The Smartphone Effect on SMS Marketing
Mobile marketing is still a relatively new method that is slowly becoming more and more acceptable in the United States. As it is still relatively unknown, many businesses remain cautious in adopting this practice. However, those that have are beginning to show great returns. The enormous potential of this method is only beginning to be realized.
The recent surge of interest in mobile marketing has been partially due to the increased popularity of multimedia devices such as the iPhone and Android. The functionality that these smartphones offer have increased the number of options for mobile marketers and offered an even higher level of personalization to their messages. What once could only be a text-only message can now contain images, video, and other multimedia options.
Since new smartphones are constantly being introduced and existing ones being updated, more and more features are becoming available. These new features make them absolutely perfect for a business that is considering adding mobile marketing to their overall marketing mix.
Benefits of Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing SMS is a great example of a new technology providing marketing opportunities. The growth in the mobile consumer market over the last ten years worldwide has been explosive, leading to a massive target market which has proven to be responsive to marketing messages. There are twice as many active SMS users than active email users, reflecting the full extent of the marketing opportunity presented by mobile communications.
But as a business owner, how can you capitalize on this growing technology with a mobile marketing SMS marketing campaign?
Challenges of Email Marketing for Small Businesses
According to a survey, conducted by Hurwitz & Associates for Ontario-based email marketing service provider Campaigner (a solution of Software-as-a-Service communication services and solutions company Protus), almost half of North American small businesses use email marketing today.
Campaigner’s “State of Small Business Online Marketing Survey” found that 46% of small businesses surveyed rely on email marketing to help them find new customers, keep existing ones and grow their businesses. Hurwitz & Associates gathered responses from 259 North American businesses with 1 to 20 employees.
Furthermore the report reveals that 36% of the surveyed small businesses plan to start using email marketing in the coming year.
Withstanding the Recession Using Email Marketing
Small business owners need to find additional means of promotion during tough economic times. Relying on a single method, such as an ad in the phone book or a newspaper, isn’t enough anymore. Most other ad mediums, such as radio and television, are often too expensive for the average business owner to use on a frequent basis.
Downsizing or reducing prices offers a short term solution in a failing economy. However, building a lasting relationship with your target market and keeping the lines of communication open is a far more cost efficient and effective method.
Mobile Marketing Growing in the U.S.
Mobile marketing is the act of reaching directly to consumers through SMS messaging, leveraging the growing number of mobile phone owners and users. It is predicted to be the next major global technology phenomenon, and to a certain extent it is already used across Europe and Asia by businesses of all sizes to deliver targeted messages on a wholesale scale. Mobile business consultants and service providers already have access to the frameworks for dealing with SMS text marketing, yet still the US market remains behind much of the rest of the world in this method.
