A Few Pointers for Effective Mobile Marketing

Mobile Marketing Firm Shares Some Advice

By Chris Crum

There's no question that mobile is getting bigger, and is becoming an increasingly important channel for businesses to reach customers.

We had a conversation with Tim Nguyen, a sales manager for mobile marketing firm Trumpia, which has worked with plenty of small and large businesses in assisting them with utilizing mobile marketing to drive traffic and revenue.

"One of the most unique mobile marketing campaigns we have been a part of [is] definitely our recent work with Sony Pictures' new movie, Takers," says Nguyen. "This was unique in that we were not only working with one of the biggest companies in America, but we also had T.I., a very influential cast member and musician heavily promoting the campaign."

As the company said in a blog post about it, Takers had thousands of people text in their mobile keyword in les than a week, to enter a giveaway for tickets to a private screening of the film. Trumpia called this "a testament to how quickly and effective mobile keywords can be when marketed correctly."

The campaign manager called it a huge success, saying, "After a quick export and some segmentation we were able to see where people were visiting New Orleans from. Using users area code we were able to see what state they originated from, giving us a much deeper analytic view for our client."

That is certainly an added benefit to this kind of mobile marketing.

"Mobile Marketing much like any type of marketing will be ineffective if you are not providing substance or something of interest to your targeted market," Nguyen tells us. "Therefore, really to be effective you have to be cautious with what you're texting to individuals and make sure the message is relevant and carefully thought out."

We asked him about the differences in effective strategies between small businesses and large ones. After all, small businesses don't always have the resources the big boys do.

"Really no difference between the two because large or small they are trying to accomplish the same thing which is to bring in more revenue," says Nguyen. "This can easily be done assuming your marketing campaign is strong enough that it drives individuals to act upon your offer."

As far as advice for the small business with a tight budget, Nguyen says, "Don't hesitate to go mobile! Often times mobile marketing will be much cheaper than print ads, paid advertisements, mailers, etc, so one you will be saving money by going mobile."

"Two, text messages are delivered in real time and go directly to cell phones, which almost everyone in the United States has," he adds. "Therefore text messages will be read immediately and delivered straight to the source to increase conversion and the effectiveness of your marketing campaign."

He says that typically, not all businesses should worry about having their own mobile apps, because they can be expensive to develop. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be taking advantage of other existing apps. He names Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare as places for your business to be found in apps. I'd suggest that you explore some app stores and see not only which apps are most popular, but which ones offer services that you can practically apply a use case for your business to.

"Mobile marketing is really on the rise, and at the end of the day it really is the most effective means of communicating with individuals today," says Nguyen. "You have to consider that almost every individual has a cell phone, which they check almost religiously! So it is impossible for someone to say they didn't receive your message or didn't know. Mobile Marketing is extremely effective in that it's easy to reach individuals immediately and effectively, at much lower costs than other marketing streams. I've never known a business [to] say no to a more effective way of marketing while at the same time saving money, it really is a business owners dream come true!"

View the original article: WebProNews

7 Ways Product Companies Use Apps

How will your dealership’s iPhone app measure mobile success?

With mobile traffic on a rapid rise, more and more dealers are evaluating their mobile marketing strategies. While mobile apps are not new, dealers are just starting to consider whether apps play a beneficial role in capturing mobile visitors. Before serious consideration for an app can be made, a dealer needs to identify a purpose for an iPhone app. Will my dealer app simply provide information? Does it exist as a brand enhancer? Is its purpose to motivate a visit? Is it a lead generator? Does it drive web traffic? Does it function as a post-sale tool? Is it a source of entertainment?

In my quest to answer the above I took a look at how companies large and small are using apps.

