How To Advertise a Mobile Marketing Campaign

Utilize Existing Advertising to Promote Your SMS Campaign

Businesses use many different forms of advertising and each of these can be used to promote the SMS marketing campaign. As mentioned in our previous article about starting a mobile marketing campaign, communicating your keyword and number call-to-action in as many different places as possible will increase your exposure to more potential subscribers. Some ideas for different places you can advertise your call-to-action is:

• On a business card
• On a billboard
• Storefront signs
• Website
• Social networking site like Facebook or Twitter
• Fliers
• Newspaper ads
• Newsletters
• Menus
• Table tents
• Marquees
• etc…

Obviously, not every business has all these different advertising means, but using the ones available will help to promote the text messaging campaign. With these ideas in mind, let’s look at how to formulate an effective call-to-action for these advertising locations.

Formulate Clear, Simple, Effective Call-To-Actions

At the heart of your mobile marketing campaign is your call-to-action. According to the Mobile Marketing Association’s definition of “Call-to-Action” found in their wiki glossary, a call-to-action is:

A statement or instruction, typically promoted in print, web, TV, radio, on-portal, or other forms of media (often embedded in advertising), that explains to a mobile subscriber how to respond to an opt-in for a particular promotion or mobile initiative, which is typically followed by a Notice.

Like the name implies, it is “calling” subscribers to take action on your advertising. Essentially, you are inviting them to receive your text messages as part of your campaign and marketing effort. Each call-to-action should be brief and clear as to the instructions for your subscribers to opt-in. The first part of the call-to-action should display the keyword and text number of your campaign in a brief imperative statement that invites the potential subscriber to opt-in. Something as simple, yet direct, as:

Text pizza to 888-88-PIZZA

Notice, the invitation was direct and clear. If you want to opt-in, text pizza to the text number you choose. Also notice the bolded keyword and number. These are the 2 most important elements of your call-to-action and should be displayed in a clear, easy-to-read type so that subscribers will easily recognize the keyword and number they are texting to.

The next part of the call-to-action is creating the proper enticement for opting in. This is most commonly done through a promotion/coupon of some sort. For subscribers to exchange consent for your text messages, you must provide them a reason to do so. This is known in the mobile marketing world as value exchange. For example:

Text pizza to 888-88-PIZZA to receive 15% off your next large pizza when you visit our new location!

Now, the subscribers will have a reason to subscribe for messages from the pizza shop as they will get a 15% off coupon.

Know and Follow SMS Regulations for Advertising

The text message marketing company you choose should make arrangements to adhere to the regulations for text messages set forth by Mobile Marketing Association. This includes making sure the necessary information is present in the text messages that are sent out, such as “Stop to cancel.” Review our blog article titled Messaging Compliance for additional details about what items must be present in text messages to meet compliance standards. TXT180 strictly adheres to Mobile Marketing Association regulations and we have taken the means to make sure the messages sent contain all the mandatory information necessary to meet regulation.

It is the responsibility of the user to know, understand, and adhere to the regulations for the advertising of a mobile marketing campaign. We’ll outline some of the basic guidelines to keep in mind. The following guidelines for advertising in their entirety are located on the Mobile Marketing Website under the Consumer Best Practices document.

Use of the word “Free”
Technically speaking, text messaging campaigns aren’t really free to subscribers who don’t have a text messaging plan with their wireless carrier. If you use the word “Free” in any of your advertisements, it must contain the verbiage “Msg&Data Rates May Apply” in the lower third of the commercial or advertisement. Other forms of “free” can also be used such as: complimentary, promotional, no charge, etc., but only if the “Msg&Data Rates May Apply” is included in the lower third of the commercial or advertisement. When using “Msg&Data Rates May Apply” in your call-to-action advertisement, make sure it is clear and easy to read. Don’t us illegible fonts or scrolling/blinking graphics when presenting this bit of information.

Print Advertising
Print advertisements must contain the following:

• Msg&Data Rates May Apply
• A website/phone number where subscribers can obtain a privacy policy for your mobile marketing campaign
• If it is a recurring program, opt-out instructions must be present and IN BOLD TYPEFACE. (STOP to cancel, quit, unsubscribe, opt-out, etc.)

Television, Radio, and Audio Advertising
Television, Radio, and Audio Advertising must contain the following:

• Msg&Data Rates May Apply

Web Advertising
Web Advertising must contain the following:

• Msg&Data Rates May Apply
• A website/phone number where subscribers can obtain a privacy policy for your mobile marketing campaign
• Message Frequency (x messages per month)
• HELP instructions IN BOLD TYPEFACE (text HELP for help)
• If it is a recurring program, instructions for opt-out must be present IN BOLD TYPEFACE such as STOP to cancel, quit, unsubscribe, opt-out, etc.

These have given you the basic idea of what must be included in order to adhere to Mobile Marketing Association guidelines on advertising. We encourage you to read the Consumer Best Practices document we provided a link to in order to more fully understand the guidelines and how to be compliant. Advertising is very important and is central to having a successful mobile marketing campaign.

Originally Posted on: March 31, 2023

Posted in: Text Marketing Tips
Tags: advertising sms, mobile marketing campaign, mobile marketing regulations, text message marketing