With the Super Bowl right around the corner, I’m reminded of what a powerful marketing opportunity this time of year brings to advertisers who have the budget and resources to make a statement. Taking on a one-upmanship role to outdo their TV spots from the year before – not to mention other advertisers – it’s the one day on which the big brands have a large, captive audience. Unfortunately, the Super Bowl is one marketing channel which most small businesses find beyond their grasp.

Thanks to multi-channel marketing technology, however, your small business can still have a huge impact – even if you are unable to afford the price tag of the Super Bowl. The best part is that SMS marketing and cross-channel promotions can cost-effectively give you the response rates you need to boost your sales and kick-off 2012 on solid footing.

Drawing from a few of the most motivational football adages, here are some tips for ensuring the success of your next SMS marketing campaign.

• Have a Plan for Orchestration. You’ll need to touch your customers in multiple ways across several channels if you want to make your campaign memorable and significant. Why not send out an email several weeks in advance of your sales event? Then, tell your important customers to save the date. Follow-up by posting your event information on Facebook a week prior to your event. Finally, send out a SMS marketing message a few days before the big day. It’s the surest way to increase your chance of gaining the greatest turn-out.
  
  
• Execute Your Offense by Reaching out to 100 Percent of Your Audience. To gain the best response rates, you’ll definitely want to use more than one marketing channel. Unlike the day of the Super Bowl, every day people are multi-tasking and toggling back and forth between various mobile devices and digital and new media channels. The best way to win will be to consider people’s diverse messaging preferences.  Reaching different people according to how they like to be reached will allow your message to be heard in every corner of your market.
  
  
• Leverage the Speed of Instantaneous Delivery. With more and more people adopting smart phones, everyone is getting used to immediate data exchange and delivery. So your customers will appreciate connecting with you for instant access to your deals, news and updates. You’ll want to maximize the number of people that join your marketing database by advertising your text keyword and short code on your business card and incorporating your QR Code in your campaigns whenever possible.

Whatever you do, remember to always apply your creativity. Using multi-channel marketing technology, together with a well thought out marketing strategy, you can realize the kinds of wins that will make a big difference to your business.