Knowing all about the Mobile Marketing Guidelines

SMS service is a communication medium that enables 2 mobile subscribers to send short text messages between their mobile devices. The messages are of 160 characters and it is also known as "text messaging" or "texting." All mobile operator networks support SMS messages. The mass usage of SMS has created a market for SMS being used for marketing and advertising campaigns. Marketers need to be aware that there are 2 different forms of mobile marketing that is recommended by the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association). These are Initial SMS Ad and Complete SMS Ad. The Initial ad is a short message of 20-60 characters that is appended to a non advertisement SMS message. It is plugged to the free space available at the end of the non-advertisement content. A Complete SMS Ad is a 160 character
SMS text which carries only the marketing message.

Marketers have to follow the watershed hour's requirements of the local market while delivering a SMS marketing text. They should be ready with additional information about a product if it is requested by a subscriber. According to the Guidelines, additional information should be given to the subscriber within 12 hours of the request. The responses have to be given by an alternate short code but the subscriber should be easily able to identify the message. The aim of these guidelines is to give users information in a way which does not disturb them and intrude their personal time. Marketers, if they are providing any telephone numbers should ensure that the numbers are working during the campaign. If the call rates for users are higher than normal charges, it should be clearly mentioned in the advertisement.

The content of Complete SMS Ad has to be well structured with the advertiser clearly identifiable. A URL, if it has to be embedded in the message, should ideally be in a shortened form to reduce the character count. The webpage that it links to must be up and running at the time of campaign launch. The guidelines of SMS Ad marketing are updated from time to time. Marketers need to be aware of these guidelines. Guidelines are also in place for Mobile Web, MMS marketing, Mobile Video and TV and Mobile Applications.

Marketers have a well defined Mobile Marketing Framework based on which they run a marketing campaign. Most of the guidelines are incorporated within this framework. The broad framework categorizes mobile marketing into Advertising, Promotions, Direct Marketing and CRM. A customer's willingness, perceptions and reactions are also captured in the framework. There is little doubt that Mobile marketing along with Social Media with drive the next wave of marketing and advertisement for companies of all sizes. Marketers only
need to work within the guidelines of Mobile Marketing and see the ‘moolah' fill
up their coffers.