Mobile direct marketing is more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and has response rates that will blow your socks off. Here’s how mobile direct marketing differs from traditional direct marketing.
1. A mobile direct marketing campaign is a piece of cake to implement. However, while traditional direct marketing can start with simply buying a list of prospects or buyers for your product or service, mobile is 100% opt-in. You cannot buy a list of mobile phone numbers and blast out your message.
2. While traditional marketing typically starts with a list, an SMS marketing campaign starts with a campaign offering something your target audience would find valuable. This could be updates about your product or service, alerts or a coupon giving purchasers a discount.
There are a number of ways to publicize the existence of your campaign; many simply are integrated with traditional advertising channels with a call to action to text a keyword to a short code. Acting on your call to action, your SMS message requires the person to opt-in to your database in order to take advantage of your offer. This is the basis of SMS marketing and how your mobile list is built.
3. Mobile direct marketing is both efficient and eco-friendly. Traditionally, a company would spend money having flyers or mailers printed only to have 90%+ travel directly from the mailbox to the trash can.
Since a mobile list is built with opt-ins, any marketing message subsequently sent is to people who have requested information on your product or service. In many cases, the consumer is actively waiting to hear from you. And, of course, since marketing messages are delivered via text messaging in most cases, there are no design, printing or mailing costs.
With regard to coupons, how many times have you been at the checkout counter rummaging through your pockets or purse for that coupon you just know you have? Since a mobile coupon lives in a mobile device that is usually never more than three feet away from its owner, it’s kind of hard to misplace.
4. One of the biggest differences between traditional marketing and mobile direct marketing is the conversion rate. Usually if a direct marketing campaign gets better than a tenth of one percent conversion rate, it’s cause to break out the pizza and beer. It is not unusual for a mobile SMS campaign to have a 20% conversion rate.
5. Traditional marketing campaigns can put a web address in print, on TV or mention it on the radio as well as on many other advertising channels. However, there is a time lag between the consumer receiving the message and their ability to take the next step. More times than not, the initial message is forgotten or never acted upon.
A mobile direct marketing campaign, by contrast, provides the means for the SMS advertising recipient to immediately take action and respond to the message. With this ability, response rates are much higher.
