SMS marketing is a great way for service based businesses to connect with customers and drive sales. The nature of a service business means personal connection is important - not just during the direct service experience, but both before and after. SMS marketing is a great way to personally connect with customers and keep them coming back time after time.

There are a variety of different text messaging campaigns service businesses can use, but today I'll take you through my top three -

1. SMS alerts - Keep in contact with customers via text message alerts. SMS alerts help customers stay informed about your product, sales, news and anything else you want to share with them. Why not send your customers text alerts to remind them when to book their next service appointment? Or when you're holding a special discount offer?

2. Text to screen - Make your service more interactive with text to screen. While your customers are engaging with your service, why not create more interaction by encouraging them to text their thoughts, ideas or comments to the big screen. Text to screen is an interactive and fun way for customers to participate.

3. Text to win - Create an element of excitement with a text to win campaign. Encourage your customers to text a keyword to your SMS short code for a chance to win a prize. Make the prize a free service appointment, and build your mobile database at the same time.

4. Mobile Coupons - Use mobile coupons to keep your customers coming back time after time. Why not offer your customers 20% off their next visit via a mobile coupon? You'll increase sales and keep customers happy at the same time. The great thing about mobile coupons is they're easy to set up, quick to deploy and they work instantly. Next time sales are slow, simply send out a mobile coupon via SMS and watch the customers start lining up.

Text message marketing is a great tool for service businesses. The great thing about text message marketing is that it's easy to set up, quick to implement, low cost and there are so many different campaign options to choose from. SMS marketing campaigns are great on their own, or can be used in conjunction with other marketing channels for a multi-channel approach. Whether your service business is in guided tours, hairdressing or personal shopping, there is an SMS marketing campaign to suit you.

Michaela Cristallo is Marketing Manager at InvolveMobile - a leading text message marketing company offering mobile marketing for service businesses.