What is SMS or Text Messaging?

SMS (short message service) or text messaging has become well-entrenched in Europe and Asia. It has been slow to take off in the United States because of our competing telcos with differing technologies. Teens and the younger generation have been quick to adapt texting as their preferred mode of communication in the U.S. With more and more TV shows using SMS for voting (American Idol and Donald Trump), polling, and for joining fan clubs, its use is becoming more widespread. However, few people use SMS to the fullest advantage. You can use SMS to get instant information, send money, make money, and to save money. It is actually the most powerful marketing tool ever conceived.

Sending a text message is a quick and simple procedure. You can send a message to a mobile phone number, an email address, or a short code. Short codes are usually five or six digit numbers used for mobile marketing convenience so that you don't have to enter a long phone number.

Personal SMS

No wonder teens have eagerly accepted texting as their preferred mode of communication. It is easy to do and fast-much more efficient than email. One negative aspect of SMS is that it can be used for cheating on tests and some schools frown upon it for good reason.

To text someone, go to the messaging area of your phone's functions and select SMS or Text Message. Enter the recipient's phone number in the To: field and then type your message in the message field. Select Send, and off it goes.

More sophisticated phones worth their salt will offer a countdown log in the corner of the input screen indicating how many characters you've typed and how many remain. Some more sophisticated phones offer canned messages that you can tap on and edit to save inputting time and effort. Examples of canned messages are "in a meeting, on a call, running late, where are you? Can you talk now, call me, email me, wanna do lunch?" Some devices such as my Treo 750 also offer a popup grid full of emoticons.

The 160 character limitation and the laborious task of entering text using a phone keypad have combined to produce an evolving character-efficient text talk with new words and abbreviations. For example, 2GTBT=too good to be true; 143=I love you; 404=I don't know. For a comprehensive list, go to www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp. Check out the emoticon chart too.

There are many advantages to texting over email and phone calls. The human mind can assimilate the information from text messages much faster than listening to speech and all the social amenities involved. You can archive text messages and search them for relevant information. An SMS message is never cut off by bad reception nor misunderstood because of line noise. Texting reaches recipients instantly, even if when they cannot talk on the phone or get to a computer to do email. You can send links on Web enabled phones with maps. Texting is terrific for noisy environments and for people finding one another in crowded places. Texting is great for casual flirting and for building good karma with thoughtful messages and reminders. Busy people can become more efficient through SMS.

Commercial SMS

We are only beginning to see the emergence of SMS marketing in the United States. For instance, TV shows such as American Idol have used it successfully for voting. The millions and millions of responders are evidence of its popularity and acceptance. Unfortunately, voting was only open to AT&T customers. The problem is that all the different carriers in the United States have competing and differing technology. Fortunately, there are companies like Synergetics (www.synergetics.org/sms) that make it possible to bridge the gap across platforms.

SMS marketing is the most powerful form of marketing ever conceived because virtually everyone has a cell phone these days, and no one leaves home without one. This makes it possible to reach a customer anytime anywhere. No other media can do that.

It is important, however, that unlike email there is no SPAM involved. The customer must initiate and invite the contact and can opt out at any time.

I will discuss the applications of commercial SMS more fully in a future article.

Observations

SMS is an amazing technology that goes far beyond personal communications with its commercial marketing possibilities and as a platform for information retrieval. You can use SMS for making money, sending money, and saving money. I will explore all of these possibilities in more detail in future articles, so stay tuned. Texting is the future of personal marketing. The future is in mobile technology. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, has predicted that mobile phones will shape the future, not laptops, not PDAs. It seems that Apple believes this too with the release of its new iPhone.

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About the author: Timothy S. Hillebrand, Ph.D. is a retired archaeologist who has a newfound passion for mobile technology and has published hundreds of articles on the subject. His most recent passion is SMS. To find out more about text messaging for fun and profit, visit his SMS Blog.
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