Being in marketing means you need to be an "expert" in all things marketing-related. In fact, I like to pride myself on being able to have intelligent conversations when thrown into marketing circles. However, there is one area that has always terrified me and that is mobile marketing. Personally I've been able to dodge the mobile marketing topic for some time but recently was asked to make a mobile marketing buy. As luck would have it, I got "the call" just a day later.
The call? Well, having a popular marketing blog, websites, etc., I seem to get at least a dozen emails and calls each week from people who want me to check out their products, do a write up, or help them shape their ideas. Last week, someone contacted me from YepText about Mobile Marketing. Personally, I never heard of the company but the topic was one I knew I'd have to face sooner or later - Text Messaging/Mobile Marketing.
I Was Blown Away
My understanding of texting has been fairly limited. Until now the majority of texting I've personally engaged in was for mundane tasks like asking my wife if I needed to pick up milk on my way home. I've also been approached by agencies who wanted to sell me "mobile marketing" but never really understood what that meant. Once I saw the Yep Texting platform, my understanding of mobile marketing changed forever. Not only did it impress me as an online texting application, but more importantly, it helped me to see how texting could be used as a marketing tool.
Check this out. If you are a business and want to improve traffic to your website or retail establishment, you can encourage visitors to take advantage of special offers by texting a specific code. This is not about pushing out millions of text message to people you don't know or individuals who never opted in. This model turns everything on its head.
How It Works
You go to a text messaging marketing site like yeptext.com. You register for an account and determine how many text messages you're likely to manage in a given timefream. The next step is simple. You provide a code and a number for people to text on their phone to receive special offers. An example would be a hamburger joint who puts in their ad, "text HAMBURGER to 123456". When the consumer sends the text they receive a special offer... easy as pie.
What I love about this approach is that it puts the control in the consumer's hands and rewards them for taking an action. More importantly, its a great way to build your list of highly qualified prospects. If your know anything about marketing you know how valuable your own list can be. Well, this is the future of list building and right now it's dirt cheap.
Next Steps
To stay on top of your marketing game, you are going to need to learn about Mobile Marketing. Start by visiting Yeptext and check out their site. In addition to the informational video, you'll find information that shows you how the approach works and I guarantee it will open your eyes to a whole new way of marketing.
If you'd like to know more about Mobile marketing let me know. Maybe I can put together a webinar with the YepText Co-founder. At the very least I can ask him to send us a text :)
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.
