How Mobile Marketing is a Fundamental Component of Business Growth

Worldwide, over 24.91 billion US dollars were spent on mobile advertising and that number is expected to reach a whopping 59.67 billion in 2017. Companies are investing millions into their mobile advertising budgets.

But mobile advertisements are just one side of a multifaceted coin. Text message marketing is another very clever way of connecting with your customers and making sure that your message goes through.

Statistics also show a whopping 394% increase in smartphone usage and a 1,721% increase in tablet usage – numbers which indicate that internet users aged 18 and over are no longer dependent on turning on their computers when wanting to access the World Wide Web. But mobile penetration alone isn’t enough to justify the importance of mobile marketing.

Sharp companies have already caught onto this trend and have already adopted business texting as a means of reaching their customers. And some have done so cleverly. Of course, your mind will immediately go to banks confirming deposits, accommodation or car rental services texting you with details pertaining to your request, or ecomerce companies using online texts to authenticate you.

Mobile marketing is a great example. People often view marketing endeavors as pollutants and their smartphone’s text messaging feature as one of the spaces that is still free of advertising. Yet text messaging represents an excellent business opportunity when used sensibly. So let’s see how small business owners can incorporate mobile marketing into their strategy and maximize growth.

Why Mobile Marketing Is So Important

Back in 2008, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers analyst Mary Meeker had suggested that mobile access would overtake fixed internet access by the end of 2014. Recent reports show that Meeker wasn’t that far off with his assumption. Mobile internet device penetration is peaking, and experts predict that it will continue to increase in regions such as the Caribbean, Latin America, as well as Central and Eastern Europe.

Using Mobile Marketing as an Asset

But there’s more to business texting than meets the eye. Domino’s Pizza, for instance, has started receiving orders via its pizza emoji as of 2015. Of course, such services are still in their infancy. (That’s the reason why Domino’s is still experimenting with the service and asking customers for feedback.)

Other world-renowned companies have turned to business texting to complete their services. PayPal, for instance, is experimenting with a feature similar to SMS password confirmations each time you choose to sign in. You receive a random code by text message which you are expected to use when logging into your account.

Furthermore, text messaging can also be used for customer support, customer promotions and event marketing. The great thing about such an approach is that you’re paving the way for mobile marketing opt-ins. SMS texting is great for a small business because it makes the communication with your client more convenient.

Of course, there are certain obstacles that businesses face. There’s always a fine line between clever marketing and becoming an unwanted presence in your customer’s life. It’s important not to cross that line.

If you focus on what your client needs and cater to that before anything else, many customers will be more than happy to allow you to engage with them.  It’s your responsibility to determine how best to accomplish that. Ideally, such interactions should benefit the customer.

SMS Marketing Has Exceptional Open Rates

One great advantage to SMS marketing is the fact that it has exceptional open rates. We’ve become a mobile-focused world.

Aside from high open rates, text messaging also offers businesses the advantage of having global reach. Your customers may find themselves in a situation where an internet connection is not possible. Even so, texting is reliable and works in almost any circumstance.

There are some clever mobile marketing strategies that you can employ, but always remember that your main focus is to remain relevant to your customers.

MUSTS for SMS Marketing

Instead of sending out successive sales pitches without any consideration for your potential customers, make sure to build up a relationship before the actual sales pitch. That involves:

• getting permission
• using texts sensibly and purposefully
• only then integrating your sales pitch into the SMS

Pick up on your customer’s desires and cater to them when possible. For instance, if you own an online retail site that has had a lot of demand for a certain product that’s no longer in stock, send out a helpful SMS to inform interested clients that it’s become available once again.

Be helpful, informative and concise:

“YAY! The silk blouse you wanted is in stock again! Oh, and here’s a 10% discount for making you wait that long.”

Don’t be afraid to get creative, especially if you’ve researched your target audience thoroughly. It’s easy to text a customer in regards to his appointment or reservation, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t send out a great text notifying a customer about certain products or secret offers for faithful customers.

Another great strategy is to use a short, one-question survey to engage with your customer. Use a coupon or freebie to thank them for their time and go from there.

There are countless tips for you to consider when planning an SMS marketing campaign and even more reasons to attempt one in the first place. So make sure to stay connected to your customers, use Facebook as a feedback tool and make the most out of mobile marketing, an often overlooked but immensely helpful component of your overall strategy.

Smart use of technology is something that makes clever businesses stand out among their competitors. A business today has to efficiently use any means of communication, marketing and promotion to gain traction, cultivate brand-awareness and get their message across.

But while some businesses are becoming open to creative marketing strategies, others fear that such an approach may turn away potential leads. SMS mobile marketing is the most promising of all new methods, and as in all new technologies, those who adopt them earliest benefit the most because there is lower competition and cost.