Working the Web Gundam Style

by Hector Cisneros

Many of you may recall that earlier this year the YouTube video Gundam Style caught the imagination of millions of people worldwide by going viral. As a marketing professional I endeavor to understand why such marketing events take place. I ask myself several questions, such as, "What is the special spark that makes a video, podcast or eBook go viral?" "Where does spark that causes a post to go viral get its start?"  "Who influences the play and the spread of a viral message?" 

What Puts the V in Viral Posts?

Let's start off by defining what constitutes a viral post. A viral post is one that gets passed beyond your friends, followers and social network connections. It travels beyond your network and direct circle of influence. It's what happens when your message takes on a life of its own.

Facebook defines a viral post by comparing it to Organic Reach and Paid Reach. Here is what Facebook lists as their definitions:

§  Organic reach: The number of unique people who saw your post in Newsfeed, ticker or on your Page.

§  Paid reach: The number of unique people who saw this post through an ad

§  Viral reach: The number of unique people who saw this post from a story published by a friend. These stories can include liking, commenting or sharing your post, answering a question or responding to an event.

In order to go viral a post needs to either be entertaining, funny, compelling, or it must provide useful information that most viewers/readers need or want. 

Keeping an Eye on Trends

Viral posts are often tracked by the various social networks. These tracked posts constitute trends. You will often 

Photos on the 1-18-08.com viral marketing website (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

hear the phrase that a video is “trending.” Trends are often grouped or aggregated via special markers. The most common is the hash tag (# symbol), which was started by Twitter. Hash tags are now used by most social networks including Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pintrest and Instagram. To use a hash tag, just add the # symbol in front of the word you want to be grouped and tracked. An example is; "Check out this video on #Viral Social Media, it's great.  Please RT and share." You normally only use one hash tag per post since using too many hash tags is considered poor form.

Video is more likely to go viral than any other type of post. In fact video is five times more likely to be clicked on than any other type of post. These statistics vary from network to network but video is king in the viral realm. Video with text is followed by pictures with text, then audio with text and text only posts. Facebook statistics show that videos are ten times as likely to be shared than links alone and photos are five times as likely to be clicked on than links alone.

What Elements are Necessary?

Next let's look at the elements that all viral post have in common. When ever possible create a short video to go with your post. If you aren't willing create a video make sure you have a compelling picture or audio file to go with it. As stated earlier videos have the highest click through and share rates.

Use Hash tags on all your posts. Follow accepted norms when using hash tags and make sure they are used the same way on all your posts. Also add hash tags such as #viral and #whatshot to connect to other items that are trending. Also remember that you are not limited to publishing your post only once. I normally post a subject three to four times in a week if I'm trying to start a trend.

The elements of your post should be friendly, familiar and resonate with the general public, not just a select few. Posts need to be designed so they can be safely viewed at work or in mixed company. These types of posts will go viral the quickest. 

Examples of Videos gone Viral.

One exceptional example of viral video in action is the YouTube video series commissioned by Old Spice. If you are 

Image via CrunchBase

looking to start the viral ball rolling, there are a number of tried and true techniques that you can employ. Having a sexy model tell your story has been known to produce a large audience.  Doing something hysterical with your product then illustrate it with a compelling image or story. The Hamsters used in the Soul videos were a cute and funny way of connecting with the public. Cute babies or cats performing silly or stupid tricks coupled with a catchy phrase can be very effective. It's even OK to be a little creepy.  Many of the viral videos that really take off use music and dance at the center of their themes. The Thriller prison video comes to mind and of course the Gundam Style dance craze.

Not every post has to be funny or useful in order to go viral. It's ok to pull on people’s heart strings. Telling an emotional inspiring story is a great way to get people to pay attention to your plight. Your post must either be entertaining or useful to the general public. It's OK to ride the wave of some new trend. You can jump on the band wagon and follow someone’s 

The inmates dancing to "Thriller" in their YouTube video (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

coat tail. After Gundam Style came out, dozens of imitators soon followed. Many famous video music artists are emulated in funny ways. These videos don't get as many views as the original but many do garner thousands of hits. Your job is to either add your message as a preview or post trailer to the video the public is coming to see. Video that garner lots of views can pay big dividends in the way of pay per click revenues.

