This is module two and my assignment is to discuss the advantages of mobile marketing devices such as phones and tablets over traditional marketing channels. Then address how mobile campaigns lead consumers to the point of sale, generate contacts, or enable consumer loyalty programs along with some strategies that fixes the common constraints of mobile marketing.
The advantages of mobile marketing over traditional channels is blindingly bright! Years ago you had to place an ad in the paper to get noticed or buy radio or TV ads, even when the consumer version of the Internet was growing into its own in the mid-90's. Even in the dial-up days the traditional methods were more convenient and garnered much more attention.
When broadband started to roll out, the Internet still wasn't a for sure bet for marketing. You had places where you could place ads but if they had no traffic, well no one would notice. Gradually overtime classified websites popped up like Craigslist. A site dedicated to selling what ever to whom ever. Again after another evolution pop up ads started which annoyed everyone and made the marketers probably among the most hated people on earth.
Thankfully after the development of popup-blockers they caught on and started to embed their ads into the site itself. Ads that seemed to have mystery audio and you had to scroll the page to find the video and turn it off. Then the big evolution, the world shaking evolution began. The invention of smart phones! All of a sudden there was a device that had unlimited potential for marketers! One device that allowed you to browse the Internet, check your email. send text messages, download apps and use them anywhere there was a cell or wi-fi signal and all of that fit in your pocket!
A few generations later the smart phone is probably the most common thing in the world that everyone has! The homeless guy at the quick shop I frequent has a smart phone that he listens to baseball games on in the summer. He has a bike, backpack, and a smart phone. It's a necessity in today's world. I have a co-worker that is very rare in that he does not have wi-fi at home but he's got a 5 thousand dollar smart TV and he watches cable on it but that's another story, anyway he's got a smart phone!
I can't think of anyone I know that doesn't have one in fact. All of that means to a marketer that they are potential eyes to see a marketing campaign. I've gone weeks without turning on my TV where as I use my iphone and ipad each day, many times per day! I've typed out assignments on my ipad at work, that's how much I use these devices and I can imagine many of my fellow students do the same on their devices!
Personally I believe email marketing is the most effective form of mobile marketing. Not unsolicited email spam but email from businesses you are interested in. For example one site I frequently check prices and opted into their email list had a flash sale that was site wide for Election Day yesterday. Whatever you bought you took an additional 5% off with the email code which made for some really good bargains and I took advantage of it! I got a couple of really good deals on some supplies I use a lot of! That one email lead me to the point of sale and I might have even spent a bit more than I had wanted but the prices don't get that low normally, or haven't in the past few months that I follow their prices. So I'd call that very effective and they got me to pull the trigger on some items I've had in my shopping cart for a while, then taken out, then replaced again.
That is something I could never do with a newspaper ad, radio ad, or TV ad. You'd have to make an ad buy and plan out the sale before it happened, record or shoot the commercials, schedule when it'd run, and then direct consumers to your website. With modern turn key shopping sites you can adjust your prices, develop a discount code, and send out an email to everyone on your list in less than five minutes, maybe a bit more with an HTML email with graphics and the cost would be practically free. A marketing agency in town usually starts a campaign around ten thousand dollars and it goes up from there. Mobile Marketing wins easily!
Having a mobile optimized version of your website is essential. No one wants to scroll around on a smart device because you're only seeing 15% of the site on your screen. You want to see everything you need and be able to check out with a minimum of hassle.
Lately another advantage of mobile marketing that I caught onto was fast food places that offer mobile only deals on their app menus. You can usually find QR code coupons that you can't get by walking in but if you have that specific chain app you can find them and get some nice discounts. I've gotten discounted meals or been able to buy one sandwich and get a free side and drink with the mobile QR codes. More businesses can catch onto this and be able to likely expand their clientele.
A common disadvantage of mobile marketing is unwanted messages, robocalls, or thousands of unwanted emails that fill up your inbox. When that happens it is hard to distinguish your product from the scams and fake emails or texts campaigns. When the consumer knows that your business won't sell your email to other companies or require you to opt into their email list, they feel much more secure about the legitimacy of your business. Being up front with their security, to me, is essential. This is also a way to generate a large marketing list which got me to spend more than I had bargained for, darn my impulse buying!
Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Marketing. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2018, from https://www.thebrandonagency.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-mobile-marketing/
DeMers, J. (2016, May 25). 4 Mobile Marketing Strategies That Will Boost Engagement And Sales. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2016/05/25/4-mobile-marketing-strategies-that-will-boost-engagement-and-sales/#4c0343be2514
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