SMS Marketing Software

Last week ExactTarget Mobile participated in Adverting Week 2012 in New York City. Mobile marketers, software providers, ad-hosting networks, digital agencies and wireless networks alike used this time to discuss best practices, up-and-coming trends and much more within the moderm moble space. Included within the week's events was a 2-day visit to the SM2: Smarter Mobile Marketing conference run by the Moblie Marketing Association (MMA). During the event it was announced that ExactTarget has become the first North America Premier Member of the MMA. 

Topics throughout the week included:

• Reboot...

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I'm at the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) annual forum in New York and couldn't be more excited to share that our new mobile software ExactTarget MobileConnect is here. Talking to mobile industry veterans, top brands and agencies about our newproduct is simply amazing.

ExactTarget MobileConnect is a mobile messaging solution that helps marketers to create, target, send and track SMS campaigns. What really sets MobileConnect apart from other mobile marketing solutions out there is that it seamlessly integrates with our cross-channel messaging platform, the Interactive Marketing Hub, to...

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There only can be one number one. The best. Número uno. That is the newly stated goal of Indianapolis based email service provider, ExactTarget - to be #1. CEO, Scott Dorsey, stated that ExactTarget's goal for 2011 is to be best in breed for email, social, SMS and mobile services. This news sent the a conference room of over 2,000 ExactTarget user attendees buzzing with Twitter tweets, text messages, Facebook fan posts and, of course, old-school email messages.

A demo of ExactTarget's new Interactive Marketing Hub followed with new software tools and toys that will be released in beta...Read More »

At ExactTarget, we’ve built a great business and an innovative, powerful email marketing application and platform to create, send and track one-to-one marketing messages via multiple modes (email, SMS, mobile, social). Our original premise of being simple, easy to use and suitable for use by any type of business has served us incredibly well. At the same time, market demand and opportunity have prompted us to build that messaging app/platform out to an extremely sophisticated, robust, scalable, secure, highly available enterprise-ready system today.

The investments in time, money, intellectual...Read More »

It's been an amazing run in 2009 for the Embedded Channel at ExactTarget.   For those of you who don't know - the Embedded channel works with software companies that utilize ExactTarget's SOAP API's to go to market with their own email or sms products. 

As I look back I realized we've grown the number of Embedded partners from 22 to 60 ISV's.   We have Embedded partners who offer Business to Business email marketing / campaign management software in the Print, Auto, SMB, MRM, Voice, Medical, Events, and eCommerce verticals (to name a few).   It feels like software companies are realizing that...Read More »

Thinking about using mobile coupons? If you are, here are 5 things you absolutely must know about planning and managing a successful mobile coupon strategy.

1. Make the Offer Relevant to the Consumer. “Opt-in mobile marketing has an enormous potential if done responsibly and is specifically focused on the stores/restaurants that matter to each consumer,” said Alistair Goodman CEO of 1020 Placecast.

A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive of more than 2,000 adults measured cell phone owner preference levels and receptivity for opt-in mobile marketing messages from...Read More »

Phrases like “drip campaign”, “automated email drip”, “drip email program”, and “drip email” are thrown around ExactTarget a lot. This is because ExactTarget is in the business of sending email, especially automated email drips.  However, everyone may not understand what a drip campaign is.  Let me tell you a little bit about the basics of drip marketing.

Drip marketing comes from the phrase drip irrigation, which is where crops are watered in small amounts over a long period of time. This same concept is applied to marketing and is called drip model marketing. Customers or potential customers...Read More »

As one of the newest members of the ExactTarget Partner organization, I am tasked with managing and growing relationships with ExactTarget’s Embedded Partners.  On its surface, that sounds pretty straightforward.  However, for the past several months, I have been trying to better define around what an “Embedded” partner truly is.  There are multiple ways to define the topic, depending on who you ask.   And, in my experience, most of the answers I have heard are right in some way or another.

However, the official definition is that ExactTarget Embedded Partners are typically ISVs that go to...Read More »

As I am looking back over the 14 weeks that I have been here this summer, one of the biggest things that has hit me is that ExactTarget is not just an email marketing company. They are not just an email service provider. They are truly a one to one marketing company that has a full line of products to help increase the marketing ROI for a company.

Yes, we do email. We actually send some of the most intelligent and customer-driven email through our dynamic content capabilities.

But what else is in our product line?

SMS: We have the ability to develop and execute powerful SMS text message...

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One question I find that comes up all the time is: what is embedded?

To begin to answer that question, you have to first know what ExactTarget’s software does. ExactTarget is not simply an email service provider, but a One-to-One Marketing software that services permission based email marketing, SMS marketing, and voice campaigns for companies throughout the world.

So what is embedded?

In the simplest form, ExactTarget Embedded is a product integration of the power of ExactTarget’s one-to-one marketing software with an external application. Companies then build their own tools and software on...

