Do your customers frequently shop using American Express? If so, they may be the next target of a serious smishing attack. This text messaging attack states that there has been fraudulent activity identified on the user's account. From there, recipients are prompted to activate an HTML form and enter sensitive account information, including a security pin, online account credentials, card number, and more.
It's necessary to keep in mind that companies, especially those involved in finance, will never request this kind of information by using an attached form or hyperlink.
Unfortunately, once the account information has been entered, it's too late. This exact attack scammed one recipient out of $3.88 and while that might not seem like a lot of money, it was a major blow to the account holder's peace of mind.
After hearing about this text message scam, if you use text messaging to reach customers, recipients might approach your business with a bit of skepticism – is text message marketing really all that it's cracked up to be and can they trust that you won't use it for nefarious reasons? To keep their trust, stay...Read more
Are you having difficulty drumming up excitement about your community events? You want your congregation to take the next step and get involved in the life of your church, but how do you convince members to actually make it happen?
The most successful churches know that text message marketing is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to engage congregants and promote events. In fact, many churches are choosing text messaging over email and social media.
Why? More than 90% of text messages are opened in the first few minutes of receipt.
And it doesn't stop there.
There are plenty of other great ways to get members excited about your events.
Church Marketing Strategies: 6 Promotional Activities to Increase Community Engagement
Try these simple church marketing strategies to increase community engagement:
1. Create an Event on Facebook
Facebook has become a popular tool to promote community events. Since this tool is used by more than 2.7 billion people from around the world, reaching a few people, especially those already in your network, shouldn't be a problem.
...Read more
If you are considering investing in text marketing for your business, then it’s important for you to master the fundamentals and get up and running quickly.
Why?
Like most marketing strategies that you invest in, the hardest one to predict is the learning curve. You never know how long it’s going to take to get your team trained, build a strategy, execute it, learn and revise, and finally see results.
Fortunately, we’ve helped thousands of businesses just like yours get started quickly and start generating results. We’ve learned what it takes to build successful campaigns, and we’re ready to help you too.
We’ve compiled some of the top SMS campaign best practices that you need to master to get results faster.
SMS Campaigns Best Practices to Master in 2019
These five core SMS best practices are essential to the success of any texting campaigns that you want to run. From legal hurdles to relationship and conversion tips, you’ll learn everything you need to get started.
1. Get Permission Before Texting
The first step towards building a text marketing campaign is to get permission...Read more
Are your prospects and customers complaining about your customer service?
If so, you're not alone — hundreds of businesses struggle to deliver quality customer service. It can be difficult to meet shifting customer expectations while providing personalized service and answering their questions in a timely and efficient way.
Despite these challenges, delivering excellent customer service is a requirement if you want to be a leader in your field. Today, consumers are prioritizing businesses and organizations that provide superior customer service experiences and ditching those that do not.
This shift in consumer behavior is pushing businesses to consider new avenues — like text messages — to meet the demand and push ahead of their competitors. Today’s customers carry a cell phone with them everywhere. They enjoy the convenience their phone provides when talking with friends and family, and that experience is spilling into their expectation with business owners as well.
In fact, over half of consumers report that they prefer using SMS for customer service over other channels. To give you a leg up over your competition, here are some easy and effective tips to help you issue high-quality...Read more
If you haven’t heard, phishing scams affect thousands of consumers and businesses per year, and if you aren’t privy to the latest phishing prevention techniques and tactics, your business will be next.
As a small or medium-sized business owner, you need to be aware of threats to your business and stay vigilant. Unfortunately, scammers have picked up on the rising popularity of text messaging, and they are jumping into this platform to unleash a new wave of attacks.
Are you up-to-date on the latest text messaging scams out there?
5 Ways Text Message Scams Threaten Your Business (And What To Do About Them)
Thieves have been taking advantage of unsuspecting businesses for as long as there have been businesses to take advantage of.
Technological advances give aspiring con artists more platforms to attempt to outsmart you. It’s your responsibility to stay up-to-date on the latest attacks and avoid becoming the victim.
To help you keep your business safe, here are 5 of the most common SMS text message scams that are threatening your business.
