Mobile Marketing

The New Frontier

Scott Whitehead

Abstract: The evolution of smartphone presents a new

opportunity to connect with customers, old and new. This
article discusses the opportunities and d­ emographics,
with case studies for apps, SMS, bluetooth, responsive
websites, and GPS target marketing for the marketplace
that has grown phenomenally, but has so much growth
ahead of it.

Keywords: android, app economy, apps, digital

marketing, iPhone, mobile marketing

Introduction
A mobile phone is a small gadget that has had a tremen-
dous impact on our day-to-day lives. It has already had
a profound impact on the way we communicate and
­conduct ourselves daily. This continues to be felt as the
mobile phone enables new ways to market.
Mobile phones are a developing technology, which
means that new and better features are being packed
into ever smaller devices, adding to the interactivity and
searchability of the Internet with several fundamental
features native to the mobile phone and the way we use
Scott Whitehead is an award- it. While the Internet and the personal computer have
winning expert in digital media
and has been running digital media
had a profound impact on the world we ­transact in, it is
companies and projects for over the mobile phone that presents an exciting o ­ pportunity
two decades. He writes courses and for even more of the world to access the benefits of
teaches MBA students, specializing in these inventions. With the world’s population at 6.7 bil-
mobile marketing methodology and
lion, that’s almost a fifth of the population who can be
terminology, at INSEEC. Scott lives and
works in Essex, England. reached by e-mail. That needs to be compared to 4.1
­billion ­mobile phone subscribers, which is more than
half of the world’s population. Of that 4.1 b
­ illion, 3 ­billion
were ­active users of short message service  (SMS) text

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article solely and fully represents the views of the author as of the date of publication. Any omission, or potential
misrepresentation of, any peoples or companies, is entirely unintentional. As a result of changing information, conditions, or contexts, the author reserves the right
to alter content at their sole discretion impunity.
The article is for informational purposes only, and while every attempt has been made to verify the information contained herein, the author assumes no responsi-
bility for errors, inaccuracies, and omissions. Each person has unique needs, and this article cannot take these individual differences into account. For ease of use, all
links in this article are redirected through this link to facilitate any future changes and minimize dead links.
This article is copyright ©2018 “Scott Whitehead” with all rights reserved. It is illegal to copy, distribute, or create derivative works from this article in whole or in
part. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any infor-
mational storage or retrieval system without expressed written, dated, and signed permission from the author.

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 Mobile Marketing

messaging in 2007. Looking at figures like message to as many people as possible and
that, it’s obvious why so many organiza- hope that it will be relevant to a few. That
tions are investigating the mobile phone model is rapidly becoming less acceptable
as a marketing platform. This article is an to many customers and certainly less use-
overview of how you can promote your ful in today’s crowded and diffused media
business to mobile phone users using vari- environment. The opportunity exists today
ous mobile marketing techniques. via mobile systems to have a direct one-
Let’s begin!!! to-one relationship with every individual
customer in a way that has never been pos-
Mobile Marketing sible before, and at a cost that has never
Mobile marketing is a method of estab- been possible before.
lishing communication with the targeted We are aware that no one leaves home
consumer through a mobile device. The without taking their mobile phone and that
medium of communication used is simple it is seen as a personal and private “space.”
marketing text, encouraging the consumer It is not necessary to “market” to customers
to visit their mobile website, or motivating via their phone, by “engaging” with them
them to participate in an audience-based instead, the results and rewards can be
campaign. Few of the tools of the business well beyond what can be achieved through
and some of the concepts used in mobile any other media.
marketing are MMS, USSD, bluetooth, infra- It is important to remember that the
red, wireless social media, mobile Internet, customer has given permission to engage
and mobile applications. Mobile marketing directly with them in their personal space
not only enables people to connect to the and that must be respected.
Internet through their cell phones, but also Your customers have given you permis-
strengthens various communication media sion to contact them via their mobile phone
in easy and efficient channels. It is cheaper because they want to hear from you. They
than traditional marketing resources for want to know what is happening with your
both marketer and consumer. It is simple brand and products. They don’t want to be
for any age group to understand the adver- “sold to” because they are already “sold.”
tisement spread through mobile market- They are loyal, engaged customers that want
ing. In the United States, mobile marketing to be kept informed. This goes to the heart
technology was not used widely until a few of what is different about engaging with cus-
years back. In June 2008, cell signs ­reported tomers and clients via the mobile phone: you
that every month approximately seventy- know that they already have a relationship
five billion of mobile marketing texts were with your business and that by giving you
sent. The number of mobile users is double their mobile number they have said “I  am
of active email users in the country. ­interested and want to hear from you.”
Most business owners and marketing
Mobile Marketing: Where to start? managers, when asked, say they want to
The first thing to know about mobile mar- start using mobile marketing, but many
keting is to not think about it as market- don’t know how or where to start. To get
ing. A much better description is mobile hold of your mobile customers, mobile
engagement. It is important to think differ- marketing is what every business needs.
ently when considering how to incorporate That way, you can target them even when
the mobile phone into today’s communica- they are on the move. When your potential
tion strategy. The word “communication” customers are waiting in a queue, playing
suggests having a direct conversation with games or listening music, you can just hone
your customer. Marketing has tradition- in by sending an SMS with your offer. By
ally followed the broadcast model: tell your far, mobile marketing is the most powerful

