Mobile marketing has been around since the beginning days of text messaging, but it is only in recent years that it has become so popular few businesses could ignore it.

Often when a business decides to take the leap into mobile marketing, they are unsure of how it works. As with any new technology, there are a lot of misconceptions out there surrounding mobile marketing. So let us set the record straight and examine some of these so-called “mobile marketing musts.”

You need to develop a mobile app

A lot of marketers will tell you that you absolutely have to have a mobile app for your business. The truth is, there are hundreds of thousands of apps. 99% of them will be opened once and deleted. Only the very best of the best apps are consistently downloaded and used, with the average American utilizing nine apps daily. The other thing with mobile apps is that to design a good app costs a lot of money. There are the low budget apps that occasionally make it but they are the rare exceptions. If you are considering spending the money on a mobile app, make sure it’s spectacular and can do something no other app can, something that people will use consistently.

Mobile marketing is just sales

Though it is true that a lot of your businesses transactions can be done on mobile devices, not all mobile marketing has to be centered on selling your product. A major advantage to mobile marketing often overlooked is that it keeps businesses in close contact with their best customers. Mobile marketing can be used to send appointment reminders and receipts. It can also be used to get feedback from customers. If you think mobile marketing is only about mobile sales, think again.

Mobile marketing is for big brands

Though it’s true that the most recognizable mobile marketing campaigns belong to major corporations and big name brands, there are still thousands of successful campaigns operated on a smaller scale. Closely tied to this misconception is the idea that mobile marketing is expensive. Though it can be, it doesn’t have to be. Compared to other marketing channels, text message marketing is one of the most cost effective marketing strategies out there. For pennies you can send a text to a customer.

I have their number, I can text them

There’s more to mobile marketing than acquiring phone numbers and sending them texts. In fact, if you’re purchasing phone number lists, you’re doing something wrong. Not only is it illegal to send unsolicited messages to people, but it’s ineffective. If you’re going to spend money sending out hundreds or even thousands of texts, you want it to be to people who are most likely to make purchases. Find creative ways to build your phone number database. Offer a small freebie in exchange for opting in to receive your texts.

Mobile marketing appeals to the young only

This was mostly true several years ago but isn’t anymore. There are almost as many mobile phone contracts as there are people. Virtually every adult owns a mobile phone and the vast majority of them send and receive texts.

Mobile marketing is just a fad

Many people surprisingly believe that mobile marketing is just a passing phase. Some businesses are holding out thinking that once they jump on the bandwagon, the trend will pass. There are literally billions of mobile devices and they can all send and receive texts. Texting has surpassed face-to-face and phone conversations. It’s safe to say that SMS at least, isn’t going anywhere.

Source:  Marketing Profs