The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to vote on a new ruling that may impact business to customer communications via text message. The new ruling, expected to be approved on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, will primarily affect telemarketers sending automatically dialed or pre-recorded calls. They will also affect automated text messages.

The existing Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling has been in place since 2008, and has not been found to be sufficient to control the business practices of unscrupulous telemarketers who dial numbers without permission.

Under the new ruling, telemarketers would need to obtain written permission prior to placing automated calls, also referred to as robocalls, to customers. The existing ruling allows these types of calls to be placed if companies have an existing relationship with a consumer. For example, banks can currently place robocalls to existing account holders to sell add-on services such as insurance. With the new ruling, this would no longer be allowed. These rules would not apply to calls made to land-line telephones for informational purposes such as school closings, appointment notifications, or flight cancellations.

Cell phones and text messages are also affected. Any type of phone call or text message to a wireless device will also require written consent prior to this type of communication taking place UNLESS a live person is dialing the phone numbers. Text campaigns will also require that a simple opt-out procedure is in place for any text communication that is sent, already a standard business practice with Mobile Marketing Unlimited text marketing campaigns.

This information will be updated once the ruling has past the final vote, and our clients notified of the practical impact on their text message marketing campaigns.

With Facebook being a national obsession that shows no sign of slowing any time soon, there is a wealth of opportunity for business owners who choose to engage with prospects and customers via social media.

So, why does Facebook work so well for some businesses and not at all for others?

Those who it is working for say that Facebook, like everything else, is centered around building long term relationships with prospects and customers. Business owners who demonstrate that they listen to their customer base, and actually care about their needs and are responsive to them, are reaping the benefits.

It simply is not enough to put up a pretty Facebook profile or fan page, and then ignore it. If you build it, they won’t come. So… Just because you have a Facebook business page does not mean you will get new business or make any additional money. Not only that, the number of “fans” a business has does not guarantee the amount of income or business that will be generated proportional to that number.

Next time you see the places online where you can buy Facebook “likes” or fans, keep this in mind. The only thing those kinds of fans will get you is a higher number count on your Facebook profile page. That alone won’t help with increased income or growing customer loyalty.

Your Facebook community must be nurtured like anything else.

It also doesn’t help to have a business page with a lot of one-sided conversation. Take the time to use Facebook’s keyword tool to search what the Facebook community is getting excited about, and try to engage them. Building an organic Facebook following that actually engages with you and your brand is ultimately what counts.

Of course, Facebook could decide to remove your account at any time, and then where would all of your hard social media work be?

That’s why it is important to use that fan base to build your own list. Your main Facebook goal should be to keep moving your Facebook audience from your fan page to your direct mail, email or text marketing list. If this hasn’t historically been your social media marketing strategy on Facebook, it is time to think it through and adapt it.

If you feel that you don’t have energy, time, or focus to work a profitable Facebook system into a lead machine that gets and keeps customers, it might be time to get some help. To fast-track your Facebook marketing results, learn about Mobile Marketing Unlimited’s social media services. We’re here to help.

Gen Y’s affinity for mobile technology is leading to potentially huge growth in the field of mobile marketing. As a result, businesses are expected to increase their use of text marketing in their interactions with them.

According to the Forrester report, 23 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 44 and 17 percent of people across all ages group own a smartphone; a jump of more than 11 percent in the past year.

Both smartphones and unlimited data plans are popular with both Gen X and Gen Y, providing the necessary tools for businesses to reach these key demographics via mobile marketing. It is expected that the 18-44 year old demographic will continue to drive businesses to adopt the use of mobile marketing tools.

Today’s on-the-go lifestyle, in combination with over 80 percent of those 18 to 44 and 57 percent of all age groups regularly sending and receiving text messages, has lead to an increased use of the most common form of mobile marketing: text marketing. If consumers are comfortable using text socially, they are more apt to do so for business and sales transactions as well.

