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Once upon a time texting revolutionized the way we talk to our friends and family, and now the communication landscape is changing once again. A new survey found that 80 percent of people now use texting for business purposes, and perhaps even more interesting is the discovery that a third of those respondents are texting using something other than their mobile phone. Companies are turning to SMS software with a text alert system to reach out and speak to the people who impact their bottom line most.

Text Has Gone Global

There are about 6.8 billion people in the world and around 5.1 billion of them have a cell phone. You don't have to have a smartphone to send and receive texts, so even people with basic models are ready and able to get your message. Not everyone has a computer, landlines are increasingly scarce, and there are corners of the world that cable or DSL-based internet simply doesn't reach, but where those services fail, texting wins.

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The Importance of Business Text Alerts

Unless you're one of the lucky few for whom budgets are just a suggestion, you're dealing with finite resources with which to craft a winning marketing strategy. Direct marketing is almost immediately out; it's expensive and isn't as effective as texting anyway. While you can technically send direct marketing material to anyone you so choose, consumers have to opt in to receive text messages. They're already on board and ready to read your company's texts, which is undoubtedly once reason why text in general has a massively impressive open rate of 90 percent, and most of those texts are read within just 3 minutes.

[Tweet "Text in general has a massively impressive open rate of 90 percent"]

The bottom line: If you want to gain immediate access to customers and know they're actually going to read whatever you send them, you need text. Period.

Taking Advantage of the Trend

If you're ready to empower your business using an SMS text alert system, here's what you need to do:

• Follow the Rules – Ask for permission before sending your customers texts. No ifs, ands, or buts. Since you're asking them to opt in anyway, it wouldn't hurt to use the opportunity to also inquire as to the types of texts each consumer would like to receive and when they'd like to receive them.
  
  
• Send Useful Reminders – Text alert systems aren't about what you and your company want, they're about delivering the information your subscribers want and need. Give them data they can use and suddenly you have value.
  
  
• Boost Sales with SMS Marketing – You have what basically amounts to a captive audience, so use it. Wrap up your texts with simple calls to action (a CTA in marketing lingo), tease upcoming product launches with sneak peeks (bonus points for video clips!), and continually remind consumers in a subtle yet impactful way how what you're selling can help make their lives better.
  
  
• Notify Customers of Changes – Remember, 75 percent of Americans confess to bringing their phones into the bathroom with them, so you're very possibly pitching your product during some very private moments. From the types of messages you'll be sending to who'll be sending them, if there are changes that need to be made, your subscribers need to be made aware of them.
  
  
• Confirm Oral Agreements By Text – Get it in writing! Not only does confirming an oral agreement give you a way to double check all the little details, it also creates a paper trail that might come in handy later – and some text alert systems will help you track and catalog these conversations, too.
  
  
• Update Customers and Keep Their Interest – Just because you have hundreds or even thousands of subscribers doesn't mean they're actually paying attention. Engage customers by asking for their input, be it through text surveys, polls, or other attempts at feedback that require a response. Make consumer part of the conversation and they'll be more.
  
  

Trumpia's text message alert system streamlines SMS while providing business owners, marketing departments, and savvy solopreneurs with a way to connect with and convert consumers more efficiently than ever. From sending critical alerts about inclement weather or last-minute meetings to building targeted SMS lists that turn bulk texts into a business-boosting asset to mobile rewards programs and text verifications that help augment your marketing and IT departments, Trumpia does a little bit of everything, and they do it well.

Sign up now to take advantage of Trumpia's reliable text messaging services or request a 5-minute demo that will forever change the way you think about SMS messaging and mobile marketing in general.