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Opt It is the premiere provider of text messaging for brands and businesses.
September 2, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
Faith-based organizations are the latest industry to wholeheartedly embrace text messaging as the most convenient and instantaneous communication medium available. Churches, mosques, and synagogues alike have been signing up for Opt It Mobile 3.0 because they realize that their audience depends on cell phones, especially the younger generation, and that there’s no better way for them to reach their members. Being able to communicate on a large scale, as well as a one-on-one basis, has definitely caught their attention.
These organizations have also noticed an increased use of text messaging as the primary form of communication among their members. Opt It customers send prayer reminders, Bible and Qur’an quotes, donation requests, enhanced outreach efforts, community updates, and religious event notifications via text and have witnessed a great deal of acceptance within their religious communities.
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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.
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