6 Facts Every Business Owner Should Know About Mobile Marketing

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It’s safe to say it’s finally here. The much talked about (fantasized) mobile marketing phenomenon has arrived! For most business owners, engaging in a mobile marketing initiative has been a “on the roadmap” so to speak, for far too long.

With the significant rise of smartphones fueling the increased mobile marketing trend, there’s never been a better time to introduce your brand or product to a whole new on-the-go audience. With this post, we’ll be taking a closer look at 6 of the most accurate facts business owners need to know about mobile marketing.

1) Mobile is quickly becoming the 1^st screen.

Once dubbed the 3^rd screen, the mobile screen is quickly taking center stage.
Weighing in on the exposure and engagement factors that mobile devices offer to their users, makes it the biggest communication medium today. A recent study shows that video will account for 64% of mobile traffic by 2013 as mobile traffic is set to grow by 63%.

One of the main challenges is that watching video on mobile devices is still a very recent phenomenon and there’s clearly a learning curve associated with it. On the upside, the pricing of Smartphones and data plans is becoming more affordable than ever, helping to ignite the familiarity and comfort associated with consuming mobile content via handsets.

Interesting fact: Recent stats have shown that there are more people who pay for mobile phones than those who pay to own toothbrushes.

2) Mobile marketing has shown 5X better sales conversion rates than online.

There’s no neglecting the numbers. According to research conducted by IAB, 95% of texts are opened compared to 25% of the emails. An even more impressive statistic is that 11 percent of all mobile users have made a purchase on their phone, according to the latest Pew Internet survey. Compare these numbers to 1%-2% conversion rates currently seen on email marketing campaigns and it’s easy to understand why brands who effectively launch an initial mobile marketing campaign are astounded by the return on investment.

3) Business have far less competition in mobile marketing than online.

The current web marketing landscape is becoming saturated with brands and ad agencies all vying for the same eyeballs. Mobile marketing is creating new opportunities for marketers without historical parallel. That being said, the sudden impact of mobile apps being used as branding vehicles is on the rise, so you’ll have to act fast, which leads us to the next fact…

4) Nearly three-quarters (74%) of online retailers either already have or are developing a mobile strategy.

Online retailers are quickly understanding the potential of engaging in a mobile advertising strategy to supplement their efforts. According to a new report published by Forrester. Digital marketing is increasingly becoming centered around the art of “integrated communications,” whereby numerous channels are utilized to work off the strengths and weaknesses of one another. With mobile coming to the forefront, online brands need to quickly diversify their strategy to maintain relevancy.

5) Mobile capabilities are triggering a new set of advertising potential

Touch screens, GPS, video, accelometer, real time synchronization, these are just a few of the perks mobile marketers have to their advantage. The question then becomes, how do you utilize the potential of what’s being known as “Touchvertising”? As with all good things, it’s all in moderation. Brands need to listen to customers and the use the feedback gained towards developing a mobile marketing strategy that’s in sync with their expectations.

Tip: Relevant ads that do not require a lot of clicks to reach the information are the best response generators.

6) It’s the only marketing vehicle that reaches potential consumers on-the-go

This simple fact may sound a little over obvious, but don’t underestimate the potential of reaching customers regardless of their location at any specific point and time. In fact, 79 percent claim to take their work-related devices on vacation. When was the last time you “happily” took your work on vacation with you? Mobile devices have become a physical extension of our bodies, brands who understand how to offer a personalized experience straight to mobile, win.

The Final Word

What do all these facts really mean? In a nutshell, we’re at a very good time to be focusing on a mobile marketing strategy. We’ve clearely reached critical mass of smartphone users using their devices to browse the Web, apps and search the Internet. Businesses who’ve been consistently investing in mobile marketing are seeing positive year-to-year return on their investment. The only tip that needs to be mentioned is this; understand what you’re setting out to accomplish. In other words, know your goals.

Share Your Summer Memories in Style – Win an iPod Touch

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Summer vacation is officially upon us and you can almost hear the collective sounds of kids everywhere!

Whether you’re spending quality time at the family Bar-B-Q, the beach, on vacation or just an afternoon in the park, Clip in Touch is giving you a perfect reason to snap a few pictures and share your summer memories in style for a chance to
WIN AN iPod TOUCH!

Here’s how to get in on the action:

1. Head over to the Clip in Touch Greetings Facebook App.
2. Create a clip using the Clip in Touch Greetings app – It’s super easy, we promise.
3. Share your clip on your Facebook wall and let us know about it.
   Or Comment on this post with a link or on the wall of our App Page.

Create as many videos as you like to increase your chance of winning!

We’ll be watching your vids and selecting 1 lucky winner which we’ll announce on our blog and facebook page. See, we promised it would be a breeze!

