Opt In to Text-Message Marketing

Text messaging is becoming the next wave of marketing for small businesses. It's especially advantageous because it's a quick, easy and inexpensive way to get your message across to a wide customer base.

How big is the market for text messaging? According to CTIA -- The Wireless Association, an international nonprofit wireless-communication organization, there were 233 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. alone at the end of 2006. During the last six months of 2006, text messaging was up to 93.8 billion messages from 48 billion messages in the same period of 2005.

Bob Gold, founder of New York-based Gold Mobile, is emphatic about the use of text messaging and how it can help small businesses. "Our job is to help our clients use technology in new ways to improve their revenue, increase customer service satisfaction and increase loyalty so they can have a competitive advantage in the marketplace," says Gold.

Through the use of Gold Mobile's technology, small-business owners can use text messaging in many ways to complement traditional advertising campaigns, build a customer community and improve upon customer service. It's worked for such heavy hitters as eBay (EBAY) and Nestle, Gold says.

Win-Win Situation

Text messaging can be used in conjunction with print, television or radio advertising campaigns to attract subscribers. Mobile users can "opt-in," which essentially means they will access a keyword, given to them via an advertisement. (For an example, text: THESTREET to the number 51684 to receive a message.)

This allows the small-business owner to collect information about interested customers, including the individual cell-phone numbers. The user can then enter additional information if he or she chooses to.