Archive for June, 2010

Opt-In: The sandwich is on us.

One of the most daunting tasks facing a new entrant into the exciting world of mobile marketing is the ability to establish an opt-in mobile marketing list.  Even experienced advertising agencies seem to be perplexed by this task.

But, it’s really not that difficult.  Overwhelmingly, the top two ways to establish an opt-in database are through mobile coupons and text message sweepstakes.  Have tickets to the Dodger game?  Give them away in your pizza restaurant.  Better yet, give them away and include a mobile coupon in the return messages.

While text message sweepstakes are the best way to get consumers to opt-in to your mobile marketing programs, mobile coupons are the best way to keep them there.  And, the best thing is that they work!

For years, broadcast salespersons have been criticized by advertisers, because their advertising is not measurable.  With newspapers, the consumer can walk in with the clipped newspaper coupon.  This is not possible with broadcasting…until now.

When a consumer walks in and flashes his cell phone, the store manager will certainly remember.

Moreover, with mobile coupons, you can reach your consumer when they are most likely to buy.  Subway, for instance, sends all of its promotional text messages at 11:30 am when workers are starting to get hungry for lunch.  And, since 94% of all text messages are read immediately upon receipt, that means that your opt-in consumers are receiving your promotional message when they are most likely to buy.

With mobile marketing, you walk a fine line between your best customer and your worst customer. 

Long text messages may increase opt-outs.

Your best customer is the one that loves your product and can’t get enough information about it so they welcome receiving all of your text message promotions.  On the other hand, your worst customer may be the best customer whom you sent too many messages to and has now chosen to opt-out of your promotions.

Some companies believe that sending a promotional message that is longer than 160 characters is a good thing.  At 84444.com, we don’t agree.  We believe that messages should be concise and fit within the 160 character parameters that have been established by the carriers.  To do otherwise, means that a consumer is more likely to opt-out.

Perhaps, the other companies suggesting such lengthy messages are only interested in selling more text messages and are not thinking in the best interests of your opt-in customers.

Interactive and broadcast messaging is taking its toll on the marketing industry. Pizza restaurants have the ability to target the mobile industry based on interactive text message programs.  Their first goal is to create as big of a database as possible by using sweepstakes and mobile coupons through their advertisements. 

Pizza Restaurants: Red Hot Sales with Mobile Marketing

A pizza restaurant can use permission based marketing in order to build a database of interested consumers.  The customer opts-in to the promotion or offers by texting a keyword to a short code. For example, text pizza to short code 84444.  Then, the text message solution invoices immediately an automatic response including the advertised mobile coupon or promotion; for example, buy 1 pizza get the other half off.

This mobile strategy can easily be added to the existing marketing strategies.  Any customer would shun advertisements to be sent to their mobile device; however they would enjoy receiving mobile coupons that are accepted at the register of their favorite pizza restaurants.  In order to advertise their mobile coupons and promotions, there are several things the restaurant can do; including sign up sheets in public places, where the customer can physically opt-in to receiving promotions to their phones, or have radio broadcasting in which it advertises the keyword and short code. 

Once a restaurant has built a database of interested consumers, they now have the capability to send out broadcast texts that include mobile coupons, promotions, specials, or information regarding the restaurant. The restaurant can use this to promote its restaurant personally and beneficially.  For example, if they are generally slow on a particular day, they can send broadcast texts with mobile coupons promoting that day specifically.