Most of the videos, audios and eBooks that have gone viral were shared because their originators asked that they be shared. If you don't ask, you have a 40 percent less chance of being shared. Share your post with as many people as possible. Especially share your posts with influential followers and leaders in your industry. This includes celebrities. Also make sure you send it out to the news media. One good news story on your post and you're off to the races. Don't forget to use free PR posting sites whenever possible.

Your Road Map to going Viral.

Now let's look at a road map you can use to get you next post to go viral. First create a list of influential followers so you can personally message them to share and repost your message. Make sure you use a hash tag and leave space for others to add their comments.

Create four types of posts, one video with text, one with a picture and text, one audio and text and one text only. Make one of them the focus of the four. I would make it the video post as it is the most likely to go viral first.

Decide what your video, audio or eBook will contain. Remember it must have intrinsic value. It has to be funny, entertaining, compelling, emotionally charged or provide useful information that people need or want! Create a list of what’s needed to create your video, audio or eBook.

If this is your first try, create an eBook full of useful information. You can share important information you have gleaned from your industry. You can answer important questions that customers most often ask. This is the easiest type of eBook to create. Now create a teaser video that provides a few of the elements from your eBook as the focus of your campaign. Find a compelling photo and create an audio from the video. Also make sure you provide a URL address where viewers can go to get your eBook.

If you're good with video or audio create that type of content as the primary piece. Just remember this is not a commercial. Your video, podcast or eBook is a soft sell at best. Even if you create an eBook as your first project you should still create a short video to go with it. Videos have the highest viral rate and it will lead people to your free eBook which in turn leads them to you. Create your video, audio or eBook and run it by some friends or coworkers who will be somewhat objective. Tweak whatever problems they point out.

Make sure that you embed ample backlinks to your website/landing page or whichever web property you want visitors to find. Also make sure these landing sites are designed to either generate leads, phone calls or sales. I often see well designed viral efforts foiled because the landing site was not setup for converting visitors. Check out "The Evolution of Internet Advertising" and "Is it Still Possible to Make Money Online?" for more details.

Post it to as many social networks as possible. Start with the top five; YouTube, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn. I would also add Pintrest, Instagram and Picasa, especially if your product is very visually oriented or requires some assembly or has special operations. If you have a blog write several blog posts about it. Spread these blog posts out over several weeks. Make sure you especially ask your friends and family to share, retweet and repost your message. Send your message to your list of influential followers. Appeal to their needs and make sure you thank them personally in advance for sharing your message. Again use uniform hash tag convention and leave room for their 2 cents. Create several PR posts for your video or eBook. The press can help your post get found. There are many free PR sites. See my article "Using Press Releases to Promote your Business" for more tips and details.

Hector Cisneros is a partner, COO and social media director for WSquared Media Group based in Jacksonville, FL. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube. He is also the co-host of Blog Talk Radio’s “Working the Web to Win,” where he and Carl Weiss make Working the Web to Win simple for every business. Hector is a syndicated writer for EzineOnline and is an active Blogger, (including ghost writing) and he is a published author of two books, 60 Seconds to success (on sale at Amazon and B&N) and Internet Marketing for the 21st Century which you can get free by clicking on the link at WSquaredMediaGroup.com. He is an active Boy Scout Leader, enjoys family time, loves the outdoors, reading and the creative process of designing effective internet marketing solutions for his clients. 

Putting the Plus in Google+

By Hector Cisneros

If you are using, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Twitter for your business but not using Google+, then 

you’re missing one of the biggest boats in the social networking ocean. In fact, Google Brand pages are tied into Google Search, Google Local and Google Maps all of which contain the magic word "Google". In addition, since Google now controls 81% of search, you should be thinking Google if you want to put a big plus in both your social networking and search optimization.

