Interruption, Irrelevance and Other Habits to Avoid in Mobile

Mobile marketing is like the game Operation. If you’re spot-on, you make a vital connection with your consumer. If you miss, even by a little, the buzzer goes off, your customer lights up and you lose, not only for this transaction, but maybe for the life of the consumer.

While sitting at home for dinner recently, I got an alert on my phone from my American Express App telling me I’m right near an Italian restaurant in town. Naturally, I think, “why does American Express care? I’m already a loyal customer to their cards.” But I move on and decide to turn off that function. Well, after ten minutes of searching in notifications and other settings, I come to the conclusion that there is no way to turn off the notice. The difficulty in opting out coupled with the fact that I never said I wanted them to notify me could only lead to one thing: I deleted the app.

With mobile usage at an all time high, stories like this one are happening every day, making it a tricky channel for marketers and increasing the need to get it right when it comes to mobile engagement. Here are some questions to ask yourself while you’re developing your mobile strategy:

Did the customer ask to be notified? Whether it’s through an opt-in or an app download, make sure you’re reaching out to customers who are eager to hear from you.

Is my message relevant for that consumer/persona? Using data to drive your messaging will help you hit the target in a timely, meaningful way. A message about a nearby restaurant is less impactful when I’m at home than if I’m at a meeting across town just before lunchtime.

Is there a way within the notification or via text to turn off or limit notifications? If you’re successfully optimizing the mobile channel, it’s not likely customers will want to silence you but customers like to be in control, especially in a space as personal as mobile, so give them some freedom to decide how often they want to hear from you.

Are you creeping out your customers? Beware of automation! Does your offer make sense? Is it well-timed? Mobile is sacred ground for consumers. Tread lightly.

Marketers are scrambling to establish best practices for mobile, particularly when it comes to loyalty. This is a prominent channel but with high risk attached to it. That is, if you’re going to ping customers in the most present, targeted way to reach them, your messaging better be spot on and, most of all, of value to them. And moreover, the consumer needs to feel in control of the engagement process.

Without a carefully thought out strategy that is segmented based on the consumer type, lifestyle, and their technology adoption, more firms are going to find their apps being deleted.  The result? Creating more distance between the consumer and the brand in a space that has the potential to greatly increase engagement.

Article Source: http://www.plurismarketing.com/interruption-irrelevance-and-other-habits-to-avoid-in-mobile/

The Digital Marketing Trio of 2013 [INFOGRAPHIC]

When we talk about digital marketing, it’s not just social network marketing, this infographic suggests. Digital marketing also includes mobile marketing and content marketing.

If people who have been following Social Barrel and our articles have not been entirely convinced that social network marketing is something that needs to be given attention too in today’s digital marketing, let us give you more reasons.

As noted by this infographic, social media produces almost twice the marketing leads that trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail, or PPC do.

Furthermore, social media conversion rates are 13 percent higher than average lead conversion rates.

According to the infographic, 46 percent of online users rely on social media when making purchase decisions. In addition to this, 63 percent of companies say posting valuale content on social media has increased marketing effectiveness.

Nonetheless, social media marketing is only one of the facets of digital marketing in 2013 as suggested by the infographic. Learn more, but more importantly, take action after reading the digital marketing infographic below from SlickText.

Article Source: http://socialbarrel.com/the-digital-marketing-trio-of-2013-infographic/51687/

Mobile and Synergy

Most small businesses can’t seem to see the big picture when it comes to advertising. They don’t have a clear goal in mind, and they focus on so many different components it’s hard for them to see what they want their end result to be.

It’s important that these businesses have a synergy to their marketing strategy. Keeping marketing plans alive takes more than advertising dollars – it takes a loyal customer base, energy, focus and patience.

So how can businesses engage with their customers, even after an advertising campaign is completed? The answer is mobile.

Nearly everyone these days has a mobile phone. Many of their phones are ‘smartphones,’ bringing the internet, email and text messaging to their fingertips – anywhere in the world. Technologically-savvy customers need technologically-savvy businesses to keep up.

Mobile brings synergy to a marketing campaign: it can maximize advertising budgets and build a sustainable long term relationship with customers. Customers can respond to an immediate call to action through mobile means. They become a loyal customer base through their technology, which keeps them connected to you, the business. The ability to quickly notify customers of a last-minute sale on a slow day or let them know about upcoming events can mean the difference between scraping by and making some serious money.

With a short term advertising campaign, you only get engaged customers for so long. However, if you add a mobile campaign to your currently existing advertising campaign, those engaged customers will join your loyal database. Each and every time a short term advertising campaign is completed, your loyal mobile database will increase – leading to a long term engagement from those customers.

