Sending SMS text is preferred by many mobile users, if the information to be conveyed is very short. Comparing to making phone calls, sending SMS text is a cheaper form of communication. The advertisement costs can be reduced significantly by the usage of SMS services for marketing purposes. Many advertising companies offer users rewards either in the form of cash or by points for receiving advertisements. Many websites now offer the facility to send SMS through websites. Users can subscribe to the many SMS alerts and services from the mobile service providers or the carrier companies. The latest news, stock updates, sports news etc., are now available to the users through SMS services. Many of these subscriptions are available to the users, free of cost.

A practical example

The Situation

WP manages databases for numerous clubs, pubs and dinner clubs. They were faced with the dilemma of having to notify different patrons and staff about functions and parties in a short period of time. They also needed a way to remind people of a function or party a few hours before hand i.e. time the doors open, what DJ were playing, how much the entrance fee was, etc.

The Solution

After studying the requirements, it was decided that SMS would be the best solution as it was quick, easy and cost effective.

SMS is ideal for club, party and staff notifications, as it is quick and can be delivered fast. It can be used as a reminder of a function only hours before the start time, as most people have their phones on them all the time, and there is a greater chance of them receiving the message in time. If they were to send e-mail there would be no guarantee that the recipient was at their computer and would receive it in time.

SMS is also an extremely cost effective method of communicating with the client in their databases, and allows for more frequent use than other media.