There is no question that the hottest marketing tool today is mobile -- both apps and mobile websites. Sales of smartphones remain brisk, and nearly a third of all internet users have a smartphone. According to Morgan Stanley, smartphone sales will surpass feature phones in 2011.
Consumers are using their smartphones for a lot more than just communicating (phone, text, email) and reading content; they are using them as full-blown shopping tools, ideal for searching for deals and making purchases on the go. A recent study by Adobe found that 62 percent of mobile device users had purchased a variety of goods and services from their phone such as music, movies, apparel, books, groceries, and computer equipment.
Stay informed. For more insights into the latest trends in emerging marketing technologies, attend the iMedia Breakthrough Summit, March 20-23.
Request your invitation today.
Mobile marketing has two critical advantages that other media lack -- the immediacy of the device and the user's sense of attachment to his or her smartphone. Users can act on a smartphone-friendly discount or app in real time with few to no middlemen. Also, because users always carry their smartphones, they have developed a sense of attachment to the phone and tend to trust content delivered there. Getting a piece of real estate on their phones via an app or mobile coupon is akin to landing -- and buying -- Boardwalk and Park Place in a tie-breaking round of Monopoly.
Until now, mobile marketers have focused almost exclusively on loyalty programs for their existing customers. With such a marked proliferation of smartphones, they can now employ tactics to drive new customer acquisition. Here are four:
Tap into an existing platform
A mobile marketing program built around an existing geolocation platform such as Foursquare and Facebook Places allows users to "check in" to your product or store. Pepsi and Safeway created a program that offers rewards and discounts to customers who check into Vons (owned by Safeway) and purchase products from Pepsi. Starbucks also created a program using Facebook Places, called Starbucks Check In. This application rewards users with sharable virtual treats for checking in to Starbucks locations and tagging friends. The unexpected rewards and discounts can provide the additional motivation needed to urge a consumer to try new products.
Mobile coupons and quick response (QR) bar codes
Mobile coupons are an easy and traceable way to encourage new customers to try a product or visit a location. The coupon or coupon code is sent directly to a smartphone and downloaded, after which the consumer presents the phone to the cashier. Mobile coupons appeal especially to the younger demographic for which coupon clipping is passé. Quick response bar codes, or "tags," direct consumers to use their built-in phone camera to photograph a tag. After recognizing the product, the smartphone navigates to a landing page or special offer. Best Buy has placed tags throughout its stores that direct shoppers to product pages on their site for comparison shopping, tech specs, and customer reviews. For full bar code capabilities, consumers need only to download a bar code reader app like NeoReader or AT&T Mobile Barcodes.
Make it social
An easy way to gain acceptance on the mobile scene is by using a social sign-in as an alternative registration for your site or app. Social sign-ins allow users to sign into your site via a familiar site like Google, Facebook, or Yahoo ID. Edge Research recently completed a study that shows that a social sign-in for online retailers and media/entertainment publishers leads to an increase in engagement and access to profile data for customization and targeting. It also facilitates sharing on social networking sites, which aids in the always lusted after viral marketing component.
Deal makers
New GPS-based deal companies are helping consumers find local deals with ease. Companies like I Am Hungry, Peekaboo in the Boston area, and Yelp (nationwide) allow users to find local mobile coupons. Mobile coupons are perhaps the least expensive way for businesses to generate new customers and take advantage of viral marketing. The hope is that savvy customers will spread news of the coupon on their social networks.
Mobile marketing is the next great frontier for talking to customers directly, without the filter of traditional media or advertising. By offering value to customers in the form of content, specials, and discounts, you can have customers beat a path to your door -- phone in hand.
Gordon Plutsky is the director of marketing and research at King Fish Media.
On Twitter? Follow iMedia at @iMediaTweet.
