The Basics and the Big Picture

No matter how mobile advertising messages are delivered, our research shows that consumers demand that if a company is going to invade their personal space with advertising, it better be for something of interest to them. Personalization is hyper-critical.

— Judith Ricker, division president, Harris Interactive

What Is Mobile Marketing?

Businesses and their brands can reap big rewards from mobile marketing under the right circumstances. When mobile marketing is done right, you can reach your customers via mobile with a message they actually want to hear but might not even know it yet. And the real kicker is that your customers will reach out to you for the message.

But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. First, I should rule out what mobile marketing is not. Contrary to what many consumers dread (and what shady opportunists fantasize about), mobile marketing is not a barrage of unwanted text messages sent via cell phone to someone who may not want, need, or have any connection with the business sending the messages. That's just spam.

The Mobile Marketing Association defines mobile marketing as: "A set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network."

My definition of mobile marketing is slightly different: "Mobile marketing is how businesses communicate with consumers on their mobile devices, with their explicit permission, at the right time, at the right place while providing relevant value."

Based on either definition, smart mobile marketing isn't randomly marketing to people who may or may not be interested in receiving a message. Instead, smart mobile marketing is all about reaching your customers or being reached by them in a way that adds value to their day. You've undoubtedly noticed that a core component of my definition involves permission. Mobile marketing will never work well as an invasive marketing method, and it shouldn't be undertaken as such under any circumstances. It's likely to backfire every time. When mobile is used as a marketing tool, the end user must provide explicit permission for the communication to happen or it will fail. Any mobile outreach that is sent without permission not only impacts the business that is doing it, but it also casts a negative light on the entire industry. (Clearly, this does not eliminate mobile web advertising because anyone who goes online, even with a mobile device, naturally assumes that advertising will be interwoven with content somewhere.)

With mobile, a business can interact with customers at any time but only if those customers agree to receive a message. Customers can pick up their cell phones to request a text message when they're out or even at home watching TV or reading a magazine. Customers can also search on their mobile devices to find your business's mobile website. They can also call your business spontaneously wherever they are. Customers can use their phones to track where they are and use that data to request information and coupons from nearby businesses. Under the right circumstances, mobile marketing is likely to be so deeply interwoven into people's daily lives that they won't be able to imagine life without it.

While consumers have always been able to respond directly to advertising, the process has never been so fluid or so immediate as it is with mobile. The majority of those who use mobile devices have the device with them at all times, even while they're driving, walking down the street, shopping, or even sleeping. Most people will even return home to pick up their device if they leave it there. While some people only have a mobile device "for emergencies" or one that they "never turn on," most people have their phones with them and ready to use at all times. Because of mobile, your customers can and will choose to interact with you at any given moment. The key to a successful mobile marketing campaign is making your customers want to interact with you. That's what this book is all about. If you can create a mobile marketing campaign that makes people want to interact with your business, then you will be well on the road to success.

Many marketers mistakenly regard the mobile marketing environment as a smaller version of the internet or television, but that isn't the case. Mobile is more than its own unique marketing channel; it is a unique mass medium. As with print, audio recording, radio, cinema, TV, and the internet that came before it, mobile has its own characteristics that make it part of mass media. Even as the newest service for consumers, it is the most widespread worldwide, it is the most personal (giving it the ability to closely target individuals and not general demographics), and it is always on with a built-in payment mechanism. But mobile is unlike the internet because people interact with the mobile web differently, using a much smaller interface than on a full-size computer. It also isn't similar to television because its content (and your marketing) is consumed by one individual at a time. Individuals search for and find specific information; they don't browse on mobile. And the big difference is that people are usually on the go when they are using mobile and in a "mobile mindset," which means that they are either in a hurry (need information quickly) or are bored (using the device for entertainment). Either way, they are using mobile purposefully and are not in the same frame of mind as they are when using their desktop browsers. Mobile users are often in a distraction- filled environment, so marketers must be aware of the consumers' mobile mindset when creating campaigns. The better aligned your campaign is with what your customers want and where they are, the more successful your initiatives will be.

Marketers also tend to underutilize mobile. Your complete, full-size website can be rendered reasonably well on most mobile devices by miniaturizing it, but is that really what your customers want? Some marketers see mobile as the ultimate brand-awareness tool. And while you can use mobile marketing for branding, it is not the most comprehensive use...