What is Mobile Marketing and How Are Businesses Using This New Media Tool?

In this article I define mobile marketing as mobile messaging to consumers through their cell phones from a brand or business. The communication can come as a voice message, text message, mobile website, Application or email. Text messaging is what I am going to focus on in this article.

Text Messages now outnumber mobile voice calls three to one, according to the Nielsen Company. Consumers are using their mobile devices more as a computer than a traditional cell phone. SMS (Short Message Solutions) or texting is the largest use on a cell phone today. This is also where brands and businesses have the best opportunity to engage their customers or potential customers. Nielsen reports "Monthly messages sent or received jumped to 584 a person in the quarter ending in September 2009, a 60 percent increase from a year earlier."

A shortcode is a commercial phone number that text messages are sent from, they are typically 5 or 6 digits. People have to opt into campaigns in order to receive messages. Spam is strictly prohibited and companies that engage in such activity risk big fines from the Mobile Marketing Association.

If you opt into a text message offer you always have the ability to opt out by sending a text message to the shortcode with STOP. The provider of the mobile marketing campaign will opt your phone number out of their system so that you will no longer receive messages.

The opportunity to send mobile marketing messages to consumers for discounts, coupons, communications and new product offerings is now. Consumers are asking for these sort of offers and brands need to engage them through their Mobile Phones. In the January 4 2010 issue of Advertising Age it states that "32% of holiday shoppers said they were looking to use mobile coupons."

The Residence hotel in Aspen Colorado working with RadioFreeAspen.com and Qittle just did a Mobile Marketing campaign that involved radio ads with a mobile offer that listeners could redeem via a text message opt in. The offer was to win a free weekend getaway to Aspen Colorado by texting in the word ROOM to a shortcode. Everyone that entered was given a voucher for $200 off a weekend stay. Over 50% of the people that opt in called the number in the text message to redeem the offer. The hotel had so many calls that a follow up message was sent with another phone number to direct callers to a second line.

97 percent of all SMS marketing messages are opened (83 percent within one hour), according to the latest cell-carrier research. Mobile marketing is a powerful tool that businesses can use in their marketing efforts, however like email marketing the key is to build a list of people that have opt in and want to hear from you on a regular basis.

Click here to learn more about Qittle Mobile Marketing.