In today’s mobile society, people are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to do everything from staying in touch to conducting business, and just about everything in between. More and more businesses are beginning to see the benefits of using SMS, or text messaging, to market their products and improve sales. But there is sort of a science to the technique if it is to achieve the desired results. If you’re thinking of launching your own SMS campaign, here are 5 tips to help make it a success.

Choose the Right Provider – There are plenty of fish in the sea when it comes to SMS providers, but not all of them are created equal. Before you embark on your mobile marketing journey, make sure the company you choose to work with is reputable and offers a product that meets the specific needs of your business. (We happen to know of a great one – wink, wink!)

Stay Compliant – Just as with phone calls, there are certain laws and regulations that govern the use of text messages for commercial purposes. Make sure you are aware of these laws before hand so you can carefully comply and avoid any potential problems down the road. A good place to start is the Mobile Marketing Association’s Consumer Best Practices document, which will give you a better idea of what you can and can’t do in terms of marketing via mobile devices.

Offer Something of Value – Whether it’s a coupon, discount, free giveaway or invitation to an exclusive event, be sure that whatever it is you’re offering is something that your audience will find worthwhile. Otherwise the majority of your messages will end up in the ‘deleted’ file, and you’ll probably find yourself with an increasing number of requests to unsubscribe. Remember, the point of SMS marketing is to entice your target audience to come in and spend money on your products or service, so give them something that will do just that!

Leverage the “Limited Time Only” Technique – There’s something extremely powerful about telling people that they only have a short amount of time to act on an offer. It’s what’s known in the marketing industry as a call to action, and it’s something that can be very effective in SMS marketing campaigns. Consider sending out an offer that is only valid for a given timeframe to really entice people to come in and do business with you. For instance, a restaurant owner might offer a free appetizer or drink to anyone who visits in the next 2 hours and mentions a particular word or phrase.

A Little Goes a Long Way – Just as with email marketing and any other type of communications with customers, SMS texting is most effective when it’s used in moderation. A few well-timed messages will get you much better results than bombarding your audience with endless texts. Otherwise, after a while what doesn’t end up in their deleted folder will simply be seen as noise and ignored. Keep your campaigns spaced apart and provide timely, valuable offers.

At the end of 2011, there were approximately 6 billion mobile subscribers worldwide. The world is going mobile, whether we like it or not, and if you’re not leveraging the power of this technology for your business you are most certainly missing out. When done correctly, SMS marketing can be wildly successful. By following these tips you will be well on your way to developing and implementing your own mobile marketing campaign that will help you boost sales and improve your bottom line.