Fixated on your cell phone? If you've ever tripped over something, walked into something (or someone), or completely tuned out of a conversation because you're on your phone, you've definitely been in the grip of the mobile phone. And you're not alone, either. A lot of people today spend more time with their mobile devices than they do with other people, and that's leading to a changing culture that companies have to adjust to if they want to remain relevant. You can't just sit back and wait for your customers to go home and get on their computers, watch TV, or pick up a magazine or newspaper so they can see your ad.

People are really attached to their mobile devices today, and if you want to reach them you need to be sure that your message is appearing in front of them on a screen they're used to and in a way they can relate to. If you aren't offering that to your customers, they aren't going to be as receptive to you and your products. SMS marketing is the best way to get started, and can help you move into mobile advertising and text messaging marketing so you can start getting your customers' attention.

At a loss over where to start? Unsure about what kinds of campaigns might work when you start using text messaging for your business. Take a page from these well-known companies and see how they've made text messaging work for them.

[Tweet "A lot of people today spend more time with their mobile devices than they do with other people"]

Starbucks

Want to get your SMS marketing and text messages right? Take a page from the Book of Starbucks. The company knows what to say to its customers to get them interested and keep them coming back. It's not just about the text in text messages, either. Remember the Frappuccino Cat? If you're a Starbucks fan, you probably think of him when you think Frappuccino, because the frisky little creature spent his summer discoing across iPhones and getting people's attention. You just can't say enough good things about the value of being memorable.

It wasn't just the cute kitty that got people talking, though. There was a trivia campaign, a Christmas campaign that offered different items every week, and more. One of those items was completely brilliant: a refillable coffee mug that could be used starting in January. Not only did their campaign boost sales among people buying gifts for others, it got people to come to the store when they received the mug as a gift. Presto! More customers!

Six Flags

Young people like texting. If you want to get the attention of young people, texting is among the best ways to do that. Six Flags understood that tie-in, and focused on the demographic it wanted to build on, by targeting teens and young people with its SMS campaign. As the world's largest regional theme park company, it might seem like Six Flags wouldn't need to do anything to get people to come through its doors, but every company needs to market. People have short memories.

The company created text alerts for their VIP events, and more, making text messaging the way they communicate - even for many of their biggest events. Within three months of starting their text alert campaign, they ended up with 5000 new subscribers. Not only that, but they also saw more teens coming into their parks because of the texting campaigns. Reaching out to the market isn't just about having a message, it's about making sure the message is presented in a way that works.

[Tweet "Within three months of starting their text alert campaign, they ended up with 5000 new subscribers."]

Virgin

Virgin Atlantic Airlines has a history of doing some rather unique things, courtesy of owner Sir Richard Branson. In 2012, Branson came forward to say that Virgin was going to start allowing the sending and receiving of in-flight SMS messages. That started a marketing (and SMS) buzz that is still going strong. The airline chose to make that move because mobile phones are becoming much more important today, and text messaging as a form of communication is increasing in both popularity and value.  The more they offer to the customer, the better the chance that customer will use them for their travel needs.

Creating an original marketing campaign through text messaging can change the way customers look at your business, and that can mean a lot more sales and a way to get ahead of the competition. Remember that the modern customer is a mobile customer, and isn't tied to the old ways of getting information. People today want to know everything right away, and they can only get that kind of instant gratification through their mobile devices. Sure, they might walk into something while reading your text message or signing up for your latest campaign, but it's a risk you should be willing to take.

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