Chances are, you’ll need a little R&R with your new iPod Touch once the kids are back in school.

The giveaway will run from July 8^th – August 8^th 2010, and is open to everyone.
Get crackin’ show us and our fans what you’ve got!

5 Tips Towards Successful Multi-Channel Branded Campaigns

Presentations Comments

Mobile Advertising Works! – But How?

Mobile Marketing Comments

All hail the new king: mobile advertising. Everyone’s talking about – Most advertisers understand that it’s a potential gold mine, those who don’t, face the risk of significantly falling behind.

The worldwide mobile messaging market was worth USD 150.6 billion in 2009. This figure is expected to race upto USD 233 billion by end-2014. What not everyone (or the vast majority) understands however, is how to “crack the mobile marketing code” and bring the consumer into the mix to cooperate with their mobile marketing initiatives. That being said, a recent consumer survey by ABI Research indicates that 27 percent of mobile phone users accessing the mobile Internet have clicked on a mobile banner ad or text link. This upwards trend is showing a significant shift in mobile user behavior.

Mobile devices have become an almost physical extension of our bodies. We take it with us just about everywhere (yes, some of us even to bed). This makes our mobile phones a much more personal experience then PC’s will ever be. For mobile advertising to work effectively, this fact needs to be taken into account.

Let’s take a look at a real work example. We receive an SMS message with the soul propose of pushing more commercial ads into our daily lives. The device makes a sweet little sound and we’re instantly rushed with excitement. We’re sure to open it to find a personal message, however to our disappointment it’s yet another offer to download a ringtone, truetone or special discount offer for this, that or the other. There’s no question that in cases such as these, we’re quick to hit the delete button. The advertiser obviously didn’t live up to our expectations and more importantly, our daily lifestyle.

In other words, new and sophisticated marketing communication needs to be created to fit the mobile user’s mindset.

From a marketer’s standpoint, we want to create ad messages our viewers will want to receive and share with their closest friends, family, colleagues, etc… Integrating viral marketing elements as part of the mobile advertising strategy is essential for its success.

The million-dollar question is; how do we innovate mobile marketing into a viral experience?

One of the most effective ways is through short personal videos. If the clip is interesting, funny, entertaining or exciting enough, its audience will want to share it, as long as it’s quick and easy to do so. What if every video sent was perfectly tailored to its intended recipient, would that make it even more effective? You can bet it will. Almost all parents have created videos of their children at some point or other. Giving customers a simple platform in which to create videos, include animations, music, text and send straight to mobile devices increases your mobile campaign’s success rate considerably.

A perfect example is a campaign that was recently created by Clip in Touch for one of the major food chains in Israel to honor Mother’s Day. The campaign offered the food chain’s customers the chance to create and send personalized video greetings for their mothers using pre-made templates. Users could include text images and music along with the video clips. The clips created a real connection between the sender and the recipient while combining the brands look and feel, core messages and values. You can see the full case study here.

In conclusion, understanding that mobile phones are at the center of almost all future marketing campaigns is not nearly enough. To create effective campaigns we need to create an immediate way of conveying messages at the deepest human level.

The Truth About “Going Viral” And Why It Isn’t a Strategy

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Do you remember the first “viral video” you ever watched? Chances are it was sent to you by a friend, family or co-worker who connected with it and thought you would too. The earliest versions of viral content were for the most part, static images; funny, entertaining, exciting or offered some form of instant reward. Then the flash animations caught on, which lead the way to some of the most overly seen web videos we know today.

As traditional marketing budgets, results (and attention spans) continue in a downward trend, advertisers and executives are increasing the pressure on their creative teams to produce advertising that will go “viral.” One of the biggest misconceptions is that videos will spread just because the first person who sees it will distribute it. Viral doesn’t just happen.

The Real Viral Strategy

• As with all marketing initiatives, planning is crucial. Researching your industry to find out what content your audience will engage with most is essential prior to rolling out a campaign.

• The brand connection (logo, messaging, slogans, etc…) should take up as little screen-space as possible. Keep your audience focused on the entertainment qualities of the content. Offering your viewers the opportunity to interact with the content edit and reshape it gives it an added advantage.

• As with all viral outbreaks, they only spread when they’re easy to transmit. The medium that carries your marketing message must be quick and easy to transfer from one viewer to the next.

• Virility is not longer just a web based experience. The platforms in which viral videos have worked in the past are shifting. It’s become increasingly important to optimize your viral content for smaller mobile screens such as the iPhone and iPad.

Focusing on the Needs of the People

90% of people know at least 1 social network. Users log into their favorite social network an average of 2 times a day. The average Facebook user has 130 friends. The bottom line is, most people love being social.

“People don’t engage with others to exchange viruses, they engage with viruses as an excuse to engage with each other.” ~ Douglas Rushkof