The PDA has come a long way. Text Message, or SMS, has changed the way businesses do business. Not only is SMS used in marketing but is becoming the quickest way to communicate with clients and potential clients. In fact, T-Mobile has just released their new pricing platform and texting is required in most all plans.

I have written several articles about SMS marketing and the more I speak with people I am finding that definitions are needed. Everyone knows how to text, but few really understand all the words surrounding this feature. So let’s get some keywords and define them.

SMS

This stands for ‘Short Message Service’ where you can send multiple text messages via a gateway.

TEXT MESSAGING

This stands for sending short text messages between mobile phones.

MMS

This stands for multi media messaging service. This works through an extension of SMS protocol that makes it possible to send images, animations and audio between mobile phones.

Picture Messaging

This is the ability to take a picture on a mobile phone and sharing it with another mobile phone via email

Streaming Video

This is fairly new. It is the ability to send a one-way real time video from one mobile phone to another mobile phone.

SMS Opt-In

This is a text message that uses a short code + key word. When you text a keyword to a short code you can view an offer, coupon or other information. Once you have sent the keyword to the short code you are agreeing to receive text messages from a specific company or person.

SMS Opt-Out

This is a text message blast sent to mobile phone unsolicited that you have the ability to ‘opt-out’ and not receive any more messages from the company sending the SMS message.

Short Code + Keyword

A short code is a 5 digit number that is used as the phone number when texting. It is always combined with a keyword. The keyword is unique to the company sending the SMS text messaging blast. Here is a real example: Text: ‘MCLUB’ to ‘74856' for a 50% off coupon for your own personal APP.

Texting also has a language all of its own. There is a dictionary for all the most common terms. Let us take a simple test to see how text savvy you are.
#1 AYV
#2 BFF
#3 DOC
#4 G2G
#5 HTNOTH
#6 JHO
#7 N-A-Y-L
#8 OSINTOT
#9 SIT
#10 TTIOT
How did you do? If you did not do too well do not feel bad. Go to netlingo.com and you can look these abbreviations up. You will be surprised to see how many abbreviations there are. What is more frightening is that our teenagers probably know these better than the English language!

Text someone today!