No one likes getting spam of any sort. And now that there are moves afoot in American to tighten up the rules on unsolicited SMS advertising, as well as it being out of bounds in Australia and Europe it may be worth reminding ourselves that if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Legal requirements aside, it makes sound marketing sense to ensure that your SMS advertising campaign is well targeted and working for you. This means getting user’s consent and giving them a chance to opt out, as well as ensuring that the message is branded and relevant to the receiver. SMS advertising is about creating an immediate connection and interaction between consumers and your brand and business. It lets you deliver concise, targeted messages that customers are willing to receive. So use SMS advertising to drive consumers towards your marketing initiative.

//No one likes getting spam of any sort. And now that there are moves afoot in American to tighten up the rules on unsolicited SMS advertising, as well ...

The Olympics are an odd phenomenon. Every few years the world focuses on one little corner of the globe and the sporting events that are taking place there. While the winter Olympics may not appeal to every nation they are nonetheless important for those 80 nations taking part in the events in Vancouver and Whistler at the moment. With so much going on in and around Vancouver it is no surprise that SMS is being used to help keep visitors informed. Vancouver Tourism, in collaboration with Satsport, has created an interactive guide for visitors to the 20th winter Olympic Games - the Tourism Vancouver 2010. Through SMS messaging the mobile city guide application keeps users informed about events, the weather – even news flashes. Users can also get information about restaurants (and make reservations via SMS) and transportation in and around Vancouver and Whistler. The smartphone application also gives the user integrated street navigation for Vancouver and Whistler – helping lost tourists to find their way around town.

//The Olympics are an odd phenomenon. Every few years the world focuses on one little corner of the globe and the sporting events that are taking place ...

My, how times have changed since I was a student. I found it a real hassle to find a place to live near campus, search online and asking around – I even checked out the campus notice boards. But now a new SMS marketing initiative will make landlords and university accommodation services re-think how they connect with their student clientele. The new SMS messaging system is the brain child of Asset Campus Housing, a property management firm which specialises in the student accommodation market in the US. The new SMS service has been a triumph, generating up to 100 new leads a day with the knock on affect of both viewings and rentals up. The system is made up of two components. The first gets prospects to opt in to receive alerts about properties. The second creates a database of prospects and a separate one of residents for the property managers. The company and property managers can then use these for SMS messages tailored to either residents or prospects.

//My, how times have changed since I was a student. I found it a real hassle to find a place to live near campus, search online and asking around – I ev...

Every now and then I hear a story that renews my faith in humanity. Certainly the donations that poured into the American Red Cross’ SMS donation appeal for Haiti are a heart-warming example. In the days immediately following the devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti the American Red Cross launched its $10 SMS donation programme. Those wanting to give were asked to text the word “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10. They then received a confirmation text which asks them to confirm their $10 donation. Once they’ve agreed, a $10 donation was added to their monthly cell phone bill. Next the Red Cross sends them a ‘thank you’ text and, crucially, asks if they want to opt-in to get further SMS messages. So in addition to raising money for Haiti, the Red Cross has also been able to gather valuable contact details for thousands of supporters of the charity who they can retarget sometime down the line. Following some high profile media coverage (including Michelle Obama no less) the Red Cross’ SMS $10 donation campaign has been an amazing success. It managed to raise $8 million within two days and a staggering $24 million within a week.

//Every now and then I hear a story that renews my faith in humanity. Certainly the donations that poured into the American Red Cross’ SMS donation appe...