The Branding App:

Many larger companies use apps to brand. In many ways the apps are distinctly disconnected from the product. Oakley’s app “Surf Report” doesn’t mention sunglasses anywhere, rather providing surf swell direction, height, and tide information.[1] You won’t find blue jeans in Levi’s Fort Fader app, only music schedules, news, and more.[2]

The Information App:

There are a host of information-based apps out there. The House of H-D app, a Harley Davison dealer, provides a picture of the dealership, hours, and directions.[3] Not much more. Blow Salon & Spa, an Aveda concept salon in Laguna Beach, provides an app with hours, directions, and the ability to book an appointment.[4]

The Lead Generator App:

The Nationwide app prompts users to create a profile within the app. This profile aids in filling out forms throughout the rest of the app.[5] Many other well-designed apps bring lead generation into play by enticing users to sign up for a newsletter, schedule an appointment, or submit an inquiry.

The Digital Brochure App:

The Honda CR-Z app is an excellent example of a digital brochure.[6] The app allows the user to interact with the vehicle, telling a story during the entire process. Weber Chevrolet’s app features images, video, and 360 spins of each vehicle – making full use of the iPhone’s touch functionality.[7]

The Shopping App:

UGG Australia is a shop centric app.[8] Upon launch the app invites the user to start browsing currently available products, sizes, and colors. The app features a “my cart” function, allowing users with an UGG account to make purchases within the app.

The Entertaining App:

The Timberland Expeditions app puts a unique spin on the app experience by combining a fully featured game with a complete product showcase.[9] The Yamaha app allows the user to grip and rotate the iPhone like the throttle on a motorcycle.[10]

The Post-sale App:

What about after the sale? How can an app spur additional sales? Jeep has done an excellent job creating an interactive owner’s manual.[11] Everything from a warning lights reference to towing assistance is available through the app. The result for Jeep is increased app retention.

How do apps fit the dealer?

Which app type above applies to my franchised dealership? The automotive industry is as unique as any other and I believe we’ll have a better idea in the next 9 months. As we speak hundreds of dealers have released different types of apps to the iTunes store. Some fit a single app category; others are a combination of those listed above.

As I see it, an app should be an accessory to a well-rounded mobile marketing mix. Companies successfully implementing apps seem to follow a basic set of rules:

1.When your customer types your website URL on their mobile device, give them the option to download your app. They won’t search the app store.

2. Provide a unique user experience. This is why they downloaded the app in the first place!

3. Have a call to action. Give your user a way to make the next move.

How are you implementing an app with your dealership? Do you see apps having a place in the dealer market? I’ll be following this closely in the next few months.

About the Author

Ben Anderson is the President of AutoMotionTV, a Minneapolis based marketing company specialized in automotive video. You can reach Ben @ 612-353-4125.

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[1] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/surf-report/id295405621?mt=8

[2] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/levis-fader-fort/id359332458?mt=8

[3] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/house-of-harley-davidson/id356683180?mt=8

[4] http://itunes.apple.com/gt/app/blow-salon-spa/id335043672?mt=8

[5] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nationwide-mobile/id311627534?mt=8

[6] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-honda-cr-z-experience/id388789191?mt=8

[7] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weber-chevrolet/id378486441?mt=8

[8] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ugg-australia-mobile-shopping/id381125931?mt=8

[9] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timberland-expeditions/id329506682?mt=8

[10] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ride-yamaha/id337268487?mt=8

[11] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timberland-expeditions/id329506682?mt=8

Relevance Rules

Posted 3 months ago by David Murphy

It’s no secret that relevance is the Holy Grail when it comes to effective marketing. Beer commercials during football games, diaper ads in parenting magazines - the messages that brands deliver to us are typically in direct correlation to the content we’re consuming.

With the birth of the internet and cookies, the targeting equation evolved. Not only could ads be aligned with content, but also with behaviors. With the so-called “death of the web ” potentially upon us, meaning a shift from browsing for information to grabbing it via apps, marketers might be wondering how they will apply this same formula to the evolving mobile medium.

Early adopters
Early adopters are already using mobile devices to guide their buying decisions. Applications such as Yelp and Fandango are helping consumers pick restaurants and movies. Yet, according to Nielsen, a quarter of early adopters are not using data on their smartphones at all, but sticking to voice and text messaging. Nielsen reasons that “operators have to do a much better job of conveying the value and utility of these powerful devices.”

