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As you begin your “Marketing 2.0” initiatives through SMS messaging, here are a few things to keep in mind that will help you improve the effectiveness of your campaign and enhance (rather than erode) consumer loyalty:

• Make your messages both timely and relevant. Keep the “what’s in it for me” principle top of mind. Your customers aren’t interested in what benefits the marketer…only what matters to them.
• Unlike email, mobile messages are limited to 160 characters max (and yes, spaces and punctuation count). Take a lesson from the under-21 crowd and use abbreviations to make the most of your msg (that’s “message” in txt talk). Need help condensing your thoughts? Check out our abbreviation glossary.
• Remember that cell phones and PDAs are still considered highly personal communication channels. Don’t abuse your coveted space in this environment by spamming your valuable customers.
• Timing is everything. Send messages out that give your customers a reasonable chance to respond. And don’t send out so many messages that their influence begins to diminish. They should be a pleasant surprise, not another annoying message.
• Track each offer’s response. Look for patterns you can replicate in the future.