Tag Archives: mobile marketing

Top 10 Tips for Mobile Marketing

When developing a mobile campaign, here are some do’s and don’ts:

 

1. K.I.S.S.

For best results, messages should be short and to the point. You have an insanely limited amount of space to communicate something, so make it count. Text messaging is limited to between 140-160 characters, so keep the content simple, to the point, and don’t forget the call to action.
2. Ask for Permission.

Subscribers pay for text messages. No one wants to pay for content they did not choose to receive.  People today are accustomed to being asked whether they’d like to receive additional offers/news when downloading content from the Web. This opt-in process is even more critical in the wireless world. Every campaign you send out should also feature a quick and easy way to opt-out.  It’s not only polite but required by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA).

3. Create a compelling offer.

Take great pains to ensure your offer is something your subscribers want. Strong offers can substantially increase subscribers, build brand awareness and increase sales for marketers.  A study conducted by Nokia indicated that nearly 9 out of 10 respondents agreed that they should be provided some kind of an incentive to opt-in to mobile marketing campaigns.

4. Every phone is different.

So make sure every message you send can be seen.  There are myriad of mobile phone choices today and a variety of platforms (text, mobile web and mobile video).  Phones can vary from simple SMS (Short Message Service) phones to highly sophisticated color wireless PDA’s (Personal digital assistant).  Screen sizes and quality range from small black and white screens to high-resolution matrix color displays.  Your mobile messaging provider should be capable of optimizing content for a variety of different platforms, including J2ME, BREW, WAP, and MMS.

5. Make it Viral.

Capitalize on mobile’s peer-to-peer communication abilities.  Users forwarding your message to their friends and colleagues (thus enhancing the reach of each message sent) facilitate viral or “word-of-mouth” marketing.  Adding “fun” or a give-away to messages may also facilitate viral marketing.

6. Piggyback on traditional marketing.

Just because you have it, doesn’t mean your customers will know it’s there.  Marketers must use other online or offline channels to drive users to participate in their mobile campaigns.  This means online advertising, email, social media, print ads, collateral, billboards, radio and television commercials can all be used to alert mobile consumers of a particular promotion, or invite them to join your mobile program.  Aside from increasing ROI, mobile marketing also enables better tracking of consumer behavior leading to useful reporting and data-mining capabilities.

 

 

 

7. Track your results.

Reporting is built-in to mobile platforms and occurs in real-time.  By tagging ad campaigns with a unique mobile keyword call to action, you can track each response to the exact ad that generated it.  Tracking your results also allows you to learn and improve the results of future campaigns.  Most professional mobile platforms include: polling tallies, survey results, total messages sent, total messages delivered, and more.

 

8. Allocate enough set-up time

Most businesses wait until the last minute of a campaign launch to start their mobile campaigns.  The problem, there is no one to market to.  It takes time to build up a subscriber list.  Starting months prior to a campaign will ensure you have people to send important messages to when it counts.  Don’t have the time?  All is not lost!  Mobile marketing is very flexible and time sensitive.  That means a last minute mobile campaign can be successful if done correctly.  Using a text messaging partner (like nxtConcepts) with previous marketing experience can be invaluable.

9. Start because it’s affordable. Continue because it works.

Some marketers may be tempted to develop a mobile campaign just because it can be a small line item in an otherwise big marketing budget. Big mistake.  Although mobile marketing can be very inexpensive to start and implement–sometimes just a few hundred dollars—it takes time and attention to make it successful.  By treating a mobile campaign strategically and integrating it with other online and offline advertising it will help it grow and thrive.

10. Perfect pitch platform

So why should businesses care about mobile marketing?  Simple.  The same demographics’ that are interested in buying your products and services are also the most likely to use mobile phones.  In a nutshell, every single one of your customers has a cell phone and there’s no better way to reach and engage them.

