We are always consulting our clients on acquisition strategies and tactics:  Where to place the call-to-action?  What’s a compelling offer?  Do we bold the keyword and short code or just the keyword?

And of course, acquiring subscribers is important and should always be one of the primary objectives of a plan, so I understand the emphasis placed on this piece of the CRM strategy.  However, it is just one piece to the puzzle and too often the other pieces are neglected.  In fact, more times than not, the other pieces aren’t even in the box, and if they are, the pieces are so mangled and disjointed that they don’t fit into the slots they were originally intended for anyway.

A solid communication strategy is one of the most frequently neglected and overlooked pieces. It requires thoughtful communication that’s personal, meaningful, timely and relevant. You need to create a sense of exclusiveness for your subscribers, and real value that keeps them interested and engaged.  In addition, you must ensure you can measure success so you know what is and is not working.  Oh, and don’t forget, this all of this needs to fit in 160 characters of text (including spaces) per touch.

You also need to find and include in your plan the ideal balance for communication frequency.  Too many messages can be bad, but too little could be worse.  I know this can seem a little intimidating, but a solid communication strategy is a must for a successful campaign.

One of our music label clients recently had a very well thought out communication strategy ahead of launching the campaign.  Throughout their tour, they promoted a mobile call-to-action in-venue for folks to signup to their subscriber list.  The following day (keeping it timely) they sent an SMS message to fans that signed up during the show.  The message thanked the fans (making it meaningful), spoke about subject matter specific to the show (it’s personal & relevant) and provided an IVR number (here’s our measurement) where the fans could call and listen to a personal message from the band.  This was a great way to start a conversation with fans that will most likely continue on for a very long time.

Having a good communication strategy is no simple task, and requires a well thought out plan that cannot be treated as an after thought.  It’s a privilege to communicate with customers on their most personal device.  It’s a message they will most likely read and take action on, so make it meaningful and don’t lose sight of this valuable piece of the mobile CRM puzzle.

Every month, the campaigns that we power at Waterfall Mobile range from small test promotions to massive ongoing programs, and we often encounter marketers new to the mobile industry that are surprised at how effective targeted regional mobile promotions can be at building mobile subscriber lists and extending brand awareness.

One recent example that demonstrates the power of a targeted local promotion was a mobile campaign for KITS-FM LIVE 105, an alternative/modern rock radio station based in San Francisco. The campaign was conducted over five days as part of a give-away promotion that offered five weekend getaways stays at The Resort at Squaw Creek in North Lake Tahoe.

KITS-FM wanted to grow its mobile subscriber list and engage listeners with the brand on alternative platforms – in this case via its growing mobile marketing efforts.  Squaw Valley USA & The Resort at Squaw Creek hoped to get information on North Lake Tahoe out to listeners and encourage them to visit the area.

Together, the companies prompted listeners via on-air call-outs to text in the keyword of the day for a chance to win the “Woody Show Field Trip Package.” Each text received a reply with information on North Lake Tahoe and Squaw Valley and was enrolled into the radio station’s mobile subscriber list to receive further information from the station.

After the winner was selected each day, a text message was sent notifying other entrants they did not win and a second text offered additional information about North Lake Tahoe.

By the end of the campaign, KITS-FM’s recorded its largest-ever response to an on-air mobile promotion: nearly 200,000 texts received over the course of the five-day program. Listeners engaged each day with the radio station, which was able to further build its opportunity to interact with avid fans in the future (over 14,000 unique users were added to their subscription list), and KITS found a convenient way around typical phone contests that often greet callers with a non-interactive busy signal. The station’s partner, The Resort at Squaw Creek in North Lake Tahoe, also received a significant number of impressions and drove wide awareness of its brand across a major metropolitan market area.