Optism™

Note: Optism is republishing our five most popular blog posts of last year, this was number #1  for 2012 and was originally published on September 21, 2012.

Our crackerjack staff reviewed a bunch of mobile marketing campaigns over the past few years and we picked 50 of what we thought were the best. We chose innovative campaigns that used mobile advertising, SMS, QR Codes, Mobile Apps and Mobile Commerce from companies including Starbucks, Macy’s, Target, O2, RedBox, McDonald’s and a couple of our own. We salute these companies for their ingenuity and hard work in creating these campaign that delight and inform us as mobile consumers. Stay tuned for next year’s picks.

Click here to download Optism’s 50 Best Mobile Marketing Campaigns.

Note: Optism is republishing our five most popular blog posts of last year, this was number #2  for 2012 and was originally published on January 27, 2012.

Not that long ago, people bought everything from local shops. Shop owners had personal relationships with their customers. They learned through conversations with these customers what types of products and services suited them. With mass marketing, this all changed. We gained a lot in efficiency and economies of scale, but sometimes we lost that all-important human relationship. Today, we can get up close and personal again by using a mobile marketing strategy that employs permission-based techniques.

Using permission-based mobile marketing strategies such as asking people for their permission first before engaging with them on their mobile phones, provides mobile operators, marketers and their brands unprecedented access to a potential customer’s attention and an opportunity to build their trust. As marketing guru Seth Godin has made clear, attention is a scarce resource in today’s world of mass marketing overload. To make the most of this unique opportunity, you need to recognize the very “human” nature of connecting via a mobile phone. And you need to demonstrate very quickly that what you are offering – your content – is worth paying attention to.

Here at Optism, we have developed six “best practices” to help you maximize the value of your permission-based, mobile marketing initiatives by thinking human to gain attention, build trust and  drive engagement from your audience.

1. Be transparent

Permission-based mobile marketing begins with you obtaining someone’s consent to on-going communication on their mobile device. Make sure customers understand what they can expect if they opt in. Also, be very clear about how they can opt out at any time. This is no time for “small print!” Being up front and honest with your customers goes a long way in building trust and loyalty.

The more you learn about your mobile audience, the better you can tailor your messages to suit their interests. So ask what interests them instead of assuming what they like based on their actions. Be transparent by making sure people understand and are comfortable with how you are going to use their information. Reassure them that you will respect their privacy and that you will only use the information they provide in the manner you have specified. (Of course, then make sure you do just that!)

2. Don’t try to bribe people

It makes sense to reward people who opt-in to your mobile marketing program, but be creative with that reward. Don’t try to bribe people with a glitzy prize. Offering a huge “prize” as a way to collect opt-ins isn’t an effective way to begin what you want to be a long term engagement. People will opt-in solely to qualify for the contest or prize and then opt-out. You want to attract people who are genuinely interested in your product or service.

Remember, rewards also don’t have to be monetary. If you provide valuable information, advance notice of special events, compelling developments about products or services that fit the recipients’ lifestyles, they will recognize that as the reward.

3. Use simple language

With mobile, you really need to be economical with your language: messages should be short and to the point. Choose words and concepts that are easy to grasp and unambiguous. Of course you also want to be true to the voice of your brand, but demonstrate your understanding of your audience by using language that resonates for them.

Mobile is a one-to-one communication. Use the kind of natural language you would use when communicating with your friends and family. Avoid “marketing speak” and clever turns of phrase –you’re talking to an individual on their personal mobile device. Speak human and build trust.

The words really do count. We find that opt-in rates are noticeably lower when the opt-in message is long and confusing. Starting with your very first message, keep it short and simple.

4. Don’t try to do too much at once

Don’t try to collect everything in one exchange. As you would in any human interaction, count on the relationship to grow and deepen over time. Ask for something small to start, reward the person that gives it to you, and then ask for something more. Permission marketing is like dating and you don’t want to propose marriage on the first date.

Use the first conversation to collect key information like age range, gender and primary interests. In subsequent exchanges, refine your understanding of those key elements. For example, in the first exchange, you may learn that a person is keen on sports. In subsequent conversations, you can narrow that down to specific sports and then favorite teams. Each exchange should contribute to your understanding of the customer and the customer’s appreciation for what you have to offer. Conversations need to be constructed in an intelligent way. In essence, less is more.

At Optism, we have found that when completing a profile, people stop interacting after having answered three consecutive questions – typically going from a 90%, 75% and 65% completion rate for the first three questions, and then dropping to a 30% completion rate for the fourth question. Optism best-practices show that these completion rates can significantly be improved – simply by thinking human and not interrogating your audience.

