If you’re on this site, you’ve probably heard of mobile marketing. But do you really know what it’s all about?
I was talking to someone at an event recently and I mentioned my work in mobile marketing. She thought it was about having a back-and-forth text message conversation with clients. But it’s really about broadcasting messages.
She didn’t understand the difference, so I used an example instead and she got it right away. The conversation went something like this…
Me: “What’s your favorite store?”
Her: Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Me: “Have you ever gotten one of their postcards in the mail with a 20% off coupon?”
Her: Yes.
Me: “Well let’s say the next time you’re driving by Bed, Bath & Beyond you think about stopping at the store, but you don’t have the coupon with you. You’d either have to shop without it or shop another day, right?”
Her: Yes
Me: “Now let’s say Bed, Bath & Beyond did mobile marketing and you signed up for it. You would get a text on your phone that said, ‘Get 20% off your next purchase with this mobile coupon.’ You could go to the store, show the cashier your cell phone with the text message and get the discount. You’d always have the coupon with you.”
Her: Oh! That’s a great idea! So how would that work for my business?
We get asked that question a lot. And the answer really depends on the type of business. But if you’re asking yourself that question, here are a few ideas.
Mobile marketing ideas for your business
• Offer discounts and giveaways to customers who sign up
• Run a text-to-win contest with a chance to win a prize
• Use it as your text-message business card (very powerful for public speakers)
• Announce sales, open houses, a grand opening, a show or event
• Create a customer loyalty program and offer special promotions
• Poll your customers a la American Idol (Ex: “Which wine do you buy most often from our store. Text merlot, pinot noir or cabernet to 65047 and get 15% off your next purchase.”)
• Alert customers when you get a new shipment or have a limited supply of product
The bottom line is if “Jane,” your loyal customer, visits your business more often because of your texts (say once a month instead of four times a year), you can increase sales. That leads to a happy customer and a happy business.
Image Source: Mobile Marketing Watch