Many businesses today, big and small, use SMS marketing to keep in touch with their customers. Some are successful, some aren’t. But when you’re a small business, you can’t afford to fail. You’ve got a limited budget and you want to make each and every resource you have work. So what do you do?

You’re in luck! We’ve got 6 text message marketing ideas to help you make every penny you spend on your SMS marketing count:

(1)   Sender: <your business name here>

Make your bulk SMS messages personal by letting your subscribers receive them with your business name on the sender line. Let’s face it, among the strengths of small businesses is their ability to make things personal. When competing with the big guys, every little detail counts. Let your subscribers know from whom they’re getting messages and remind them what you’re all about.

(2)   Don’t forget your success metrics

If you want to know whether your SMS marketing is successful, you’ve got to measure them against your goals. Do you want to increase your subscriber base? Are you after subscriber retention? Do you want to increase your clickthrough rates (i.e. the number of people who clicked on the links you sent)? Are you interested in your response intensity (i.e. the number of people who responded to your texts)?

Define your goals. If you don’t know what you want, you might just be wasting your precious money.

(3)   It’s all about content

The #1 rule in text marketing etiquette is to not spam. Send only relevant and appropriate communication to your subscribers.

(4)   Integrate with other marketing activities—social media, Internet, mobile, events, etc.

We’ve always said, marketing is all about communicating a message. And that message needs to be coherent, no matter what tool or platform you use. This only means that integrating all of your marketing campaigns will not only get your message across more effectively, it will also bring more bang for your marketing budget.

Here’s an idea: If you’re holding an event, have your invitees RSVP for your event through your SMS service. It’ll be more convenient for both you and your clientele, and even expands your SMS subscriber list.

(5)   Make it two-way

Don’t just relay a message, allow them to respond to you. Have your text message marketing provider set up a short code for your customers to send in their feedback or questions.

(6)   Use your words wisely

You only have 160 characters and that’s not a lot. Keep it tight and clear. Brevity is the soul of wit.