As someone who helps our clients find and use innovative ways to reach and connect with their target audiences, I would be remiss if I never discussed mobile marketing. To date, mobile marketing is primarily the use of SMS (short message service) text messages and MMS (multi-media message service) text messaging.
Many experts now consider mobile marketing to have a clear advantage over traditional display advertising. How can this be! Well, here’s a start…
- The end-user has their phone in their pocket or hand at all times, making it the ultimate marketing platform.
- It’s lost-cost with high-impact, so its much more cost effective than display advertising.
- The FCC strictly regulates it, so the only messages you receive are from the companies you opt-in for, and phone numbers are not sold to third-parties.
- Viral content has a much higher return rate since people will only forward good offers via text to their friends.
If you still aren’t sure that mobile marketing is a viable platform, here are a few statistics that might change your mind!
- 200+ million Americans carry mobile phones—over half of the country’s population.
- Mobile SMS marketing is typically read within an average of 15 minutes after receipt.
- Over 90% of recipients see your messages, generating average response rates of 15-30%, or more.
- 89% of major brands planned to market via mobile phones by 2008.
- 40% of major brands have deployed text messaging (SMS) campaigns.
- 18% of major brands have deployed multimedia messaging (MMS) campaigns.
- Two thirds of mobile phone users are “active users of SMS test messaging”.
- In the U.S. alone, roughly 300 billion text messages were sent in 2007, over 900 billion in 2008, and in 2010 an estimated 2.3 trillion text messages will be sent and delivered globally.
- While 65% of email is spam, less than 10% of SMS is spam.
You might be thinking, “eh, my business has no use for it” or that mobile messaging is reserved for the “big kids” like Pepsi or Virgin, who are constantly in front of us pushing new marketing campaigns. Have no fear, because this playground is open for everyone! So, how can you play? See below for a few of your options.
- Mobile fan clubs
- Voting/Polling
- Appointment reminders/client notification
- Mobile real estate listings
- Subscriptions text alerts
- Retail/service promotions and sales
- Fundraising
- Mobile web sites
- Application development (iPhone, webOS, etc)
There are many other ways to use mobile marketing, and like everything else driven by technology, it will continue to evolve. But as you can see, the future of mobile marketing is bright. Very bright!
Are you currently using mobile marketing, or have you considered using it?