Google+ officially originally launched on June 28, 2011without brand pages and later added them so that businesses could create their own unique presence on Google's social network. Google has continued to improve its social network and its Brand page by further integrating its other Google properties and applets in to the Google+ fold. Specifically they have added more robust and complete navigation system, a more complete and integrated profile, updated tabs functionality and more in-depth drop down capabilities within any functions. Google+ always had an edge on the competition for ease of use, now it also has greater depth and power as well.

Add Up all the Features

Google+ has also updated its format several times since its inception. Its newest format moves the main navigation menu to the left side as a drop down element. New elements that have been added include "What's Hot "and" Communities functions. What's Hot shows you trending posts that are unique and getting lots of play on Google+.  Communities is Google's version of Groups. Both of these functions are robust  yet they are easy to use and are fully integrated with all other Google apps and properties.

Here are some of my favorite feature and elements in Google+ Brand pages:  

1. First and foremost is the ease of use and high integration of Google applets and properties. 
2. Adding blog posts, YouTube videos and pictures are a snap. 
3. If you properly setup Google's plus 1 system on your website and other social nets, you will make it easy for others to connect and recommend you.  
4. You will also receive additional information on how visitors are using your Brand pages.
5. Google's "Ripples" provide post statistics showing how people in your circles are utilizing your post. Its graphic display is unique and intuitive to understand. It shows how items have been shared.

Do You Hangout?

Looking for an easy way to create useful video content?  Hangouts is a built-in teleconferencing facility that 

you can even use to create conferences or broadcast webinars. By enabling Hangouts on air, you can also simultaneously create a YouTube video of your event.  What could be simpler? When you consider that visual content has the highest clickthrough rate of any content, this is a G+ facility that con't be beat. It also has the highest share rate. Google Hangouts provides relatively high end functionality at zero cost to your businesses. What's not to like?

Leveraging Brand Pages for Search

Since G+ is part of the Google family, there are search engine optimization benefits from linking your website and other relevant internet properties to your Google+.  Make sure all your Google properties include relevant keywords. Also, make sure the "about tab" contains targeted keywords as well. Include + links to your blogs, website, landing pages, directories,  and other social sites.

If you are looking to maximize your exposure, also make sure all your Google properties, (especially Google local and Google maps) are complete and verified. Make sure all your websites and social properties have Google +1 badges and share badges so that people can easily plus and share you when they visit.

Make sure you have a fully filled out profile. All sections need useful content. 

Provide value added service by providing deep information posst on your products and services. Provide 

educational and support hangouts for your products and services. Provide interesting, fun and entertaining posts targeted at specific segments of your circles. Provide posts on a regular basis, (daily if possible).  Use Hootsuite or other aggregation software to schedule posts and provide RSS feeds  from your favorite content sites including your blogs.

Share the wealth by cross promoting content on your Google Brand pages to your other social sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pintrest. Don't forget to utilize to power of YouTube with your Brand pages.

Typical Client Content Posting 

·         Here is a typical posting schedule I use for some of my clients Brand pages.

•               *  Cross promote posts of useful content to the top 5 social nets.
•               *     Daily  forwards/share/retweets of  content.
•               *   Weekly or monthly promos for your products or services. (This needs tobe a soft sell of an                  outstanding offer.)
•               *   Weekly or monthly Hangouts providing useful  information for your targeted audience.
•               *     Weekly blog posts cross promoted to all social nets.
•               *  Weekly YouTube video post cross promoted across all social nets.
•               *  Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly email newsletter linked to your blog, vlogs and/orYouTube                    videos.

Create in-house policies for new clients to connect with you on their social nets. Whenever possible encourage clients to post positive reviews on Google Local or any social or review site to which they are connected.

