Mobile marketing as the name refers is all about utilizing the new powerful medium in the hands of the consumers - the Mobile Device.
Mobile Marketing refers to communication and engagement with audiences in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network.
Various forms of Mobile Marketing :
- • SMS
- • MMS
- • In-game
- • Web marketing
- • Bluetooth
- • Location-based
- • Mobile Applications
SMS marketing
With the increasing popularity of SMS (Short Message Service) mobile marketing using sms saw a number of companies using this mode to communicate with mobile users.
With time organisations and consumers realized the pros and cons of this medium and this led to laws governing mobile sms marketing world over. Now there are established guidelines for the use of the mobile marketing channel for marketers.
Mobile marketing via SMS is still growing in our country though it is an advanced marketing model in western countries. Mobile sms marketing led to the development of shortcode related marketing practices allowing for cnsumer interaction and feedback. Over the past few years mobile short codes have been increasingly popular as a new channel to engage the mobile consumer e.g. 58888 of Indiatimes. Today Games, offers etc use short codes effectively to communicate with the mobile audiences.
An alternate and cheaper version of the shortcode is the long code which is nothing but a specific mobile number dedicated to an activity but synced with a back end CMS (content management system) for better customer feedback management. Long codes are also cheaper for the consumer to respond to. The back end CMS works with short codes as well.
MMS marketing
An extension of the SMS marketing MMS mobile marketing allows marketers to show slideshows, images, text, audio and video. MMS (Multimedia Message Service) has picked up since the time colour screen mobile phones came in allowing for more creative means of communication. Mobile terminated, mobile originated rich content through A2P (application-to-person) sponsoring messages that are sent P2P (person-to-person) are the possible means of communication using MMS technology. The usage and opportunities continue to grow each day.
In-game marketing
Some of the major trends in mobile gaming right now are interactive real-time 3D games, multi-player games and social networking games. While this gives us a sense that we are moving towards a more complex and more sophisticated market, the casual games market is what is the entry point and growing fast. These are games that are very simple and very easy to play. Brands can now send messages / advertising within mobile games or sponsor entire games.
Web marketing
We all know now that internet access on the mobile phones is on the rise. With better mobile technology and the surge of social media the usage of the internet from mobile phones is growing at a phenomenal pace. Just like the internet Display advertising, Display advertising on web pages accessed by mobile devices is a growing business an excellent marketing opportunity. This medium brings about a new challenge to the communication business and the results can be nothing short of excellent with better ROI. This format has already spawned many mobile advertising networks. Yahoo and Google are leading the way.
Bluetooth marketing
A relatively new technology and something which has not really been a huge success in our country yet but this is next-gen of mobile marketing. With the rise in the mall culture and higher disposable incomes leading to purchase of more sophisticated handsets bluetooth is here to stay. This tech requires a "hotspot" which basically communicated with a mobile user whose bluetooth is on when he/she is passing the hotspot. On connecting the hotspot software interacts with the mobile user and engagement happens. Big brands are already trying this technology in India.
Location-based marketing
This is a mobile network provider dependant service and offered by some cell phone networks to send location based information and advertising to their subscribers based on their location. This can be a boon for the local retail businesses.
Mobile WiMAX technology is the latest addition to location based advertising options. WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), is a technology that provides wireless transmission of data using a variety of transmission modes, from point-to-multipoint links to portable and fully mobile internet access. The good news is that the technology provides for high transfer speeds without cables. As per the WIMAX forum WiMAX is a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL". This should pave the way for last mile advertising with quality content and focus.
Mobile applications:
The latest entrant in India. Mobile applications are meant to make it easer for users to access certain services used in day to day life. Image booking movie tickets, train tickets, making utility bill payments, mobile phone payments, sending bouquets to loved ones, gifting and the options continue to grow each day. It does not just stop here mobile apps are becoming to window for news access to many. Some well known mobile apps today are Ngpay, Atom, Viigo for Blackberry users and many more.
Each application offers a different level of user engagement and a different form of advertising. With the growing work pressures and increasing nuclear families the needs for services on the move has been growing and these application is here to fill the very gap.
