01 Aug Maximizing Mobile Marketing : Exploring Mobile Marketing Optimization
I am that guy that always has his iPhone out looking for the latest deals on Groupon, checking-in on foursquare or snapping pictures of QR Codes hoping that my scanner will decode a treasure. My friends roll their eyes when I get excited over the free chips and salsa deal at Chili’s Restaurants or the Barista Badge from Starbucks that I unlocked on foursquare. Little do they know that a big part of my decision making when figuring out where to eat or grab a coffee is influenced by the deals I can scrounge up on my phone. Even a local yogurt shop that I frequent has control over my sweet tooth when it markets to me through SMS marketing. Launching mobile marketing campaigns can play a role in buyer behavior.
Optimizing Your Mobile Marketing Strategy
As you probably are well aware, there has been a drastic increase in the usage of smart phones over the past several years. In fact, there have been over 108 million iPhones alone sold worldwide. That doesn’t include Android or the host of other smart phones available. With this rapid increase, there is a new demand to get your company fully mobiley maximized. And yes, I know mobiley is not a real word, but let’s run with it. This increase in smartphone usages is the why you should care about mobile marketing optimization. Now you need to ask the how tos of mobile marketing optimization.
Can Mobile Marketing Increase Sales?
If for no other reason, you can directly increase sales by using mobile marketing such as foursquare check-in deals and SMS marketing campaigns. Offering sales can lead to an increase in foot traffic to brick and mortar locations. By offering simple incentives whether it is a flash sale through an SMS campaign or a loyalty program and regular specials through foursquare, you can instantly market to everyone that is attached to their phone, like me.
Case in point, I like Chili’s but I did not really frequent any particular Chili’s establishment. However, since they recently added the free chips and salsa appetizer with a checkin on foursquare, I have visited Chili’s more in the last month than I did all last year. That little orange “Special” badge right under a restaurant’s name makes that restaurant look so much more appealing. The best part is that setting up a special on foursquare is totally free! Simply go to foursquare, find your venue and click the “manage” button.
Similarly, I subscribed to the SMS list at local yogurt shop down the road, Yo Zone. They send out only a handful of texts a month, but twice
now, they have offered 50% off and you better believe that I went both times. Why? Because I was instantly notified of a good deal. It triggered that impulse buying chemical that is in all of our brains. I decided just as quickly as I received and read that 160 character text message.
I have also seen QR Codes utilized in similar ways to increase sales. Though a QR Code won’t necessarily drive more people to your physical location, it can getthem engaged once they arrive. If you have been to Best Buy recently, I am sure that you have seen the QR Codes on their price tags. If you scan one, you will be taken to a mobile site of that product that clearly outline features and tech specs. Strategically placing QR Codes not only shows that you’re relevant and current, but it can also get your customers mobiley engaged.
How is Mobile Marketing Social Marketing
When you add a friend on foursquare, you can view all of his or her checkins. You can do the same on Facebook. Though these checkins portray a friends interest or preferences in the local scene, you are still missing that personal endorsement that only a friend can directly give. The best way to encourage people to talk about your company on social media as a result of being in a physical location is to clearly display that you’re social.
I am not talking about merely putting the Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and foursquare icons in the corner of your ads and signage. You need to be more specific. Put your Twitter handle on table tents in your restaurant saying, “Let us know what you think!” If you’re a clothing store, have people take a picture trying on your clothes and encourage them to post it to Facebook and tag your store in the photo. Be clear about where people can find you online by giving them you URLs and handles, don’t just mention that you have social accounts.
A few weeks ago, as I was traveling, I stopped at a restaurant that had a little table tent that said, “Let us know what you thought of your meal and your service today!” Below that they had their Twitter handle. Naturally I pulled out my phone and tweeted at them. I recently visited a speciality shop that sells gourmet coffees and teas. On the bottom of the receipt, they had a box that said, “Follow us today @(giving their Twitter handle) and tweet about what you bought today and be entered to win a $50 gift card to our store!” Even the Francis Scott Key Exhibit in Washington DC has its Twitter handle proudly displayed as you exit the exhibit encouraging you to tell your friends about the piece of history you had just seen.
By engaging your users in your brick and mortar locations, you are increasing the likelihood that they will use their mobile device to send out a mass message to their friends telling them about the service they received, post a picture of their incredible food, or brag about your incredible sales.
Powering Down
In order to stay relevant with the ever-changing trends in social media, you have to get mobiley maximized and start catering to your fans, followers and customers that visit your physical location. Times have changed. Mobile marketing is not only about bringing people into your store, it is about equipping people to share their experience as they leave your store. If you don’t have a mobile marketing campaign, you should implement one. If you already are running mobile promotions, be sure optimize your mobile marketing campaigns using relevant tools like QR Codes and foursquare.
