Are you ready to launch a mobile campaign?
I’ve been a big proponent of mobile and SMS for a while, but we’re finally getting to the point where the number of mobile users and consumer acceptance is high enough to make entirely viable for most brands.
Consider:
- More text messages are sent than mobile phone calls (Nielsen)
- 25% of mobile users under 65 are willing to receive commercial SMS messages (ExactTarget)
- 53% of texters are over 35 years old (Nielsen)
- 5.3 billion global mobile subscriptions are predicted by 2013 (Informa Telecom)
Last week, I had the honor of moderating an outstanding panel discussion about the state of mobile marketing at the Email Evolution Conference (managed by the Email Experience Council). Joined by Dan Flanegan of Brand Anywhere, R.J. Talyor of ExactTarget, and Sarah Shneider of Vestar, we covered the 11 types of mobile programs, multiple case studies, and how to set up a mobile program for the first time.
Mobile opt-in (using text messages to enable customers to opt-in to your email/SMS program at point of sale) is a huge opportunity for any company with a retail presence. It’s not nearly as hard or expensive as you might think.
I’d be willing to opt-in to targeted advertising sent to me via Twitter SMS, but not via text messaging. Different mediums. That way, I can unfollow the Twitterer anytime; with texting, they may not immediately stop and I’d still be paying for the incoming messages.
Ari Herzog’s last blog post..Why Paper is the Enemy of Words
I agree that this is the year that mobile is really going to take off, similar to what we’ve seen with social media in the last year or so.
We’re getting more inquiries lately about mobile in general, and SMS specifically. It’s tricky, though, because it’s SUCH a personal, intimate channel. I can see how it would be easy to abuse it.
KatFrench’s last blog post..Seven Signs You Need a Social Media Sabbatical
[...] great post from Jay Baer’s Convince and Convert on mobile campaigns, and their growing popularity. I’d started to comment on the post, but decided to simply use [...]
I noticed you suggested ExactTarget at the end there. I spoke with them and it sounds like they’re charging $15,000-$20,000 for their SMS feature alone. Are companies really paying that much to send out some text messages?
Ryan Chartrand’s last blog post..LinkedIn releases widgets – recruiter profile widgets anyone?
@Ari – Good point on Twitter’s opt-in and opt-out capabilities. On mobile, replying “Stop” is the universal opt-out and will remove you.
@Kat – Absolutely. As I said in the presentation, the number one rule for mobile is “Don’t Be A Dick.” Very easy to break that rule.
@Ryan – Yeah, the ET integrated SMS program is a little pricey – because it’s integrated, automated, etc. For a freestanding SMS campaign, you could do it for much less. But yes, many mid to large companies are investing significant $$$ in the mobile channel.
Great blog post! Sstart thinking about mobile marketing: http://tinyurl.com/bpewpy
Reading: Mobile Marketing Your Time is Now http://ow.ly/jhB
Mobile Marketing Your Time is Now from Convince and Convert by @JayBaer http://bit.ly/W1S4
Mobile marketing for sure is new for a number of internet marketers and owners of business but there is no denying that this marketing helps.
The State of mobile marketing http://tinyurl.com/bpewpy
RT @amargello: The State of mobile marketing http://tinyurl.com/bpewpy