Mobile Phones is the fastest growing industry in the world, with more then 90% of adults having their mobile in arms reach at all times! People are even using it while on the toilet…(Guilty).
It is because of these reasons and many more that Mobile Marketing is highly important for any brand – so they know they are always in the palm of their consumer’s hands.
Apps, Social Media, QR Codes, Advertising, Videos, Emails, Websites – all ways the marketer can penetrate your phone to get up close and personal with you, the consumer – So many choices! So much room for marketing activities! (Wink)
BUT, because there are so many ways a brand can connect to their consumers, marketers need to ensure they are using the treasured mobile medium to its full potential, in order to reap the many rewards Mobile Marketing can offer a brand.
Nike is one brand that is doing amazing things via mobile phones, including their recent Euro 2016 campaign, The Switch. Check it out for yourself!
The short film was the most shared ad during the Euro 2016, with over 335,618 shares across social media platforms according to Campaign.
Along with the short film, the brand also created a hashtag – #SparkBrilliance – and a Snapchat filter for fans to combine their face with Cristiano Ronaldo- a fun and personable way for consumers to get involved in the campaign.
So how do brands know if they are going to be successful when engaging in Mobile Marketing? With handy insights from Andreas Kaplan’s Four I’s in his 2012 journal article, here are some simple DOs and DON’Ts of Mobile Marketing- cause if you’re gonna do it, do it right!
DO: Know your audience.
Get as much information as you can about them. Where are they located? What are their likes and dislikes? Where do they check-in? All of this information can come in handy to make the users experience better – so get all the intel you can.
DON’T: Rely on bulk messaging.
Not all consumers are the same, so why communicate to them as if they are? Bulk messaging can be annoying and irrelevant to consumers, so brands should try and avoid using standardised communication messages when possible.
DO: Customise your communication activities for your consumers.
Consumers want to feel valued and understood by brands, whether it be a location based restaurant recommendation, or reminding consumers they have unpurchased items in their basket. By making your communication meaningful, targeted and personal to the consumer, the more likely they will keep coming back for more.
DON’T: Bombard your consumer with information all the time.
Consumers don’t want to hear from you all the time – and constant emails and posts make you more annoying than informative. Just because a consumer has shown interest by subscribing to your emailing list, or liking your Facebook page doesn’t mean you should abuse that olive branch – consumers can just as easily cut ties with your brand, which is not what you want.
DO: Encourage consumer interaction.
Social media, blogs and review sites have made consumers’ opinion and insights more powerful and informative then ever. Interaction comes in many forms; spanning from a status, check-in, hashtag, app download, and even completing a quiz – these fun, trust building and value adding activities provided by the brand can keep consumers interested and keen for more (not to mention strengthens consumer-brand relationships!)
DON’T: Get too defensive
Brands cannot control the public sphere; however, the way a brand reacts to UGC is completely in their power. Brands need to ensure that they cautiously approach UGC, as negative comments can be harmful to your business, BUT, an equally negative response can be even worse.
And LASTLY,
DO: Be innovative.
Innovation can be hard work, but is so necessary for brands to strive for in order to stand out and fight through all the online clutter consumers are getting good at ignoring.
Do you have any DOs or DON’Ts you think should be included in this list?
Are there any other brands you think have excelled in the mobile marketing world?
Until next time,
Chloe – The Stressaholic xx
Confessions of a Stressaholic. 
Great blog post Chloe, very informative!
Nike has always done an amazing job connecting with their consumers across all social media platforms. I think another “DO” for marketers is that regardless of whether the consumer interaction is positive, negative, or neutral that the brand should continue to interact with the consumer and not simply ignore what they have to say, or worse, delete their comment!
On a smaller scale, another brand that has used mobile marketing to their advantage is Ashy Bines, a personal trainer from the Gold Coast. Through her app, website, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook page, online forums, and YouTube she has managed to ‘connect’ with millions of women across the world, and her success can definitely be attributed to Kaplan’s DO’s of mobile marketing – check her out and see for yourself!
Thanks for another confession!
LikeLike
Hi Georgie!
Thank you for your feedback!
That additional ‘DO’ you mentioned in your comment is definitely relevant, as brands need to ensure they are receptive and open to consumer feedback no matter how positive, negative or neutral it may be, as the last thing you would want is consumers no longer interacting with your brand.
The example you provided sounds excellent! I have heard of Ashy Bines before so I must check her out to gain some more insight into mobile marketing 🙂
LikeLike
Hey Chloe!
Great job on this article! it is really informative and insightful on the mobile marketing campaign that Nike implemented, showing the success that mobile marketing can bring to a business. With the growth in mobile technology, I believe this is not surprising, as people are accessing information on their mobile phones more as compared to the past. This has brought up lots of opportunities for businesses to use mobile technology to optimise their marketing campaign like Nike did.
I think another mobile marketing success if one from IKEA, which made use of an app to show users the 3D visuals on their traditional print catalogue. This allows users to look at possible designs and really benefited the sales of the company. Check it out and tell me what you think about it!
Hardi
LikeLike
Hi Hardi!
Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
My mobile phone is for sure my go to medium to access information, so it will be interesting to see what the future holds for not only mobile marketing, but mobile phones in general! Who knows, maybe we will have hologram advertisements on our phones one day??
I love IKEA but have never accessed their app before, so I will have to go download it so I can see for myself! I think any additional information or application that can help minimise the risk of buying a high risk product such as furniture would be beneficial to a consumer, and in turn beneficial for the brand in the form of sales, so this sounds like an excellent initiative from IKEA!
LikeLike