Mobile marketing could be difficult to understand and daunting to implement, that is, if you aren’t getting the right information and advice. Take a few minutes to go through the facts and suggestions outlined below – the information there could be just what you need to put this advertising medium to work for your business.
You can begin by constructing a proper database. You should not however, add phone numbers to the database without authorization of the owner. Make sure you get your customers’ permission before you add anything. You can get permission through the web or by the reply of a code.
Consider starting a short code campaign to increase your mobile marketing database. Asking customers to text a code to enroll in message updates can generate significant increases in your database and also ensures that only those wishing to receive communications do so. Advertise your short code campaign through social media sites, your web site and any print marketing materials.
Steer clear of texting abbreviations. When you shorten your messages using chat speak, you make yourself and your business seem less professional and credible. Take the time to spell everything out to make sure your messages are clearly understood, and that you come across in a professional and polite manner.
Test your program before you start it. Customers do not like broken links, or dead images. Have your business, family, or even a few customers test your messages before you start sending them en masse to your market. Get their feedback to perfect whatever might go wrong, and your customers will thank you for it.
Let customers give you feedback. Some mobile marketers have outgoing only messaging, meaning that a customer cannot text them back without going through a lot of hassle. Let your customers talk back to you to improve the focus of your plan, and know if you may need to do something differently.
Do your research. Understanding how mobile marketing works is the most important step to take before you get into it. Search for other marketing campaigns, and see which ones worked out well, and which did not. Having this information to back you up can put you on the successful track to marketing well.
Know exactly what you want to offer your customers before you start out. Mobile marketing encompasses everything from simple text messaging to instant mobile coupons. Planning ahead on what you are going to offer them can make the actual implementation much easier than if you were indecisive in the long run.
Be consistent with your messaging volume. You should always let your customer know in advance how many messages you plan on sending out per week or month. When you do this, your customers know what to expect and will be waiting to hear from you. Make a good schedule and stick to it.
Out of pure etiquette, refrain from sending messages out to your customers on Sundays or late at night. And even though time zones vary, make sure you never send out messages when it’s nighttime in your neck of the woods. Just wait until midday to be safe, and always avoid Sundays and Saturdays too if you can help it.
If you have people working for you, make sure you explain to them how and how not to approach social media. Your mobile presence is very important here, and the last thing you need is someone representing your company poorly by deciding to spam social sites or to present your company in a bad light.
What you are saying in your messages is extremely important. When sending out emails to customers, you want to be able to tap into that individuals needs as well as their buying habits. The more detailed you can get; the more that person will be intrigued. Just make sure to keep everything right to the point.
Make it very easy for your customers to unsubscribe from receiving your text messages. Many times having the option to reply with the word ‘stop’ will be the easiest way. This will lower any frustration if a customer no longer wants to receive texts. Remember that just because they don’t want a text does not mean they do not want to be a customer.
One way to build your mobile customer database is to offer them exclusive discounts or content that you are not sharing with everyone. You can have them sign up for texts and give them a 10% off coupon. This will encourage more people to sign up, and your mobile marketing efforts will pay off quickly.
Mention your mobile marketing everywhere you can. Talk about it on your social networking sites, any blogs you have, your e-commerce site, and anywhere else you can think of. You want your customers to realize that they can access your company from where ever they are, and it will be easy for them to do so.
QR codes are the wave of the future when it comes to advertising. QR or quick response codes use an image that is scanned into a mobile device and hold a bit of information. Use QR codes to link mobile exclusive discount coupons or product information for your business.
To take your mobile marketing to the next level, promote your phone number. It sounds mundane to promote a telephone number when the mobile marketplace is chock full of location aware services and directions on demand. But, do not forget most mobile devices are phones. Get your phone number out in the open. Place it prominently on the home page of your optimized website. Just one click of that phone number gives them easy access to your company.
No doubt there is something there that you can use. Of course, you can’t expect your plan to come together overnight. But if you make a task list, and set aside regular time periods to work on the project, you can develop a good campaign and expect to get good results.