5. Expect the unexpected

People don’t always act the way you expect them to, or even the way they say they will, so it pays to be ready for anything. You can run focus groups that tell you people will respond if you frame your message in a particular way, but be ready to make changes quickly if things don’t go according to plan. This goes beyond simply collecting statistical results. If you don’t have the expertise to undertake this kind of analysis, consider hiring experts who do. The insight you gain can be invaluable and greatly increase the ROI for future mobile campaigns.

6. Think local

There are no universal rules that apply to all people in all cultures. Permission mobile marketing is about reaching out to the individual, engaging at a personal level. You need to consider local customs, preferences and habits. Communities may have different preferences in terms of days of the week or time of day. In some communities, it is not acceptable to ask someone what gender they are. In order to achieve positive results with permission-based, mobile marketing, you need to be particularly sensitive to local nuances since you are reaching out to people on such a personal device.

Of course, you also need to talk to people in their language of choice. In many markets, this means that your mobile campaign must be available in multiple languages and you need to know the message recipient’s preferred language.

We believe that interactive SMS messaging – texting – is an ideal mobile marketing channel for reaching the widest possible audience. Texting also enables you to reach out to people with a natural back-and-forth, dialogue-based engagement. People carry their mobiles everywhere and they react quickly when a message is received. Using interactive messaging and adhering to our best practices, you can increase the likelihood that your permission mobile marketing campaigns gain people’s attention, build trust and increase audience engagement.

Visit Optism’s solutions for mobile operators and advertisers to see how we can help you drive results for your company.

Note: Optism is republishing our five most popular blog posts of last year, this was number #3  for 2012 and was originally published on July 13, 2012.

Digital Moms in the US are an increasingly important demographic for marketers. Mothers are accumulating more wealth and making more shopping choices and using more technology than the average person. Digital moms are more likely to be owners of smartphones and more likely to consult others when making purchase decisions.

How should mobile marketers tap into this important segment?

Here are a number of mobile stats that can help marketers effectively market to digital moms.

Moms have money. An article from Asking Smarter Questions provides some key statistics about both women and mothers. Moms represent a $2.4 trillion market in the US. By 2028, the average American woman is expected to earn more than the average American male. Women are earning, spending, and influencing spending at a greater rate than ever before, accounting for $7 trillion in consumer and business spending in the US. Women are making more than 85% of all consumer purchases, including more than 50% of traditional male products, such as  cars, power tools and consumer electronics.

Moms are socially connected via mobile. In a study by NM Incite, at least half of moms use social media via mobile devices, compared to 37% of the online population. In an article from Asking Smarter Questions, 64% of moms ask other mothers for advice before they purchase a new product and 63% of all mothers surveyed consider other moms the most credible experts when they have questions. Additionally, 92% pass along information about deals or finds to others. Moms are using Facebook and Pinterest to share tips, product recommendations and shopping deals with their friends.

Moms are savvy and connected shoppers. Moms are 70% more likely to download online coupons from retail marketing websites and 65% more likely to download coupons from a manufacturer’s website than the average person. Additionally, 92% of moms pass along information about shopping deals or finds to others. 55% of moms who use social media daily said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog. Almost 20 million online moms will read blogs and 1 in 3 bloggers are moms. 77% of mom bloggers will only write about products or brands whose reputations they approve of, and another 14% will write about brands or products they boycott.

Moms are demanding mobile users. Nielsen says that some 54% of American moms are using smartphones: considering that the US population just tipped 50 percent for smartphone ownership that means mothers are more likely to be smart phone owners. Additionally, moms are about twice as likely to own either a smartphone or a tablet compared to other women.

Moms have a love/hate relationship with technology. In a Yahoo and Starcom MediaVest Group study, 71% of moms said that technology was part of family together time, while 52% said that technology was a distraction.

Not all digital moms are the same. Advertising Agency MWW surveyed 1,000 moms to better understand their use of digital and social media. They found five digital mom archetypes; Mobilizers (Younger, hyper-connected moms using mobile), Urban Originals (influential taste-makers), Practical Adopters (working moms who use technology to stay ahead), Casual Connectors (Older moms who use mobile technology to connect with their kids), Wallflowers (Younger moms who are consumers of media). Providing multiple means to connect with these subgroups is important.

Moms are more likely to shop online. Women account for 58% of all total online spending and 22% shop online at least once a day according to Asking Smarter Questions.

Moms are more likely to become a fan or follow a brand online. When using social media, moms are 38 percent more likely to become a fan of or follow a brand online, and moms who blog are more than twice as likely to follow brands and celebrities compared to the online average.

Conclusion

Digital Moms are mobile-equipped, multi-tasking, socially-connected, family-protecting, brand-loyal, savvy-shoppers. They are well informed consumers who share what they know with other mothers.  What are the keys to tapping into the digital mom juggernaut? Be relevant and authentic. Meet them online where they are. Provide moms with tools, lists and apps to help them manage their lives. Take the time to understand their needs, build their trust and deliver on your promises and you just might be lucky enough to have a new army of brand loyalists.