Last week, in case you missed it, we analyzed how zip codes can improve SMS marketing strategy. Today, let’s look at a different facet of SMS marketing often overlooked due to its complexity: unique codes.

For the uninitiated, unique codes power several SMS marketing applications, including SMS coupons and gamifying SMS marketing. Let’s take a look at some specific examples:

To augment person-person sales

For any business that has field sales representatives, unique SMS codes offer a powerful way to improve the selling process. Here’s an example message flow:

• (mo)  rep texts MYCODE to 44144
• (mt)  Please reply back with your five-digit seller id, e.g. 03001
• (mo)  12345
• (mt)  here’s your code: 54321 Please tell your customer to go to ourwebsite.com to redeem.

As you can probably imagine, the integration points are what makes this type of unique code generation so powerful. Each sales rep can be assigned a specific number of codes (you can even include another mt where the rep can check/receive their remaining code balance in real time), which he/she can use to reach his/her quota. Concurrently, management can track the distribution and redemption of these codes in real time in order to see each individual’s and team’s success in order to increase revenue for the company.

Breaking the 4th wall in video games

Now, I’m not a hard core gamer by any means, but I’ll never forget an in-game twist that occurs in the game X-Men for Sega Genesis. Basically, the game asks a player to press the actual console reset button in order to reset an in-game computer. Normally, pressing reset during a game would be blasphemy since you would lose all your progress, but a simple programming innovation provides a compelling way to bridge virtual reality with actual reality. From an SMS marketing standpoint, consider the following message flow:

• (mo)  gamer texts CODE to 44144
• (mt)  thanks for texting in. your key and instructions will follow shortly. text STOP to end. HELP 4 info. msg&dataratesmayapply.
• (mt)  what platform do you want the game skin on?
  a. 360
  b. ps3
  c. pc
  reply with a, b or c

• (mo)  a
• (mt)  your unique key: 123456789
  instructions:
  1. go 2 root menu of game
  2. select extras
  3. select exclusive content
  4. enter unique code

Here, you can imagine another application of breaking the 4th wall that would be cool for gamers, similar to the X-Men example (without being restricted to a console). Gamer sees an SMS call to action in a video game (that’s part of the game world) that allows them to interact with a game using their own phone (the real world).

Dynamic Field Insertion

A third cool application for unique codes is not the code itself, but rather the information pertaining to the code. For example,

• (mo) customer texts FREEMEAL to 44144 (on November 3)
• (mt)  This offer expires 11-5. Show msg@participating stores for 1 FREE MEAL w/any purchase. Reply OFFER 4 future deals. While supplies last. 1 per person/visit.

We added the bold above (can’t bold SMS messages unfortunately). The idea is that you can customize that expiration date to be whatever you want. Maybe it’s two minutes/hours/days/years (well, maybe not years) after the person texts in. Maybe they get the message one day after they text in and are instructed that it expires six hours later. This type of functionality allows you to expand the flexibility and usefulness of given promotions.

Integrating With Websites

A final application for unique codes bridges the physical world with the online one. In this case, a person texts in and then uses a unique code online to make/complete/enhance a particular online purchase/action. For example:

• (mo)  user texts CODE to 44144
• (mt)  It’s possible to do your part. To sign-up for updates & receive $15 to help a a project in your area, pls. REPLY with your ZIP code.
• (mo)  94110
• (mt)  Welcome to The Mobile Updates! We’ll send no more than 10 msg/mo. Text STOP to end, HELP for info. Msg & Data Rates may apply. Terms at msgme.com.
• (mt)  Welcome! To redeem your $15 voucher:
  1. Visit website.com and pick a project to sponsor
  2. At checkout, enter code: C7362GFM
  Expires 12/31/12

Using a unique code promotion such as the above, a brand has the ability to track offline engagement, online engagement, and future interaction as the end user/brand relationship grows and grows over time. A perfect best practice for SMS, digital and interactive marketing.

As we’ve stated in this space, the true power of SMS marketing is in the ingenuity of figuring out the best campaign for a brand. Pushing functionality to its limits using applications like unique codes and/or dynamic fields can be instrumental in realizing campaigns’ maximum potential.