Mobile Marketing Campaigns are a New Standard for Businesses

I was quite interested to read about the results of the 2012 Chief Marketer Mobile Marketing Survey that were released recently. The results indicate that mobile marketing is being integrated with different types of mobile engagement solutions, as opposed to being used as a channel all on its own. I think this is good news for marketers, who are seeing this type of marketing effort as an inclusive way to increase sales for their company, whether they are choosing to use QR codes, SMS campaigns, or a mobile website as part of their efforts.

Stella Artois Chalice Giveaway Using Mobile Web and QR Codes

Companies trying to bring in business now know that consumers have mobile devices and keep them close throughout the day. These can be used as a way to connect with customers, either on a mass level or in a highly targeted manner. Mobile marketing campaigns can therefore be very flexible in a way that other channels cannot manage now.

A total of 57 percent of those surveyed stated that they included mobile elements in their marketing efforts in the last year. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said their brands did not use mobile marketing as part of their campaigns to boost sales. Over half (51 percent) of the companies who participated in the survey stated that they planned to run more mobile only marketing campaigns in 2012.

Moms Responding to Mobile Marketing Offers from Retailers

As most mothers know, their shopping habits change significantly when they decide to start a family, so it makes sense that they would respond well to mobile marketing initiatives made by retailers. From the time they find out that there is a little one on the way, they have very little time for themselves, but the number of tasks they are expected to perform in and around the house rises exponentially.

As a group, mothers are pressed for time but know they need to make decisions about buying items from retailers. This presents a golden opportunity for stores to connect with this demographic by bringing mobile coupons, text message promotions, and SMS marketing directly to their smartphones or mobile devices. Once a woman has one or more children who need her time and care, she has even less time to comparison shop for items she wishes to purchase.

If she can receive mobile marketing promotions and/or mobile coupons directly wherever she happens to be at present, she is halfway to making a decision to buy from that particular store. All the retailer has to do is make the effort to connect with this particular group of customers. To sweeten the deal, if a retailer can offer extras like how to videos, or independent reviews of its products, this attention to detail will only serve to boost sales.

Mobile Marketing Should Include a Next Step for Consumers

I've been thinking about mobile marketing and whether it is doing enough to engage consumers lately. Mobile ads or creating a mobile website are effective parts of your overall cell phone marketing campaign, and your goal should always be to think about what you would like your customer to do next.

Getting the customer to click on the ad or visit your mobile website opens up an opportunity for you to have ongoing contact with that prospect. The more often you engage with the customer, the more likely he or she is to buy from you at some point.

One of the best practices for mobile engagement that you can use in your mobile engagement marketing efforts is to capture your customers' contact information (with their permission, of course). Once you have this information, you can follow up from the initial contact with a mobile coupon or a special offer. For maximum effectiveness, you will want to make sure that you offer some type of reward to the customer immediately after receiving his or her contact information.

After the initial reward, make a point of contacting the customers on your list at regular intervals with information and offers that they will find informative and relevant. Contacting customers on their mobile device is a very effective way to boost revenue, since the message reaches buyers on the go, and they can make an immediate decision about whether to place an order or visit your brick and mortar location right away.

QR Code Advertising Most Effective in Print, Survey Finds

A recent study by comScore revealed some very interesting data regarding QR code usage amongst consumers. It found that 38 percent of respondents had scanned QR codes placed on product packaging, but that the best performing QR codes in advertising were placed in newspapers or magazines. Half of smartphone users who had scanned the QR codes advertising promotions had done so from these types of print media.

These types of scannable codes have been part of mobile marketing for several years now. Smartphone users can simply point their phones at a code to scan it in the same manner as a cashier in a store scans a barcode to record the price of an item at the checkout.

Only 10 percent of smartphone users used their devices to scan business cards or brochures, according to the survey results. Approximately one-third of respondents reported that they scanned a flyer, poster, or a website using their smartphone.

I can understand why newspapers and magazines would be the most popular media for QR code marketing use among consumers. A person who is reading a newspaper or a magazine is more likely to take his or her time to read through the material in detail. Web surfers, in contrast, tend to skim through what they are looking at. Another reason why print media works better with QR codes in advertising is that this material can include instructions about what these square codes are and how to use them effectively.

Choose the Right Mobile Marketing Methods for Your Business

We focus primarily on mobile marketing solutions for enterprise clients and agencies, and how companies should structure their efforts, but do you ever think about what mobile engagement platforms tell customers about the businesses using them? The ability to reach out to prospective buyers wherever they happen to be is a huge advantage when you are trying to promote your products or services, but you want to make sure that the types of mobile campaigns and ads you choose to run accurately reflect your brand.

People who own tablets are more likely to respond to the mobile marketing ads they see on their devices than smartphone users. The ratio of tablet owners to smartphone users who actually respond to mobile messages is two to one.

A recent study indicates that mobile device users are more likely to pay attention to ads that include a video and that 20 percent of users prefer mobile marketing ads that are interactive. Over one-third of women like display ads (banner or video), while 29 percent prefer to receive SMS messages.

If you want to make sure that your mobile marketing efforts are targeted appropriately, keep track of the apps, games, and utilities your customers are downloading. You will be able to use this information to understand their preferences so that you can ensure that the content you are providing will be of interest to your target market.

Mobile Marketing Strategies Need to Grow Along with Budgets

I've been thinking about how companies use their mobile marketing strategies to help grow their business, and I was surprised to learn recently that they are not necessarily increasing the amount they are spending on mobile websites, mobile applications, and QR codes.

While the three strategies listed above are the most popular ways to use mobile methods to reach out to customers, fewer than half of marketers are using them. These figures are taken from the StrongMail Mobile Marketing Survey 2012, and over 800 business leaders answered questions about their marketing practices.

Smartphones are by far the most popular mobile device. Nearly half of mobile users own one, and mobile marketing efforts need to be directed to strategies that will appeal to them. I think that reaching consumers through their smart phones is an excellent marketing strategy, since it can reach prospective buyers where they happen to be at any given time.

When asked about obstacles to launching a mobile media marketing program, over one-third of respondents (37 percent) stated that lack of strategy was the main challenge they faced. Lack of resources was cited as the second most common obstacle getting in the way of the respondents' mobile marketing efforts at 22 percent.

Most companies using mobile marketing strategies are allocating five percent or less to this part of their advertising efforts. Of the companies surveyed, approximately one quarter had allocated less than one percent to mobile marketing.