Smartphone Advertising: Proof that Businesses Should Do More with their Mobile Strategy

Everyone is mobile, and it has been like this for a while—kids texting at the dinner table, cell phones going off in a lecture, the movie theater announcement to “Please silence your cell phone,” taking important business calls at a restaurant, etc. It can be considered rude to some, yes, but we have all done it because we are mobile.  And many of us welcome smartphone advertising, at least in terms of getting coupons to save money where we shop, eat, buy products or services.

Cell phones are the doors to our social lives, that’s why they are attached to everyone’s hands! This explains why mobile advertising continues to be extremely promising. The sheer fact that SMS can make it to any kind of phone is huge! Texts can be sent to many (the genius of this is that it is opt-in/opt-out) which can maximize the impression of a brand. So, sending messages, keeping in touch with customers, offering coupons or discounts should be in any mobile strategy.

Smartphone ownership continues to rise. Nielsen predicted that one in two Americans would own a smartphone by Christmas 2011. There’s talk about smartphone ads surpassing television ads—globally speaking, there are over three times more mobile subscribers than TV subscribers—probably because of the affordability. Nonetheless, smartphones have many functions.

Smartphone Advertising:  The Possibilities Are Endless

Although not as direct as SMS, email is making a comeback from its spammy past. As long as smartphones are programmed to make the sifting easier, consumers can get to get to what they opted-in for. Emails lead to purchase because of the growing activity of shopping via smartphone, due to increasing functionality of the devices, and owners becoming more tech-savvy. It also helps that websites are becoming “mobile friendly.”

GPS location-based services and social media provide specific data—people are more directly targeted based on location and personal preference. Smartphones allow individuals to create a personal atmosphere. Anything that clashes with this is considered invasive and uncomfortable. This is easily avoidable…

Businesses can make impressions, build relationships with consumers, and make a sale, even build loyalty—as long as they are engaging consumers, thus unmarketing—talk with, not at.

Smartphone advertising is the most successful way for businesses to advertise a message in this on-the-go, short-attention-spanned-society that demands instant gratification and real-time information.

Staying current takes time: start a text message marketing campaign, blog, tweet, send emails, Facebook posts, etc. Say a businesses’ last tweet was three months ago, or it did not respond to a post on its page—that could make or break how reputable a business is.

Small businesses should realize that smartphone advertising is meticulous, and takes some time and experience. Hire more staff, or choose the more affordable route of outsourcing. The mobile world is always updated, changed, and customized; it is worth it for any business to be as current and engaging as possible.

Guest Post by Angela Dively

Using Text Message Marketing to Build Your Customer Base


Since the introduction of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the way we interact online today has changed forever, and the introduction of text messages has changed the way we use our cell phones forever. The number of businesses who are choosing to invest in a new way to communicate via mobile marketing has grown substantially, and now businesses of every size have the opportunity to do the same. Today, using text messaging to build your customer base is something that should not be ignored.

Marketing text message comes with a number of benefits that other types cannot provide. First, virtually every text message sent will be received by the recipient almost instantly so this can prove effective when you are providing a time sensitive offer. Second, you will find that around 94% of all text messages sent today will be read and nearly everyone who subscribes to your SMS program will then see it.

Since you know that those who have subscribed have chosen to receive your offers or promotional messages, you also know that they are actively interested in your product or business. So of course there is the bigger possibility that they will choose to make a purchase from you.

Marketing a business includes constantly looking for ways that you can increase your customer base in the hope that you will then begin to make more sales and build loyal customers for the long term. There are numerous marketing techniques to employ and text messaging is just one platform that can be utilized – others shouldn’t be ignored since the most successful businesses consistently utilize more than one form of advertising.

We mentioned that through text message marketing you have the opportunity to reach customers quickly and easily. That is because the majority of people keep their cell phones within three feet at all times, and 97% of people open their text messages right away.

Marketing Text Message

This new way to keep in touch with prospects and customers provides you with a way to invite them immediately into your store or office, to offer coupons or discounts, or to announce news that is beneficial to them. By simply asking to communicate with them via text messages you have a way to not only keep in touch and strengthen your relationship, but also to secure an immediate response if you desire.

The most important consideration is to respect the opportunity to connect with people this way, and to provide value when you do. The text message list that you are creating will only be sustained, and continue to grow, if you insure that the people who opted in remain interested in what you are offering. Remember that these people always have the option to opt out of what you are offering at any time.

What many small businesses do not realize is that text message marketing is one of the most inexpensive ways to actually advertise your business. Plus mobile marketing allows you to reward those that remain loyal to you.

When you send out a text message it is important that you offer something that will benefit the person on the receiving end. Certainly one of the best things that you can do is offer them a coupon or discount so that when they make a purchase from you they get the item at a lower price. You can track what works the best by measuring the results of each communication.

You can let people know about your text message program through all forms of communications with them – and through your advertising. Include the invitation to text your business (opt-in to the service) on all of your present advertising. Make flyers and add it to your business cards, email signature, signs at your place of business and anywhere that you communicate with prospects or customers.

If you have a website, a Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter or YouTube account, or blog, add your test message information. Write a press release and announce your new text message marketing campaign that offers coupons and discounts. If you do newspaper, radio, television or internet advertising, include your text message marketing details.

Marketing text message to build your customer base can be one of the most effective tools that you can implement to market your business. Use this platform to benefit your prospects and customers and always value the privilege of having their permission to communicate.

Text Message Marketing: Available to Any Size Business

text message marketing

Local businesses and small businesses now have an opportunity to use text message marketing to connect with customers and clients the same as large businesses and even television are doing.  Until recently most small business and local business owners felt that text message marketing was beyond their reach in terms of cost – and especially in these early days of text message marketing.  They see the big businesses doing it but they also know that a large price tag accompanies those programs.

For small business owners who would like to use text messages to communicate special offers, coupons, discounts on slow business days, or announcements, they can use a service that will store their contact phone numbers and send out a message whenever  the business owner makes the request.  There is no large set up fee and the texting fees are very reasonable for a small business.

Marketing Text Message

This is very exciting for small businesses in terms of utilizing a new way to connect with customers, and that is a huge part of their customer’s life.  Everyone is texting and people like to get discounts or special deals.

There are two ways a small business can start using text message marketing.  If they have someone in-house that can run the program, they simply need connected to an sms provider.  If the business owner would rather a mobile agent set up the program and manage the messages, that is available as well.

Finding new customers is more expensive than keeping existing customers.  Statistics show that repeat customers also spend 67% more than new customers.  It makes sense to keep in contact with existing customers and invite them back to the business. Text message marketing can work especially well at restaurants and other entertainment facilities, and essentially at all businesses that require customers to walk through the doors.

There are five times as many cell phones as personal computers.  97% of text message get read, in contrast to a much lower percentage of emails.  And text messages are seen right away because the majority of people who own a cell phone have it within 3 feet of themselves at all times.  These are exciting statistics when you think in terms of how text message marketing can impact small business revenue, and it can get immediate results.

To learn more about how small businesses can run their own text message marketing program with Yep Text and get 20% off your first month’s service, visit http://mobile.yourwebsitemarketingservice.com (promo code is included in the link).

To connect with a mobile marketing agent that will run a Yep Text program for the business, visit  Mobile Helper (20% off first month included in this option as well).

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