5 basic tips for your Mobile Advertising campaign

by | Nov 17, 2014 |

Are you new to Mobile Advertising? We have five practical tips to keep in mind when you are constructing your first campaign. It is easy to overlook the simple things, but you will be surprised how big of an impact the basics can have Not all consumers have the same phones One of the unfortunate symptoms of mobile progression is that there are loads of different phones on the market. Apart from smartphones versus non-smartphones, the screens of mobile devices also differ. This impacts the graphics and display of your advertisement. A format that looks super on one phone might only look okay on another. The solution? Test your ads on different phones before you decide on a format. Does the user need to submit data? Do you want the user to exchange data with you? For example: the filling out and submission of an application form? Does their phone need certain capabilities to do it and to you have a means of receiving it on your end? Keep that in mind when constructing your Mobile Advertising campaign. The user has internet related limitations The way that a mobile user connects to the internet will have an influence on his/ her mobile experience and a direct impact on how far you can take your advertising. If a customer’s internet connection is slow, it will take longer for high quality images to download. Also, mobile users usually have some kind of limit on the amount of cap they use for browsing. Thus, if you are wasting their cap, they will simply move on. The user isn’t connected to a printer...

Give your business an edge with USSD

by | Nov 14, 2014 |

USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) is a mobile product that allows a company to use their computers to communicate with customers’ cell phones. How can this give your business an edge, you ask? Let’s find out! You get more characters Some people argue that USSD Push and Pull message could even be better for client communication than text messages. Maybe, maybe not. But what we can say for certain is that you can fit more characters into such a message than you can with a SMS. It makes you look more accessible It is also a real-time connection, which implies that the customer will experience it like that as well. It allows a brand to be more responsive and data can be exchanged in a flash. In other words, you appear more eager to help your customer because you are able to respond in the “here and now.” It provides your customers with shortcuts You can use USSD to create interactive mobile menus. For customers who don’t have the time or patience (or who are simply not comfortable) to speak to a live consultant, this can be a dream come true. Instead of explaining what they want to a person, they can choose a suitable option from a set menu. It is literally as easy as 1,2,3! It can make more of your services available Because USSD Push and Pull messages can be used for a variety of functions, it can enable you to make more of your services available on mobile. You can safely send passwords, polls, alerts, notifications, updates, promotional material etc. It can also allow you to...

Mobile advertising tricks you need to know about

by | Nov 10, 2014 |

If you want to make the most of your Mobile Advertising it is good to have a few tricks up your sleeve to ensure success. What should you be implementing into your strategy? Adwords: Don’t forget to opt into mobile if you are creating ads in AdWords. If you do, your ads will simply display better on a phone which will in turn be more pleasing to the mobile user. Content: When it comes to the content of your ads, don’t be shy to use terms that are directly related to the word “mobile”. It will indicate to your customers that you have optimized your site for mobile usage and they will be more prone to click. Create immediacy with words that convey exactly that. Anything with words like “now” or “today” will inspire customers to visit your site today rather than tomorrow. Mobile landing page Your Mobile Advertising won’t truly boom unless you have optimized your mobile landing page. How can you do that? Too much text on a mobile page is cumbersome. Don’t make your readers scroll through paragraph after paragraph. Keep it short and sweet. Don’t make your font too big or too small. You don’t users to zoom in or out of your page. Less is more, especially when it comes to loading time. Your page has to load in a few seconds or the visitor will drop off. Thus, don’t have anything unnecessary on your page or elements that negatively influence loading time. Timing is important Here is something few people know about Mobile Advertising. According to Search Engine Land, people use their mobile...

FLEXIBLE – REAL TIME – INSTANT MESSAGING FOR YOUR BUSINESS

by | Nov 7, 2014 |

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) A Hard working communication tool – straight forward without the glam of pretty pictures or elevator-type music.  Because it is so cheap and versatile, you can rest assured that you will get more bang for your buck. Clients aren’t always interested in unnecessary bells and whistles, but rather in a service or product that actually delivers on its promises.  Companies often stick to SMS messaging when doing something “PLAIN” for a promotion or customer service, because a few realise the true potential of USSD. The latter works great for customer service activities.  It allows a customer to interact with a business in real time and purchase items or obtain help via an easy-to-use menu.  While using one of these menu’s aren’t the same as talking to a live person, t is close enough to facilitate effective customer service. It can be used for a variety of services, for example: banking notifications, prepaid airtime purchases, answers to general FAQ s, checking a statement or balance, voting, polls, new services etc. You don’t need an army of customer care consultants at the helm.  In fact, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data menus are available 24/7 which means no overtime costs and no struggle with employee absenteeism.  Also, a great amount of callers can be serviced at once – your clients don’t have to wait in line for a consultant. BENEFITS OF USING USSD It’s so cheap and versatile Allows for Interaction with clients Run servey’s Cheaper than SMS for 2-way Transactions You can also send approximately 182 alphanumeric characters using USSD, while a SMS only allows for 1400...

How to build an effective “slow burn” SMS Marketing campaign

by | Nov 7, 2014 |

A real SMS Marketing campaign takes time. Send too many messages – people get annoyed. Send too few – your campaign has no effect. What you need is to build a “slow burning” campaign that is sustainable over a period of time. How do you do that? Automate your messages Have an automated release of messages for every action (clicks, sign ups) the customer takes. For instance: If he signs up for your newsletter, send him a thank you SMS. The idea is to make a series of messages that are applicable to the customer’s situation and will encourage continued engagement. Just remember not to overdo it – you don’t want your SMS Marketing messages to become spam. Pick your cues carefully. Know what you want from your customers What do you want your customers to do when they receive your message? Make sure that the action they have to take is logical and clear. For example: If you want them to visit your website, provide a link. When they arrive there, give them further instructions on what to do. If you confuse customer s or they don’t understand what to do immediately, they will simply drop off. Give them value What is in it for the customer? Every single SMS Marketing message should contain something of value. E.g. exclusive offers, links to relevant articles, exciting announcements etc. Don’t sound like a robot Even though you automate the sending of your messages or pre-write your content, just make sure it doesn’t sound automated. A customer wants to know that she is valued and appreciated and not “just another customer.”...

How to play it safe with your Bulk SMS marketing

by | Nov 5, 2014 |

Bulk SMS marketing isn’t something your brand should take on lightly. Your customer’s phone is after all a private space, and if you carelessly invade it, you could lose their trust and loyalty. How can you avoid falling into such a trap? Be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be When you sit down to construct your messages, think carefully about what you want to say. You want your message to be relevant, add value, and elicit some kind of response. What you don’t want it to be is offensive, irritating or a waste of the receiver’s time. What you put into your text will depend on three things: who you are, what you want to achieve and who your customers are. Every brand has a personality and a voice. You might be serious and highly professional (e.g. a law firm) or clever and quirky (e.g. a fast food takeout). Your brand’s personality will reflect in your Bulk SMS marketing. Don’t try to be something that you are not or talk in a way that your customers don’t expect. For example: if a law firm used “teenage talk” in their messages, their clients might feel that the company couldn’t possibly help them out of trouble. Think your content through very carefully! Respect your customers In the beginning, brands are a little cautious about how and when they send their messages. But as soon as they get the hang of it, they let loose and it rains texts on their customers’ heads. Never get trigger happy Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What do you think your...