11 Dec 3 (Huge) Reasons Why SMS is the Future of Global Marketing
My previous post, From DrugLords to the CDC: How Mobile Technology is Reshaping the Social Media Landscape, discussed trends in text message usage in the U.S. and global markets. The number of people who actively utilize this ever-growing technological force is continuing to explode worldwide. I’ve found an overwhelming amount of data and statistics surrounding emerging research in this arena, so I compiled a few of the main points and numbers that emphasize the significance of mobile marketing:
1. ChaCha – Not to be confused with the popular Latin dance, ChaCha is the fastest growing provider of mobile SMS services in the U.S. amongst its competitors Google SMS and Yahoo! SMS. In a few short months, ChaCha’s market share grew from seven percent to 28 percent. This equates to more than 30 million impressions per month and more than 2.5 million users since the service launched this past January. Even president-elect Barack Obama, soda giant Coca-Cola, and the oh-so-tempting McDonald’s have chosen ChaCha to serve their mobile advertising needs. If they’re doing it, why aren’t you?
2. Mobile Marketing Association: Asian-Pacific Edition – These international mobile marketing gurus headquarted on the mainland are striving to raise marketers’ awareness of the expansive opportunities within mobile technology. Turns out, it’s not just the U.S. and Europe who are proving to be essential assets into which marketers must delve, but also the Asian-Pacific (APAC) region, which includes Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Key findings of the Annual Global Mobile Attitude and Usage Study revealed that approximately 48% of mobile users in the APAC are “moderate/highly interested in mobile marketing,” with the strongest interest in “mobile couponing, status alerts regarding current accounts or products owned, and alerts for special sales and discounts.” Let’s give them what they want – it’s a win/win.
3. Demographic Diversity Means Broader Brand Reach – Nielsen Mobile, part of The Nielsen Corporation, has reported that the demographics, at least amongst U.S. mobile users, are diverse and prominent enough to be attractive to virtually any brand considering dipping its toes into the mobile marketing pool. Though there’s still a slight percentage majority of male users over female users (52% to 48%), the number of users and the range in demographics is steadily increasing, proving that mobile marketing is one of the first revolutionary marketing outlets to emerge in decades. The U.S. breakdown of mobile internet users is as follows:
We’ve only begun to see the tip of the mobile marketing iceberg, and as greater knowledge and usage of mobile technology continues to infiltrate the global market, this emerging marketing medium will prove to be vastly beneficial for brands and the constantly on-the-go consumer. How do you feel about mobile marketing? How receptive are you or would you be to mobile advertising and marketing?
