Monthly Archives: August 2010
August 19, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
Since its inception in 2004, Opt It has offered a free 30 day trial to our customers. This length of time, 30 days, has been studied many times by Team Opt It, and the conclusion is always the same- the free 30 day trial has proven to be extremely beneficial to our customers in terms of their campaign development and overall understanding of how text message communication and marketing works.
Knowing this, we’ve decided to continue providing this free 30 day trial of Opt It Mobile 3.0 to all of our customers. Think of it as a courtesy period to learn about text message marketing and our industry-leading software.
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August 18, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
In last year’s Harris Interactive report, the demographic most likely to show interest in receiving a mobile coupon was young, affluent males. Within one year, this has changed dramatically. The same study conducted in 2010 indicates that parents with younger children are the new demographic most highly interested in mobile coupons.
Adults with younger children versus adults with older kids showed varying interest levels. The most interested category of respondents was parents with children 6 or younger, with 35 percent voting “somewhat interested in receiving text alerts with coupons”. This is the same group most likely to clip and redeem paper coupons, so it makes sense that they enjoy the convenience of having a digital coupon as well. Households with older kids were close behind, with 32 percent of respondents indicating interest. Households with no children responded with a 25 percent interest level in getting opt-in text coupons, most likely due to having a larger amount of available income with no children to support.
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August 17, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
A recent survey completed by ABI Research aimed to uncover consumer preferences regarding informational text messages received from businesses. The results are pertinent to any business in the service industry.
The survey’s results describe the types of text message alerts that consumer’s desire. At the top of the list, with 46 percent affirmation, are reminders for an appointment, specifically for a doctors or dentist appointment. Dozens of medical and dental offices have used Opt It to save money on phone call appointment reminders and are now simply sending a text message to their opted in clients.
Coming in a close second are safety alerts such as major storm warnings. These types of messages received 44 percent of interest from consumers. If your business offers a service that is affected by the weather, try sending your customers weather updates to increase business during good weather and decrease their disappointment when the forecast calls for inclement weather.
Activity alerts, such as school cancelations and schedule changes, interested 41 percent of consumers. Preference was also apparent for customer service alerts regarding bills and travel.
The take-away here is obvious: consumers want to be notified regarding appointments, last minute schedule changes, and weather forecasts. They prefer to be notified via text message. Not a surprise, considering everyone has a cell phone these days, right?
Opt It’s text messaging platform is not just a promotional tool- it’s also a communication tool that can be used to inform consumers. If 46 percent of consumers say they would like to receive appointment reminders via text, it is very likely that your clientele will be interested as well. Try it out free for 30 days.
August 16, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
New reports from the Pew Hispanic Center indicate significant differences between native-born and foreign-born Latinos and their technological usage. The largest difference was found in text messaging, with 83 percent of native-born Latinos, ages 16 to 25, using text messaging as their primary communication method, while only 56 percent of foreign-born Latinos claimed to do the same.
This technological divide extends to all forms of communication, from talking on the phone, to Internet and email usage. The explanation for the difference is unknown, but researchers speculate that language barriers, a small social network and the inability to afford an extensive cell phone plan, all contribute to the differences seen.
Young Hispanics influence their parents buying decisions as they are often the family translator and more technologically proficient when it comes to comparing prices and doing product reviews. If your customer base include some portion of the Hispanic population, knowing that 16 to 25 year olds influence family decisions helps you align marketing efforts to target an influential younger generation. In addition, taking your clientele into consideration and understanding that there are key differences between native-born and foreign-born Latinos can help you zero in on the most targeted marketing approach. With 83 percent of native-born Latinos using text messages to communicate, it’s a safe bet that reaching them through text message marketing is the way to go.
August 4, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
In the last decade, CRM, a.k.a. Customer Relationship Management, has become a keyword for organizations, especially as competition increases and understanding your consumer becomes more important. Most businesses have some sort of database that collects information ranging from customer name to birth date to shopping patterns. In this post, you’ll find information on how to integrate your current CRM system with Opt It Mobile 3.0, or, if you’re in need of a CRM solution, how to create your first CRM system within Opt It.
If you already have a CRM database created, you can link the system to Opt It through our API. Check out: http://app.optitmobile.com/help/developers-api-overview for details on how to get this set up. Depending on the CRM system you are using, you will need to get a developer involved to integrate the two systems. Some CRM systems, unless they are open source or have an API, will not allow you to integrate them. For those of you who have a CRM system that can be integrated, the multitude of options created by linking your CRM system to your Opt It account depends on how much information you have for each of your customers and what you’re trying to accomplish. Some examples of expanded capabilities include the ability to add members from your current system, the ability to insert member’s names in a personalized message, and the ability to send out a special birthday offer.
CRM Features in Action:
Joe is your customer and you know the following information: he has purchased product X multiple times before at location Y and his birthday is today. Consider sending him this message: “Hey Joe- Happy birthday! Stop by location Y & receive “buy one get one free” product X!” The chance of Joe responding to this highly personalized offer is very high.
If you don’t currently have a CRM database of your customers, you can begin creating one within your Opt It account. Use the web sign up form widget to capture pertinent customer demographic information like name, email, zip code, and birth date. You can also ask your members to reply to a message with demographic information. An example of such a message: “Please reply KEYWORD name, birth date, zip code”
By customizing your messages for your consumers, you’ are creating a personalized and closely targeted offer that is much more likely to be acted upon. Get started today!
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