SMS marketing: Cheap ways to collect customers personal information

We see SMS marketing as a process that consists from  these components:

1. Collecting phone numbers database
2. Managing database
3. Sending target SMS advertising campaigns
4. Analyzing results
5. Learning and creating know-how how to increase results

So, if you want to do it right, you need to start from the first step. Basically, there are two ways to get phone numbers database:

• Buy it from some company
• Collect your customers phone numbers database by yourself

Of course, buying seems the easiest way. But before doing this, please, stop and read the article till the end. We are not against buying (sometimes it can be against the law), just this way can have negative impact.

The biggest problems with bought databases is that phone number owners did not give their consent to get your advertising. It is possible that they gave consent to receive any advertisements. This means that these phone number owners get lots of SMS advertising and your SMS message will be another one or just accepted as spam. And nobody wants or needs to spend marketing money and be accepted as spammer.

Other problem is that these phone numbers owners are not your customers , they possible do not know you or you service. So, first of all you will need to introduce yourself, measure reaction and only then try to sell something to them. It will take time and money. And usually conversation rate will be low.

And last, but not the least, you can not be sure how these phone numbers were collected. Do phone numbers owners even know their information is being sold? Are you sure about their age, sex or what interests them?

Collecting your own customers phone numbers database is really more effective for SMS marketing. And there are cheap ways to do this.

Use your web site or social network page

Ask customers to leave their phone number in web site form. If customer already came to your web site and spend time here, it means that customer is interested in your products or services. If he fills contact form for SMS advertising, it means he is really interested in. This way you can collect really receptive to advertising customers database.

Ask customers to send SMS

Use short codes to collect customers consent to receive SMS advertising. Put posters or stickers in your shop with information how to send SMS: Send SHOP to number 88080 and you will receive best deals every week! Short number services are cheap and easy to use for collecting target information. Use different keyword in every shop, city or for every proposal you have.

“Buy and win” type promotions

Suggest customers to register for the price after they purchase your service or product. You can use short codes, your web site or just filling same paper form for registration. Such promotion campaigns will attract attention to your services or products; customers like the idea of winning and of course you will collect their consent for SMS marketing.

Of course to collect customers phone numbers database using these ways takes time, but you will get database that can increase your permanent customers number.