Text Message Campaign Ideas

Although text messaging campaigns for businesses may seem like the hottest new thing, I’ve been creating campaigns for almost 4 years now (wow time flies).  In that time, I’ve been lucky to be a part of some very successful promotions.  From giveaways to contests to interactive surveys. So, I thought in this post I would share some of my favorite (and more successful) promotion ideas:

Alerts, Offers, Contests and Coupons

Sending  a special offer text message is a great way to fill unsold or slow time slots. Then, keep customers coming back using follow up texts, plus increase sales in off-times. Send text alerts with special promotions or digital coupons to customers who have opted-in to receive them.  The software  can even pick a selected number of winners for a contest or sweepstakes.

Sports/Events Trivia Sweepstakes

Ask text message trivia questions for recipients to win prizes.  Just promote your keyword in your other advertising or even at live events.

Text for Lodging Deals

Offer customers upon arrival three days of special text offers.  Use this special feature to help cross sell different profit centers at your resort or other business for food service, spas, rentals, and more.

Text In Food & Beverage Orders

Make it fast and easy for customer’s to eat and drink.  Promote your keyword for people to text food and beverage orders from their seat or table, for delivery or pick-up.

Ok, so you might be ready to move past the basics.  If so, these advanced options might be something for you to consider.

Mobile Video

Develop mobile video teasers, trailers, viral video and more. Don’t forget to deliver video sized for users’ phones.

Mobile Images & Wallpaper

Offer your customers the added value of free wallpaper with your branded content and logo. Keep your imagery appropriate for your target audience.

Mobile Ringtones

Likewise, offer your customers added value of free ringtones, audio quotes from company spokesperson, radio DJs and more.

What about you?  Do you have mobile, text message, or SMS campaigns that worked for you that you would like to share?  Please do.  Or, if something here caught your eye and you would like to learn more, just let me know.

ResortXpo Snowsports Virtual Conference and Trade Show

Live on July 15-16, is the first ever ResortXpo.  Join in http://www.ResortXpo.com/ski

Where can you network and discuss industry issues?
With all the marketing and technology choices out there, what’s the best strategy for your resort?
How can you come up with new ideas and programs for the coming season?

ResortXpo.com will address these questions and more!  The event is designed to help solve marketing, sales, and IT challenges by bringing compelling conference sessions, Base Lodge Chat’s and product and solution exhibits to the convenience of your desktop.

We know that you want the latest updates but need to get them in a convenient and simple way so we’ve designed this expo with your needs in mind.  We’re doing it online and we’re bringing the experts to you!

Top 5 Things You Will Get at this Event and Nowhere Else

Sessions with industry leading executives including: Samantha Rufo, President, nxtConcepts, Joy Spring, VP/COO, Leisure Trends, Steve Pope, Owner, ePop Studio; Milena Regos, Marketing Director, Diamond Peak Ski Resort; Eric Hoffman, Interactive Marketing Manager, Park City Mountain; David LaPlante, CEO, Twelve Horses; Michelle Evans, Marketing Services Manager, Grouse Mountain; John Siewierski, Owner, Siewierski Consulting

-Lessons learned from your peers in the Connection Cafe Forums with scheduled Base Lodge Chats.

Updates on the latest technology developments that are shaping the future of resort communications including text messaging, email marketing, social media, and websites.

Real time networking with product and solution experts.

-Virtual Welcome Reception brought to your by Captain Morgan (Please Drink Responsibly).  Get unprecedented access to the brand team while enjoying some of the Captain’s favorite recipes.

If you have ever missed a seminar or Convention due to travel or cost, this is the show for you!

It’s all happening July 15-16 and right on your computer.
No travel.  No expenses.  Just great information.
You can attend a major conference without leaving your office!

Attend the live event and Enter to Win:
ResortXpo exclusive give-aways.  Including: Captain Morgan Prize packages (jump drives and other cool swag), $500 Kick Start Mobile Marketing Program from nxtConcepts, Kelty two-man backpacking tent valued at $149 from Leisure Trends, Win one of 4 Descente or DNA jackets from RSN Resort TV & RSN.com, and more.  Winners notified through their online profiles.

Exhibitor Hall hours: open 24 hours with live chat’s available between 11am-5pm EST (10am-4pm CT/9am-3pm MT/8am-2pm PT)
Conference Session Hours: 11am – 2pm EST
And the entire event will be available for on-demand viewing for 10 days afterwards.

