The Landscape of SMS Marketing

Short-message service (SMS) refers to what is commonly known as text messaging. These messages can be sent cell phone to cell phone, or from Web-based services to cell phones. When it comes to marketing, SMS marketing is a growing trend that is still being explored and understood. Here are some of the highlights of the landscape.

A variety of industries are using SMS marketing in their strategies. This includes leisure (venue based), recruitment, retailers, software, marketing, financial services, beauty and hair salons, fast food, education, estate agencies, legal and dental and health offices, and travel agents. The industries at the top of this list use SMS marketing more frequently than those at the end, but you can see the wide variety of applications for SMS marketing.

The popularity of SMS marketing is built on the popularity of mobile devices, which grow in numbers every year. Recent statistics show that nearly 90 percent of the world’s population has a mobile device, which means around 6 billion people can be reached through SMS. Mobile marketing budgets are increasing to meet this area of opportunity. In the United States, mobile ad revenue is expected to exceed $20 billion annually by the year 2015. More than 60 percent of businesses are considering mobile marketing more than traditional methods.

SMS marketing helps reach mobile device users who do not use their device to connect to the internet — or about 76 percent of all mobile users. The number of SMS messages sent in 2013 approached 10 trillion, and more than 45 percent of mobile device users report being aware of mobile advertising. Application to Person (A2P) messaging is whenever businesses contact customers, and A2P messaging is predicted to surpass person-to-person messaging by 2016. 

For more about these statistics and the landscape of SMS marketing, click here for a graphic from socialmediadd.com. SMS offers a great window into the lives of customers, regardless of their online activity, and the future shows potential for increased growth in SMS marketing. For more information about how to use SMS marketing for your business, contact us today!

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Success In Brand Development Related To Mobile Consumption Patterns

Internet consumption patterns are rapidly evolving. Any brand strategy needs to account for the pace of change. For example, in the past year, the amount of time that users spend within mobile apps began to exceed the time spent browsing the web.

Following the consumer is crucial in brand development. When it comes to mobile, that may very well mean in-app advertising for many enterprises. When it comes to such advertising, customer engagement will be the key. The use of rich media and even mobile video can better engage the user and build brand identification.

Identify Mobile Usage Patterns

The customer’s journey from exploration to purchase is certainly being re-defined. Enterprises that can identify emerging trends have a unique opportunity to grab market share during this paradigm shift. Carefully map out the journey(s) that your customers are taking on the web and seek to personalize their experience at key spots along the way.

Discounts On-The-Go

For example, the increase of in-store app usage in driving the grocery shopping experience more than ever. About half of female grocery shoppers used their smartphones while shopping, according to a study commissioned by allrecipes.com that was published in December 2012. Forty-seven percent of the respondents said that they did so because the apps were both easy to use and helpful.

Localized offers and downloadable discounts are ways that businesses can capture the attention of the smartphone shopper. Successful customer engagement can quickly translate into loyalty in the smartphone  world.

Look At The Competition

Even though this shift to mobile eCommerce is rapid, there is still no sense in completely re-inventing the wheel. Careful competitive analysis can expose effective strategies that you too can employ.

Mobile & E-mail Conversions

Another emerging trend in mobile is the increasing use of e-mail on-the-go. Reports suggest that easily over 40% of users are now viewing emails on their mobile devices. A fourth quarter 2012 report from Experian Marketing Services identified upward trends in sales via email. Revenue per email was up 8% for the quarter. The average order was up 12% for the same period.

Developing your brand with device-specific optimization is more important than ever. Consult with us to make your branding strategy relevant and mobile-friendly. Please contact us today.