If you've been to the mall or any other public place where there are a lot of people milling around recently, you probably saw a lot of those people staring at their phones.

Those phones are becoming mobile lifelines today, and can't really be out of people's sight. Whether they're talking to someone, texting, or just staring at the screen - often with a vacant expression - they can't let go of that phone...and your company can leverage that to your advantage.

A lot of people see the culture of cell-phone obsession as a bad thing, They wonder how people can even interact in the "real world" anymore, and they worry that they won't be able to have "normal" human interactions.

The reality of it is that what is "normal" is changing, and companies that want to stay relevant need to change, as well. What better captive audience than people glued to their cell phones? They are already right there for you to market to.

You can advertise what you have to offer, get new customers, and get ahead of your competition, all before other companies in your industry realize what's happening.

Most people won't ignore a text. The temptation of reading it is just too strong, and when that little notification goes off they feel compelled to see what they're missing.

Unlike an email, most texts are also read within just a couple minutes of being received, so they're extremely efficient when used for marketing. So getting the attention of your audience isn't hard...but once you've got that attention, what in the world are you supposed to do with it?

[Tweet "Unlike an email, most texts are also read within just a couple minutes of being received"]

Smartphones are seen like friends to a lot of people. Their phone is like a confidant, and it holds all their social media information, photos that they treasure, all the contact details for the people they value, and the ability to help them out when there is an emergency.

With that level of personal attachment, a phone has become a lot more than just a device for calling other people. It'spersonal - and your messages should be, too. If you want your clients to respond to your text marketing efforts, they need to get to know your company on a personal level, through the information you provide to them.

Showing That You Care

Focus your messages on the needs of your customer, not what you want them to do for you. Instead of trying to push out information about your company, you can pull information in about your customers. That gives you insight into how to interact with them, so you can give them personalized service and send them the right type of content. That will help build a lasting relationship with your customers.

Don’t Be Unwelcome

People don't like getting surprise communications from companies they don't have a relationship with. It feels like spam, and could get you blocked. Rather than take that risk, only send customers messages if you have their permission. Make it clear when you want them to opt-in, and be sure to tell them how to opt-out, as well. If you're up front with them, you've got a much better chance of keeping their interest and getting them to accept and read your text marketing efforts.

Help Them Out

One of the best ways to use your text marketing efforts is to provide great customer service. Thank them via text after they leave, and make sure they know they can reach out to you if there are any problems. Let them know about special events, safety concerns, or if they forgot something. When you want to make your relationship with your customers deeper, texting them and keeping in touch is one of the best ways to do that.

Customization Matters

There are more than four billion texts sent in the United States each and every day. Your customers' cell phones are busy devices, and you want to make sure your messages don't go ignored in all that hustle and bustle.

One of the ways to stay at the forefront of your customers' minds is to make them offers that are simply too good for them to refuse. Mass messages that don't specifically target your customers the right way are generally a waste of time, and can mean a lot of opting out.

When you meet a person's needs through customization, though, you have a much better opportunity to build brand loyalty.

With the increasing attachment to cellular phones, companies that use text marketing can now reach their customers anytime, anyplace. It's a dream come true for advertisers, and you don't want to waste another minute of it.

Getting started on your text marketing campaign isn't difficult - but you do need to remember that there is a lot of power in the written word. Once you send something out via text, you can't get it back. Choose your words carefully, and you won't end up sending out a text you really regret.

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