@mikedigaetano I’ve been part of an extensive discussion of SMS messaging in one of my LinkedIn groups. I can certainly say it can be an emotional topic, not just a business-marketing one.

My opinion is that it can be a great channel of communication. However, the strategy comes first, and knowing your target audience. It can’t be chased like another rabbit–you need to understand your target audience and some preferences.  As with all things these days, different strokes for different folks.

Many people love text reminders and promotions, while others hate them. I have several friends who pay to received texts, so they find it completely objectionable.

It all has to come back to the customer’s preferences and monitoring what works. As with any channel using it well and measuring performance is key to success.

I think its use will grow more, and hopefully be refined.

But don’t put me on your text list. I will reply ‘stop’.

@mikedigaetano It is definitely a useful communication tool; however, I agree with  @rich-brooks that our mobile devices are private. Verizon texts me my bill notification and I receive spam texts on occasion. Twitter is good enough for me in regards to following a company. Not sure why I’d give out my cell number to a business for updates.

Thank you everyone. I’m just trying to get a feel for that market. I definitely don’t wont to be intrusive on people. It just seems that most everyone with a smart phone these days are so buried into their phones they would be sure to get the message there. Most other advertising may go unnoticed. Some of the numbers I have seen have been very high for the industry. People are more likely to read a text vs an email in some cases.

Hi folks.

No one outside of my family and very close friends have my cell phone number. I don’t give it out to ANYONE and have never put it into a form online.  

Right after I got this newest phone I went to the company store to purchase some accessories and while there the customer service person said “do you want to check your emails with this phone?” I thought about that a few seconds and said “sure” so she quickly set that up for me.  I had not had the phone for more than week at that time (this was quite a while back). I immediately started getting SPAM on my phone – actual text messages, not emails, that were certainly unsolicited and some were like “heavy breathing” text messages (if you know what I mean).  It was disturbing to say the least. 

I would never want that type of thing on my PHONE, for any reason. IF I want someone to have the number, I will physically give it to them. So, having not opted in to anything, I was being spammed on a brand new cell phone number. Crap-ola-on-a-stick is all I can say to that particular experience. 

So although I have helped set up some systems, I do not and would not recommend text-ing unless there was a definite, double opt-in. 

.02

Eileen

opt in sounds  great..

.otherwise  it would seem   like  spam of the worst kind….like when you  get unwanted  faxes on your paper and time…