Growing your mobile marketing database isn't as painful as you think

One of the biggest advantages mobile messaging brings to your marketing plan is the extremely high response rate. Ninety-eight percent of text messages are usually read within 3 minutes, with click through rates of over 50%. That’s huge! No other marketing channel produces the type of immediacy that mobile marketing provides.

Mobile marketing is the most accessible form of marketing for consumers considering nearly everyone in the world has a smartphone. With SMS and MMS, marketers can provide consumers with rich media and immediate text messaging rather than email or direct mail. With mobile messaging being governed by the telephone consumer protection action (TCPA) which provides strict rules and regulations enforced by the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association), CTIA and mobile carriers, so brands can only market to customers who explicitly opt-in and give a company permission to send them text messages to prevent SPAM or unsolicited messages.

Building a mobile marketing database
Mobile subscribers drive higher marketing ROI than any other program. In order to build a mobile database it’s crucial to implement a promotional strategy that ties in your mobile campaign.

The secret to growing and maintaining a loyal mobile subscriber database is to use a compelling offer or incentive that will pique the interest of your consumer and follow through with delivering value.

We are frequently asked, “How do you get consumers to opt in to offers and promotions?” Below you will find a number of different ways to get the most out of your marketing activities and build your mobile database.

Relevance and timeliness: Brands can drive opt-ins by offering compelling content designed for immediate use. Consider offerings to entice consumers to join.

• Coupons
• Sneak peeks to new offerings
• Relevant news alerts
• Early access programs
• Branded content

Ratchet up the creative and incentives: The more creative and the bigger incentive you deliver, the more opt-ins you are likely to receive. Try to include:

• Videos – trailers, product reviews, music videos.
• Images, emoji’s and photo albums.
• Audio clips – sneak peek to newest artist releases.
• BOGO – Buy one, get one free.
• Free drink or dessert with purchase of a hamburger.
• 20% off for new customer opt-in’s.

Engage consumers: Consider the following types of interactive campaigns to drive opt-ins:

• Rewards and loyalty programs
• Text2win campaigns
• Trivia
• UGC (user generated content) based programs
• Voting
• Gamification

Personalization is key: As you build your database, take advantage of customization opportunities to drive more mobile engagement with your consumers.

• Drive engagement around key times of the day in various time zones.
• Create localized content including weather, sporting events, and happenings in and around the area.
• Take advantage of DMA and area code segmentation opportunities to drive action in key markets.
• Collect as much information about your subscriber as you can to deliver more relevant messages.

Promote like crazy! If people don’t know about your campaign, they can’t join so be sure to heavily promote your keyword, short code, QR Codes and value proposition to your audiences by adding a call to action to the following:

• Website
• Share it with your existing email database
• All forms of advertising
• Post across social media platforms 
• Product packaging
• Point of sale (POS) opportunities
• Paper receipts, email signatures, and other marketing materials are sometimes overlooked – but provide a great opportunity for marketers.

This is not an end all be all to how building your mobile marketing database, but certainly should get you started with some ideas of how to proactively get consumers interested and engaged in your mobile marketing initiatives.

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. Good luck with your campaigns.

SLS Las Vegas Partners with Gravit8 Marketing to Engage Guests and Drive Loyalty with Mobile Messaging

Las Vegas’ Newest Casino Resort Reimagines how they Communicate with the “Always Connected” Millennial Demographic by Utilizing Gravit8’s Advanced Mobile Messaging Capabilities

SEATTLE, WA – June 10, 2015 – Gravit8 Marketing, a leading end-to-end mobile marketing

technology company, today announced the launch of its relationship with SLS Las Vegas, one of the brands under SBE, a global hospitality and entertainment company that is comprised of award-winning hotels, casinos, residences, restaurants and nightlife destinations. SLS Las Vegas is currently utilizing Gravit8’s platform to build and segment their opt-in mobile database, as well as deliver offers and promotions to guests.

"This is a milestone moment for our team. Not only have we launched a new company, but we have also launched a high profile customer in SLS Las Vegas. We are excited to be working with a like-minded client who fanatically value customer relationships as much as we do, ” said Mike Wehrs, chairman and chief executive officer at Gravit8 Marketing. "Mobile presents SLS Las Vegas with an innovative way to connect with guests and deliver an experience that will not only help them build their brand, but also boost engagement with its brand.”

SLS Las Vegas promotes its mobile marketing activities with messages throughout the resort and in guest rooms. The goal is to roll this program out to other SBE properties over the coming year. To receive SLS Las Vegas mobile messages, text SLSLV to 85292.

Gravit8’s carrier-grade platform enables brands and media companies to connect with consumers through:

• SMS & MMS: Ninety percent of consumers read text messages within 3 minutes making it the most effective way to engage your customers.
• Mobile coupons: Redemption rates in the U.S. will exceed 53 million this year and is expected to grow by double-digits annually with continued smartphone and tablet adoption.
• Gamification and branded emojis: Consumers want content to be useful and entertaining in that order. By focusing on those two things brands can increase engagement and ROI.
• QR Codes: Brands have a great opportunity to move consumers down the path to purchase faster by offering QR Codes.
• 3D mobile websites: 2D websites are so 2014. It's time to offer an engaging way for consumers to interact with a 3D mobile ad via their touchscreens.

To learn more about Gravit8's mobile marketing solutions, please visit: http://www.gravit8.com.

Give your summer concert some staying power with mobile messaging

It’s that time of the year again; radio summer concerts and festivals are coming to a town near you. Remember when stations could just announce a show, plug it on air, and place some TV ads?

Now, people are listening across streaming and mobile apps and interacting with your station via social and mobile channels. Which means event promotion needs to evolve so it is more in line with the habits of the modern listener. So what does that mean? Let’s walk through a few different ideas that can quickly be implemented by stations.

Build hype for your event

If your website is up to date, listeners will know about your summer concerts. But what about those who are fans of the artists or have similar taste in music but aren’t listening to your station?

You can reach this audience with targeted social and mobile messages. Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms allow you to target fans of your artists or fans of similar acts. For example, a fan of Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton might also like Florida Georgia Line.

You can employ mobile messages to reach your listeners and direct them to a mobile website for further event information. The ads and website can be co-branded to give extra value to sponsors.

The mobile website can capture visitors data for future re-marketing and have social sharing so fans can help promote your event through their personal networks. Social sharing should also include specific station social media properties (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and hashtags to help increase listener engagement and interaction with the station.

Additionally, you can create a segmented text message database that will send show reminders and updates to those who opt-in to receive them. Those who opt-in can be the first to know about pre-sales, set times, artist meet and greets or other insider information about the show.

Engage attendees during the event

Anyone who’s been to a concert in the past few years knows how much time people spend on their phones filming, texting, tweeting or posting ‘selfies’ to Instagram. You need to funnel that engagement and content for your station.

Blanket the venue with social and mobile reminders to encourage attendee interaction. So make it easy for them to remember shortcodes and hashtags by promoting them on everything from tickets and shirts to cups and posters.

You can post pictures or other social content directly to video screens at the venue to let everyone see what’s happening beyond the small patch of grass they are on by simply using keywords or hashtags.

No more 'one and done' events

Just because the show’s over doesn’t mean the marketing can’t continue. Post-event marketing can help drive further website visits and expand your email or text databases.

Record your show and broadcast exclusive performances on your station’s website. These performances, interviews or behind the scenes footage, can also be sent directly to listeners via text or through the stations social properties, where they can easily view and share the content with their friends.

By utilizing these social and mobile marketing tactics, you can transform what was once a “one-and-done” event, into an ongoing campaign that drives meaningful listener engagement and loyalty.