Having just returned from the Mobile Marketing Forum in Singapore, I’m finding myself really excited about mobile. The technology is changing rapidly, the devices are becoming such an important part of our lives and for a marketer that means opportunity.
But whilst listening to some of the industry leaders from across the globe, I found myself wondering, which of my clients will use what was on offer? What of all of this can be applied to small business?
This embarrassingly so, had me thinking of the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (No judgements please). In the movie, the devil mentioned that fashion shows were the cutting edge and what was featured at a fashion show would be on the racks of department stores all over the world in 12 months (the reference was to Target I think).
Random anecdote I know but I couldn’t help but make the connection. Yes Augmented Reality is out of the reach of small business and besides, the benefit is not there yet anyway. Eventually this will be the future, maybe not 12 months from now but in the next few years.
So I’m not going to provide a wrap-up of all the new technologies and preach about the future, there will be plenty of people who will do that. What I will do is mine through my notes and experience, and provide you with a small business take from this magnificent event.
There were seven points that were consistent but still have relevance with small business.
1) SMS IS NOT DEAD
When the Director of International Media from Coca-Cola says that he’s number one mobile priority was SMS then you take notice and take notice everyone did. It seemed a revelation that someone of Gavin Mehrotra’s position would say such a thing, after all there were app developers, agencies dealing with augmented reality and more, and here’s one of the largest companies in the world talking about SMS.
The surprise was, well not a surprise, SMS was being heralded as being finished two years ago. But the advantages of SMS is clear. When you think about targeting smartphones you’re looking at some 30-40% of the population depending on where you’re from and of those iPhone will have a share, Android and Blackberry also. It’s a bit hit and miss really. But SMS, every mobile phone has SMS facilities.
For a marketer it is simple, it is effective. As a small business it is an affordable advertising and communication tool, given that it is used properly (see opt-in below).
2) YOU SHOULD PROBABLY THINK TWICE ABOUT MOBILE APPS
There is no doubt that there is a terrific opportunity available when it comes to mobile apps. I am not writing them off that’s for sure. But I am giving myself the task of putting a small business slant on the Forum and when the Director of International Media at Coca-Cola says they have failed many times with applications, then I would think twice as a small business.
You have to ask yourself, will there be enough interest in my app? What platform should I target? Android, iPhone or BlackBerry? Will I need to update the app to keep it relevant? Will my app stand out in the app stores above the other 600,000 or so?
Mobile applications will be risky and they’re going to leave you ignoring a large chunk of your customers, at least for now. So how much is it going to cost you? Is it really worth it? One speaker also made an important note that only 19% of mobile users use more than 8 apps per week, so think about Facebook, Twitter, etc will yours get used? You might even want to read a previous post of mine ‘Be Scared of the Guy Selling you a Mobile App‘.
3) THE MOBILE WEB SHOULD BE IN YOUR THINKING NOW
Some countries are already experiencing more web browsing via a mobile device than a PC. Please don’t ignore the country you’re in because many are saying that by 2013 or 2014 this fact will be the case across the globe, so get ready.
That same guy from Coca-Cola had the mobile web as his 2nd mobile priority. It is going to be important, more important and more immediate for some. Think restaurants, they really need to have a mobile friendly website, apparently 17.9% of restaurant based search results come from mobile devices. Any small business that customers want to find on the go should think about it now.
4) YOU MUST FOCUS ON THE CONSUMER & ENGAGE
Have you heard of BLYK? If not, don’t worry neither had I. Apparently BLYK is a big thing, particularly with the younger generation, the GEN Y’s otherwise known or referred to as the Digital Natives. The co-founder of this company Mr Antti Ohrling spoke at the Forum on targeting the youth market and it was really informative, a little strange but informative.
The eccentric-sounding Ohrling spoke about the need to allow your customers to be your brand advocates and allow them to build and develop your brand. It really struck a note with me. In this new age where Facebook, Twitter and Blogging is so prevalent, a conversation surrounding your brand can be undertaken by many and at any time of the day. You can either take these consumers out of the equation and to be honest make the mistake that too many small business owners make and market their brand to themselves or you can embrace these people and capitalise on the opportunity.
So if they want to communicate with their mobile then you should probably do it.
5) THEY MUST OPT-IN
This is in particular relevant for SMS and e-mail and going by just about every speaker at the MMA Forum it is super important. If not for marketing effectiveness, then for legal reasons. Doing this stuff without an individual’s permission is illegal.
The beauty of having a consumer opt-in to your brand is that it transcends advertising. You then engage in a conversation instead of broadcasting something.
6) GET CREATIVE
Google CEO Eric Schmidt was quoted by Andrew Knott as saying ‘More content is produced across the globe in just three days than was produced in history up until 2003′. So what does this mean? It means that we are trawling through that much information in newspapers, magazines, online, on our mobiles, billboards, street posters, stadium signage and so much more.
So how do you get your message out then? You get creative. It’s something that we speak regularly with our clients. You must make an impact with your message.
7) LEVERAGE MULTI PLATFORMS
Not one speaker from the MMA Forum mentioned that mobile should be your sole marketing activity. In fact, the key message was that it should be used in conjunction with other digital and traditional marketing.
As a small business what does this mean? Well hopefully you have your website and your Facebook page, now you integrate and use all three for the same campaign. For example, if you are a retailer running a simple Mother’s Day promotion, then you will have general promotion on your website, casual posting with more detailed info on your Facebook page and a tailored SMS campaign to your database (or mobile banner advertising).
The growth of the mobile is serious. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring it because it will make you look stupid. You may have ignored the opportunity of social media up until now but this is different, get serious about it.
Another speaker mentioned that we should all look at our own mobile habits, the habits of our partners and perhaps more importantly the mobile habits of the younger generation. Even sit back and think about where your mobile is now? Are you using it to read this post? Is it in your pocket? Beside you? Now isn’t that a better opportunity than a local newspaper advertisement.
Because I love stats, here are a few more pointers that I took away from the MMA Forum that should have you thinking about mobile marketing:
- 99% of all SMS are read and 90% are read within 3 minutes
- Mobile coupons return 5x - 25x better redemption
- Smartphone sales to pass computers in 2012
I would love to hear your feedback regarding mobile marketing for your small business, are you using SMS as a marketing tool? Have you tried banner advertising? Please post a comment below.