While many pundits still consider Google+ a big zero, when you factor in all the features and benefits of using Google's business-friendly social network, all I can say is the for my money the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

Hector Cisneros is a partner, COO and social media director for WSquared Media Group based in Jacksonville, FL. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube. He is also the co-host of Blog Talk Radio’s “Working the Web to Win,” where he and Carl Weiss make Working the Web to Win simple for every business. Hector is a syndicated writer for EzineOnline and is an active Blogger, (including ghost writing) and he is a published author of two books, 60 Seconds to success (on sale at Amazon and B&N) and Internet Marketing for the 21st Century which you can get free by clicking on the link at WSquaredMediaGroup.com. He is an active Boy Scout Leader, enjoys family time, loves the outdoors, reading and the creative process of designing effective internet marketing solutions for his clients. 

Lost in Cyberspace

By Carl Weiss

In the recently released motion picture Gravity, astronaut Sandra Bullock becomes detached from the Space Shuttle after a debris storm causes her and fellow astronaut played by George Clooney to wind up adrift in the vastness of outer space.  Tumbling all alone in the dark void with a limited supply of oxygen and little hope of being rescued, Sandra copes as best she can with the terror of being lost in space.  While few of us will ever come to know this kind of visceral fear, many website owners have experienced a similar sense of despair and helplessness when their site went from page one to the vastness of cyberspace after an algorithm reset by a major search engine.

The fact of the matter is that search engine operators do not want anyone save for a select few to understand how their algorithms work.  They are also known to throw a monkey wrench into the machinery from time to time.  Sometimes they do this to shake out the legions of businesses that make money by gaming the system.  Sometimes they do it just because they can.  Either way, while an update by Google may come with a cute and fuzzy moniker such as Panda or Penguin, once published it can leave website owners feeling more like they have been attacked by a Bengal Tiger or Great White Shark. 

Guilt by Association

While there are more than one hundred items that Google uses to rank pages, one of the easiest ways to run afoul of the 800 lb gorilla in the room is to game the system, or hire someone who does so on your behalf.  For more than a decade it was possible to aggregate rank by using underhanded tactics such as keyword stuffing, link farms and invisible text in order to create the appearance of viability.  Of course this was back in the days before the search engine spiders had the ability to analyze what they saw as they leapt from website to website.  Today the googlebots and other search engine spiders can not only understand what they read, but they have been programmed to detect cheaters and respond accordingly.  If your site is determined to be employing any of the Black Hat techniques that are frowned upon, not only will you be relegated to the backwaters of cyberspace, but it could be years before you will ever see the light of day. This last fact is regardless of whether you were the one who added the offending code, or whether it was added by someone in your employ. 

More importantly, when it comes to search engine success, you don’t need to cheat them to beat them.  While gaming the system may generate position in the short run, it almost always fails over the long haul. Plus there is a high probability that when the next algorithm change is published, you may fall into a black hole from which you may never be able to climb out.  Some website owners are literally forced to commission an entirely new website in order to get back into the game, losing both time and money in the process.

                                         

While it is impossible to completely understand every warp and weave of Google’s algorithm, just as you don’t have to understand how to build a chicken to make an omelet, you can get the gorilla to like you by feeding him what he likes to eat.  The Google gorilla is a picky eater who first and foremost likes his own brand.  This translates into creating lots of content on all the properties that Google owns.  So if you blog, you need to become familiar with Blogger, which is owned by Google.  If you produce videos, then you need to create a channel on YouTube.  And even though you may be addicted to Facebook, if you want to make the gorilla smile on your online marketing efforts, you had better start feeding Google+ as well.

What do Webmasters Want?

Now you will notice that so far I have failed to even mention on-page optimization (aka SEO).  That’s due to the fact that while important, it now only contributes to 25% of your overall score.  The other 75% is gleaned from legitimate backlinks, along with blogs, social media and videos.  Not that on-site optimization is unimportant.  It has simply changed over the course of the past few years.  Where such things as Meta Tags and keyword richness were all the rage four or five years ago, Google claims that they no longer rely on Meta Tags at all for ranking.  Today Google places more emphasis on SEO-friendly urls and titles, along with backlinks and mixed media.  Don’t confuse having links to social sites and blogs with feeding them.  Unless you are adding at least a blog a week and feeding your social nets on a daily basis, the googlebots will know and act accordingly.

