Introduction
In 2013, we saw a continued growth in the number of consumers using mobile devices — smart phones and tablets — to research and compare products and score deals, often right in the store. And many analysts and experts predict that 2015 will be an even bigger year for mobile, with people not only researching and comparing products on their mobile devices but purchasing them from their smart phones and tablets, too.
Go to any store such as Apple, Best Buy and others and look at all the people playing on tablets. This trend is growing and soon will out sell the typical computer. So what will be the mobile marketing trends?
Andrew Cass and a host of other marketing experts have been watching this mobile marketing trend. What they found was that it is an upward climb with no ceiling at this time. In my interview with Andrew Cass, we found that there was over a dozen trends with this growing field. It was tough but we narrowed the trends down to six trends that we think will dominate mobile marketing now and in the future.
Also listen to what other experts say in some quotes I provide to add credibility to this growing marketing trend. Again, I have listed 6 trends out of the dozens we discovered.
1. Multimedia Messaging Service and Rich Media Messaging
For some time now, SMS (Short Message Service) has been the dominant medium for text message marketing. This will give way to MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a standard in mobile messaging.
Like SMS, MMS is a way to send a message from one mobile to another. The difference is that MMS can include not just text, but also sound, images and video. It is also possible to send MMS messages from a mobile phone to an email address.
This new messaging is seeing a 40% growth each year. Similarly, RMM, (Rich Media Messaging) with open rates over 99% double the conversion rates of SMS, this will explode in 2014 and 2015.
Though many marketers began using MMS instead of SMS, MMS never gained a stronghold due to fundamental limitations. Fortunately, times have changed and there is a more effective solution: RMM. By redefining mobile messaging, RMM is already setting higher standards and expectations for success among marketers.
Though MMS has enabled us to send and receive multimedia content for more than 10 years at a personal level, MMS fails as a marketing tool. In contrast, RMM is the next generation of multimedia messaging technology that has been developed to overcome the limitations of MMS.
2. Even Shorter Content (Micro-Content)
Content will continue to get shorter, to better appeal to mobile viewers. In addition to the increased use of services such as Vine, a video looping app with a maximum length of six seconds, we will see brands create “a three-second video or a Snapchat photo that lasts on your device no longer than 24 hours,” predicts CMO Marge Breya.
3. The Gamification of Mobile Ads Will Continue
People are competitive by nature and enjoy “acquiring points or badges, unlocking content and competing with friends,” explains Jason Ginsburg, director of Interactive Branding. As a result, he predicts thats “more mobile ads, whether in browsers or apps, will use gamification to compel users to click on them.”
4. Narrowcasting
Narrowcasting is the counterpoint to the broader reach of major social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and an emerging trend in mobile marketing Narrowcasting offers the ability to target fewer individuals who are significantly more qualified, usually based around events and shared experiences.
For example, if the majority of your social media followers can not attend a concert, why pay to promote it broadly when you can create customized content for actual attendees before, during and after the event?
5. Location-Based Marketing (Geo-Targeting)
“Targeting consumers with relevant products to purchase while they are in the location will make mobile marketing more relevant and less intrusive, changing the way mobile marketing is executed,” says Stacey Tozer, marketing director, MappedIn. As we move forward, real-time location based marketing will become a more important marketing strategy. “Geo-targeted promotions and notifications will be added to the marketing mix as companies begin to see the benefit of real-time marketing based on GPS location — and customer targeting based on physical location to stores, restaurants and events,” Chatterjee says.
In addition, social media networks will be “the main channel for real-time location based marketing, providing the key advertising platforms for businesses looking to target customers with location based offers,” he says. We will also see more in-store, micro-location-based marketing in 2014 and 2015. “Using mobile iBeacons from Apple or a similar Bluetooth low energy device, retailers will be able to send signals to the smartphones of customers who have downloaded the required app,” says Alex Bratton, CEO and chief geek at enterprise application developer Lextech.
“For example, the signal will show if a customer is in the electronics department, enabling retailers to send specific messages to the customer’s mobile device, such as discounts and product comparisons,” he says. That “same technology can also capture customer data so when a VIP walks in the door, he can receive preferential treatment.” “In 2014, we’ll also see more retailers integrate features like ‘find in store’ or ‘check inventory’ into their mobile presence,” says Cole. “For example, a consumer in a store could specify what product she is looking for using a retailer’s mobile platform; then the app pinpoints the location of that product in the store.”
6. Increased Personalization and Customization of Messages
“This is a trend we saw in 2013 and will continue through next year,” says Steve Cole, CMO, Gladson, a provider of product images, product content and related services for the U.S. consumer packaged goods industry. “Mobile commerce hasn’t fully caught on with consumers, but we do know they’re heavily researching products via mobile,” he says. “To convert searchers into buyers both on mobile and in store, marketers must present personalized offers,” Cole says. “For example, if a consumer searches for green bean casserole recipes on a grocer’s mobile app, offer coupons for mushroom soup and green beans to give the consumer an extra nudge.”
“With the recent introduction of Apple’s iBeacon, the opportunities for mobile marketers to personalize and transform the shopping experience in 2014 will be endless,” says Bob Kennedy, vice president of Strategic Services, Compuware Professional Services. “A shopper will step into a department store and his shopping list will transform into an interactive map that guides him through the store to relevant items and personalized deals,” Kennedy says. “Smart marketers will utilize the new tech to augment — and increase — sales.”
Summery
Smart marketers today are adapting their marketing to mobile marketing. Many home based business and network marketers are seeing a benefit in this form of marketing for their products and business opportunity.
As this trend continues to grow, more apps will be seen. The future is in mobile marketing and it is a fantastic period to become involved not only for your business but an opportunity to make some money. Watch this video from Andrew Cass and start building a 100% commission based business opportunity…..
PS: Again watch this video to see how to make money at home and with a new marketing program.
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Thanks to Jennifer Lonoff Schiff for contributing to the content of the new marketing trend.