1. Buying and Selling to Strangers
...Read more
Does the thought of a text scam involving your business send chills down your spine?
Many cyber criminals use text messaging to target unsuspecting victims, and if you aren't up-to-date on the latest tactics used by text scammers, your business could be next. These kinds of fraudulent activities cost businesses thousands per year!
If you haven't heard, smishing (phishing scams via SMS) are relatively new security threats in which users are tricked into downloading a virus or providing sensitive information such as account access, social security numbers, and more.
We'll show you five of the most common phishing scams happening in 2019, so you know what to look for and what to do if your business is targeted.
5 Prevalent Phishing Scams Making the Rounds in 2019
Has your business ever received a text message like this?
Unfortunately, responding or engaging with these types of messages can put your business at a serious security risk. The good news is that there are lots of telltale signs to help you spot phishing scams and measures you can take to protect...Read more
What would you do if you walked into the office tomorrow morning and found out that your company was robbed out of thousands of dollars?
You'd probably call the police, right?
What would you do if your business got hit by a phishing text message scam? It's really the same thing, just a different type of thievery. Unfortunately, phishing scams affect thousands of consumers every year. If you haven't heard, smishing (phishing via SMS) is a new security attack in which users are tricked into downloading a virus or other piece of malware. It's a serious dilemma that can cost people thousands!
The biggest problem with phishing is that it's especially difficult to detect. And while most people think they'd never fall victim to it, many people do, and they don't realize what's happened until it's far too late.
To help you differentiate between a real and fake text message, here are six examples of phishing text messages and what you can do to fight back.
6 Examples of Phishing Text Messages
There are hundreds of phishing text scams out there. Many of the...Read more
Smishing. It's a fun word to say. Try it out loud – smishing!
However, for those who have been victimized by it, smishing is no fun at all.
If you haven't heard, smishing (phishing via SMS) is a new security attack in which users are tricked into downloading a virus or other piece of malware. These kinds of fraudulent activities end up costing businesses thousands of dollars per year!
And while some consumers might recognize these types of text messages as scams, many unsuspecting users don't. To keep your customers up to date on the latest information regarding text security, let's take a deeper dive into these texting scams.
What Is Smishing? 3 Things Businesses Should Understand About Texting Scams
Have you ever received a text message like this?
We're confirming you've signed up for our dating service. You will be charged $2/day unless you cancel your order: [LINK].
(Image: Digital Trends)
Fearful of incurring charges, many will visit the website highlighted in the text message. In most cases,...Read more
Like most nonprofits, your organization is probably looking for ways to increase its donor base. At a recent nonprofit technology conference, Ellen Pascale of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) explained, "At HSUS, fundraising texts last year averaged a click-through rate 20 times greater than the average nonprofit fundraising email and a response rate 10 times higher."
This organization leverages a powerful piece of technology to grow a list of potential donors and maximize its fundraising effectiveness. Short Message Service (SMS) marketing is one of the most proven and cost-effective methods for building awareness, attracting donors, and much more. The most successful nonprofit organizations have been using text marketing for years, and if you haven't made the investment by now, your organization is behind the curve.
The good news? You can invest in a short code text app right now and launch your fundraising efforts into the stratosphere.
How to Use a Short Code Text App to Reach More Donors
Here are the five ways you can use a short code text app to reach more donors.
1....Read more
Is your small business struggling to achieve the marketing traction that it deserves? After a few months of dwindling sales, you're left scratching your head...
Why isn't our marketing working and what do we need to do to right this ship?
The fact is, many small business owners and marketers face this exact challenge. In our experience as an industry-leading text marketing provider, we've heard from thousands of small business owners and marketers just like you. This experience has given us insight into some of the most effective and results-driven marketing ideas.
That's right... we know what works and what doesn't work when it comes to small business marketing and we're going to share that insider intelligence with you.
8 Small Business Marketing Ideas That Actually Work
Here are the top eight small business marketing ideas that actually work.
1. Sponsor a Local Sports Events
Try sponsoring a local sports event. This is a great way to meet other business owners and potential customers. Most recreational and professional sports leagues offer advertising opportunities in exchange for sponsorship.
Example: Haller Enterprises, a heating,...Read more