In fact, as I pointed out in a previous blog entitled, “Is SEO Still Relevant?” the term Search Engine Optimization really needs to be altered to Search Engine Marketing, since optimizing the website is only a small part of the process to achieving page one results today.  As a result the task has become infinitely more complicated.  No longer can you create a perfectly optimized website every two to three years, spin it off into cyberspace and expect it to climb the ranks to wind up on page one.  Now you also need to commit time and/or money to feed the system on a daily, weekly and monthly basis in order to get into the game.  While many people see this as a way of tipping the playing field in favor of larger firms that can afford to hire a team of bloggers, social posters and videographers to do their bidding, nobody ever said the game was fair.

All's Fair in Love and SEM 

Face it, Google and all the other search engines don’t make one slim dime from organic search.  They make their money from pay-per-click campaigns and banner ads, most of which comes from major corporations.  Besides, when you own 82% of search as Google currently does, fairness doesn’t even come into consideration.  As the saying goes, “What do you feed an 800 lb gorilla?  Anything it wants.”

For many small businesses, this isn’t the best policy, it’s the only policy.  Giving the gorilla what he wants gives you a chance to take advantage of the system just as your bigger brethren do.  In fact, we have worked with small businesses who not only competed successfully with Fortune 500 contenders, but who eventually bested them.  Another advantage of being smaller is that you can react faster.  You can analyze the competition and target their weaknesses.  If a larger competitor has the advantage in social media but is weak in blogging, bulk up your blog.  If they don’t understand the advantages of video, go after them on YouTube.  The beauty of the web is that the emperor wears no clothes.  You can see what everybody else is doing and react accordingly.

This brings up the second speed bump that stops many small businesses in their tracks: Making the time to

feed the beast.  Most business owners have enough on their plate day in and day out in simply running their businesses.  This leaves precious little time to write and post to blogs and social sites, let alone shoot and edit video.  However, the answer to this dilemma is but one point and click away.  It’s called outsourcing.  For less than most businesses spend on a display ad in the yellow pages, you can hire out some or all of the tasks mentioned above.  There are legions of bloggers, social posters and videographers out there that are ready, willing and able to come into the fray.  If you find that you don’t have the budget to outsource the entire project, determine which part of the equation you can do in-house and then outsource the rest. 

The only other solution is to ignore the Internet, as all too many small business owners are wont to do.  To this I pose the following question, “If you aren’t found on page one of Google, but your competitors are, is this good or bad for your business?”  (Danger, Will Robinson!)  While it may take a little time and money to get off the bench and into the game, even if it took several months to wind up on page one, this is still better than being lost in cyberspace. 

Carl Weiss is president of W Squared Media Group, a digital marketing agency that offers guaranteed organic placement on a number of major search engines.  He also owns Jacksonville Video Production and co-hosts the weekly online radio show Working the Web to Win every Tuesday at 4 pm Eastern.

Start the Presses

By Carl Weiss

Every business owner is always on the hunt for effective yet inexpensive methods to generate a buzz that can get the word out and command the attention of prospects.  While traditional advertising is one way to self-promote, it is not only expensive, but it is also difficult to track.  Pay per click advertising, while eminently trackable, is not all that inexpensive since it is sold for the most part on a cost-per-click basis.  But what if I told you there was one form of promotion that could provide the best of both worlds in one easy to afford package?  And what if this promotional vehicle could not only give you the clout to generate far more exposure than traditional advertising venues, but it could also park you on page one of many newsfeeds and search engines in less than a day.  Would that get your attention? 

What I am referring to are press releases.  Not exactly the new kid on the block, press releases have been around for more than 100 years.  The first documented press release was documented in 1906 when Ivey Lee released a statement concerning a train wreck that killed 50 people in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  His news item was not only picked up by a number of newspapers across the Eastern seaboard, it also set the standard for the vehicle now used by millions of companies and thousands of news outlets around the world.  When you consider that over 80 million people in the US alone get their news online day in and day out, this is a niche that’s begging to be filled.  When you also take into consideration the fact that everyone from journalists to bloggers and broadcasters are always on the hunt for fresh stories and breaking news, then this is one promotional venue that’s hard to beat.

