SMS as the Best Tool for Mobile Marketing
Companies of all types and sizes today, have many options as regards marketing their products and services. They can reach out to potential customers by way of newspaper and billboard ads, Web browser pop-up ads, radio and TV ads, telephone calls, email and so on. However, the emerging trend among companies is to go mobile. Mobile marketing has now become the most preferred for these establishments to keep in touch with their users, while also creating new users. Marketers have found SMS’ or Short Messaging Services to be the most effective type of mobile marketing. Why is this and how does the humble SMS help so much in mobile marketing?
Mobile Marketing Trends for 2012
Here are 5 reasons why the SMS is the most effective tool for mobile marketing:
All other marketing media such as television and print media, ads and the like, may be overlooked by the masses. Even direct marketing or telephone marketing tends to be looked down upon by many people, as they can sometimes be annoyingly persistent. Website pop-ups too are generally ignored by users, who are basically concerned with browsing the Internet for some other purpose than the product that is being advertised on a particular Website.
SMS marketing, on the other hand, has a much higher chance of succeeding, because the ads here are served up to potential customers who actually requested for them. Mobile device users have a choice to opt in to receive SMS messages about products or services they might be interested to purchase. Hence, this type of marketing becomes completely legitimate.
Mobile users also have the choice to stop receiving these messages at any time they wish. If they still want to receive these messages, it would indicate their high level of interest in the product or service being advertised.
Of course, it goes without saying that, in order to build an initial customer database, the marketer would have to first resort to traditional advertising media. The marketer then informs the potential customer about the existence of the SMS opt-in feature. Hence, one could consider the traditional marketing media as a type of stepping stone for success in the mobile marketing milieu.
Making use of SMS marketing makes it much easier for the mobile marketer to reach a highly targeted set of users. It becomes easier to find a target audience by way of SMS marketing. Under normal circumstances, users in the age range of 18 and 35 are the ones that are most interested to know about the latest products and services. Hence, marketing by way of SMS is a much better way to find a targeted audience.
Needless to say, there are different groups within the above age range, each group having a different set of preferences, different budgets and so on. Also, it is only a miniscule percent of the mobile user population that actually agrees to opt-in for receiving SMS messages. However, the fact remains that it can be highly profitable for the marketer and the company when a user opts in.
Mobile marketers and B2B companies now use location-based services to serve up relevant ads to their customers. Giving the user information about a restaurant or a lifestyle store when he or she is around the particular area is good for both the company and the user involved here. While the marketer or company stand to get hold of one more potential customer, the mobile user gets to know about the exact location of the product or service he or she might be interested in.
If the customer chooses to share the information with his or her friends online, you will be able to reach more customers with no extra effort from your side.
The best thing about SMS marketing is that is gives that personal touch to marketing. Users will be more willing to receive SMS’ rather than phone calls, as the messages are usually very short and to-the-point. Telephone calls, on the other hand, can become long-drawn-out and an unnecessary, unwanted drag for the busy user.
An SMS questionnaire or poll can make it fun and interactive for the user, as it engages them with targeted content. Adding images, animation or video would make it even more interesting for them. Giving them a toll-free SMS reply option could become one more incentive for them to participate in your quiz, survey or poll.
Planning an SMS marketing campaign is much easier than traditional marketing. You can have a maximum of 160 characters in an SMS and hence, you do not have to make any elaborate plan to advertise your product. Hence, the whole process of planning and the deployment of messages to users becomes far more simplified than traditional advertising media.
Here are 5 reasons why the SMS is the most effective tool for mobile marketing:
1. The SMS Opt-In Feature
All other marketing media such as television and print media, ads and the like, may be overlooked by the masses. Even direct marketing or telephone marketing tends to be looked down upon by many people, as they can sometimes be annoyingly persistent. Website pop-ups too are generally ignored by users, who are basically concerned with browsing the Internet for some other purpose than the product that is being advertised on a particular Website.
SMS marketing, on the other hand, has a much higher chance of succeeding, because the ads here are served up to potential customers who actually requested for them. Mobile device users have a choice to opt in to receive SMS messages about products or services they might be interested to purchase. Hence, this type of marketing becomes completely legitimate.
Mobile users also have the choice to stop receiving these messages at any time they wish. If they still want to receive these messages, it would indicate their high level of interest in the product or service being advertised.
Of course, it goes without saying that, in order to build an initial customer database, the marketer would have to first resort to traditional advertising media. The marketer then informs the potential customer about the existence of the SMS opt-in feature. Hence, one could consider the traditional marketing media as a type of stepping stone for success in the mobile marketing milieu.
2. SMS Leads to Targeted Traffic
Making use of SMS marketing makes it much easier for the mobile marketer to reach a highly targeted set of users. It becomes easier to find a target audience by way of SMS marketing. Under normal circumstances, users in the age range of 18 and 35 are the ones that are most interested to know about the latest products and services. Hence, marketing by way of SMS is a much better way to find a targeted audience.
Needless to say, there are different groups within the above age range, each group having a different set of preferences, different budgets and so on. Also, it is only a miniscule percent of the mobile user population that actually agrees to opt-in for receiving SMS messages. However, the fact remains that it can be highly profitable for the marketer and the company when a user opts in.
3. Serving Up Location-Relevant Content
Mobile marketers and B2B companies now use location-based services to serve up relevant ads to their customers. Giving the user information about a restaurant or a lifestyle store when he or she is around the particular area is good for both the company and the user involved here. While the marketer or company stand to get hold of one more potential customer, the mobile user gets to know about the exact location of the product or service he or she might be interested in.
If the customer chooses to share the information with his or her friends online, you will be able to reach more customers with no extra effort from your side.
4. SMS is Short, Personal and Interactive
The best thing about SMS marketing is that is gives that personal touch to marketing. Users will be more willing to receive SMS’ rather than phone calls, as the messages are usually very short and to-the-point. Telephone calls, on the other hand, can become long-drawn-out and an unnecessary, unwanted drag for the busy user.
An SMS questionnaire or poll can make it fun and interactive for the user, as it engages them with targeted content. Adding images, animation or video would make it even more interesting for them. Giving them a toll-free SMS reply option could become one more incentive for them to participate in your quiz, survey or poll.
5. Planning an SMS Campaign is Faster
Planning an SMS marketing campaign is much easier than traditional marketing. You can have a maximum of 160 characters in an SMS and hence, you do not have to make any elaborate plan to advertise your product. Hence, the whole process of planning and the deployment of messages to users becomes far more simplified than traditional advertising media.
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