Mobile marketing tips and success stories

Marketing campaigns are designed to support and propel your business strategy. Brand recognition, customer loyalty and consumer reach are achieved through several mediums: direct mailings, print ads, sponsorships, discounts, promotions…the list goes on. And if you haven’t already, you must also consider mobile marketing.

Mobile messages are immediate and specific to the recipient. Mobile advertisements not only reach targeted audiences instantly, but it also provides you, the business owner, permission to gather client emails, demographics, shopping habits, desires – all with the tap of a finger.

Mobile marketing tools and tips

Traditional mobile customer outreach includes banner text messages announcing timely incentives and discounts. Links on social media site such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest provide access to thousands of sites for those on the run and those simply killing time on their train ride home while browsing the internet. The goal: brand recognition and accessibility.

Enter now: interactive mobile marketing. FourSquare and Gowalla allow consumers to seek out and “check-in” at various venues and establishments. Each can be linked to social media, announcing their arrivals to online friends. As well, they provide instant coupons and discounts to loyal customers. QR codes give quick scan options to pull up company websites. Constant Contact just announced its new “Scan-to-Join” feature that allows small businesses to continuously build their client email lists through the use of QR codes. The goal: customer loyalty and targeted audience outreach.

Success stories in the mobile world

Industries from national retail and small businesses to sports teams and pharmacies are gaining brand recognition and driving sales profits up.

	The Miami Dolphins launched a major mobile marketing initiative in 2011, resulting in a 300 percent increase in mobile subscribers. Posting scores and seats, offering text-to-win promotions and conducting online interviews via text message questions from fans also lead to increased sponsorship.
	Small business are also benefiting from mobile ads. Smile Designer, a dental practice in Arlington, Virginia, uses mobile campaigns to reach their customers anytime, anywhere. Click-to-call features increased their new patient calls. The click-through rate (CTR) of their mobile links increased by 74 percent.
	Route 66 Harley-Davidson dealership expanded their social media initiatives to increase membership and offer special promotions to members. Their promotion provided 20% discounts on specific merchandise for 12 days during December 2011. Sales increased among several lines of merchandise, including a 16% increase in leather jackets and a 250% increase in T-shirt sales. Despite also using traditional marketing strategies such as radio and print ads, 35% of their customers came to them via mobile marketing.
	Walgreens and FourSquare have teamed up to provide in-store coupons and instant deals. Walgreens already hosts a famous mobile coupon app, which received half a million downloads in the month of December alone. Consumers simply check in with the FourSquare app, and download the deal instantly.

Last year, we also posted a blog listing QR code campaign examples. So, what do you think? Is mobile marketing something you want to add to your own marketing mix? What are your goals this year? Whatever they are, mobile marketing just may be your answer.