If the future of the internet is on mobile devices, marketers need to quickly figure out how to best target today’s mobile consumer. Making relevant offer and content recommendations is key, and figuring out specifically what to deliver, when, for whom and where, is paramount to solving this dilemma.

The solution lies within telecom operator data. Operators need to start turning their customer data into intelligence, and turning that intelligence into action, if they want to deliver a more personalized, relevant customer experience. A superior customer experience that means customers are pitched products and services they want, apps they need, and messages they actually welcome.

We’re not there yet. At this early stage of mobile advertising, engagement with a brand is triggered by a consumer behaviour such as search - which is the opposite of more traditional advertising such as TV. After all, you didn’t ask to see that beer commercial during the football game. The next step for mobile advertising is for operators to leverage the information they have to allow brands to proactively connect with consumers, based on real-time contexts. So you don’t go to your Yelp app when you’re hungry; rather the Yelp app comes to you.

Leveraging intelligence

The exciting part of all of this is that mobile allows marketers to be more relevant than was ever possible before. Operators collect a wealth of data on their users that, when put to good use, provides insights that most marketers can only dream of. By leveraging intelligence about one’s usage, purchases, social networks, location and movement, downloads, adoption tendencies, lifestyle, and interests, an operator is able to determine the particular context in which a subscriber is most likely to respond to an offer or recommendation.

For example, Angie has never tried mobile TV. But we know that someone she is highly connected with, who we have identified as a key influencer, is a mobile TV subscriber. Based on this fact alone, Angie is four times more likely to try mobile TV than the average customer.

But that still leaves an open question - what is the right context for presenting Angie with the mobile TV offer? We know that Angie is most likely to respond to a free trial, that she is a commuter, and that she is most likely to respond to an offer via MMS during her commute home in the evening on any weekday except Thursday or Friday.

Carriers are thrilled about the promise of contextual marketing, seeing that customers receiving a contextually relevant offer are opting out 50 per cent less frequently than those receiving a targeted, but non-contextually relevant offer. After all, what carrier wouldn’t want to establish an ongoing medium for customer communication and product cross-sell and up-sell?

The bottom line is that operators need to start applying their data to drive the next phase of mobile internet consumption. Understanding the right customer in the right context for recommendations and offers will help carriers define the most contextually relevant targeting opportunities, which in turn will help them deliver the personally relevant customer experience we’ve all been waiting for.

Get to the Point With Your Mobile Marketing

"Make it Quick" If You Want to Reach 5 Billion Potential Targets

I probably don't have to tell you that mobile marketing is incredibly complex. Why is this? Because mobile encompasses nearly all other forms of media in one. Mobile is talking on the phone, the mobile web, images, video, radio, interactive apps, location, etc.

"The challenge here is: how do we balance scale with engagement?" said Jeff Plaisted MicrosoftAdvertising National Specialist Sales Manager. Here at ad:tech NY, Plaisted, along with Adam Hughes, Digital Media Supervisor at Starcom, discussed a campaign they worked on for GMC.

We won't get into the whole case study here, but just a couple takeaways. "Make it quick," said Plaisted. "Get to the point really quickly and deliver that value."



This is probably good advice for marketing through mobile or through any other channel. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, it's getting harder and harder to command consumers' attention these days, if for no other reason than the fact that there are so many entities vying for it through all different channels.

That's why the GMC campaign used an in-app calculator that asked consumers to answer just a few quick questions, rather than a whole bunch of questions. If you're lucky enough to get them there, don't drive them away by threatening to use up too much of their time.

The real reasons to increase you mobile marketing efforts are that mobile is "universal" and "insanely personal", as Michael Becker of the Mobile Marketing Association pointed out.

According to Becker, there are 6.8 billion people on planet and over 5 billion mobile subscriptions. In the U.S. there are 277 million subscriptions, with 233 million unique users. Is that enough reasons?

