I’m not going to get technical in this article since I’m not! This is more to help the business owner. Bluetooth marketing has been used in Europe for sometime now. I read recently that a dealership launched a campaign at a mall overseas and they had thousands of downloads in one weekend! Isn’t that amazing? That is an unusual example because of size, but what I found interesting is that what is so new to us in the States is so common elsewhere. In my everyday conversations, I constantly hear, “What is that? I’ve heard of Bluetooth but not Bluetooth marketing.”
Simplified, it allows a business to send promotional information to a consumer’s phone via a transmitter. The transmitter can send videos, photos, coupons, calendar alarms, text, web links and more! Bluetooth marketing can be used in automotive, movie theaters, video stores, tanning salons, tourism, casinos, grocery stores, restaurants, night clubs, malls, fairs, churches, banks, hotels, hospitals and more! It should be noted that customers want valuable information. Information important enough for them to download. Your campaign should have material that is beneficial to the customer and enhances their shopping experience, not irritate them so that they won’t return.
Imagine this from a customer standpoint…You walk into a business and a sign prompts you to activate your Bluetooth. When you do, the transmitter sends a message to your phone asking if you’d like to exchange data with XYZ Company. You have the option to accept or deny. If you accept, then you are prompted to download whatever information the company has chosen to send to you. You can accept or deny each application. It’s that simple. Or so we’d like to think! In the real world, there will be challenges as people become accustomed to this new way of marketing. Employees have to be trained and there will be some customers who have no clue how to turn on their Bluetooth. One thing is almost certain. If someone is prompted to turn it on when they are out shopping and can’t find their Bluetooth settings, they will wonder what they missed and most likely find a way to learn about this new technology!
