Mobile Messaging 101:

How to Get Started in the Mobile Channel

 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

Contents

Introduction 3
Market Opportunity 3
Benefits of Mobile Messaging 4
Short Code Registration 4
Standard Rate vs. Premium Messaging 5
Mobile Messaging Examples 5
What You Can Do With Mobile Messaging 6
Ten Tips for Success 6
How to Get Started: Five Easy Steps 7
Helpful Industry Tools 7
Get Started Today! 8
Terms of Use 9

Mobile Messaging 101: How to Get Started in the Mobile Channel 2

 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

With nearly 300 million subscribers in the US today and

a rapidly growing North American messaging market,
mobile is here to stay. And consumers are demanding a
more personal, richer mobile experience now more than
ever. As text messaging has become the most popular,
fastest way to reach people, the potential of mobile is
clear. Now is the time to tap into the mobile market and
unleash new revenue opportunities for your business.

OpenMarket’s objective is to provide the most reliable

mobile messaging, delivery and payment services for
companies entering the mobile market. This document
serves as a basic how-to guide for companies that wish
to market, sell or communicate directly to consumers via
the off-portal mobile channel.

Market Opportunity
Now that text messaging has gone mainstream across the nation, you
can take advantage of the opportunity to reach consumers in real
time with your brand. News, alerts, advertising and social networking
are just a few of the ways you can keep connected to the people that
mean the most to your business. According to The Nielsen Company:

• US mobile subscribers now send and receive more text messages in a
month than they make phone calls

• Nearly every mobile handset in the US can receive text messages

• 53 percent of mobile subscribers use text messaging to communicate

every day

• 57 percent of all mobile subscribers aged 13 and older use text
messaging on a regular basis

• Media companies offering opt-in messaging programs are, in some

cases, delivering upwards of 20 million or more messages in the US
per month

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 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

Benefits of Mobile Messaging

The mobile channel gives you nearly instant access to your target
audience. Within seconds, users can interact with your offer and
purchase your services. You can keep connected to customers via
simple information alerts, or even track inquiries and receive orders
for your business. By using the mobile channel as part of your
marketing initiatives, you can:

• Increase brand awareness by directly connecting with consumers

• Improve customer loyalty and retention

• Boost revenue streams via high campaign response rates

• Tap into a growing North American messaging market

Short Code Registration

The first step to filing a mobile campaign with a mobile operator
is to lease a short code with the Common Short Code Administration
(CSCA). A short code is a number to which a user can send a text
message and receive information or content in return. Short codes
are typically five to six digits (e.g. 12345), and they can be a vanity
code or a random number assigned to you. With a vanity code,
you can select a specific number that consumers will remember.

A short code may be specific to one mobile operator, or may be

“common” and supported by all major operators. Short code
services need to be approved by each participating operator
network. You can visit the CSCA website to learn more about short
codes and to check the availability of a vanity short code at
www.usshortcodes.com.

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 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

Mobile Messaging Examples Standard Rate vs. Premium Messaging

Major brands, retailers and start-ups are all There are two main classes of messaging programs—standard rate
using mobile messaging to interact directly
and premium. Each service allows you to send and receive SMS
with consumers and drive new business.
For example, many national pizza chains messages to subscribers, but they each handle billing services to
allow customers to register ordering details subscribers differently. Current SMS technologies allow you to submit
online and then order pizzas via text
an SMS message that has a premium charge associated with it, and
message. In addition, apparel outlets
routinely send special offers and coupons many companies utilize this technology to bill their subscribers for
via text message to VIP customers. All of services provided.
these campaigns have generated instant,
personal interactions with consumers. A premium message, when successfully processed by the operator
By using standard rate, premium and other
interactive mobile campaigns, you can
billing system, will place a charge on the end user’s phone bill for the
build direct marketing, mobile advertising, amount specified by your company. You will be able to collect your
competitive and promotional campaigns share of the charge, per operator policy. The availability of premium
that boost response rates and brand loyalty
for your company. messaging has led to the creation of entire companies that thrive on
premium content offers billed through SMS.

1. In standard rate programs the consumer is not charged by the

content provider for the text message received. Examples of standard
rate programs are:

• Alerts - news, weather, traffic, travel, entertainment and sports

• Content - internal content, supply chain and customer
relationship management
• Coupons - instant coupons from your favorite store
• Customer response - surveys and sweepstakes

2. In premium programs there is a specific charge to end users

associated with receiving the text message, and generally a charge for
receiving mobile content. Examples of premium rate programs are:

• Voting programs like American Idol

• Buying content for your phone such as games, ringtones
or images
• Premium information alerts like Fantasy Football information

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 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