Brought to you by nxtConcepts, Ltd; North Pole Design; Selectus Consulting; and Captain Morgan

Are you a 2.0 Marketer?

Do you Brand Your Brand?
Creating a brand experience has moved to the top of today’s marketers’ priority lists. The American Institute of Graphic Design defines brand as “a person’s perception of a product, service, or company.” That definition has nothing to do with your mission statement, logo or tag line, or the design of your website. Instead, a brand is defined by the perception, good or bad, that your customers or prospects have about you and your business.
Your brand experience is made up of the cumulative impressions your current and potential customers take from their visual and verbal encounters with your business and staff. Some experiences are controlled, such as your office environment, how you answer the phone, your advertising, the services you deliver and your Web site. An uncontrolled – but just as important – experience is the word-of-mouth about your business. Strong brands come from consistently delivering a consistent experience. Savvy marketers will look at every impression in the context of and their overall brand experience.
In the new 2.0 world, marketing is less about what you say and more about what your prospect actually hears. It has become essential that you learn the needs and aspirations of your customers and provide value through each communication.
Most inexperienced marketers are unsure of their competitive difference and place a lot of attention on features instead of benefits. So what’s the difference? Features talk about your business and the services you deliver. They talk about the details, such products, services, hours, etc. Most people don’t care about features. Benefits tell customers what results they can expect from buying from you. They explain how customers will feel and about the time and money they’ll save from you compared to your competitors. For your marketing to be effective, you must be sure that every message you craft and send is benefits-focused.
Do You Effectively Get the Word Out?
Once you have established your message, you need to get the word out. The following marketing channels should be used to get people talking about your business and the services you provide:
Mobile: President Obama’s election campaign was one of the most talked about in history, not only because of the barriers it broke down in terms of race, but also because of the innovative ways in which it engaged with the electorate. In many ways, it was a turning point for mobile messaging, employing the most coordinated text-messaging, get-out-the-vote campaign in U.S. history. Mobile marketing delivers highly personalized and useful information when and where it is needed. More than 90 percent of text messages are read by the recipient, which creates the opportunity for an instant link between you and your customers.
Social Media: Not just for kids any more, 35 percent of adult Internet users now have a profile on at least one social networking site. Wise marketers will capitalize on the growing appeal of social networks like MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook. According to USA Today, social networking grew 93 percent from 2006 to 2008. During that time, Facebook grew 500 percent.
The key term here is networking; give and take. Social networking success stories have one thing in common: they’re all about the ping-pong effect. It’s you sharing information about yourself and your business with dozens, and then perhaps hundreds, of potential customers. In turn, those people mention you to their friends. Like all worthwhile business relationships, online networks must be nurtured. Make the effort to do so, and you will reap the rewards over time.

Video: How we communicate has changed. With the Web evolving to also include richer media channels, the savvy marketer must learn how to listen, understand and use the same media. Broadband penetration is 70 percent in the U.S., making streaming video a “must” marketing tool for your business. According to eMarketer, an estimated 154 million Americans watched at least one video in 2008, and three-quarters of those told a friend about one.  Video provides you with an enormous opportunity to engage, educate and entertain your customers – the “Three E’s” of successful marketing.
Gaming: Gaming now permeates just about all of society, creating a fresh way to connect with customers. Millions of non-skiers are hitting the virtual trails in Nintendo’s Wii and playing guitar in virtual rock bands on PlayStations. Senior-citizen centers are buying Wii to entertain guests and connect with grandkids. Having fun in the workplace seems like an oxymoron. However, having fun at your business is not only good for team-building, but also makes for more productivity. People learn best by doing, and the opportunity for group interaction provided by gaming’s virtual environment can make the office a bit more enjoyable. It can also be used to show appreciation for work well-done. Work doesn’t have to be one big party, but a little bit can make the work day go more smoothly.
Take Action
The successful 2.0 marketer not only will craft a targeted message, but will also keep customers happy by finding out the best ways to engage them.  Now is not the time to take a “wait and see” attitude.  With the marketing trends moving at lightening speed, 2.0 marketers should work at being early adopters and finding the right marketing mix to take them into marketing 3.0.

