I’ve written at length about what I the imminent decline in desktop advertising, so I won’t belabor that point here. Suffice it to say that the rise in popularity of mobile devices—and the marketing opportunities that come with them—looks to be sending desktop advertising the way of print media. Desktop will still have its uses, of course, but make no mistake: Mobile is the marketing platform of the future.

I’ve also written about SMS marketing’s role in all of this. In spite of predictions, SMS text platforms are still providing huge ROIS for marketers using them well.

It’s as simple as this: If you’re starting a mobile campaign for your business, SMS marketing should have a large role in your overall strategy.

Here are 5 tips to help get you started.

1.      Opt-in is critical – Never send bulk SMS messages to a purchased list, or even to a list of your own customers without getting their permission. SMS is a “personal” account for most consumers, and unsolicited advertising messages will not be appreciated. Make your opt-in easy and obvious, and consider a second “opt-out” in which users can choose to no longer receive your messages after the first one.

2.      Provide services – Consumers do not like being bombarded with marketing material via text. Provide a service like shipping updates or appointment reminders that consumers will find useful. Later, go ahead and mix in the occasional marketing message.

3.      Promotions pay off – Using SMS to stage a promotion or giveaway is often the best way to increase participation in your text campaigns. Whether you’re offering special coupons or deals or even giving away something of value, asking users to enter via a short code can give you the perfect angle for sending marketing content. Users who are waiting for results won’t mind receiving the occasional promotional text.

4.      Be professional – Companies that are professional in all communications are better trusted by their customers. Proofread your messages and don’t use texting abbreviations. Imagine you’re writing a short email – that’s how professional you need to be.

5.      Integrate with other mobile content – Using embedded links, you can direct recipients of your texts to your mobile website, your promotional videos on YouTube, or even to your social media sites. These are true growth areas for mobile marketing, so use SMS to give your workhorses a leg up.