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Mobile marketing

Mobile marketing is a multi-channel online marketing technique focused on reaching a specific audience on their smartphones, feature phones, tablets, or any other related devices through websites, E-mail, SMS and MMS, social media, or mobile applications. Mobile marketing can provide customers with time and location sensitive, personalized information that promotes goods, services, appointment reminders, and ideas. In a more theoretical manner, academic Andreas Kaplan defines mobile marketing as "any marketing activity conducted through a ubiquitous network to which consumers are constantly connected using a personal mobile device''

Definition and development

Mobile phones are practical, versatile and have already become an indispensable device for communication which is carried along almost around the clock. Smartphones, in particular, offer many different kinds of applications and fulfill further technical requirements. There are several mobile applications that provide mobile market research through smartphones. This is the basis to allow conducting empirical research studies. Besides, the number of mobile phones, smartphones, and PDAs is still growing: already in 2006, the number of worldwide mobile phone users exceeded the number of landline users. According to a study of PEW (Internet & American Life Projects), which examined more than 1000 internet leaders, -analysts and -executives, mobile devices will become the most often used instrument to connect to the internet by the year 2020. According to Pew Research’s Internet & American Life study in January 2014, 58% of adults in the US had a smartphone, up from 56% in May 2013. In other parts of the world, like Central and Latin America, many people never had a PC but they now have a smartphone. For instance in Chile, more than 85% of the participants of an online panel had a smartphone in 2014, whereas only around 60% had a desktop. For many people, the mobile phone is already a kind of "life-support tool”. Therefore, conducting surveys via mobile phones could possibly help to counteract the generally declining motivation of respondents, as many potential participants enjoy using this technical device. Particularly the very technology-savvy young target is difficult to reach by traditional media as compared to more modern media such as cell phones. Therefore, this medium is very appropriate to address this target group. Even if some respondents declare that they still prefer to answer web surveys through PCs, the proportions of panelists declaring that they prefer to answer through smartphones are clearly non-negligible anymore across many different countries

Survey on a mobile phone

SMS and MMS Marketing 

SMS, also known as “short messaging service,” really puts into context how personal mobile marketing can be because you are sending a message directly to a customer or potential customer’s personal device.

SMS and MMS are very powerful channels for mobile marketing. Over 3.6 billion people are able to receive SMS messages, and 90% of those messages are opened within three minutes (compared to 90 minutes for the average email). Consider:

• The open rate of SMS is 98% compared to 22% for emails.
• Text messages can be 8x more effective at engaging customers.
• Almost 50% of consumers in the U.S. make direct purchases after receiving an SMS-branded text.

It’s important to remember that marketing directly to mobile devices is more personal than targeting an audience through other channels. When reaching someone on a mobile device either through email, SMS, or MMS, you are reaching that person in his/her pocket or purse. Be personal, respectful, and clear:

• Keep the text under 160 characters.
• Don’t use slang or abbreviations.
• Offer the recipient something of value.
• Make it clear who is sending the message.
• Craft a clear call-to-action.

A similar way to reach your audience on mobile devices is MMS or multimedia message service. The difference is that MMS is a multimedia message that can be sent peer-to-peer, from a mobile messaging service provider or from a website to a mobile phone. MMS messages can include text, photos, videos, audios, or GIFs. Expanded media options allow for a more branded message and create a better tie-in to other marketing campaigns.

Why should you use MMS marketing to reach your mobile audience?

• MMS texts have a higher customer engagement with a 15% average CTR (click-through-rate).
• MMS increases campaign opt-ins by 20% over SMS.
• Subscribers are eight times more likely to share MMS content on social networks.

Because MMS offers a richer media experience than simple SMS messaging, you should make the most of those extra media options:

• Include engaging visuals.
• Tie the MMS send to a multi-channel marketing campaign.
• Make the message easily shareable via social media buttons.

It’s important to take privacy regulations into consideration with SMS and MMS marketing. Because these messages are considered automated calls, they fall under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. That means there are three privacy principles that should govern how you implement SMS and MMS into your marketing:

• Adequate notice—You should inform consumers that they will be receiving SMS messages from a concrete shortcode-based program.
• Opt-in consent—You must get opt-in confirmation before sending marketing SMS and MMS messages. Online forms to enter your SMS or MMS program requires a double opt-in.
• Opting out—It should be very clear how someone can opt-out of your program.

SMS and MMS are very personal, and thus very powerful, mobile marketing options. Make sure to handle them with tact and detailed strategy.