Read the original article at: WebProNews

Ten Tips for Mobile Marketing

November 19th, 2010 by Patricia Carson

If you don’t have a mobile strategy, you better get going. This short and sweet overview is worth a read. One huge caveat, I would add SMS specifically because it is one of the most effective mobile tactics. Over 95% of text messages and mobile coupons get opened and read, and within 20 minutes of receipt. There’s no more interactive touch point for your base…

Issued by: Multimedia Solutions

Thinking about getting into mobile marketing? Here are ten things to think about in planning a mobile marketing initiative.

1. Mobile phones are people’s most treasured communication device. It’s where they have their most intimate conversations and it holds their attention more than any other device – don’t abuse that.
2. Think long term. A base needs to be built up from the start. A base that wants to receive your information. Short term gains attained by Spamming a base result in long term losses.
3. Incorporate mobile into all marketing strategies from the start. Integrate it into traditional marketing campaigns as well.
4. Mobile is the most measurable medium. Use the live tracking to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t.
5. MMS and mobile websites (mobsites) work in tandem. The mobisite provides the ability for more in-depth information, but the MMS gives the push factor.
6. Always incentivise. Giving people a reason to respond and to returning is key to growing a base.
7. Always include a reason to pull in other people. Incentives for drawing other people into the base are vital.
8. Mobile is interactive. Get the base to talk back to you and show that you’re listening to what they say.
9. Mobile is a work around for emails that get blocked by many companies and it’s a cost saver. Look into MMS statements and mobile communication instead of printed brochures.
10. Communicate regularly. Mobile marketing requires a steady flow of communication to build momentum. Ad hoc campaigns are far less effective.

See original article at: mobivity

The QR Content Behind The QR Code

Have you been seeing a lot of RSS, Twitter and LinkedIn post traffic referencing QR Codes? Have you wondered what they are? And more importantly, are you wondering how to use them?

Well for what they are, here is a great link that was shared by Ashley White AKA BeaumontCVB that is a great QR primer. And I've written about QR in the past, especially how to use QR markers to make Tourism Print advertising work harder for your brand.

But what I wanted to talk to you about today was the part I fear that most brands don't think about -- what is the content behind the code going to look like? And should that content quality vary by usage occassion?

As you may know, QR codes can be linked to all kinds of content/actions. You can have a scanned QR code allow for the sending of a Text Message, or have it pre-populate an SMS message, or pre-dial a phone number. These are all great instanct connection applications for QR codes. But what I think gets marketers (and I'll confess, me too) most excited is the ability to have a QR code connect to other data, media or information via a pre-programmed URL.

But the question becomes, what should I connect my QR too? I've had more than a few folks ask that today (might have something to do with the fact I included QR in a presentation yesterday) so I thought I'd share my thoughts with you in hopes of helping you to think through usage of QR and maybe you'll share a few of your thoughts with me too. Deal? Ok... so here we go.

Using QR Codes in Your Advertising
When using QR in advertising, one of the most interesting options is to link to video. Now a print ad can become a video ad and video, due to the ability to include sight, sound and motion is traditionally a far better medium to generate emotion. Additionally, if your product is best demonstrated live, then an ad that can link directly (in real time) to a video I can play on my mobile phone is a total home run. For destination marketers, CVBs, etc., the ability to link a print ad to live TRACKABLE video of their destination to a print ad is marketing gold. Yes, QR Codes are trackable, just like dedicated 1-800's.

While you can simply shoot a video with a little Flip cam, I think there are a few arguments against using that video as the one you link to from a professional advertisement. If you talk to really smart video folks, they'll tell you that lighting and audio are key to making great video. The Flip doesn't have the best of audio unless you're in highly controlled environments. If you're exposed to wind or in a loud public space, the lack of a remote or directional mic will render your audio very difficult to hear. On the flip side (pun intended) the newer HD Flips actually shoot pretty darn good video IF you have taken the time to have decent lighting. But like most point and shoot video cams, they perform poorly in poor lighting because you can't do anything to adjust the video recording settings...things like slowing down the frame rate for instance can greatly improve low light level video performance.