Before you dive headfirst into the water, there are a few things you need to consider.  First and foremost, press releases are not cloaked advertisements.  They are newsworthy stories.  As such, they can announce events, promotions, awards, accomplishments and new products.  Then can also be used to generate a feature story provided that they gain the attention of other writers.  Journalists of all stripes constantly comb though press releases in order to generate material for an assignment. This is also a place where they look for inspiration for an article or broadcast.  So the first rule in writing an effective press release is that you need to grab the attention of a writer or publisher.

You also want to grab the attention of bloggers and search engines, both of which can propel your story to an even bigger audience.  A mention in a popular blog or a page one posting on a major search engine can have a profound effect on both your website’s traffic and your reputation.  It can also result in your receiving a call from other writer’s or broadcasters who wish to interview you for their station or publication.  While fleeting, the exposure from even a single well-placed press release can be game changing.  In fact it can elevate your status to that of “valued expert” which can catapult you and your business to a whole new level.

That’s the good news.  The bad news is that you are competing against millions of other press releases all clamoring for attention.  What this means is that unless your last name is Kennedy or you are on intimate terms with a movie star or some other well-known celebrity you are going to have to work long and hard to come up with a story that has star appeal. 

Take it From the Top

In the press release game, the headline is where the rubber meets the road.  Unless you grab the reader from the get go, the chances of your release getting read and reposted are slim to none.  Whether you write the headline first and the release afterward or the other way around matters not.  What counts is whether your headline not only describes the essence of your release, but also jumps out of the herd.  A dynamite release with a lackluster headline will simply get lost in the shuffle. 

Since you also hope to command the attention of major search engines, you need to include important 

keywords in your headline.  In fact, one of the best ways to kill two birds with one stone is to start with the keywords that are likely to generate search engine results and then frame a demonstrative statement/headline that contains these keywords. Feel free to use search engine keyword tools or consult social networks to see which keywords are trending before you begin crafting either the headline or the press release itself.  Not only is using keywords from the outset going to produce greater search engine visibility, it also makes it easier for journalists and readers to find your release.

Brevity Does a Body Good

Next comes the body of the press release.  Just as with social networking, there are rules when it comes to crafting an acceptable press release. Since journalists are your target, understand that they have neither the time nor the inclination to research or extensively rewrite your company’s big announcement.  Therefore you need to write the release as you would like to see it appear in a news story.  Start with the date and city from which the release originates.  The first sentence needs to be concise.  If the headline of the press release reads, “New Caveman Diet Rocks,” then the lead might be something like, “Forget the carbs, the Caveman Diet promises to shed pounds by revisiting caveman cuisine.” 

Then it’s time to move onto the first paragraph which needs to hook the reader into reading more.  Ideally it should fill in some blanks while expanding the lead and providing additional detail.  What you don’t want to do is turn the opening paragraph into either a tweet or War and Peace.  Ideally your release should be a maximum of a page in length.  It needs to communicate who, what, when where, why and how, while sticking to the facts and keeping your copy short, sweet and to the point.  Remember that whoever reads your release will in all likelihood have read dozens of others just like it.  If you want your story to get ahead of the pack you need your release to be more than well written.  You need it to be press-ready.

Who Are You?

Lastly, consistent press releases can establish you as an industry expert. This is important because establishing your expertise helps you gain the trust of your target audience. It can also be a positive boon for media relations. Whenever the media needs someone to comment on an issue related to your industry, wouldn’t it be wonderful if your name was front of mind. Expert status can be an asset that you can take to the bank.  Well written and properly distributed press releases will allow you to stand out among the crowd, gain the attention of the media and above all start the presses rolling.

Carl Weiss is president of W Squared Media Group, a digital marketing agency in Jacksonville, Florida.  He is also co-host of the online radio show Working the Web to Win which is broadcast live every Tuesday at 4 pm Eastern.