Gen Y is also active on social networks on their mobiles, to the tune of 27 percent, while the rates of Internet access are up to 32 percent for this demographic.

While it is easy to conclude that Gen Y is the only mobile marketing target niche, researchers advise that older consumers are also adopting mobile use, admittedly at a slower rate. While more work may be required to communicate with older consumers via mobile marketing, they are indeed becoming increasingly mobile, and typically have a higher rate of disposable income.

Still haven’t signed-up for your Mobile Marketing Unlimited free text marketing trial? Click here now to get started. You will be amazed at the results! The free text marketing trial will only be available for a limited time, so don’t put it off!

With the downturn in the real estate market the past few years, realtors are finding it necessary to cut costs. One of the first places they cut is advertising. Mobile marketing offers realtors a cost effective way to advertise properties and stay in touch with their target market.

The ability to communicate with clients via a mobile device helps realtors to recruit retain more prospects. It also enables realtors to assist prospective buyers around the clock.

The first way that prospective buyers use their mobile devices is sending and receiving text messages. The second is browsing available real estate listings online. Having access to cutting edge technology that addresses these needs simply makes sense.

Online property listings and print ads, while a valid way to advertise properties that are for sale, place realtors in a more reactive than proactive position with potential buyers. With these methods, realtors need to wait for prospective buyers to find their listings and contact them. Realtors can be more proactive in the buying cycle by simply using text marketing. Sending targeted texts to clients about new listings or open houses are just two examples of how to initiate a proactive marketing effort via text messaging.

The ability to have customers text a keyword to a realtor’s designated phone number allows them to receive property specifics immediately. This saves realtors from having to fill flyer boxes at each of their properties. 800 numbers, which can become expensive, are also no longer necessary to maintain.

Realtors also need to improve their online presence with a mobile-friendly website. If a site does not include a mobile-friendly version, or has flash content, it may (at worst) not be visible on smart phones. At best, it will be difficult to read.

Realtors can make great use of engaging a mobile marketing company like MobileMarketingUnlimited.net for a technology overhaul. Mobile Marketing Unlimited offers text messaging for realtors, as well as video, website, and content development. MLS listings can additionally be optimized for for search engines, giving those realtor’s listings a higher rank in the search engines. Finally, mobile marketing companies are able to assist realtors with developing a social media strategy on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Mobile marketing is the future of advertising for realtors. Customers like knowing that they can obtain assistance all day, every day. Mobile marketing is cost effective, and helps realtors to gain the competitive edge over other realtors in the marketplace. And with the uncertainty of today’s real estate market, realtors need every advantage they can get!

Still haven’t signed-up for your Mobile Marketing Unlimited free text marketing trial? Click here now to get started. You will be amazed at the results! The free text marketing trial will only be available for a limited time, so don’t put it off!

When setting up a text marketing campaign, business owners may ask, “Won’t my customers be offended when they receive text marketing messages from me?”

The short answer is most definitely “NO!” (As long as your text marketing campaign has been set up properly).

Text marketing must be established as a permission-based system, meaning that your customers need to specifically give you permission to send them text messages.

It is illegal to text customers without permission, and you could face serious consequences. To avoid those types of consequences it is important to build your text marketing list properly.

Building Your Text Message Marketing Campaign

Be very clear with your customers about the text message marketing process. Make sure they understand why they are providing you with their number, what kind of marketing messages they can expect to receive, and how they can unsubscribe from your list at any time. Should you establish your text message marketing system with Mobile Marketing Unlimited, we will take care of those details for you, however, there are a number of easy ways to set this up.

The safest way is to instruct customers to text your keyword to your assigned long code. These instructions generally are along the lines of: “For a 2 for 1 pizza text PIZZA to 312-651-6865.” Once a customer texts in, they are added to your text message marketing campaign list. Subscriber instructions may be added to table tops and receipts, on your website or social media sites, or included in newspaper, Yellow Pages, and television advertising.

