Text messaging, Mobile ads, Location based social media and/or proximity marketing?
Here is a brief overview of these mobile marketing tools, the industries that are using them, and why they may be so attractive to your business.
Why should you be thinking about mobile marketing right now?
Chances are, you cut back on advertising and marketing during the economic downturn (don’t feel bad because you’re in good company). The move helped you save a few bucks, but sales and lead generation suffered as a result. Your customer pipeline is all but empty, and you’re scrambling to get it beefed back up to pre-recession levels. To get there, you want to try some new, affordable, effective marketing strategies. You know mobile is hot, but you’re not sure how to implement it in a way that benefits your company.
Many companies are already experimenting with mobile and seeing positive results from their efforts.
• Restaurants are using mobile coupons.
• Event planners that rely on text messaging campaigns to get new users to opt into their member databases.
• Retailers that are using mobile to lure in new customers.
• Online portals that have invested in mobile campaigns to increase traffic to their sites.
• Hardware stores using text message campaigns to attract new customers to their bricks-and-mortar locations.
• Dentist use text messaging to confirm appointment in order to keep their schedules full.
These businesses are achieving many of the same goals and objectives you’ve set for your own small business, and they’re doing it in with one or more of the following tools:
• SMS or text messaging: 95% of these messages are opened within 5 minutes after being received.
• Mobile advertising: Pay per click ads that cost only pennies per click.
• Social media and location-based marketing: Using services like Foursquare to entice customers in your neighborhood to come to your store.
• Proximity marketing: Using Bluetooth technology and Wi-Fi to get more visitors to your trade booth.
There are so many inexpensive and profitable ways to use mobile marketing in your business. The place to start is by getting a mobile website. A mobile website will become the center of all of your mobile marketing efforts.
Mobile marketing is over three times more effective in consumer purchase intent than internet marketing.
It’s amazing but true. Studies show that going mobile is more effective in all the key variables than internet marketing, from awareness to purchase intent. It’s novel, it’s personal, and it works!