All major marketing and digital agencies claim to have dipped their toes in mobile marketing and advertising but are nervous about sharing the results. The fault doesn’t necessary lies with mobile technology or the agencies but there is a general lack of market expertise and education about creating mobile marketing campaigns and utilising advertising services.
We as an industry including both mobile operators and vendors should accept the blame for making the business case so difficult and building complicated product offers. However, now that the industry is benefiting from the uplift in the mobile technology life cycle in terms of better handsets, faster data speeds, easier short code availability, better marketing applications and decoupling of the mobile advertising networks from the operators mobile marketing and advertising is coming of age.
Given below are some easy steps to get started.
Step 1. Build an integrated marketing campaign
Mobile needs to be added to the media mix and integrated campaigns need to be build across different channels. Mobile offers brands the opportunity to make their campaigns more interactive, fun and personalised. Creative input is required to attract higher response and realise better impact. Mobile is also a good customer relationship management (CRM) tool to keep in touch with customers on an ongoing basis and deliver services.
Step 2: Select specialist mobile marketing platform providers and application developers
You may have heard about the famous mistaken identity case where the BBC conducted a live TV interview with a certain Mr. Guy Goma from Congo about an impending Apple court case. In fact, the researchers had meant to introduce respected technology commentator Guy Kewney but had mistakenly selected a nervous candidate who had actually turned up for a job interview in the BBC IT department. Needless to say, his thoughts on the forthcoming court case proved less than illuminating.
This type of hastily made mistake is not a one off case; I have regularly seen brands and agencies selecting vendors with little or no experience in the mobile marketing and advertising sector. Specialist creative, marketing and technical expertise is vital to build successful mobile campaigns. While selecting suppliers, always ask for case studies, references and consult industry associations and forums such as Mobile Monday, Mobile Data Association, Mobile Marketing Association, MEF, WASPA, Mobile Marketing Magazine, New Media Age, etc.
Step 3: Advertise and experiment
Experiment and be adventurous, if you have a small sample of customers or you under invest in mobile marketing campaigns, please do not expect phenomenal returns. Just like other media channels, you need to test and experiment before you succeed in mobile. Every campaign will not be successful and you need to constantly learn and evolve your brand communication strategy.
Specialist mobile advertising networks such as Admob, Inmobi, Mocean Mobile, Admoda and many others can offer you good segmentation and options for mobile advertising banners. Smaato is another player in this market which is a Media Buyer (Aggregator of mobile advertising networks)
Please also integrate your SMS short code number, web and mobile portal url in all campaigns to increase response. |