Encourage Customers to Sign Up Online

Add a sign up form to your website or Facebook page, allowing customers to subscribe while checking out your online presence. If you get a lot of site traffic, you can build a fairly large text message marketing list very cheaply.

Include Text Sign Up Instructions Offline

Once your text message marketing campaign has proven that it is profitable for your business, you will want to include it in all of your offline advertising. By combining mobile marketing with traditional and online advertising, you can quickly build a sizeable and responsive text marketing list.

Still haven’t signed-up for your Mobile Marketing Unlimited free text marketing trial? Click here now to get started. You will be amazed at the results! The free text marketing trial will only be available for a limited time, so don’t put it off!

While more and more small business owners realize that mobile marketing, particularly text marketing, can be a huge benefit to their businesses, they are under the impression that it is simply too expensive and complicated for them to implement.

That can be true, but it does not have to be. Until recently, only large corporations were leveraging the power of mobile with their deeper pockets. But today’s small business owner has many affordable options when implementing a mobile marketing campaign.

The drawback with text marketing is that the sender is limited to a 160-character message. This can be a bit limiting when trying to convey a marketing message, but forces advertisers to keep it brief and actionable, e.g., having customers call for an appointment, stop in the establishment, etc. This call to action is important because it helps business owners to measure the effectiveness of their text marketing campaigns.

When beginning to test the effectiveness of a text marketing program, it is important to start small, regardless of budget availability. Once it has been proven effective, it is easy to roll out and scale up quickly. And if a different tactic or campaign needs to be run, very little is lost and a lot has been learned. No other marketing method allows for this kind of flexibility and measurability, making text marketing all the more attractive to small business owners.

If it doesn’t work, you’ve lost very little and you’re all the wiser. Very few marketing methods allow for such flexibility and measurability, making text marketing all the more attractive to many small business owners.

Still haven’t signed-up for your Mobile Marketing Unlimited free text marketing trial? Click here now to get started. You will be amazed at the results! The free text marketing trial will only be available for a limited time, so don’t put it off!

Is there such a thing?

If your customers are part of two easily identified demographics, text marketing can easily and successfully be incorporated into an overall business marketing plan: the entertainment industry and businesses that make use of coupons.

Nightclubs and bars have a great deal of success with a mobile marketing campaign. Younger people who have grown up with text messaging frequent these types of establishments. They are also very active on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. When they are out having fun in a club, their entire social network is made aware of it by their posts to social sites. As a result, each of their online friends will read about how much fun was had at your establishment.

What do you think will happen when one of these young people receives a great two for one deal from that same bar or nightclub? The message will, of course, be forwarded to those same friends.

Another demographic that is quickly adopting text promotions are more affluent professionals with smart phones and disposible income. While not as glued to their phones as the younger demographic, this group does accept texting as a reliable means of communication.

We all understand the value of word of mouth marketing. Thanks to modern technology, it has never been as powerful as it is today. Especially with people being more on-the-go and harder to reach. Therefore, businesses that are social in any way can make great use of text marketing. Friends love to forward texts and share a good deal. If you are offering a special promotion to the right people, fully expect that your messages will be passed around via text message and social networks.

Still haven’t signed-up for your Mobile Marketing Unlimited free text marketing trial? Click here now to get started. You will be amazed at the results! The free text marketing trial will only be available for a limited time, so don’t put it off!

All businesses have been made aware of the potential of text marketing. Mobile phones are everywhere, and texting has become the new national pastime. The response rates for text marketing are more than impressive, and costs are low… but is there a specific type of business that can benefit from a text marketing campaign? Companies that rely on repeat business have been seeing the best results from text marketing campaigns. Here are examples of just some of those industries.

Bars, Pubs, and Nightclubs

Because of the social nature of these types of businesses, and the ease with which text messages can be forwarded to friends, bars tend to see unheard of returns on their text marketing campaigns. Social plans tend to be made on the spur of the moment, so timing of text marketing blasts is particularly important for these types of establishments.

