Professional media buyers often speak of getting their clients “screen time,” which typically means exposure on consumers’ television and computer screens. Yet one screen that is often overlooked is the one found on mobile phones.

According to cellular-news, the United States had 271 million cell phone customers in December 2008 (88 percent of the entire population). Nielsen reports that 77 percent of American mobile subscribers have text messaging capability.

One potential means of reaching that mobile audience is via Short Message Service (SMS) marketing in the form of exchanged text messages, a practice that has been popular in Europe and Asia since the early 2000s.

Perhaps you’ve watched a TV program or attended a sporting event or concert and saw an opportunity to vote or answer a trivia question by texting your response to a specific phone number. The sponsor could be collecting your cell phone information for future promotional campaigns.

Or perhaps you’ve signed up to receive specials and updates via text messages from your favorite stores or brands. In 2008 the number of text messages in the United States surpassed the number of mobile phone calls made every month.

As with e-mail before it, SMS marketing can be abused via spamming. However, the Mobile Marketing Association has developed Consumer Best Practices Guidelines that are to be obeyed by all mobile marketers in the United States.

A key element of the MMA guidelines is that the consumer controls their receptivity to SMS marketing. Mobile phone service providers demand a double opt in from the consumer and the ability for them to opt out of the service by texting the word “STOP” to the marketer.

As mobile devices evolved to include color screens, mobile marketing campaigns are expanding to include Multimedia Message Service (MMS) content such as interactive games, images, audio and video. For now, however, SMS is still a good starting point for many companies exploring mobile marketing.

S&A Cherokee uses a wide variety of communications specialties to ensure our clients are fully prepared to meet the demands of an ever-changing marketplace. Communications needs differ from one organization to another. S&A Cherokee assists with taking control of the communications process and develops strategies that are uniquely customized for each client.

To discover how S&A Cherokee can help you with your marketing needs, contact us for a free consultation at (919) 674-6020.

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