Making Text Message Magic

By Hector Cisneros 

Most people don’t want you to text and drive, but businesspeople can drive web traffic with text messages! Text messaging also lets you sell products, announce events, deliver promotions and special offers to thousands of people. However, there are a number of speed bumps that you have to nagotiate in order to be successful. Join us this week as we dive into the depths of Text Messaging Magic for your business.

The first question you will want to answer is; "What is Text Message Marketing?" Text message marketing is advertising via SMS technology also known as short message service marketing. In essence you can send a short message (160 characters or less) to a person's cell phone or to a short message account that they have on a computing device. These messages are very popular and are used by people of all ages.

Why should every business  consider advertising with an SMS marketing service?

#1 It works! your ROI is very high. Your cost for engaging in SMS messages can run as low as 20 to 50 a month and still get real responses.

#2 It has a very high open rate. Most messages are read 95% of the time. On top of that your response time is almost instantaneous.

#3 A focused message gets read and usually works better. Focus gives the viewer clarity and asks them to make a decision.

#4 You can target an audience that wants to receive your message. Opt-in lists are the keys to success. Sending a message blindly to someone will only make them angry. However send someone a message for a coupon code for something they want and the phone will ring off the hook.

#5 There are more mobile phones in the world than there are computers. People are addicted to texting. For most young adults, it’s a way of life.

Here's What You Need to Insure Success.

#1 Avoid slang, abbreviations and most of all hype. People are tired of being lied to. Your message 

English: SMS messages sent monthly (June) in USA in million, source: http://www.cellsigns.com/industry.shtml (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

needs to be a focused legitimate offer that easy to understand and act on. Don't try to be slick just  Simply provide a bona fide offer worth taking advantage of.

#2 There should not be a long time delay before the recipient can take advantage of the offer. The offer needs to be in the here and now, not next week. It should provide real time saving that recipients can take advantage of today.

 #3 Make sure your message is recognizable. It should clearly identify your company, brand or product. If they have to guess who you are you’re already lost.

 #4 Customers want to feel special. Your offer has to be a real value that the average Joe or Jane can’t have unless they are subscribed to your SMS marketing service. Let them know that only they have access to this special offer.

 #5 Make sure your message is positive and shows unmistakable value. If  they can't recognize the value of your offer, it's not a value to them!

 #6 Make your messages interactive. Sometime by following up your offer with another message you can get a second or even a third sale, by just asking.

 #7 Don't send your messages too often. Ask your subscribers when it's best to receive their messages. Find out which time zone they are in. If you don't know their needs, avoid early morning hours before 11 AM and don't send messages late at night unless you’re a casino in Las Vegas

 #8 Master the right marketing moments. Learn to send messages when your clients want them. Restaurants clients want messages before Lunch and Dinner.  Travelers like message on Thursday and Friday. Retail consumers like message before major holidays. Scan your website data for peek visitation times. Always ask clients what's best for them and they will tell you.

 # 9 Provide value first before you ask them for any information. Win their trust by providing value and they will be more willing to cough up an email address, time zone or address.

 #10 Always get a client’s permission. Always buy opt-in lists if you’re not building your own. Nobody 

SMS: Text Messaging Gets Redesigned (Photo credit: pouwerkerk)

wants to see your message if they haven't chosen to subscribe to your service. If you add new campaigns, products or services, be ready to ask for permission again. Getting their permission is a fundamental key!

  #11 Don't just send coupon codes, send valuable content. Provide product announcements, free access to special websites and social pages. Send VIP status acknowledgements can also be a great way to build trust and loyalty.

 #12 Get your own vanity short code SMS phone number. Having your own number shows a commitment to this kind of marketing program. It’s much easier for a person to remember a short number than what that number spells. It also makes it easier for them to respond.

There you have a  comprehensive overview of what you need to know about SMS marketing.  If you have found this article useful please pass it on to your friends and co-workers. 

Hector Cisneros is CIO of W Squared Media Group, a Jacksonville Florida based digital marketing agency. Hector is also co-host of the weekly radio show Working the Web to Win which airs every Tuesday at 4 pm Eastern on Blog Talk Radio.