Just in Time for Xmas: Mobile Marketing Tips

Looks like a good number of shoppers will be phoning it in this holiday season.

According to an October survey by the Mobile Marketing Association, 59 percent of shoppers plan to use their mobile phones for holiday shopping and planning this year. That’s a significant market, yet only one third of executives surveyed by Forrester said they’ve had a mobile strategy in place for at least a year. That’s a big lost opportunity.

And it isn’t that easily fixed. According to Tom Cotney, CEO of the mobile technology firm Air2Web, the solution is not found simply in mobile coupons. Air2Web specializes in creating personalized brand experiences and customer relationships – the type of stuff that enables someone to shop for a TV in one store while texting an associate at another to compare prices.

Cotney offers this list of what retailers need to consider when rolling out mobile campaigns this holiday season:

• Don’t Divide and Conquer: Marketing and customer care should come together when it comes to mobile. From quick surveys at the point of purchase to special deals when shoppers interact with customer service, the opportunity for cross-over is immense. Bonus: That extra level of personal care increases the likelihood of customer satisfaction and additional purchases.

• Integration is Key: Mobile should complement other marketing and customer care efforts. An email that offers a special mobile coupon could encourage shoppers to opt-in to mobile. Likewise, marketers can advertise a mobile application download through their website and in-store promotions.

• Practice “Mobile Marketing Etiquette”: It is tempting to sell first, and service later. But the best practice for large enterprises is to offer a basic benefits to motivate mobile users to opt-in. Businesses have two choices – gain the opt-in with coupons or incentives, or use customer service. With great customer service, including a live agent and critical account updates, consumers are more open to promotions because they come from a helpful party, not a spammer.

• One Size Does Not Fit All: Despite massive press coverage, only an estimated 6 percent of all consumers own an iPhone. Yet many mobile strategies begin and end at the AppStore, leaving a vast market untouched. A successful mobile customer experience recognizes that nearly 99 percent of phones are text-enabled and employs a smart mix of technologies and services to reach multiple devices and multiple platforms.

• Two is Better than One: In a socially driven environment, marketers and advertisers can benefit more from a two-way conversation than justpushing out content –especially to the mobile consumer. Enabling a text-to-chat capability allows customers to engage with businesses at their convenience, even while they’re doing other things (like comparing prices between retailers). It also saves money on the back end as customer care agents can handle up to three chats at once.

Put a bow on it, and mobile companies should be on their way.