The Top 5 Tips to Get Started With Mobile Marketing

SMS is the foundation of mobile marketing and is the most powerful way to engage your customers. When you consider how users communicate with one another through mobile messaging it is clear  Take for instance 98% of text messages are read within 90 seconds. The click-through rate from a text message is 50%. If you want to deliver value to your consumers, there is no better way.

why brands consider it to be the most direct and purest communication channel they can have with their consumers, especially when you consider users have to opt-in to receive mobile messages from brands.

When done right, mobile marketing can deliver very meaningful results for brands. But because it is the most personal communication channel it has to be managed with extreme care and respect.  There are stringent compliance requirements defined by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) that you should be aware of before you launch your mobile marketing initiative.

Below are a handful of guidelines that will help you get started with your mobile marketing initiative:

1. Build your marketing database. The first step in getting started with SMS marketing is to build a mobile database of SMS subscribers. Getting customers to opt-in and join your SMS database takes an aggressive “double down” plan, creativity and patience. Don’t get fooled in to thinking you can buy a 3^rd party list to jump-start your database – remember you are required to have an opt-in.
2. Define the value proposition. What value can you provide your consumers that will entice them to engage with you via SMS. Many brands will provide monetary value such as, discounts, and mobile coupons. Reminders, exclusive access is also an effective tool, value doesn’t have to be monetary. It is important to provide exclusive offers or alerts to create a sense of above-and-beyond value. Avoid sending offers & info users can find through other channels. Users are extremely connected to their phones, and text is reserved for their inner circle. If they let you in, make it worthwhile.
3. Consistent messaging is key.  Whether you have a daily or monthly offer, make sure the cadence of messages is consistent with what the consumer signed up for. This is critical in establishing a trusting relationship between the brand and end users, which will directly affect the longevity of subscribers.
4. Create multichannel marketing campaigns. Mobile marketing is most effective when it is layered on to existing marketing efforts. Promote! If people don’t know about your campaign, they can’t join so be sure to heavily promote your keyword and short code to your audiences by adding a call to action across your existing earned, owned and paid platforms, including:

• Add a call to action on the front page of your website & contact page.
• Share it with your existing email database.
• Include in all forms of advertising (print, on air, radio and more).
• Post across social media platforms – Tweet it or Post to at least weekly to remind people about the program.
• Upper corner of your Facebook cover photo.
• Add to product packaging.
•  Take advantage of the captive audience! Utilize POS (point of sale) opportunities on-site or in venue at events.
•  Train customer-facing teams to encourage registrations.
•  Don’t forget paper receipts, email signatures, marketing materials and more.

5. Collect data for campaign optimization. Collect as much relative metadata as you can from your users. An effective way to do this is to have a web form where you can ask users for information that will help you send them relevant messages. Segment your database can significantly contribute to a low opt-out rate.

With mobile marketing comes great responsibility to protect this highly personal channel. Fortunately for marketers, there are well-established guidelines for running successful and compliant SMS marketing programs.

Good luck with your campaigns. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@gravit8marketing.com or check out our website: http://www.gravit8marketing.com.

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