Imagine this concept with a print campaign. You make posters or flyers, and you put a call to action on those items. The customer who sees these advertisements can opt-in with their mobile phone and enter into your database. The print advertisements will eventually be thrown away or discarded, but that customer is still in your database. That means the next time you have a sale, you can let these customers know through text messages and they’ll feel like an insider. You’ve made the customer happy, and the customer will come back to your store to purchase merchandise, which means you see a larger return on your investment in advertising dollars.

So what do these mobile campaigns require? They take an investment coupled with the ability to budget and plan for success. They need someone dedicated to making more money than is being spent, and supplementing advertising campaigns. They need someone who has the patience to refine the process and learn as they go. They need someone who’s serious about their business, and getting the most out of it they can.

Mobile can bring all of these things together, and it’s so important to make sure your investments are paying off. Making sure all aspects of your marketing campaigns are working well together will ensure there’s nothing going to waste.

Mobile Marketing Campaigns – Legalities and Realities

There has never been a better time for businesses that engage in digital marketing to invest in the mobile marketing space.  For those that wish that they implemented “opt-in” databases and SMS text message marketing campaigns last year, it is not too late.  In fact, the percentage of Americans who own smartphones is steadily increasing and now is the time to develop a business strategy that includes mobile marketing campaigns.

Mobile marketing is evolving at a staggering rate.  From a legal perspective, the “opt-in” nature of mobile marketing translates into the knowledge that consumers have already consented to receiving certain commercial marketing communications.  For those businesses that wish to implement mobile marketing campaigns, an experienced mobile marketing lawyer should be consulted to explain how best to comply with the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and Mobile Marketing Association (“MMA”) guidelines.

The MMA offers best-practice guidelines for mobile content services.  As a general rule, when promoting programs via mobile phones, content providers should ensure all material clearly indicates whether the service is a “subscription.”  The program’s terms and conditions, the pricing information, additional fees, the subscription term and billing interval also must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed.

In August 2004, the FCC voted to amend the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 to outlaw all commercial e-mail messages to mobile phones and pagers, unless the device owner has given express prior authorization. The ban does not cover “transactional or relationship” messages, or notices to facilitate a transaction already entered into with a customer.  All authorized transactional or relationship messages must still comply with CAN-SPAM requirements. Consumers must be allowed to “opt-out” of receiving future messages the same way they “opted-in” and senders have 10 days to honor opt-out requests.  For programs charging a subscriber a standard rate for text messaging, only a single “opt-in” is required.  This single “opt-in” only applies to the specific program to which a customer subscribed and may not be construed as approval to market other products or services to the customer.  However, for ”premium rate” programs, a double “opt-in” verification and consent is required.  Where the premium service is a subscription service, the double “opt-in” must include identification of the service as a subscription and the billing interval.  In addition, prior to renewal of the service (or at least once a month) a renewal message must be sent to the subscriber.

Mobile marketing SMS and premium SMS sweepstakes promotions are also gaining in popularity.  There are three elements to an illegal lottery: (1) consideration or entry fee, (2) prize, and (3) chance.  In order to operate a valid sweepstakes in the United States, it is necessary to eliminate one of these elements.  Generally, operators eliminate the consideration element.  Where entry into a mobile sweepstakes is via premium SMS, you must allow for a free alternative method of entry.  There are numerous legal issues that surround what a “free” method of entry truly is.  Typically, this is accomplished by either providing a toll-free number for entry or by allowing free entry via a Web site.  Individuals entering the sweepstakes via the designated “free” method must be given the same opportunities to win as those individuals who enter via premium SMS.  In addition, marketers must provide the complete official contest rules prior to the potential entrant’s submission of an entry.  Contest rules should be reviewed by an experienced online promotions attorney because once a sweepstakes is commenced, the rules for that contest may not be modified until the conclusion of the contest period.  Regardless of the method of entry, states such as Florida, New York and Rhode Island require bonding or registration of the sweepstakes in the event that the aggregate prize value exceeds a particular threshold.

Experienced legal counsel can assist your progressive mobile marketing campaign(s) to comply with evolving local, state, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to legal disclosures, privacy, and data collection.  The unprecedented financial benefits of implementing a mobile marketing campaign necessarily come with risks.  Hinch Newman LLP is committed to ensuring the  growth and vitality of your advertising and promotional endeavors.  The firm will assist you to successfully navigate the legal landmines that could otherwise lead to government and regulatory investigations, or costly litigation.

Article Source: http://www.hinchnewman.com/internet-law-blog/2010/12/mobile-marketing-campaigns-legalities-and-realities/

New Mega-Trends in Mobile Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]

New report also looks at the best practices being applied to mobile marketing.

Digital security firm Gemalto has produced a new infographic detailing the new mega-trends and best practices taking place in the mobile marketing ecosystem.

