Two new studies reveal that consumers are shopping more from their mobile phones and are more receptive than ever to receiving text-based coupons and ads. Armed with this information, integrated marketers can plan to invest more in their mobile marketing campaigns in 2014 – as long as you follow some must-heed advice.
As this chart shows, Mashable and Statista found that people around the globe are accessing the web using smartphones more often than ever. So far this year, 17.4 percent of web traffic has originated from mobile devices. That’s a 6 percent increase since 2012.
In another telltale study for marketers, Placecast and Harris Interactive learned that U.S. mobile phone owners are more interested now than in previous years in receiving offers from brands on their mobile phones. The Placecast “Alert Shopper” poll series, which looks at consumer behavior and mobile marketing, identified a whopping 19-point increase in interest in receiving local mobile alerts from 2009 to 2013.
Even more heartening is that a majority of respondents said they were interested in accessing local offers from their smartphones. Nearly four out of five consumers who participated in the Placecast poll said local mobile offers are more relevant than traditional coupons.
The survey, as reported by the Bulldog Reporter, also provided other insights into consumers’ attitude. This is a prime learning opportunity for integrated marketers planning geo-specific mobile advertising campaigns:
- 89 percent said these offers should be easy to redeem
- 83 percent said they might encourage them to try new things
- 73 percent said they might encourage them to make spontaneous purchases
But integrated marketers analyzing this research should take to heart some clear warnings from consumers: Don’t market without permission.
“When it comes to local offers on their phones, consumers are not only growing accepting, but expecting of them. Savvy brands will carefully consider how much of their digital spend is going to mobile, particularly local-mobile,” Placecast CEO Alistair Goodman said, in a news release about the poll. “The key is for the ads to be perceived as a valuable service by their users, not unwanted or intrusive.”
For other ideas on jumpstarting your mobile marketing efforts, read “Four Ways Mobile Marketing Boosts Sales.”