November 29, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
What is a “direct reply”? For this explanation, it’s helpful to start at the beginning.. When an Opt It customer sends out a message, the natural tendency is assume that their members, the receivers, will answer it. The way in which a user responds depends on whether the message is coming from a short code or regular 9 digit number. If the sender is using a shared short code, the software identifies them by their keyword. In this way, the keyword acts as an account name. In the past, if a member of an Opt It list wanted to respond to a text message they received, they would have had to type in the keyword, a space, and then the response in order for the message to be delivered into the correct inbox. Well, not anymore!
Direct replies are a new feature available for use by every Opt It customer. They enable your members to respond to your messages without first typing in your keyword.
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November 24, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
Here at Opt It., we work hard to ensure that we’re providing you with a product that meets your needs and has the capability to accomplish all of your creative marketing ideas. With that said, it takes a mindset dedicated to continuous innovation to recreate and improve Opt It Mobile 3.0 on an ongoing basis. We’re thrilled to introduce a feature that offers more options for your subscription keyword campaign, specifically regarding the Subscription Auto Response message, which is commonly known among Opt It customers as the “coupon message” that goes out when your customers first sign up to your list.
A common question among our customers is whether there is a way to control the amount of these “coupon messages” that go out when customers sign up for your list. Well, now there is! Say hello to the “Only allow Response Message to be sent once per phone number” option. By clicking this button, you choose to allow ONLY ONE Response Message to go out when one of your customers signs up to your list. This way, if your offer is such that you feel that a customer should only be able to use it once, you can click this option and know that each phone number will only get one.
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October 22, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
For loyal Opt It customers, it’s easy to see the value that text messaging brings to the marketing and communication of a product or service, or even the entire brand itself. It’s pretty simple to understand the impact that sending a text message right before the dinner hour means to restaurants or the power of a reminder text to patients has the day before an appointment for doctors. However, after a while the question becomes, how do I keep my texting campaign fresh in the eyes of customers?
Solution 1: Vary the content of your text messages. For example, if a restaurant is always sending out a message with its lunch specials, it should instead promote a breakfast or beverage item every couple of texts so that customers do not get accustomed to a certain schedule.
Solution 2: Use the Reports section of Opt It Mobile to monitor the activity of your campaign. For example, you can track the time of day that the majority of people text in. If you know your business gets the highest amount of opt ins at noon, you should send a text with a special pertaining to that hour. (For instance, a salon might send out a special for a half hour manicure to take advantage of the lunch crowd.).
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August 19, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
Since its inception in 2004, Opt It has offered a free 30 day trial to our customers. This length of time, 30 days, has been studied many times by Team Opt It, and the conclusion is always the same- the free 30 day trial has proven to be extremely beneficial to our customers in terms of their campaign development and overall understanding of how text message communication and marketing works.
Knowing this, we’ve decided to continue providing this free 30 day trial of Opt It Mobile 3.0 to all of our customers. Think of it as a courtesy period to learn about text message marketing and our industry-leading software.
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August 17, 2010 by Jessica Zorawski
A recent survey completed by ABI Research aimed to uncover consumer preferences regarding informational text messages received from businesses. The results are pertinent to any business in the service industry.
The survey’s results describe the types of text message alerts that consumer’s desire. At the top of the list, with 46 percent affirmation, are reminders for an appointment, specifically for a doctors or dentist appointment. Dozens of medical and dental offices have used Opt It to save money on phone call appointment reminders and are now simply sending a text message to their opted in clients.
Coming in a close second are safety alerts such as major storm warnings. These types of messages received 44 percent of interest from consumers. If your business offers a service that is affected by the weather, try sending your customers weather updates to increase business during good weather and decrease their disappointment when the forecast calls for inclement weather.
Activity alerts, such as school cancelations and schedule changes, interested 41 percent of consumers. Preference was also apparent for customer service alerts regarding bills and travel.
The take-away here is obvious: consumers want to be notified regarding appointments, last minute schedule changes, and weather forecasts. They prefer to be notified via text message. Not a surprise, considering everyone has a cell phone these days, right?
Opt It’s text messaging platform is not just a promotional tool- it’s also a communication tool that can be used to inform consumers. If 46 percent of consumers say they would like to receive appointment reminders via text, it is very likely that your clientele will be interested as well. Try it out free for 30 days.