The infographic looks at the best practices that companies should take when it comes to customer interactions, whilst also emphasising the importance of text messaging as a key channel through which companies can make direct and personal communications with consumers.

Designed to show how companies, brands and mobile operators can harness mobile phones to ensure continuous customer touch and interaction, the infographic also delves into how they can enable more conversational and contextual marketing and commerce.

Please see the infographic in full below.

Article Source: http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/infographic-new-mega-trends-in-mobile-marketing/021360

What Drives Social Media Searches and Engagement? [INFOGRAPHIC]

As it turns out, social media and search go hand-in-hand.

From Facebook and Twitter, to Pinterest and MySpace (yes, it still exists), social media users are often on the search for… something.

For marketers, understanding the searches that lead to improved engagement is critical. To that end, Azntaiji Multimedia and SocialRadius have produced a new infographic highlighting exactly what so many of us are searching for.

Article Source: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/infographic-what-drives-social-media-searches-and-engagement-32547/

Using Mobile Marketing To Improve Your Business’s Visibility

Mobile marketing is a new way to reach a massive audience. Take some time to get to know more about how you can use mobile marketing by reading the pointers below.

When you consider what to include on your mobile page, remember that it’s important to say as much as you can with as little copy as possible. Mobile device screens are small, so droning on and on about a product just to get more keywords in is annoying to readers. Mobile marketing requires you to stick rigidly to the focus of the topic in a concise, yet thorough, manner.

TIP! Put your customers first. Understanding the wants and goals of your customers is the basic premise of mobile marketing.

Create a mission statement in tune to your purpose on how you can stay on track when doing social mobile marketing. If you have a clear definition of your principles, it’s easier to create a marketing plan that fits them.

You can gain an advantage by keeping an eye on what your competitors have been doing. You need to be discernible from the competition.

You need to have a home base if you are developing a mobile platform that will stand alone. You should want people to visit your webpage or keep them coming back to it. Do not ever base everything completely on a mobile marketing campaign.

TIP! Keep mobile marketing content messages brief and to the point. Make sure the messages you send can be absorbed quickly and understood by your customers.

Keep in mind that there can be different levels of mobile customers because of various outside influences; also note that once the entire market changes then customer base changes as well. Changes in technology can have a dramatic effect on your business, so stay up to date on all of the latest advances in technology.

Almost everyone is familiar with the idea of offering free apps, but not everyone understands just how easy it can be to develop one that meets the needs of your business. By offering visitors your own custom-made apps, you could significantly increase the success of your mobile marketing plan. There are many choices to make about app features; the possibilities are endless.

The most successful mobile marketers at some point started small, and over time implemented bigger and better strategies. This should be your strategy as well. Begin with simple texts and calls, then expand your campaign to include things like video content and social networking. Try everything you can to reach potential customers.

TIP! Use a mobile marketing strategy that keeps you visible and relevant. If you wish to stay competitive then be up to date with new technology and releases on a daily or weekly basis.

Although lots of people use their phones for Internet text, not all know the different kinds of abbreviations used online. If a person can’t understand your ad, you might lose a customer.

Allow message recipients to leave feedback about your mobile marketing communications. This offers an excellent opportunity to connect more effectively and interact with your customers. You may have people not being as receptive as you would like, but keep in mind that any information from a consumer should be treated as valuable input.

Cross-platform compatibility is essential in attracting more customers when taking on a mobile marketing campaign. If not, you risk losing customers due to technical problems.

TIP! Avoid sending messages to people at inconvenient hours of the day. Even though a person may like what you have to offer, nobody wants to hear about it at ridiculous hours.

Keep in mind that mobile users have a more difficult time navigating webpages. Your mobile marketing proposal should be simple, and if it is simple on a computer, those using a mobile device will have an easy time viewing it.

Split test the mobile capabilities your site. Testing is as essential to the mobile world as it is on traditional websites because this lets you see what works. The better of the two trial pages you create, as deemed by its success, should be your final choice, no matter how emotionally invested you may be in the other. Then use the one that gets the most conversions.

If texting is part of your mobile marketing plan, clearly disclose how often you intend to text your subscribers before they subscribe. It is very easy to screw up an SMS strategy because of how it notifies consumers. It can seem like you are being pushy. Therefore, make sure that only your opt-in customers receive your SMS texts, and never send more than the maximum number of messages specified in the opt-in terms. This is a great way to build up your brand loyalty.

Mobile Devices

Your mobile website should include maps and directions that are easy to use with a mobile device. There are a lot of people that rely on mobile devices for getting navigational directions. Create an easy way for your customers to reach you. Check that the maps and directions you provide display well on different mobile devices and work properly with mobile searches. Consider using an external link to a known site, like Google maps, for your customers.

