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Sure, 140 new employees with colorful personalities would be great! But the 'characters' in question here, are those i a text message. "OMG," you might (but probably wouldn't) exclaim, "texting is just a bunch of incoherent acronyms and emojis! It's for the kids!"

Your point is understandable. However:

Texting gets a bad rap. With all the ‘ROFLs’ and the ‘YOLOs,’ it’s easy to see texting as something without serious application.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is this: texting may be one of the most important tools your business (and your competition) is not yet utilizing. With younger smartphone users sending over 2,000 texts per month and over 2.2 trillion texts sent globally each year, it’s clear that texting is already pervasive and is going to continue to grow as a means of communication. Here are a few ways SMS texting can make your life easier and give you an edge in the marketplace:

SMS Blasts:

One of the most basic texting uses for business, SMS Blasts allow you to reach entire distribution lists instantly, with urgent or up-to-the-minute news. If you’re a school or university and need to reach the student body or parents efficiently, this is the way to do it. Think about a school closing for a snow day. SMS Blasts deliver the info directly and quickly. It’s a big upgrade over asking such a large group of people to seek out the information themselves.

Mobile Keywords:

If you run a restaurant and need an easy way to boost walk-in traffic, why not try a mobile coupon? Unlike a paper version, a mobile coupon can be called up on a smartphone instantly and the customer doesn’t have to worry about where the physical coupon is. And, as a bonus, you’re saving the environment (if you like nature and things)! With Mobile Keywords, you can build a database and see immediate results.

Text-to-Screen:

The term ‘game changer’ is thrown around too flippantly sometimes. Having a giant screen where event attendees can engage with you and your business fits the bill. With Text-to-Screen capabilities, you can reach a gigantic audience all at once. That same audience can have an ongoing conversation about the event they’re attending. It’s an undeniably attention-grabbing way to use texting to your advantage.

Mobile Voting:

Another deft way to collect mobile numbers while gaining valuable feedback is to set-up mobile voting. On a large scale, this can be done like American Idol. On a smaller scale, it can be done to test response to new products or to host a fun poll that’s intended to engage an audience and build a database.

Appointment Reminders:

This feature is somewhat self-explanatory, but incredibly valuable as a business solution. If you’re a dentist office, for example, being able to send an appointment reminder text can save your clients from missing appointments and keep your schedule running smoothly.

Advanced Scheduling:

You can also set-up SMS texting so that messages send at a specific time. This is a great way to get last minute information to event-goers or to make sure you keep up with marketing your promotions.

If you don’t already use SMS texting for your business, you are leaving a lot of marketing and organization options on the table. Texting is a classic case of ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’. All the OMGs, LOLs, and ☺s are here to stay. Consider how you can use it to your advantage. It's the perfect way to build a database and leverage a medium that your audience wants to engage you on.

We offer our customers solutions for text messaging through OneFire SMS. Learn more about how it can help your company.