Salons and Spas

Text marketing campaigns are used successfully by spas and salons to both fill empty chairs during slow times, and move products. Spa and salon owners also have control over who to contact with specific offers, and when to do so.

Spas and salons can also make good use of an appointment reminder service. Loss of revenue due to cancellations and no-shows tends to be high. Sending a text marketing reminder prior to a scheduled appointment is very effective way to significantly cut these numbers. At the very least, the salon owner can try to fill the empty appointment slot ahead of time by sending out a text blast to some customers.

Restaurants and Pizza Places

Restaurants and pizza places generally spend quite a bit of their advertising budget on flyer distribution and Yellow Page or newspaper advertising. By adding their best customers to a text marketing list, and distributing promotions via text marketing, these types of business usually enjoy higher returns as well as a more viral marketing campaign.

Schools

Teens and young adults rely on texting for most communications, and generally do not engage much via email. Institutions that can engage them on mobile see better results getting their messages delivered to both students and parents.

Realtors

Real estate is one of the fastest growing niches using text marketing. The real estate professional, as part of one of the most competitive industries, needs to be responsive on a moment’s notice. Savvy realtors add their keywords and long-codes to each of their property listings so that interested buyers may subscribe to their list and view the details associated with that propery on their mobile devices. Very often while at the property itself.

Many other industries can leverage text message marketing, but those listed above are some of the more frequently discussed. As text marketing continues to gain momentum, additional innovative applications and solutions will be developed.

Still haven’t signed-up for your Mobile Marketing Unlimited free text marketing trial? Click here now to get started. You will be amazed at the results! The free text marketing trial will only be available for a limited time, so don’t put it off!

Keywords

Keywords establish your text marketing campaign by allowing prospects and customers to text a specific word to a certain number in exchange for a discount or other promotion. This allows business owners to build a text marketing list that can be communicated with at any time. Text marketing averages between an 11 and 30 percent actionable response rate.

Text marketing campaigns can be included on any online or offline advertising. You will also notice them on many radio and television advertisements, e.g., “Text (keyword) right now to (phone number) for a (special offer), normally valued at (price).”

Get at least two mobile keywords when setting up a text marketing campaign: one for prospects and one for current or former customers. Marketing for these two lists will be drastically different, so you will want to keep them separate.

Appointment Reminder

Text messaging for appointment reminders will save not only money, but also resources. Text appointment reminders approximately 45 minutes before an appointment to reduce no-show rates by a minimum of 50 percent, allowing you to increase your bottom line. Imagine how fast those figures add up!

Just one less missed appointment will generally pay for your monthly service with Mobile Marketing Unlimited.

Mobile e-Cards

Create mobile e-cards for birthdays or special occasions for your customers, clients, or patients. As well as being a thoughtful way to let them know you care, it brings your business name to the front of their minds.

Mobile Coupons

Most people enjoy savings on a regular basis so make it worth their while to be a VIP subscriber on your text marketing list by sending mobile coupons.

Mobile Voting

Use mobile voting to poll your prospects as well as your existing customer / patient list. This will help you to survey your local market and learn exactly what they are looking for. When a business has what customers are looking for, they are more likely to buy!

Most people are familiar with mobile voting thanks to the reality television show, American Idol.

Online Sign-up Forms and Facebook Widgets

Build an online sign-up form or Facebook widget so visitors can view your mobile offers online. This is an easy and effective way to capitalize on your existing social presence and integrate social media into your text marketing campaigns.

Still haven’t signed-up for your Mobile Marketing Unlimited free text marketing trial? Click here now to get started. You will be amazed at the results! The free text marketing trial will only be available for a limited time, so don’t put it off!

Optometrists often regard marketing as advertising their practice to attract new patients through billboards, Yellow Pages and newspaper ads, and direct mail campaigns. Marketing, however, also includes any activity that promotes an optometry practice and increases income. This encompasses adding new products and services, retaining the practice’s existing share of the market, managing negative publicity or reviews, shifting payment patterns, and retaining new providers (to name a few).

