The Pro’s and Con’s of Mobile Marketing

Mobile Marketing has emerged as a direct response to e-marketing, with lowered costs and easy customization. As a result of higher speed connections and handsets that are now able to handle high quality multimedia, 6% of companies are planning to increase their marketing budgets to allow for mobile marketing.

We are on the cusp of a new mobile era, with the number of global mobile users expected to grow from 2 billion in 2005 to 3.3 billion in 2010. There are an increasing number of people using their mobile devices for web browsing and social media sharing as opposed to the occasional SMS and phone call that mobiles were originally used for.

In my opinion there is much to be excited about from the future of mobile marketing. With fantastic interactivity and branding capabilities, now is the time for brands and publishers to be involved in mobile advertising and consider that this could be the next best thing in the world of interactive marketing

However, it can be a massive challenge to manage a mobile marketing campaign. It is helpful to consider the pros and cons before taking the plunge with Mobile Marketing…

The Pro’s of Mobile Marketing

• 62% of mobile phone owners currently not using mobile internet say that they would want to use their mobiles to access the same websites they do on their computers.
• The number of mobile users is now more than double that of computer users.
• Mobile phones will take over PC’s as the most common web access device by 2013.
• Searches on mobile devices are expected to eventually exceed searches on PC’s.
• The iPhones and Google androids are perfect examples of mobiles that are being made with higher screen resolutions, full keyboards and touch screens; enhancing the user experience and ultimately making it easier for a user to shop via their mobile as they would online.
• The mobile provides access to many international consumers who can’t necessarily afford to buy a pc.
• The opt-in nature of mobile marketing makes it more effective and target specific compared to any other forms of advertising.
• The mobile is a very personal device, taken almost everywhere therefore making it easy for a marketer to develop a strong relationship with their customers.
• Mobile owners are capable of receiving information anywhere/anytime – enabling us to specify locations and behavioral targeting.
• Preliminary data shows a very good response for mobile campaigns with an average click through rate of 5% versus the 1% for conventional ads.
• The personalization, immediacy and user interactivity encourage response from users.
• Smartphone and iPhones greatly enhance the user experience – promoting mobile marketing and helping to make it a success.
• Advertising messages sent to a mobile are more likely to be read than emails sent to a pc which can be caught by spam filters.
• Through customer loyalty and retention, mobile marketing can help you build a strong customer database.
• The mobile generates buzz about your products or service. Your offers will reach consumers while they are actively shopping, searching or making a buying decision.
• Mobile marketing enables us to capitalize on the opportune moment. The odds are very high that what you offer will reach a potential customer at a time when they are actively shopping, helping you to leverage their buying decision.
• The mobile has the potential to replace the physical wallet as they are a secure payment device with ease of use.

The Con’s of Mobile Marketing

• With mobile websites being 30% slower when compared to computer based web browsing, the majority of WAP technology still remains inadequate and does not encourage mobile web searching and surfing.
• The FCC (federal communications commission) ordered that the advertiser must obtain express consent from customers before they can release any data.
• The FCC also ordered that every mobile marketing campaign must make it easy for customers to opt out of any communications and that a savvy marketer will reassure their customers of the security of buying via mobile internet.
• There are several carriers and mobile devices with varying functionality and application problems that are yet to be solved.
• The different mobile screen sizes and operating systems can pose a threat to mobile marketing, making it complex and harder to ensure that a campaign is going to reach their target market.
• With limitations by small screens and keypads, navigation can be a tiresome job and therefore the mobile is currently more of an objective based exercise for the user rather than just casual browsing.
• Many mobile users are uneducated or wary of the more advanced features of a mobile phone and still mainly use their device for calls and texts.
• The adaptation of content and messages to the mobile web can result in a poor user experience, resulting in some users closing their mobile browser before they have completed the required actions.
• Mobile marketing differs greatly from traditional web marketing with the need for a thorough trial and error period to learn how to succeed and which is the best campaign to target your desired market.
• A reliable measurement of ROI generated from mobile marketing and the overall effectiveness of mobile marketing has not yet been established.

Although it can be a massive challenge to manage a mobile marketing campaign, revenues are expected to grow massively between now and 2013. So get ready to take advantage of this new and emerging form of marketing, jump ahead of your competition and understand how to set up and effectively manage a mobile marketing campaign. Get ready to surf this next wave of interactive technology!