unique keyword and we would send a triggered SMS depending on their response.

Q: Are there any issues with contacting minors with marketing messages via SMS?

A: Yes there will be, although this can very much depend on the type of message you are sending. For example if you are messaging with regards to gambling or drinking offers etc the same rules apply as with any other correspondence in that industry. If you are unsure about anything I would suggest you visit the DMA website where you will find detailed information about all legalities. 

Q: If you have more than one SMS campaign, can you see opt outs per campaign or are they grouped together?

A: Our SMS marketing software does enable you to see opt outs per SMS campaign, just as you would with an email marketing one.

Q: Is there an additional cost for more keywords?

A: With PureResponse the cost is £50 per month, per keyword. 

Q: If you have a URL link in your text can you track how many click through?

A: Yes you can track this but if you are going to include a link you will need to ensure that you use an email shortner such as ‘tiny url’ or ‘bit ly’ as the message can be no longer than 160 characters including the unsubscribe text.
 
Q: Can you link to Google Maps for Smart Phones in texts?

A: Smart phones differ and so do applications. If the sender has a link to the place on Google Maps, some phones have the ability to open the link in the Google Maps app otherwise it will open the link in a browser which will also show Google Maps (This only applies to smart phones).
 
Q: Can you integrate and track email and SMS campaigns?

A: You can track a limited amount of information in SMS sends such as:-
Sent
En route
Received
Failed
Unsubscribed
Not sent
Previously unsubscribed

Q: Is there a character limit?

A: Yes, 160 but you need to reserve 20 for unsubscribe text.  This is standard in the PureResponse system although you can change this with a custom template.
 
Q: Can you see conversion rates, such as open and click throughs?

A: Unfortunately at present you can only gauge whether or not the email text has been received, not opened or click through. 

Q: Keywords seem to be vital, can you expand on this a bit further?

A: A keyword is a word or name used to distinguish a targeted message within a shortcode service. Think of shortcode as similar to a domain name and a keyword similar to a page.  When you want the news you might go to the ‘Crime’ (Keyword) page of CNN.com (shortcode).  If you want special deals on concerts and events from Circle City Tickets you text ‘TICKETS’ (Keyword) to 71813 (shortcode).

Or, even better, when you want to be alerted to a new blog post on The Marketing Technology Blog, text MTBLOG (Keyword) to 71813. Try it out, it’s a double opt-in and you can opt out at any time!

Q: What is the typical cost of sending, say 10k per month?

A:  To send 10,000 texts it would cost you 4.3p per message sent.

Q: Can you use existing databases with mobile numbers or do they have to opt in?

A: You will need to obtain opt in before sending SMS to these numbers.  Although your subscriber has opted in to receive emails from you, you still need explicit permission to send them SMS too. I’d suggest having a link at the bottom of your usual emails, letting your subscriber know that you’d like to send them SMS, and why – then let them click through to confirm that they’re happy to receive this from you.

Q:  Can you use pictures in the message as well, and will there be any issues with the type of phones people have?

A:  MMS (picture messaging) is not supported but the client could add a link to the image that smart phones can access.