The power of email to SMS services from Media Burst

Email to SMS marketing - the future of communications?

In an age when potential customers are constantly on-the-go, marketers are in search of innovative new means of getting their message across. As such, Email to SMS marketing has really come into its own, providing a platform to get material to as many people as possible, with little cost.

So, what exactly is email to SMS marketing? As the name would imply, it enables messages to be transcribed from email to SMS format, meaning they can be sent out to any consumer, anytime, anywhere. This gives marketers the freedom and flexibility to let their customer database immediately aware of any recent events or offers, making them feel 'in the loop'.

Some industries will undoubtedly benefit from email to SMS marketing more than others. Take companies with employees who are always out and about, for example. Electricians, plumbers and other such professions are opened up by this channel, as they can be contacted without the need to be glued to a computer. Believe it or not, there are still some professions do not rely on email on a day-to-day basis, but this does not mean they cannot be contacted - as email to SMS marketing proves.

It would be wrong to say that email marketing is dead, but there are certainly shortfalls that SMS can meet. Businesses solely using email to get their point across have to rely heavily on their clients reading a message, which is at least overcome in part when material is sent directly to a mobile phone.

A recent study from the Direct Marketing Association found just 46 per cent of marketers are able to keep track of customer journeys, starting at the moment they receive an email to when a purchase is made. There is clearly room for improvement, which is where email to SMS methods could really come to the fore, providing effective tracking tools are developed and used properly.

As with email, the key to successful SMS marketing is not to inundate clients with messages. Be specific when sending out material, as consumers rarely respond favourably to off-subject communications. If a person is expected to take time out of their day to read a message - and then act upon it - then the pressure is really on for marketers to make it worth their while.

Companies in search of a time saving, cost cutting means of distributing information may well find that email to SMS marketing is just what they need. Although a relatively new marketing medium, it has the potential to offer real returns.