Voupons Comment: Firstly I agree that receiving random burst SMS marketing campaigns is annoying, and that is my personal opinion, as I am not a consumer driven individual. My partner, on the other hand is, but only likes them if the content is relevant to her needs, and there in lies the rub. How to get the message out to interested consumers?

At this point I would like to propose a point of difference between Burst SMS and Broadcast SMS. The buzz word is burst, and is entirely inaccurate if taken to describe all SMS marketing, in my opinion.

Burst SMS, to me, indicates that a company has purchased a subscriber list. Big no! See what Aus. Mobile Marketing News & Ideas has to say about that.

Broadcast SMS indicates that a company has built a subscriber list from existing clientele.

Think of it like this. Broadcasting is done to parties that have tuned in, much like tuning in to a radio station.

Burst is a message that overrides all radio frequencies at once, a bit like a government red alert notifying of impending disaster….

The second is not good news.

I personally do not appreciate burst SMS at all. My private number is private, and if I am receiving burst SMS, it is no longer private and has been sold. Not welcome at all.

However, if I have subscribed to be notified of upcoming events or promotions, then that is OK. It means that I have established a relationship with the business, based on good service and trust. Just don’t slam me with Broadcast SMS every week, or that trust is gone.

Businesses looking to incorporate broadcast SMS need to find a reputable company that will not onsell the subscriber list to a third party to be used for burst. If they do not take that most fundamental step, they risk the loss of their savvy clientele.