SMS is the acronym for "Short Message Service" which, generally, involves receiving and sending messages to mobile handsets or cellphones. It can be noted that SMS has an extremely high consumer adoption rates but relatively low in the business arena. Why are businesses very slow in using SMS technology for their marketing campaigns? What are the drawbacks of SMS marketing, and how can businesses eliminate these drawbacks to increase its chances of a successful SMS marketing? It is the intention of this article to answer the above questions.

Drawback # 1 - SMS Marketing Message limited by the 160-character limit

With 160 characters for one text message, marketers find it very challenging to fit in their marketing messages into that space. There is just not much space to get the message across. With this limitation, most marketers resort to spreading their message into two or more text messages to go beyond the 160-character limit. This is not an elegant solution because consumers will have the inconvenience of receiving two or more text messages and, probably, reading those messages in reverse order.

Solution #1 - Abbreviate Words/Phrases in SMS Message

Use abbreviations to shorten SMS messages: l8r is later, luv is love, b4 is before, thx is thanks. It is also perfectly acceptable to use the general acronyms of common Internet phrases like fyi for "for your information", cc for "carbon copy", dl for "download", eta for "expected time of arrival", msg for "message", etc.

Drawback#2 - Pure text-based SMS Message is often misunderstood

Because of the 160-character restriction, SMS messages, if not properly written, can be misunderstood by your potential customers. Unlike voice or face-to-face interactions, SMS messages lack the emotion, intensity or emphasis so people can clearly understand what you were saying.

Solution #2 - Be direct to the point with your SMS Marketing Message

Avoid sending phrases with double-meanings or abbreviating words that results to another idea. The SMS message has to be clear, exact and concise to avoid being misinterpreted. Don't be too wordy and just be direct to the point.

Drawback #3 - SMS Marketing Messages are often mistaken as spam

People treat mobile communication as very personal. Intruding with unwanted SMS messages is going to receive negative responses from potential customers. Unlike email, mobile phones have no spam filters. People receive all kinds of SMS messages and it is impossible for them to stop these incoming messages. As a marketer, utmost care has to be exerted to ensure intrusions like this are not done.

Solution #3 - SMS Marketing should be permission-based

SMS marketing should be permission-based, meaningful and relevant. Make it clear to your recipient that he/she agrees to receive information thru SMS by offering customers an incentive for submitting their personal information into your SMS database and giving your customers value over time thru SMS. Don't just spam customers with offers, hard sell messages, and the likes.

Drawback #4 - SMS Marketing Messages are often mistaken as scams

Recently, there is also an increase in fraudulent text messages going around. Remember the Nigerian scam circulating around the Net thru emails. The SMS world had its fair share of scams too. There are text messages asking people to call a certain number and when people called this number, they were charged per minute for the calls. Don't have this impression in your SMS marketing campaigns. Because your business is a legitimate one doesn't mean people will get to trust your business right away.

Solution #4 - SMS Messages should specify who the message is coming from

Commercial communications must be clear from the outset and marketers should specify in their message who the message is coming from. Make the impression that you are a legitimate business with business address, telephone number or website. There is no need to fit in all that information in a 160-character message. You can point them to a business website or a phone number and make sure when your potential customer arrives in your website or calls you on the phone, you project that professionalism in your interactions with your customers.

SMS is a very cost-effective and high-response-rate marketing medium. It will help you achieve your business goals of acquiring new customers, retaining existing customers, selling and marketing your products, increasing loyalty to your products or services, and making people aware of your brand. The above business goals can only be achieved when the drawbacks of SMS marketing are properly addressed and, possibly, eliminated.