If mobile is working as well as I say it is, then why can't you just test out mobile for a month or so?
The answer is this: Any DB, including one intended for mobile marketing takes time some time to build. So after 1 month we are really just getting started building your database and using a few tricks to make your company some money as we do it.
Why does it take time?
- We are just now into the mid stages of Mobile CRM understanding & acceptance. This is really starting to turn the corner here in the US, with functional text programs like: When my stock hits a trigger price send me an alert, is my flight on time, or there is a sale at CB2 this weekend. Programs like this, done respectfully and not leading to text message spam is resulting in noticably higher participation rates in all demographics. In my opinion, the last 12 - 18 months have seen a greater widespread acceptance of text messaging than any other period since American Idol first did text messaging years back.
- Remember - It's going to be a portion of our customer base that chooses to participate in a program like this. But, the other side of the coin is that with an average response rate usually multiple times that of email and largely appealing to a diferent customer than email or DM, these are incremental increases in sales & such a large DB is not required to pull in a strong return on campaigns with these high response rates
What you can do to help speed this process up?
- Program awareness - We have to help let our new customers know we now offer text messaging as a way to receive alerts and coupons, but also alert our existing housefile to the program as well. The one gut reaction that is most common here is then I will just be splitting up my existing sales into another channel. This is 90% not true. Mobile appeals to a newer breed of customers that email and often DM are no longer reaching. More on the go, but high value customers are out there and mobile is proving to be the most effective way to reach them.
- Follow Direction - I have developed a formula for DB stimulation and day after day growth. As many of these awareness programs, incentives to sign up & ways to opt in that you can implement are going to directly relate to how quickly your DB grows and ROI becomes positive.
What about renting a list?
- There are some lists for sale of "opted in" numbers out there, but I strongly caution again using them. The numbers are questionably "opted in," they have no connection to your brand & these lists tend to be very overused by the people unwilling to spend time building their own database. Would you ever opt-in to an email or text message DB that would allow anyone to send you emails? I don't think so...
- Just think how you would respond to a text message from a company you have probably never shopped with before. I personally wouldn't like it & I bet most people feel the same way. I have actually spoken to large brands who have used a 'rental lists' to send campaigns & it actually harmed their brand. Complaints and negative press, you get the idea.
Mobile programs done right have unbelievable response rates and ROI. And as with anything new, we have to test it before we completely fold it into our marketing plans. Just understand a one campaign or a one month test for most programs just is not possible. But did you know..? For this harder to reach customer that mobile appeals to, when a campaign is structured right - a 50 yr old customer is just as likely to respond as a 25 yr old customer!
Hopefully I have helped answer this common question for you & have continued to shed a little insight into mobile marketing for you... I believe everything here highlights the need for us to provide our customers with communication options that work for them today, not what works for us or what we are used to. Also, the need for opt in status for any and all of these communications with legislation becoming ever more protective of the consumer in now an imperative.
Hopefully I have answered this commonly asked question for you...