Ten Tips for Success What You Can Do With Mobile Messaging
If you are considering a move into the mobile With over 4 billion handsets in circulation today, mobile devices have
channel, you need to get your ideas to
become ubiquitous. From news alerts and daily sports scores to
market quickly. We offer these tips for creating
effective mobile campaigns that will increase contests and games, consumers rely on their mobile devices to deliver
your brand awareness and drive new information as it happens and exactly when they want it. There are a
revenue opportunities for your business.
number of ways you can use mobile messaging to communicate with
1. S
 tart now! Any company—big or small— and engage your customers. Ideas include:
can participate in mobile messaging
2. B
 uild your mobile campaigns into your
overall marketing efforts Mobile Marketing – Use text messaging as another engagement
3. L
 everage and integrate your existing channel with your customers (e.g. send details of your weekend
marketing channels for maximum sale via text message, inform them of a new product launch).
impact
4. K
 now your audience—be relevant to Mobile Alerts – Use text messaging to send informational alerts
those using mobile devices
to users (e.g. local weather updates, sport scores, Hollywood
5. E
 ngage your customers and give them gossip or astrology readings).
a reason to participate
6. O
 ffer value, relevance and immediate
Mobile Advertising – Monetize your message inventory by
gratification
inserting an advertisement into each text message.
7. K
 eep it simple and build creative
campaigns
Mobile Feedback – Engage and capture information from
8. U
 se the MMA and other industry
your users with interactive text messaging (e.g. polls, quizzes
organizations as resources
or voting campaigns).
9. B
 uild reporting and statistics into your
campaign
Mobile Contests - Add mobile to your contests. If you are
10. Continue to learn, fine-tune and
innovate over time
running a giveaway, contest or sweepstakes, enable a “text to
enter” call to action, which allows for immediate entry (e.g.
text WIN to 12345).

Mobile Content - Make games, ringtones, images and

applications available for download, either for profit or promotion.

Mobile Customer Service – Provide valuable information via

text messaging (e.g. location of the nearest store, bank account
balances or large money withdrawal alerts).

Mobile Messaging 101: How to Get Started in the Mobile Channel 6

 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

Helpful Industry Tools How to Get Started: Five Easy Steps

The organizations listed below provide Filing programs with mobile operators can take several weeks
valuable resources for launching compliant
depending on responsiveness from all parties involved. Working with
and successful mobile programs.
experienced representatives that guide you through account
• C
 ommon Short Code Administration - and short code setup, operator timelines and industry rules can help
www.usshortcodes.com
expedite program launches. OpenMarket can help you get to
• M
 obile Marketing Association -
www.mmaglobal.com
market in five basic steps:
• B
 est Practices for Mobile Marketing -
www.mmaglobal.com/bestpractices.pdf
• C
 ellular Telephone Industry Association 1. Obtain a short code. You should register all cross-operator short
- www.ctia.org codes with the CSCA. Please note that all services are required to
operate with CSCA-approved short codes, and codes cannot be
shared among companies.

2. Create a program brief. Every program you submit for approval

needs to include complete program details that give mobile
operators a thorough understanding of the use of each short code.
If you want to run multiple programs on a short code, make sure
your brief reflects that information.

3. Gain operator approval and provisioning. Mobile operators will

review your program brief for completeness. You may receive
conditional approval or program rejection if information is missing
or needs modification.

4. Configure your system. You will need to properly configure your

system to integrate with a network that will process your messaging
and billing transactions. Working with one standard interface
across all operators will simplify your implementation efforts.

5. Receive operator certification. Mobile operators may conduct

independent program audits and testing to ensure program compli-
ance with the Mobile Marketing Association’s (MMA) Consumer
Best Practices Guidelines (www.mmaglobal.com/bestpractices.pdf)
as well as their own policies. Once certification is granted, you
may officially launch your mobile program with the mobile operators.

Upon program certification, your mobile campaign will be ready for

commercial use. Working with a trusted mobile business partner
to monitor your content delivery and success rates will help maximize
your revenue potential and predict future business.

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 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

About OpenMarket Get Started Today!

OpenMarket is the largest and most If you are looking to optimize your marketing efforts by using
reliable mobile transaction hub in the mobile messaging to keep in touch with customers or enhance
United States. We provide a comprehensive
set of messaging, payment and emerging
your brand awareness, then let OpenMarket help you get
services to meet mobile business needs. started today.
From the largest consumer brands to
the smallest new ventures, OpenMarket
empowers businesses to optimize their
As a trusted mobile business partner, we help keep you connected
marketing initiatives and strengthen to those who mean the most to your business through our
customer relationships by leveraging the reliable mobile transaction hub and industry-leading direct
off-portal mobile channel. OpenMarket
provides the most direct mobile operator operator connections. Contact us at www.openmarket.com
connections in the US market today. or +1.877.277.2801 for more information.
OpenMarket is a business unit of Amdocs
Interactive. For more information,
please visit www.openmarket.com.

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 The Most Reliable Mobile Transaction Hub

Copyright © 2009 OpenMarket Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed, electronically stored, or translated into any language, in any form by any
means, without the prior written permission of OpenMarket. OpenMarket and the OpenMarket
logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of OpenMarket in the United States and/
or other countries. All other trademarks and brand names used herein are the property of their
respective owners.
OpenMarket Inc.
2211 Elliott Avenue, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98121 USA
Go to www.openmarket.com

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Mobile Messaging 101: How to Get Started in the Mobile Channel 9