Another place to consider making a bit of an investment is in the editing of your videos. There is an art to editing and taking a few extra minutes of time can turn an ordinary video into something far more compelling. Just the addition of a great soundtrack can significantly improve or negate good video. The addition of cut shots or title cards to call attention to key items from the audio can also take an ordinary video and make it far more powerful. But to do these things you'll need to really learn how to use today's quite powerful desktop video editing tools. And if you don't have the time, this is one place that you may want to consider paying a professional to do it for you.

In Market Use of QR Codes
The second place you may make use of video and QR codes is "in market." I think this has really incredible ramifications for tourism marketers, museums, libraries and book stores for instance.

Here again, QR codes can link to all kinds of text, audio and video files that can create a richer user experience. If you're a bookstore or library, you might have a QR code link to an audio or video file of the author doing a reading from select passages of the book or even to videos of consumers providing reviews of the book.

Museums and tourism destinations can imerse a traveler/user into a deeper brand experience with what they are looking at right now. If I see an object in a museum, I can scan the QR code to get a deeper, richer audio/video explanation of the history of that object. It gives you the ability to attach a personal story to every object I as a consumer come into contact with on my journey. I'm sure you could also probably create (if there isn't one) a way to produce a running track of the QR codes I scanned (coupled with a picture of the object/place I was at when I scanned it) and give me a way to relive my travel/visit at a later date. Sort of a real-time scrapbook if you will.

Now here, because of the volume of video or audio files you'll need to create, I think it is very acceptable to use items like Flip cams to record narrations or other such files. Here the consumer/visitor is in the space now or in your market now and the purpose of the QR code is less about marketing and more about going deeper and gaining more information than is presently in front of me as the consumer. So a slight drop off in the quality doesn't seem to be something I as a consumer would mind as much. You? Would you mind it as much?

You'll have to forgive me if my thoughts here aren't completely jelled. Like you, I'm still thinking through QR Codes and how best to use them. More importantly, I'm still thinking through the backend of QR Codes, the content that the QR Code links to.... and wondering exactly what is the optimal quality/cost point for the content those QR Codes link to. Care to share your thoughts? Love to hear where you're at and where you think you'll be going with QR Codes in the future.

See original article positive disruption by: Tom Martin

The auto industry increases appetite for mobile marketing: dealers get in the game

Full-line automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., possessing some of the largest marketing budgets in the world, are not new to emerging media. They often spend heavily in all media, including online, video and mobile. According to Advertising Age’s 100 Leading National Advertisers Spending Report 2007, the automotive sector led all categories in advertising spending, topping the charts at $19.80B last year. Automakers’ large budgets and continuous need for innovation in marketing give them both the means and the motivation to test and push new channels and tactics more aggressively than other verticals.

Automotive marketers are also not new to mobile marketing. Brands like Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, Jaguar and Toyota are all investing in mobile-marketing strategies to create awareness, drive leads to dealers and/or enable “in-your-pocket” exploration and interaction with their products. SMS campaigns that include click2call, which enables consumers to call a dealer immediately, or click2locate, which asks consumers to enter their ZIP code to locate the closest dealer, are meeting with solid success for lead-gen purposes.

As smartphone penetration increases — smartphones make up nearly 6.5 percent of the U.S. market and 10 percent of the global market for mobile phones — and MMS usage becomes more widespread, the ability for consumers to use click2video to view advanced video experiences built for automotive marketers will also increase. Until then, auto marketers will continue to use mobile WAP sites to empower users to research and customize their cars and carry their preferences with them as they shop.

But what is new in mobile marketing is not the activity initiated by auto marketers; it is the growing use of mobile marketing by auto dealerships. Dealers are looking for more efficient and streamlined ways to communicate with prospects and improve the sales experience, and mobile holds promise, particularly for younger audiences.

A proposed mobile microsite for the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Visitors would be able to view vehicle features, select a color and opt-in for email offers.