As a method of enticing customers and expanding your branding, try QR codes. Your customers can use your QR codes to instantly access special promotions and discounts. All they need to use your QR codes is a cell phone. QR codes make it easier to market your products to your customers in a quick way with information they can use.

TIP! When delving in mobile marketing, you need to understand the basics of mobile devices in order to have your site and ads set up correctly. Conduct extensive research on the most popular mobile devices; this allows you to see things from your target market’s point of view.

Have relevant content. It’s easy to go overboard when entering the mobile marketing arena. Be sure your messages have a purpose. Approach things from your customers’ perspective and send out messages they would judge as interesting. Fill the needs and wants of your customers to ensure that they stick with you and continue to buy your products.

Promote your new mobile marketing campaign as a means of gaining access to exclusive offers and special savings. Advertise your deals on a host of different platforms to reach a wider audience. If people truly believe that your mobile campaign will help them, there is a good chance they’ll sign up. Let them know it will be fun and they will be better informed.

You can always improve your advertising. Be sure to look at the competition and see what is proving effective for them. Use the advertising tips discussed here to gain a competitive edge in your market arena.

Article source: http://bobsmlmblog.com/index.php/using-mobile-marketing-to-improve-your-businesss-visibility-5/

The State of Mobile Content Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]

With all the technology that is now available, content is being consumed in many different ways and on many different devices. While desktops and tablets are big players in the game, mobile devices seem to have a big influence on click through rates and browsing. In 2013, mobile content marketing will generate a large return on investment if done properly.

We gathered research from our corporate blogging platform client, Compendium, and email marketing software client, ExactTarget, to show the impact of mobile marketing over the past couple of years and what is yet to come. When all the data was put together, there were some startling findings:

• Open rates on mobile devices have increased by 300% from October 2010 to October 2012.
• Mobile email creates twice as many conversions as social activities or search.
• Mobile may not mean “on the go.” 51% of US mobile users browse, search, and purchase on mobile devices at home.
• Web visits on a mobile or tablet device are highest on Thursday at 15.7%.
• SMS marketing messaging is becoming more popular, with 31.2% of agencies using this tactic to increase click through.

What is the state of mobile content marketing? Get in the game, or lose the opportunity for click throughs, conversions, and engagement.

Article Source:
http://www.marketingtechblog.com/mobile-content-marketing-infographic/#ixzz2PtYc112e

How Mobile Marketing Can Help Your Business

You may have seen the statistics – one study claims that more than 80% of small businesses that invest in mobile marketing see increased business as a result – but how can you go about capturing some of those gains yourself?

Small Business Computing recently looked at a few companies that are engaged in mobile marketing to find out.

Ron’s Auto Repair Center of Ames, Iowa, uses Yodle, a service that helps small businesses with mobile-optimized websites, listings on Google, Yahoo and Bing maps, and paid-search services across multiple desktop and mobile outlets. The service doesn’t require much sophistication to use. Using a unique tracking number, Ron’s Auto Repair can tell where calls come from and see how many of them are a direct result of online and mobile marketing spending. The service has so far been worth about $9,000 in new sales a month, the business estimates.

Rok Bistro of Sunnyvale, Calif., uses FanMinder to send out marketing messages to all channels, including Twitter, email, texts and Facebook. Mobile coupons have turned out to be a good marketing tool for Rok Bistro. The coupons, which are trackable through FanMinder, allow the restaurant to see how many people click on the offer and redeem it at the restaurant. When a customer shows the server a coupon on his or her mobile device, the server simply clicks a button to redeem it.  In the restaurant, customers can also scan QR codes or send a text message to get an immediate discount and sign up for the Rok Bistro mailing list.

At a minimum, all businesses should have a mobile-optimized website, and make your website mobile-friendly by placing your location and contact information in a prominent place. Clarity, simplicity and speed matter most for mobile users, so make sure it’s clear what you do and how you can help customers. And monitor mentions of your business on Yelp and other sites that can influence consumers.

Adapted from Small Business Mobile Marketing Strategies That Work by Vangie Beal at Small Business Computing. Follow Small Business Computing on Twitter.

Read more:
http://business.time.com/2013/03/26/how-mobile-marketing-can-help-your-business/#ixzz2PEMMdb94

Article source: http://business.time.com/2013/03/26/how-mobile-marketing-can-help-your-business/

Mobile & Loyalty Programs [INFOGRAPHIC]

This infographic from Chadwick Martin Bailey illustrates the potential of loyalty programs coupled with mobile wallets.

Article Source: http://trends.e-strategyblog.com/2013/03/20/mobile-loyalty-programs-infographic/9607