Mobile Marketing and Its Evolution

Since their widespread introduction back in the 90’s, cell phones have taken the world by storm. By the year 2014, just two mere years away, phone internet usage and access is forecast to exceed that of desktops and laptops. Organizations that overlook the profit potential of entering the mobile marketing sphere can’t afford to ignore it much longer. What widespread broadband internet access did for internet marketing, Smartphones and tablet PCs are doing in the world of mobile marketing is something revolutionary to mobile marketers.

It All Started With SMS

While the introduction of cell phones opened new avenues of communication from a “telemarketing” aspect, SMS or text messaging was the first face of purely mobile marketing. Though most people take texting for granted today, when it first hit the scene, it gave a whome new meaning to direct response campaigns. Text messages are generally read and acted upon faster than email and light years more rapidly than snail mail campaigns. Today, despite advances in technology, text messaging still has the widest reach, from the cheapest of throwaway phones to the latest and greatest Smartphone.

Next Came Mobile Internet

Believe it or not, there are plenty of phones out there with little to no ability to browse the Web. However, more and more phones are moving forward, offering browsing capabilities that match that of traditional broadband internet devices. This does, however, present a few problems. The biggest obstacle is understanding the different coding languages and options. Fortunately, incredibly affordable freelancers are out there who can make a fewe simple tweaks to your style sheets that allow various browsers on different devices to have optimal viewing experiences. Because the technology allows for a richer and more interactive experience, sales and conversion rates can skyrocket. Borrell Associates reports that mobile coupons have ten times the redemption rates of traditional coupon offers. Mobile Marketing reported that 70% of all mobile search results will translate into action within an hour’s time!

Today’s Capabilities

Cell phone technology today has, in many ways, exceeded the science-fiction predictions of yesteryear. Tablet PCs like the iPad allow users to Skype or even link to their home or office desktop computer fills on the go with apps from companies like Go To Meeting. If you can dream it, someone out there has (or soon will) done it. Like the commercial says, “There’s an app for that!”

Making the Move to Mobile Marketing

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: breaking into mobile marketing isn’t rocket science. Anyone can do it and it’s getting easier every day. In total, there are seven different areas with opportunities to break in.

1. SMS
2. WAP (Web Access Protocol)
3. Mobile display ads
4. Mobile search engine ads
5. Rich media experiences
6. Mobile video and
7. Push notifications (like when Facebook messages, requests, comments or activity are set up to notify you via your phone)

Mobile technology means that your message is always close at hand. People walk away from televisions and radios. And when is the last time you regularly saw someone sleeping with their laptop computers? The number of people who are never more than a foot away from their mobile phones and devices is growing every day. The icing on the cake? 98% of them are waiting and ready to get texted by you.

This is a guest article by Ruben Corbo, a writer for the website Broadband Expert where you can find broadband internet providers in your area and compare prices on different deals for your mobile broadband needs.