The Marketers Guide To Taking Down The Mobile Monster

by Ashley Haugen

@AshleyKaia

It's true, mobile marketing can be a monster. When done "right" it plays very nice; increasing brand loyalty, driving new sales and bolstering ROI. When handled poorly it is intimidating, all-consuming, unstable and elusive. Mobile marketing can be as much of an enigma as it is a necessity for today's marketers.

And believe me, it is a necessity in today's smartphone and tablet driven world. “Mobile is experiencing explosive growth and is a new and exciting way to reach consumers at the moment when their intent to purchase is strongest,” said Wilson Kerr, vice president of business development and sales at Unbound Commerce, Boston. With smartphone adoption projected to grow to 68% by 2015 (Javelin), and with a projected 1/3 of US online consumers owning a tablet by 2015 (Forrester), we are well on our way to becoming a mobile-centric society.

Unfortunately, many campaigns may not get the expected click-throughs or opt-ins they initially anticipated. So how do you tame the beast? There is much you can do to revive a campaign after taking a critical eye to refresh and review an idea.

A lot of mobile marketing is testing to see what works and what does not. A simple re-wording of the Call-to-Action, or more obvious scroll bar can make a ton of difference for your mobile initiatives. “Just because one campaign is not getting the proper amount of lift does not mean that the mobile application itself is a failure," said Mr. Kerr. "It simply means a different approach should be taken."

It is also important to keep your feet comfortably in your consumer's shoes. How easy is it for them to complete the action you are proposing? What kind of smartphones are they using? What are the primary functions of your mobile site (information, deals/coupons, games, etc.)? What do they want from your site?

We live in an "instant" world, and mobile users expect only the fastest results. Instant gratification is key. Think about targeting mobile ads using geo-specific data, for example sending exclusive deals to users in close proximity of your business.

Relevancy and incentive are crucial to a successful mobile campaign. Evaluate your strategy for every customer touch point: pre-shop, in-store and post-shop (especially comments on consumer-review sites and apps). Immediacy can coax a mobile monster into a mobile mascot.

Bottom line: Do your research, have a healthy test period, and don't be afraid to play around to find out what works.

Smartphone Usage Grows Across Most Income Levels

by @davesniadak

I've always advocated that simply having a smartphone doesn't necessarily make you smarter. However, according to the latest numbers from Nielsen more people are at least investing in the idea.

January Smartphone Penetration numbers were released earlier this week, and there appears to be a direct connection between age and income when it comes to smartphone consumption. According to Nielsen's findings, which polled 20,000 mobile products users, overall smartphone penetration is up to 48% of mobile consumers. That's up from a comScore poll that had smartphone saturation at around 40% in September of 2011.

When we dive deeper into the demographic findings, the marketing world's idyllic bracket - the Ages 25-34 category - 2 out of every 3 mobile user has a smartphone. Compare that with income, and 25-34'ers that earn over $100,000 a year, 8 out of 10 users who acquired a new mobile device in the past three months had chosen smartphones. However, Nielsen's data also shows that 50% of consumers that fall in the 18-24 age bracket and make less than $15,000 per year have smart phones as well. One reason for the recent spike in usage could be Apple's record 37-million new iPhones that hit the market in Q4 of 2011.

So, why does this kind of information matter? It's vitally important for marketers to consider when exploring ways to reach out to consumers. The customers with money tend to have the tools that keep them connected, but yet, the younger millennial generation on the rise are spending their hard earned cash to stay connected as well. Mobile outreach needs to be a major part of any public relations, marketing, or publicity campaign.

Mobile Marketing is a Must

by Mike Reiber

The mobile and social media marketing juggernaut continues. PQ Media reports that the market grew at a compounded rate of 28.7% per year from 2006-2011. The revenues charted include consumer and business access, content, advertising and marketing. No surprise, right? What's more interesting is some of the information at the end of the report. Consider these facts:

1.) The average American over the age of 12 years spent more than 100 hours in 2011 accessing content on wireless devices.
2.) There are more than 285 million mobile phones in operation in the U.S.  Of these, 60% are in the business sector; however, consumers are expected to make up the majority of smart phone use by 2016.
3.) There are more than 36 million tablets and e-readers in operation in the U.S.  Of these, 60% are for consumer use. 

Upshot?  Mobile marketing needs to be in your marketing communications mix.  Ask your customers how they are using smart phones and tablets. Ask them how they would like to interact with your company.  Challenge your vendors and internal staff to develop strategies and content that will help your company harness the growing smart phone and tablet market.  Revisit the strategies and content with your customers.  Ask for their feedback.