Retailers Continue to Use Mobile Marketing to Boost Sales

Mobile marketing continues to be a strong field in retail marketing. Whether allowing consumers to access information and make purchases on the fly, becoming an industry resource, or simply entertaining a target market, the mobile platform is a relatively inexpensive way to reach more people, faster.

It should be said: Mobile marketing has really gone beyond mobile phones and now includes mobile computing and applications. The iPad only re-kindled mass interest in portable tablets.

Mobile marketing can include:

SMS text messaging
Custom applications
Application banner advertising
Mobile-friendly browser display
Mobile social media engagement (example: FourSquare)

The challenge lies in creating mobile campaigns that work. You could be using effective channels but if your market isn’t targeted, the interface isn’t intuitive, or the content is bad, you won’t get the desired results.

What makes mobile marketing particularly interesting now is how mobile devices, eCommerce, and social networks are becoming more integrated each day. This poses new challenge for mobile marketing but at the same time makes it more effective. (More on this here: Mobile Marketing: The information business owners need)

The proliferation of cheap mobile devices, from phones to hand-held computing devices, has really made mobile marketing even more effective. The mobile user demographics are developing and shifting daily.

Mobile Content Usage 3 Month Avg. Ending May 2010 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Feb. 2010 Total U.S. Age 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens
	Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers
	Feb-10	May-10	Point Change
Total Mobile Subscribers	100.0%	100.0%	N/A
Sent text message to another phone	63.8%	65.2%	1.4
Used browser	29.6%	31.9%	2.3
Used downloaded apps	27.9%	30.0%	2.1
Played games	21.8%	22.5%	0.7
Accessed social networking site or blog	18.2%	20.8%	2.6
Listened to music on mobile phone	13.1%	14.3%	1.2

Source: comScore Reports May 2010 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share

Now that there are more and more communication tools available, it is important to be creative and focused. Many campaigns are now interactive and require the greater participation of the company representative as well as the public.

“Bravo TV Markets Shows and Personalities – Bravo offered Foursquare user “badges and special prizes when viewers visit more than 500 Bravo locations. The locations will be picked by Bravo to correspond with select Bravo shows including The Real Housewives, The Millionaire Matchmaker, Top Chef, Kell on Earth, Top Chef Masters and Shear Genius.”
Why It Is Unique: Extending the relationship with a TV show and characters”

Source and more case social location-based case studies here

Further, it crosses the bridge between “consumer” and “actively engaged consumer.”

How has your company “gone mobile”? If you haven’t yet, what tools are you (as a consumer) already using?

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