subject: Mobile Marketing Chicago: What are the Advantages? [print this page] Mobile Marketing Chicago: What are the Advantages?
If you want to stand out using mobile marketing, Chicago is a market that is well served in this capacity. While you may think that mobile marketing is a technology that is so new it won't have any effect on your business if you put it off for awhile longer. Rest assured that your competitors are already making more money incorporating this strategy while you're still just thinking about it.
You need a multi-channel approach these days to thrive in the business world. If you're focusing on search engine optimization, Chicago offers a wide array of profit potential, but you have to work strategically to climb to the top of the search results. Why not combine your online marketing tactics with the latest in mobile technology to capture more targeted leads? If you want to dominate the Chicago market, you'll have to use a multi-channel approach in your advertising campaign. Adding mobile marketing can only sweeten the pot.
What is mobile marketing?
Mobile marketing refers to contacting your customers via a mobile device, such as a cell phone. While it is a relatively new technology, it is one of the hottest emerging trends in marketing today and is predicted to rise in popularity. Those who have incorporated mobile marketing already have a head-start on their competitors. Why? It's because mobile marketing has advantages that other channels of marketing lack.
Mobile marketing is immediate
Think about it. How many hours in a given day do you have your mobile device nearby within arm's reach? Most people keep their mobile devices close at hand during the day; some even keep them by their bedsides and, if they cannot sleep, check them during the night. As soon as a text message or e-mail arrives, most people will read it.
Just as they do with e-mail marketing, consumers must opt-in to receive updates via their mobile phones from your place of business. This means they're already interested in what you have to sell. Broadcast a message to your recipients, and they can read it within seconds or, at the most, minutes after the message has been sent. Furthermore, the open rate for mobile messages is much higher than traditional e-mail marketing messages alone.
Location-based services allow you to target customers when they're nearby
One of the greatest benefits of mobile marketing is that you can target customers when they're nearby. For instance, let's say you're giving a deep discount for dinner specials Thursday evening. By using location-based services, also known as LBS, you can broadcast your message to individuals who are within a specific geographic range during the time of the sale. That way, you won't bother someone who is out of town on business or miles away watching television at home.
Using LBS, you can target customers when they get within a three-to-five mile radius of your business instead. In a city as big as Chicago, using LBS to attract customers to your business will help you stand out among the competitors in the surrounding area.
Mobile marketing is cost effective
You can reach more customers 24 hours a day at a cost that is far less than traditional advertising alone. Many marketers are turning to mobile marketing as a way to cut marketing costs and are benefitting in increased ROI.
Because there are so many businesses with which to compete in Chicago and the surrounding areas, it only makes sense to use a permission-based marketing tool that allows you to contact your customers quickly and inexpensively, as well as when they're nearby and most likely to make purchases based on proximity. Mobile marketing allows you to build a personal connection with customers that traditional marketing methods cannot accomplish. That's why you should be one of the first in your niche to capitalize on this newest trend in marketing.