There are many faces of direct marketing, and while direct mail is often the first that comes to mind, mobile marketing is rapidly becoming one of the primary methods to reach target customers.
This holiday season, research shows mobile is going to be a critical part of the shopping experience, with 94% of consumers surveyed confirming that they would be using mobile devices for research. In addition, 91% would be making purchases via their mobile phones or tablets. So why wouldn’t you be promoting to consumers in the place where they’re doing their shopping?
There are several reasons why direct marketing the mobile way is going to be this hot, including:
1. Mobile Apps Work Well
This is one of the biggest reasons mobile is doing well. Mobile apps offer a direct link between supplier and consumer, which doesn’t even require connecting to and browsing the Internet to buy. Evidence of this is the huge uptake of mobile apps by retailers such as Walgreens, while Old Navy has bought into the opportunities for promotion using SMS.
2. Convenience
Customers no longer have to spend hours slogging through malls and dodging traffic to complete their holiday shopping. Even groceries can be ordered online now, and with shipping options that range from next day delivery through regular postal services, there’s something for everyone to choose. Tie your direct marketing into a campaign that includes the chance to purchase by mobile and you make it doubly convenient for your customers to order from you.
3. On-the-Go
It doesn’t matter where a customer is—or when—he can do his shopping as he needs to. With direct marketing campaigns for events such as Cyber Monday and Boxing Day, this means your customers don’t have to sit home waiting to see what your specials are. They can access your mailings and stand in line (figuratively, of course) for their purchases wherever they are in the world on the day. It really doesn’t get more convenient than this!
4. Mobile Payment Options are Huge
With PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Wallet leading the way, secure payment options are now even easier by mobile than they are online. Even if an app doesn’t have it’s own payment option, the customer can often use one of these to pay for his purchases.
As the Walgreens and Old Navy examples show, there are multiple ways to use mobile devices for your direct marketing. Combine these with a comprehensive direct mail campaign, and you’ve got integrated marketing that hits the spot.
