Sending SMS via the internet is an effective marketing solution for businesses looking to communicate directly with their customers. Nowadays, the vast majority of people own a mobile phone that has become almost indispensable, both for communication and for performing many other tasks. This is a boon for small businesses looking to expand their customer base, as sending SMS is a powerful sales channel—far more effective than brochures sent to subscribers, which usually end up in the trash unread. Smartphones are highly popular with younger people, but older generations are quickly catching up. It is therefore clear that mobile SMS marketing has the power to reach a vast audience, yet the majority of small businesses have not yet discovered the potential of this service. If you want to get started but aren't sure which strategy to adopt, here are five tips on how to communicate by sending messages to your subscribers.

1) Be brief and target your communication

Think about the message you are sending to your subscribers' mobile phones to get inspired. The key is to refine the format of your texts. Just like Twitter, which is limited to 140 characters online, an SMS message on a mobile phone must be written to fit the length and structure that people expect from this type of communication after subscribing. Sending texts should feel natural so that your contacts are inclined to read them. Also, ensure your communication is targeted. When you text a friend, you don't just ramble on about having a good week and all the good things that happened to you. Send SMS to share a funny or surprising anecdote or to encourage a sign-up. You should do the same with your marketing messages to engage your recipients by targeting your communication. By sparking their interest, you can lead them to visit a page on your website or come into your store.

2) Take advantage of the immediacy of text messaging

One of the main advantages of using SMS messaging on mobile phones is the immediacy of delivery to the customer's number and the response. Many people receive emails directly on their phones, but that doesn't mean they will read them. A text message tends to have a much simpler and faster response time. Think about your own habits on your mobile. When you receive an SMS, you want to read it quickly. Capitalize on this by adopting a message-based communication service now, and let your subscribers know. Likewise, when you send a Rich SMS and encourage your subscribers to follow a link to your website or a video, it is very important to let them know so they maintain trust in your company. If they feel tricked, they will stop engaging.

3) Choose the right timing

The other advantage of the immediacy of text messages is that you can carry out targeted communications at the right time on your recipients' mobile phones. You want your subscribers to read your texts, right? And you want them to click on your links? Of course you do. So, take the time before starting your campaign to think about what your subscribers' daily lives look like. Do they work 9 to 5? Do they want to be disturbed in the evening when they are with their families? Depending on their job, are they on public transport with their phone in hand in the morning on their way to work? You must therefore identify the best time of day to send online texts to your subscribers—the time when they will be most receptive to your message—in order to effectively set up your sending schedule.

4) Personalize your communication

Rather than bombarding your subscribers with generic texts, consider personalizing your SMS to make them useful and interesting. This will provide value to your recipients. SMS is quite simple to personalize when you are communicating with existing subscribers to your services. You can also use online text messaging to thank someone for a recent purchase and direct them to another product or service that might interest them. The more personalized your communications are, the more they will interest your subscribers.

5) Test, and test again

As with any form of marketing, testing is vital. Your first attempt at sending SMS may not be successful, so you must analyze the reasons for failure and refine your strategy to succeed. Online tools make it easy to analyze certain aspects, such as open rates or SMS delivery.