Data from eMarketer shows that adults 18+ are spending more time on mobile devices than listening to the radio, reading print articles (newspapers and magazines), and now even more time than on the web!
The growing number of users on mobile devices is presenting business with a slew of marketing opportunities and challenges. Mobile Marketer cites personalization as one of the challenge facing marketers while 360i lists device fragmentation and cost as another hurdle to overcome.
One thing is clear from looking at our own clients: to be successful in mobile marketing, business must leverage both SMS and email to engage audiences and drive awareness, which opens a new avenue for business growth.
Consumers use their mobile devices to stay in contact with friends, family members, and colleagues – so what better medium to interact than Through SMS and email?
Both have the potential for personalization, are extremely cost effective, and can work in tandem if done right. For example, businesses can use existing email lists to drive mobile opt-ins, which are of far higher value than an email only list.
SMS Marketing: Meet your Audience Right Where They Are
SMS marketing is incomplete without a valuable offer within the message. First, let’s look at how mobile coupons can drive SMS marketing success.
The latest research shows that 90% of SMS messages are read within three minutes of delivery, and by including mobile coupons in these messages, business can realize a higher conversion rate than traditional coupons, with a 10 times higher redemption rate. Furthermore, mobile coupons sent via SMS can be easily ‘clipped’ to mobile devices, ready to be redeemed at the point-of-sale, driving higher cart sizes, and average order values.
Optimize User Experience and Engagement through SMS Communication
According to a survey by MGI Research, 89 percent of enterprises said user experience was the most critical mobile marketing development concern. Customer engagement, brand value and better user experience are all cited as key performance issues for mobile engagement. By delivering engaging and gamified promotional offers via SMS – rather than just text messages – business can be sure people are actively engaged in the content they’re receiving.
SMS marketing is best used for short, time and location sensitive communications; everything from timed coupons to gamified offers to remind them of last minute sales alerts.
Email Marketing with The Power of Mobile
The use of email marketing – while different from SMS marketing – shares important similarities that complement SMS marketing.
Email marketing campaigns invariably have web links that require mobile users to launch a browser to visit a website. Having mobile optimized landing pages, therefore, is paramount to any email marketing success.
In addition, existing email lists are often the cheapest source for acquiring mobile opt-in customers. Why opt-in email lists to SMS loyalty lists? Consumers are saturated with marketing emails. The opposite is true for SMS marketing, as it has shown to have superior open and response rates. SMS is also perceived to be a much more personal medium of communication. Any consumer opting into an SMS marketing list, after having been on an email list, is signaling their loyalty and affinity towards a given brand.