Companies such as Gumiyo, Nexteppe, OneCommand and Acuity Mobile have recently launched mobile platforms that enable mobile couponing and bi-directional communication and transactional capabilities between dealers and customers, streamlining the car-buying process for consumers and dealers alike.

According to Nexteppe, “dealers can use mobile marketing as part of an integrated campaign by displaying new and pre-owned inventory on a WAP site and using SMS for inventory. They can also issue updates, maintenance reminders and inform customers about promotions and financing deals….the response has been overwhelming.” This solution was recently tested in a New York Toyota dealership.

OneCommand’s OneConnect Mobile, which the company demonstrated at the National Automobile Dealers Convention in February, enables dealers to have real-time, two-way communication in a variety of ways:

• Service Reminders: consumer alerts via text message to remind them of upcoming service appointments, etc.
• On-the-lot marketing or SMS integration in print ads: customers visiting a lot after hours or those accessing print promotions can input a model code by SMS to automatically receive more information, including text description of vehicle, color, link to WAP brochure, etc. They can also request that information be sent to them via email, and choose to be contacted by a sales representative via phone.
• Customer satisfaction surveys: automatic surveying of the sales experience via mobile.

Although these systems are just rolling out, there is much to be excited about in mobile marketing these days as the auto industry embraces mobile not just for branding purposes, but also as a mechanism for overhauling the dealer-consumer experience via real-time, mobile communication.

–Terri Walter

View original article at:

Digital Automotive Trends and Insights from Razorfish

Toyota engages auto enthusiasts at LA Auto Show via mobile messaging

By Giselle Tsirulnik

November 29, 2010

4 Runner SnapTag

Toyota used mobile marketing to engage auto enthusiasts at the Los Angeles Auto Show, providing attendees information about specific vehicles right to their mobile devices.

The automaker tapped SpyderLynk to let consumers use their mobile phone camera to “snap and send” different Toyota SnapTags and get information about various vehicles featured at the show.

"We're constantly exploring innovative ways for Toyota customers to access vehicle information at their leisure," said Michael K. Nelson, interactive communications marketing manager at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., Torrance, CA.

SnapTag details
SnapTag is SpyderLynk’s flagship image recognition product.SpyderLynk claims its SnapTags are the only logo-centric mobile activation tool in the marketplace today.

Brand logos featured on any type of packaging, advertising, signage or screens can be made interactive with SpyderLynk’s Code Ring technology.

Find a Toyota dealer

Consumers with smartphones or standard camera phones can snap and send a picture of a SnapTag to activate a multi-functional, multimedia interactive dialogue with brands.

SnapTags give Toyota a way to create an interactive and mobile dialogue with interested consumers, driving brand and product awareness, generating potential sales leads and providing information in an engaging way.

The SnapTags are featured on signage located at each vehicle – with each SnapTag showing the photo of a different vehicle in the center.

The Toyota snap and send

Educating consumers
When consumers send in the Toyota SnapTag, they receive an SMS response featuring four links providing access to vehicle information, a vehicle brochure, the ability to obtain a cost quote and information about the Toyota Care program.

With the SMS in their inboxes, consumers have the opportunity to visit the message and information links repeatedly.

SpyderLynk SnapTags give Toyota the opportunity to engage consumers on smartphones and standard camera phones without the need to download specific 2D bar code readers or applications. Basically, Toyota can interact with anyone who has a camera phone.

Consumers go to the Los Angeles Auto Show to learn about new car models in what is the most auto-crazy state nationwide.

The Toyota SnapTag call to action at the show was “Learn more about this vehicle.” There are simple instructions about where consumers can send the photo of the SnapTag to receive vehicle information directly on their phones.

“SnapTags allow us to conveniently and effectively direct leads to dealerships, drive traffic to the Toyota mobile site and provide ebrochures and additional information to consumers directly on their mobile devices," Toyota’s Mr. Nelson said.

Dan Butcher reported for this story.

Find original article @ Mobile Marketer