Mobile marketing is quickly becoming a viable addition to the average company’s marketing campaign. While you’ll never want to completely abandon print or web advertising, you will want to find ways to incorporate mobile marketing into your overall campaign. Statistical trends show that mobile marketing is growing in leaps and bounds and many companies, including Google, are focusing the majority of their new development in this direction. Here are a few things to consider as you weigh the pros and cons of adding SMS to your marketing budget.
Mobile Advertisements are Growing in Popularity
A study published in The Communications Marketing Report by Ofcom showed that some of the most widely used advertising companies have experienced incredible growth in terms of mobile advertisements. One company, Admob, doubled their business in one year and was acquired by Google. If it wasn’t working, business owners would stop their campaigns but instead, they are increasing their ad spend at an incredible pace.
Cell Phones are Still Popular
The popularity of the cell phone itself isn’t going to die anytime soon. According to the CTIA Wireless Association, more than 80% of the public in the US carries a cell phone. It is estimated that more than 5 billion people around the world will carry cell phones within the next year. More than 55% of teenagers think that cell phones are critical in terms of their ability to remain social. These numbers are staggering, proving that people are becoming more dependent upon, and sensitive to, cell phones and their capabilities.
Mobile Marketing Campaigns are Selective
While mobile marketing is growing in popularity, it is able to do so because it does not interfere with the lives of those the campaigns are targeting. People who rely on text messaging and email don’t generally want to or enjoy talking on the phone. They respond better to short messages that arrive at infrequent intervals and especially love when the messages they do receive involve incentives and special deals.
Local Business Shift their Focus
Over the past year, local businesses have found that it is important to shift their marketing campaigns away from the yellow pages. They need to take a more proactive role in terms of finding a place in the public spotlight. Many local businesses are opting for mobile marketing as opposed to more traditional marketing strategies because they feel the former offers a more targeted approach.
The statistics don’t lie. The methods businesses must use to reach their target audiences must shift along with technology. The majority of the public is or will be connected via cell phone – and contacting them via mobile marketing methods is simply another way of enhancing your marketing campaign while improving your overall ROI.