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ExactTarget has a highly-talented team of people working with one objective in mind: developing strategic partnerships with referral, consulting, embedded, integrated, and reseller partners.

Why?

These partnership strengthen the abilities of the companies we work with and allow more people to utilize the power of ExactTarget’s one-to-one marketing software through email, SMS, and voice. ExactTarget is the perfect email marketing solution for many businesses looking to send direct email marketing campaigns.

Our partner page lists who we are currently aligned with and our program guide gives you...

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I was eating dinner this week in a local fast food restaurant in Anderson, IN and they had a giant box sitting on the counter that encouraged customers to sign-up for their email list.

 

Since I work for an email marketing company: they got me.

 

I signed up.

 

What was good about this?

1.       Subscribers are opting-in to the communication.

2.       The database is going to be subscribers who want regular communication.

 

How could this be improved?

1.       Convert from paper to SMS. Instead of having me fill out a slip of paper with my contact information, have me opt in by text message.

2.       Follow-u...

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Want to improve your marketing strategy? Need affordable email marketing software? The Innovations Lab, commonly referred to as iLab, is the perfect place to enhance your one-to-one marketing efforts.  We release our newest features to iLab first where clients can access them in exchange for providing us with valuable feedback.  iLab is located in ExactTarget's 3sixty user community--clients can login and view current, former, and future innovations and sign up to have the available features automatically enabled.  During the test process, clients will also be able to complete a short survey...Read More »

Hey all. Today I'll be discussing how to strengthen your e-commerce kung-fu by utilizing ExactTarget's Landing Page technology.

As you might have realized from browsing some of the other posts on our blog, targeted email marketing is only part of the story. A question to ponder is: 'Why personalize a customer's email only to send them to a non-personalized web page?'.

There often seems to be a disconnect in the minds of marketers when it comes to the partnership between email and their website. If you harness the power of one to one marketing for email shouldn't your website also present...Read More »

I was walking through a department store here in downtown Indianapolis the other day when I noticed a giant rack of clothes that were all discounted 75%. That is a good price, especially when many of these were originally priced at $50-$75 each.

Then, I started to think about how one would know about a sale like this. Maybe they have a mailing list they send to. Maybe they do send emails to their subscribers. But, I wonder if they have considered sending out text messages to their shoppers.

Especially since I work just five minutes from where the store is, a text message update that would alert...

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According to an article on Mashable.com by Adam Ostrow, a new report from Forrester Research shows the number of U.S. adults who use email on a monthly basis is pegged at 165.4 million. 

 

By comparison, social networking users have doubled since 2007. There are 55.6 million adults (about 1/3rd of the U.S. population) that visit a social networking site at least once a month (up 15% from 2007 to 18% in 2009). 54.3 million adults use SMS for instant messaging (unchanged from 2008) and 37.1 million read blogs (unchanged from 2008).

 

 

What this Means for Marketers

While email has solidified...

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Each year at the ExactTarget Connections conference we give out awards to our clients that have demonstrated some of the best programs, designs, list growth and results of the year. This year is no different…but there is a new twist. This year we’re launching the SUBSCRIBERS RULE! Awards.

There are 5 key awards and 3 grand prizes that go to those programs that best honor the three main tenets of our SR! philosophy:

1. Serve the individual.
2. Honor their unique preferences for communication, content, frequency and channel.
3. Deliver them timely, relevant content that improves their lives
 

If...

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I hate it when events get rained out or planes get delayed because of bad weather. What’s even worse is when I drive all the way there and don’t find out about the delay until I’ve already wasted an hour of driving and $10 in gas money.

Those in the travel industry have a real opportunity to take advantage of the power of SMS campaigns to connect with their customers in a relevant way. From weather updates to checking frequent flyer mile balances, SMS campaigns can be a way to cut through the clutter and build a subscriber database that is engaged.  

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra uses ET’s...

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When I stopped into a popular gas station convenience store this weekend in Anderson, IN, I noticed a flyer by the counter that was advertising an SMS text messaging program with exclusive discounts for their subscribers.

I sent the appropriate text to their short code an instantly received a coupon for a buy one get one free 20 oz. coffee. All I have to do is show the text message when I check out to receive the discount.

I couldn’t help but think about the same technology that ExactTarget can incorporate into their already successful and popular email marketing automation software. This SMS...

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ExactTarget’s one to one email marketing automation software allows businesses to build their subscriber lists with high-value individuals through SMS campaigns that utilize text capture.

Coming from someone that uses text messages all the time, I strongly would recommend offering something along these lines.

From in-store promotions, paper catalogues, radio ads, and billboards you can engage with your target market by inviting them to text into your business. You can build your list with subscribers who want your content. They want to stay informed.

Capture. Collect. Communicate. Captivate.

 

Kyle...

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