January 3, 2017
Margie Kupfer is vice president of marketing at 3Cinteractive
As the New Year begins, marketers are carefully planning their strategies for their campaigns in 2017. Sure, there are plenty of tools, tips and tricks to choose from, but selecting the right ones for your brand’s objectives is crucial.
Here is a crash course in the mobile marketing tools that brands should use in 2017:
Location-based marketing
As futuristic as it sounds, location-based marketing is sweeping the nation as one of the most popular marketing tools with both consumers and businesses.
What makes location-based marketing so popular is that it eliminates irrelevant ads by presenting the consumer with promotions based on their current location.
Location-based marketing can be accomplished through the use of geofencing, beacons, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Tip: Think outside of the box when it comes to selecting your location to send customers promotions.
Instead of just sending customers notification when they are near a store, send them promotions when they are near locations in which the brand’s products or services would be useful.
For example, a pet supply store could send customers promotions when they are near the dog park.
Developing an app-plus strategy
It is obvious that mobile marketing is a major factor in the success of any marketing strategy.
According to British publication The Guardian, 91 percent of top brands have applications. But simply having an app is not enough to satisfy mobile customers anymore.
A recent survey by us shows that more than 25 percent of apps end up abandoned after the first use. By developing an app-plus strategy, brands can help keep customers engaged.
Tip: Create additional capabilities for brand apps such as messaging, mobile wallet and an integrated loyalty program.
Businesses are increasing the longevity of the app by creating one that does more than just deliver information about the brand and lets customers browse product offerings.
Social media messaging is the new SMS
Messaging alternatives to text messages are quickly becoming a preferred method of communication.
Adweek cites that 49 percent of mobile users in the United States use messaging apps monthly.
One of the most popular examples of these messaging apps is Facebook Messenger. This kind of messaging seamlessly integrates with already popular social media networks and allows users to send information back and forth quickly over the Internet as opposed to traditional text messaging.
For these reasons, these apps are ideal for communication between brands and customers.
Tip: After a customer has reached out to a brand via Facebook Messenger, the brand has a 24-hour window in which it is allowed to send that customer promotional content.
Take advantage of this opportunity to offer customers personalized and exclusive deals. This will build the relationship between the customer and brand, increasing the chances of repeat business.
Margie Kupfer is vice president of marketing at 3Cinteractive, Boca Raton, FL. Reach her at mkupfer@3c.com.
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