First off, lets define what exactly mobile marketing is. It is bringing brand awareness of a product or service to the public by reaching out to them on their portable devices. This includes smartphones and tablets. Through this advertising method, businesses can carve out a portion of on-the-go consumers.
Capital Idea
The digital frontier is ripe for a boost in mobile marketing. There are over 100 million Americans currently using a smartphone device, according to Forbes, and that number is expected to continue to climb in the very near future. To companies smartphone users are potential customers who are always connected online. It is practically an extra limb for many. So lets face it, businesses are going to want to position their brands to capture a portion of the growing online market.
Facts and Figures
It would be foolish for advertisers not to take advantage and capitalize on a few facts: 60% of internet searches are conducted on a mobile device; most mobile internet users make purchases on their mobile devices. Half of smartphone users have used QR codes, and 18% of those went on to make a purchase. It is because of this that a majority of marketers plan to increase their mobile budgets in the upcoming years, according to Mashable. This growing multi-billion dollar industry is set to engage and drive traffic towards making transactions and purchases.
Knowing Your Audience
What separates mobile marketing from other forms of brand awareness is that it constantly has to be timely and relevant. Brands have to find a way to deliver the right message at the right time to people that are always on the go. This means producing an advertisement that provides useful information and adds value to a consumer without interrupting or intruding on their daily routine. The approach needs to be seamless.
Game Changer
2013 will prove to be a watershed year for online marketing. More consumers are using smartphones to dictate their in-store purchases. Because of this the retail industry is forced to make major changes in their business practices. They are now encouraged to price their products as competitively as online retailers. This could potentially drive many companies with a physical location out of business, since their cost of operation is greater, as well as shift or level purchase methods on a consumer level.
It’s Come a Long Way
Since starting out from humble beginnings with simple text messages on cellular phones, mobile marketing has evolved into quite a sophisticated machine. Today mobile marketing is aimed at targeted individuals and includes rich media including graphics and video. This direct and constant interaction with the consumer will eventually surpass television in terms of influence. The best is still yet to come as new innovative ways to apply this marketing approach reach new heights.