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 Mobile Marketing

tool, and a new trend, which works. ­Unlike from these. For example, if you are look-
websites, customers are not bugged by ban- ing for a hotel to stay in, you might use
ner blindness on the mobile phones as it Google Maps on your phone to find places,
happens online. Ads popping up on cell so make sure you are registered on this and
phones are usually targeted, taking up the optimize your entry to give you the best
entire screen; the prospect has just two chance of appearing high on the list.
options either to click or quit. Moreover, Maybe you will decide that you will go
there are so many mobile devices avail- one step further than your competitors.
able these days that, it makes this medium You will look to add significant value to
of marketing highly target oriented. From existing tourists. For example, you could
­
smartphones to tablets and cell phones, provide a mobile guide for finding places
marketing has found a new dimension to eat and things to do.
globally. With free apps making the most Determine your goals: You need to
out of potential customers, you are only a ­decide what the goals are for your mobile
step away from making big bucks with tar- presence. For example:
get marketing.
■■ Marketing your business: Do you want
Strategies for Mobile Marketing to promote and sell services through the
There are many ways of marketing to mobile phone?
people on the mobile phone, and some of ■■ Providing tourist information: You may
them are very expensive. Do you develop decide to get your name known by pro-
an iPhone application, a mobile website, viding useful information to any visitors
or use a texting service? There are many that arrive at the location where your
options to consider. To help you figure out premises is.
what is right for you, the following steps ■■ Customer service: Maybe if a tourist is at
will help you come up with a clear and your hotel, they use your mobile app to
­efficient strategy. report any issue or contact you.
Determine Your Customer’s Needs: The ■■ Alerting service: You may use mobile to
best way of determining your customers’ alert people regarding offers you are run-
needs is to ask them directly when they ning, either during or after their stay.
visit or when they’ve gone home. When
you are doing your overall research you Determine the platform: In this arti-
will need to consider: cle, we will discuss the various types of
platforms that you can use. You need to
■■ Are people accessing the information ­decide if it is a texting service, an iPhone
­locally or internationally? application, an Android app, or other
■■ Are they visiting your premises or a­ lready choices.
there? The determination of the platform will
■■ What type of information are they likely depend on various items such as:
to be looking for?
■■ What other mobile sites do they use and ■■ Your budget: It can be very costly to ­develop
what is the competition? some applications.
■■ Your goals: What are you trying to achieve?
If you are deciding to develop a mobile- ■■ Your customers: What devices are your
specific website, it’s tempting to put your customers using and how do they like to
entire website on the mobile but is that use them?
what is needed? You also need to consider
what other mobile sites and functional- What type of interaction/functionality is
ity are available, and how you can benefit required for the service you are planning?

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