Mobile Marketing is the use of the mobile medium as a communications and entertainment channel between a brand and an end-user.
Mobile marketing is a new addition to the media mix, with great opportunities for direct interaction with customers and cost-effective data collection. Mobile marketing is the only personal channel enabling spontaneous, direct, interactive and/or targeted communications, any time, any place.
Mobile Marketing Applications
Mobile Marketing can be used in number of ways. Some examples are listed below:
Mobile Marketing Benefits
Mobile Marketing on its own or as a part of a media mix has several unique benefits as follows:
Mobile Marketing – how does it work?
There are several options to communicate and engage with the consumer. See below:
Push to the consumer
The simplest model is to get a list of numbers (preferably profiled) and send a message to them. Simple. Get a target list, create the message you want to communicate and deliver the message as an SMS. You push your message to the target audience. Costs involved are the costs of the lists (you may have your own lists) plus the costs for sending the message.
Pull from the consumer
It is possible to invite the target audience to communicate to you – you advertise a long code or short code (explained later in the document) – basically a number where people text you – ideal if you want consumers to register their interest – whatever you receive from people – is available to use for analysis and/or for further targeting.
Push-Pull combination
Cool stuff – you know who to go after – communicate with them through text messaging – excite them enough to respond to you – the responses which come – you can act upon as per the demands of the campaign. A good way to communicate your ideas to a predefined audience – the really interested one – seek you.
Pull-Push combination
Interesting – you don’t know whom to target or your needs are too generic – just advertise a long code or a short code on other media like print, TV etc. – when people show interest, you respond to them in a predefined and automated way. A good way for you to give additional information to people who are interested.
Mobile Marketing jargon made simple
Short Code – It is typically a 4 digit number which is accessible by subscribers of any mobile operator. Used where the recall value is important. Used for encouraging pull from the consumers. Is expensive than the long code.
Long code – A usual mobile number (maybe real or virtual) – works across all operators but cheaper than the Short Code. Has lower recall but potential for high usage in a closed user environment e.g. to interact with members of a loyalty card scheme.
Some examples of campaigns run by service providers such as ValueFirst Messaging Private Limited (http://www.vfirst.com) are:
Text Voting
Voting is an exciting way to engage your audience and let them have their say. Newspapers, magazine and television are prime examples.
Instant Win
Through print/radio, you can invite consumers to interact with you where they are offered an opportunity of an instant win.
Timed Vouchers
You can send reward vouchers as text messages to consumers to increase the footfall.
Feedback collection
Using our technology, you can invite consumers to provide feedback/opinion through a text message.
Fun/Interactivity
You can do an on-pack promotion which displays a number where the consumer can send text messages to play games/win rewards.
Conclusion
Mobile marketing is a new addition to the media mix, with great opportunities for direct interaction with customers and cost-effective data collection. Leading brands have adopted this medium and the number of companies actively using mobile marketing in their marketing strategies is growing rapidly.
Selecting a mobile marketing service provider that understands the medium as well your requirements is the key to success. Ideally, service provider should provide software applications and access to its infrastructure with detailed MIS for post-campaign analysis
This article has been contributed by Mr. Vijay Shukla Vijay has over 8 years of industry experience in management consulting and providing innovative services and applications around mobile data services for large enterprise. The above article represents personal views of the author. He can be contacted at vijayshukla@yahoo.com
