Top 8 Reasons to Text Message-enable your Social Network

There are compelling reasons to add SMS functionality to your social networking site. The immediacy of text messages is just one of them. Perhaps most importantly, is that users can access their mobile social network through their phones without needing a desktop computer and access to the web. Turning your social network mobile is the smartest thing you will do this year...

Clickatell's Top 8 reasons for SMS enabling your social network

1. Text messaging offers mobility to your social network:
   Users are not confined to access from their desktop computer; they are free to network from wherever they are, whenever they want. By offering users this 'on the go' access, the value of your social network increases dramatically.
2. Text messaging offers access to new markets and customer segments without broadband access:
   Users who not have access to WAP-enabled phones or Java applications can access your mobile social network. SMS text messaging overcomes these handset limitations. This opens up your social networking site to people in emerging markets who do not have an Internet connection. SMS technology is the most proven mobile messaging technology and one that most people are comfortable with – across all demographic groups.
3. Text messaging allows real time communication between social network members without an application download- more ‘stickiness’.
4. Text messaging allows for easier acquisition of new members and increased consumption by existing members:
   It is a cost-effective acquisition and marketing method. SMS text messages can be used to invite users to join your social network. Remember, a personal invite can mean the difference between downloading and deleting! The link to your social network site can also be sent via a text message making it easy for potential users to sign up.

   Reach users even when they are 'offline' and not logged into your social network by texting them when they have new mail or alerting them to changes on the system. Lapsed users can be 'tickled' with a reminder to log in.

   Drive traffic to your site and increase your 'eyeball' rate, this directly translates into increased advertising revenue. This can be done through SMS notifications of new features or interesting articles or promotions.
5. Mobile messaging allows you to extend the reach of your social network across the globe:
   If you have a mobile social network site, you can go global! Through SMS text messaging, you can reach users all over the world, regardless of web accessibility. Clickatell offers SMS message delivery to over 200 countries through more than 700 operators. We reliably deliver SMS messages in real-time to your users, no matter their handset limitations.
6. Create new revenue streams for your social network:
   The addition of SMS functionality to your site can radically increase your revenue. By using premium-rated SMS text messages you can make sales directly or add an income stream to your existing revenue source.
   • Make direct sales of music downloads, ringtones, wallpapers and other services or products from a mobile platform by using Premium-rated MO (mobile originated) SMS. This allows end-users to send billable SMS to your premium-rated number and receive credits into their account.
   • Charge subscription and access fees with Premium-rated MT (mobile terminated) SMS. The end-user received billable SMS from premium-rated numbers to pay for this.
   • Even Standard-rated SMS text messages can be used to drive traffic to your site for sale purposes or direct users to your real world store.
     
     

   A Juniper Research's analysis of the global mobile payments opportunity forecasts that 2.1 billion mobile subscribers will "pay by mobile" for digital goods downloaded to their mobile phones by 2013. According to Juniper, there is a significant growth opportunity not only for mobile payment systems, software, support and consultancy services vendors, but also for mobile operators to increase their ARPU as transaction frequencies accelerate. IntoMobile:"Juniper Research Analysis" - Aug 2008

   
   
7. Increase the quality of the user experience of your social network:
   SMS text messages can be used to diagnose connectivity issues by sending test messages to user's phones. They can also be used to update databases, build user profiles and notify users of changes or requests from the online network.
8. The login process can also be made more secure in your mobile social network by texting authentication passwords and login alerts.

Mobile Social Networking with Clickatell means:

• You can ‘free’ users by allowing them access from anywhere in the world, anytime, regardless of their handset limitations, to your mobile social network.
• They can post and receive content ‘on the go’ through SMS text messages to a public stream. This includes the uploading of video, photo’s and audio files.
• You can offer them ‘check-in’ and ‘location’ options so they can find friends in their physical vicinity and their friends will know where they are.
• You can offer update alerts to posts they subscribe to and notification alerts re new mail or security updates with a mobile social network.
• You can offer increased communication options such as email to SMS or voicemail to SMS with a mobile social network.
• You can create a loyal and expanded customer base with a mobile social network.
• You can increase your income streams and therefore your revenue with a mobile social network.
• You can expand your business to a national or global level with a mobile social network.