I got my Personal QR Code!

Ever since I saw the Ralph Lauren mobile campaign last summer that they launched for the U.S. Open, I have been excited about the possibilities of QR (Quick Response) codes for clients.

What are those?

QR code: (Quick response) it is a 2d bar code like you would see on any regular products.  This code allows cell phone users to be directed to a specific website where you can purchase or receive more info.

picture1

This example is for m.ralphlauren.com

It launched in the summer of 2008.  All the marketing for the event-posters, print ads, cards, shirts, etc had QR codes so that people could just “point and click (using a camera phone and internet access + QR reader).

How It Works

-open mobile application downloaded to your cellphone

-hover over code to snap picture

-Click to go to the site & browse info, read, watch videos, or buy something.

Cool note-using this technology you would be able to place a QR code on a t-shirt where people could scan and link directly to your myspace page.  So, that’s why I decided to try it out first with a personal code.  Here’s mine:

Samantha Rufo QR code
Samantha Rufo QR code

The Basics

Ok, if you want to see how this works, follow these instructions.  Note, you do need a camera enabled phone to do this and have a Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile or AT& T carrier.

From your cell phone (easiest way to do this)
1. On your cell phone go to the mobile site http://www.clic2c.us.mobile
2. The correct software will download to your cell phone.
3. After it is installed (about 60 seconds) open the program and aim the phone’s camera shutter at the QR code.  It will take you to my website.

From the web
1. Go here http://www.clic2c.us/download.aspx
2. Follow directions for getting the correct cellphone application download.
Once the application is downloaded to your PC, send it to your phone using Bluetooth, infrared or USB. Open the program on your cell phone to snap the QR code and see the magic.

Watch for some new and exciting case studies as we start implementing and getting feedback from some new mobile campaigns using QR codes.

Marketing in a virtual world

It seems like today marketers need to be a cross between creative geniuses, writers, and tech geeks to be able to survive in our digital age.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the age we now live in.  It’s like  the “wild west” for marketers.  We get to go to unknown places (mobile marketing, twitter, social networks, search engines) and carve out our own niche.

As a creative person, I’m never thrilled when I must work in a confined space.  I like to stretch my right brain.  I like to try new things.  I like to succeed.  That is easy to do when few road maps exist for business models in cyberspace.

Here’s my five ways to be successful in a virtual world:

1. Be open to learn. Although the thought of learning yet another new program or having to remember one more login can seem daunting, it is important to be open to trying new things.  As marketers we know that people get bored or loose interest quickly, so it is critical to look forward and not back.  Here’s a trick I learned, that seems to work well with men, women, young and old.  When learning some new technology, work in three’s.  Learn three things that are critical for use.  Once you know those three things inside and out, learn three more.  Keep going until you feel comfortable or have found all the things you feel are useful to your goals and objectives for using the software/technology.

2. Watch and learn. Some people can jump right in.  Some need some time to get used to the temperature of the water.  I believe is is human nature to learn by watching others.  So, if you decide to set up a new account in a social network, watch what others are doing at least 30 days.  Then, start to post comments, build your network, or whatever it is you want to do.  By then you should have a good feel for how it works and how you want to participate.

3. Be consistent. If you are going to do something, do it right.  Many people start blogs, few people keep them more than a few months.  Why?  It takes work and commitment.  Rome was not built overnight, and neither are great marketing campaigns.

4. Socialize. The great thing about the virtual world on the web is that you can connect with your peers both locally and half way across the world.  In no other time could you build a social network of business contacts that spans the globe as easy as you can today.  By socializing on the web you can expand your thinking and even build better marketing programs with the help of your new networks.  All you need to do is ask.

5. Don’t mess it up for the rest of us. Email was a wonderful tool until spammers took over.  The social networks allow us to connect in new and wonderful ways, unless hackers steal our accounts.  My only wish is that people would just use the cool tools for what they were meant to do.

Your thoughts?  Have any points to add?