by anton | May 27, 2016 |
Forbes Magazine, that illustrious periodical known to make appearances in boardrooms and rap songs, just this week wrote about mobile marketing. It presented some excellent advice to consider when embarking on a mobile marketing campaign. Let’s take a look at two key points highlighted by the magazine. The first mentioned a fairly new phrase recently coined by Google: ‘micro-moments’. Forbes says we’re seeing users turn to their mobile devices for quick, in-the-moment advice, help or information. Essentially, instead of sitting down to research a topic or issue in depth, they’re more likely to take immediate action, and to expect instantaneous answers. Google terms these rapid, mobile-driven queries ‘micro-moments’. Users want an accurate, bite-sized piece of information in that moment. No graphs, chart or other data-heavy overkill information. It’s great that Google has come up with a special turn of phrase for this phenomenon. However, here at InTarget it’s just called keeping it simple. Secondly, Forbes mentioned the importance of using QR codes to streamline the user experience. QR (or Quick Response) codes are a type of barcode that can be read by smartphone users who have downloaded a QR code reader. We believe QR codes are still a neglected – although growing – element of mobile marketing today. Forbes confirmed that they really do help provide relevant info as quickly and seamlessly as possible to mobile users. One of the most popular uses of QR codes among consumers is for comparison-shopping. This is when a smartphone is used to scan an item’s QR code to compare prices. Having a QR code for product comparisons means being present for those...
by anton | May 23, 2016 |
Many of us were raised with the view that one doesn’t talk about money – ever. Unfortunately, this attitude is preventing some mobile marketers from doing what they should be doing. That’s cutting to the chase and asking current and potential customers for their orders. The placement of an actual order for our clients’ goods and services should be the primary goal of every mobile marketing campaign. Now while that seems pretty obvious, sometimes it isn’t because many mobile marketers have a long history in traditional media. This is where huge budgets and a lack of accountability brought on by poor return on investment (ROI) tools mean very often all that’s going on is so-called “brand building”. Translation: ‘brand building’ refers to those over the top TV ads where a voice with an accent you can’t place is reading a never-ending script you can’t stand. Only after the longest 45 seconds does the brand make an appearance, as does the flimsiest of links between the company and whatever cringeworthy life’s lesson was being narrated by the bearded wonder. Perhaps if there was a short code or a QR code displayed beneath the brand identity, all of the above would have been worth it. Mobile marketers are ‘back to basics’ kind of people and we understand that clients really should be moving product when they’re embarking on any kind of marketing campaign. This is why InTarget tells its clients that there is nothing wrong with inserting a bit of hard selling in mobile campaigns. It has to be that way, or else all of the wonderful reporting tools that are...
by anton | May 13, 2016 |
SMS tends to get a lot of airtime (forgive the pun) when it comes to mobile marketing but there is another ‘old reliable’ mobile service that’s also earned its stripes over the years. If you’ve ever used a prepaid airtime recharge PIN or sent a ‘Please Call Me’ message, then you’ve used a USSD service. USSD has nothing to do with Russia and is, in fact, short for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data. USSD specifically refers to messages sent and received by users in real time over cellular networks. USSD is different to SMS because it is menu-driven. In other words, the mobile user types what is called a USSD string and pushes the green call button to bring up a menu. Users then respond to the menu by transmitting responses back over the mobile network. These responses typically perform a function, request a snippet of information, and so on. However, as with the Please Call Me example given above, some USSD services are single requests, without the need for a menu or further navigation. USSD’s great advantage for mobile marketers is that there is no need for the mobile user to remember a short code as would be the case with an SMS-based mobile campaign. Of course, users do have to remember what USSD string to input but once this is done, a whole world of menu-driven information can be opened up that is simple and logical to navigate because it can be displayed on any GSM cellphone, not just smart phones or feature phones. You could think of USSD as an automated helpdesk. Getting the information you require...
by anton | May 11, 2016 |
With the continued evolution of mobile marketing it is easy to forget just how effective some of the discipline’s original workhorses are. SMS, for example, is the original mobile marketing bearer. This familiarity is a great advantage because it means the humble text message is both personal and trusted. Let’s take a brief look at the available variations of SMS in mobile marketing: Bulk SMS Sending and receiving large numbers of SMS messages to multiple recipients is the most cost effective way to reach a guaranteed audience. Bulk SMS by InTarget means that in a matter of minutes your brand can be visible on the most personal of consumer devices. Bulk SMS, however, doesn’t imply a ‘one size fits all’ type of approach because InTarget can send the same content to all recipients or each message can be personalised. BulkSMS replies How many times have you wanted to reply to a commercial email or text message that annoyingly stated it was being sent from an unattended mailbox? Inexplicably, marketers often expect consumers to engage in two-way conversation using a variety of mediums, instead of just one. Two-way bulk SMS enables your current and potential customers to continue the conversation using a text-based medium that is convenient to them. No phone call or email necessary. InTarget’s bulk SMS replies feature taps into the growing trend for all of us to talk less and text more. Premium SMS Premium SMS offers all the advantages of text messaging technology, with a convenient payment element included. Consumers are able to pay for goods and services simply by sending keywords to short codes using...
by anton | Apr 26, 2016 |
Africans in general and South Africans in particular tend to be a humble lot. You can see this in the business world where many of us are reluctant to receive public praise, no matter how well deserved. Cast an eye over to certain countries in the developed world and you’ll notice how different the business culture is with individuals eagerly trying to lap up as much of the limelight as possible. I was thinking of this difference as I watched The Donald singing his own praises on the news this morning. After I stopped laughing, I must admit I thought to myself, perhaps South Africans and South African businesses do need to promote themselves a little harder. So, with this in mind, below are some very forthright reasons why your brand should partner with InTarget: We’re the best. Seriously. But read on for a little more detail on why we’re awesome and how that awesomeness can count for you. We can measure everything! One of the biggest benefits of partnering with InTarget is the measurability of our campaigns. For scientific marketers interested in a stats-based approach, mobile marketing by InTarget will appeal. We can track number of downloads, recurrent usage, time spent, click through rates, leads generated, social media sharing, cost per conversion and more. We are everyone’s mobile marketing partner of choice. While InTarget has crafted effective mobile campaigns for some of the African continent’s best-known insurance, banking and automotive brands, we’ve also worked with start-ups who needed a bespoke and humble beachhead into the world of mobile marketing. We are a ‘can-do’ company. InTarget offers clients a...