Many activities fall under the category of “good practice” when it comes to optometry marketing. These include patient relations, practice hours, strategic planning, contracts with insurance companies, office location, and secondary products and services.

Following are just some of the best practices for an optometry practice to consider when designing a comprehensive marketing campaign.

Write Up a One-Year and Five-Year Marketing Plan

It is a well known fact that practices with a written marketing plan of action out-perform those practices without a written marketing plan of action. Sit down with the practice management team and define a goal as the foundation for the remaining decisions. Begin with the five-year goal as the one-year goal will fit within its broader, more strategic scope.

Limit the practice to writing no more than five goals that are all:

• Challenging
• Attainable
• Clear
• Specific
• Time-sensitive
• Measurable

An example of a solid goal for a new optometry practice might be: “Consistent monthly caseload of 10 LASIK surgeries and 10 cataract surgeries within one year, and combined consistent monthly surgical caseload of 40 procedures within five years.”

Revamp Recall System

Be sure that second-LASIK and second-cataract surgeries are not foregoing follow-up due to scheduling issues. Audit 20 charts each day to be sure that they are compliant with clinical recall requirements. Target to cover the prior five years over a six-month period. Attempt to schedule each patient for a follow-up appointment who is not in compliance.

Be Available, Skilled and Friendly

Keep in mind that patients in our on-the-go world are busy. Scheduling is one of the most important features for retaining patients and generating new referrals.

• See all new patients and patient referrals within the same week as their initial call.
• Don’t keep your patients waiting.

Make sure everyone in the office who is interacting with patients is friendly.

• Address each patient by their name.
• Make every effort to engage each patient in polite conversation, e.g., children, work or school, weather, etc.

Since optometrists affiliated with academic centers or professional associations, or who publish to professional journals are perceived at being more knowledgeable and skilled, be sure that your patients are made aware of these affiliations. Post to the practice website, and add appropriate references to the practice brochures, newsletters and other patient communication materials.

Reconnect with the Public

It is important that the professional staff of the practice meet and network with others. Referrals come more readily to people they know, rather than complete strangers. A good goal is to connect with three potential referrers each week. Good niches to maintain active networks with include opticians, nurses, pharmacists, primary care physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, hospital physician referral line staff, medical assistants, physical therapists, massage therapists, flight school trainers, and health food store owners. People are simply more likely to refer patients to people they know and like.

Keep the Practice Name in Front of Patients and Referrals

Statistically, it generally takes at least five encounters with a company name for it to be recognized. Place your name anywhere potential patients might be. List your optometry practice in the local phone book, physician-listing services, the local paper, and ophthalmic directories.

Stay in touch with patients via mailings. A monthly informational newsletter to current patients is a very effective marketing tool, as is establishing a social media presence for your practice on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

Include the practice name, website address, street address, and phone number on the front of each piece of paper that leaves your office. This includes patient education pamphlets that may be passed on to friends. Patients should never leave the office without some type of literature that contains your practice information.

Maintain a Website

Design a website that reflects the practice brochure and patient-education materials. The website should be designed as a destination for local patients who are trying to make a choice among optometrists. Include your website address on all ad, print, and media materials.

The website does not need to be fancy. It is important that it load fast, have a professional appearance, and be filled with quality content that is updated on a regular basis.

Provide patients with a way to communicate with your office via email. So that your practice is HIPAA-compliant, emails must be secure, and the website must include a privacy policy and standard disclaimer.

Quality is Job One

Increase both patient retention and referrals by providing the best possible care to your patients. Consider the type of service you have received at businesses you patronize and how to apply those positive behaviors within your practice. Some examples of areas to focus on are billing disputes and how to accommodate patients who are kept waiting for their appointments.

For help marketing your optometry practice with measurable results, call Mobile Marketing Unlimited at (888) 768-2798.