Bulk SMS remains the safest bet

Could the increase in smartphones and the development of the mobile web threaten text-based mobile messaging services such as bulk SMS? According to recent data released by the Gartner Research Company, the sale of smartphones will surpass notebook sales by the end of this year. That’s an additional 180-million units worldwide during 2009; each capable of performing both simple tasks, such as sending and receiving texts, as well as more complex operations that will give your average personal computer a run for its money. And by next year, that number will be even bigger.

In 2002, findings by U.S. firm McKinsey & Company suggested that companies willing to invest in branding during times of economic instability are more like to see better-than-average results after the recovery. So where do you put your mobile advertising dollars?

Being constantly connected to the internet on a mobile device does have its advantages: you can open any web-page at your convenience, wherever you are; chat with your colleagues and friends while on the train and quickly scan through a couple of last-minute emails before you have to disembark.

Still, an email on a smartphone is just like an email on your computer – it is sent and received using the same protocols and is subject to the same inconveniences, including large amounts of spam. Additionally, keep in mind that that the response rate on bulk SMS texts averages at about 25%, far higher than its email counterpart.

And lest we forget, not all mobile users have smartphones, and not all smartphone users use their phones to browse the internet or read their emails. Moreover, it costs money. Some of your clients may rely on pre-paid tariff plans instead of fixed monthly contracts, especially in outlying areas or developing countries, where the infrastructure for accessing the mobile internet is still in its infancy.

Don’t fret, because your mobile marketing strategy can, and perhaps should, include both text messaging and mobile web elements. In many cases the mobile is much more of a personal item than, say, a notebook, because even if texts are sent in bulk, they are read on a personal level.

Bulk SMS can be employed to inform clients of new products and/or services or updates to them with the inclusion of a URL, which they can navigate to then and there or in their own spare time – a marketing move already being employed with great success by companies around the world. Additionally, companies sending out bulk SMS’s are also able to receive texts back from mobile phones, making two-way communication a reality and giving you the opportunity to get to know your customers on a more personal level.

To ensure the seamless integration of bulk SMS with current marketing tools, a variety of API’s (Application Programming Interfaces) have been made available. These API’s allow you to communicate with the SMS gateway (the ‘middleman’ between you and your clients) from virtually any application, including web (HTTP/S) and email (SMTP). Other API’s include XML, SOAP, .COM objects, SMPP and FTP.

Bulk SMS is a very effective way to advertise and doesn’t preclude mobile web initiatives.