If you're running a business or promoting one, you've likely realized that most of your customers see your promotions on their mobile phones. This is the new norm. In fact, consumers are now using mobile to access the internet more often than desktop.
It makes sense then to market to your customers in the environment they prefer. And that environment, increasingly, is mobile.
If your website is already mobile friendly, pat yourself on the back. You're ahead of many other businesses. But what about your promotions, sweepstakes or giveaways? Are they mobile friendly too? Going mobile here is the next step. And no, we don't mean Facebook-only promotions. We're talking about mobile text promotions or text-to-win sweepstakes that are open to anyone with a mobile phone.
There are many good reasons to use mobile text messaging for your next campaign or sweepstakes...
â—ŹA majority of your customers are mobile first
â—ŹWith text, there's no learning curve or extra app to download
â—ŹUsers can text to enter anywhere: in store, at an event or at home
â—ŹNot everyone is on Facebook, but text messaging is available on every mobile phone
â—ŹMobile campaigns are easy to promote on other advertising and marketing channels
Traditional vs. Mobile Sweepstakes and Promotions
In today's digital world, traditional sweepstakes with paper entry forms are going the way of the Dodo bird. Paper coupons will soon follow. From the consumer's point of view, paper forms are not as convenient. From a marketer's standpoint, they take extra costs and time to manage.
Paper forms may even limit the number of sweepstakes entries received. With text, consumers can enter and get confirmation instantly. Your business can then collect entrant information in real-time via text or a mobile web form.
Cost Savings of a Text-to-Win Sweepstakes
There are cost benefits to going mobile as well. Text-to-win sweepstakes cost much less to run than paper-based sweepstakes and are comparable to those on social media. Digital coupons and other promotions are also less costly. Best of all, the mobile subscriber list you gain as a result will serve you in future promotions.
Grow Your Business with Mobile
Like email lists, your mobile subscriber list can yield sales gains over time as you promote offers, giveaways or discounts. Unlike email, mobile text messages are read within minutes of delivery. This can lead to quicker sales on slow days or short-term offers that result in long-term customers.
These numbers show the potential to deliver big wins...
•Text has a 98% open rate vs. email, which averages less than 30%
•90% of text messages are read within 6 minutes of receipt
•Mobile coupons are redeemed 10 times more than traditional coupons
•Of those who receive marketing texts, 29% click on links and 47% of those make a purchase
Mobile sweepstakes and campaigns can be valuable elements of your marketing program. And they're the next step in your continued shift into mobile.
We'll leave you with this quote from Julie Ask, an analyst at Forrester Research:
"We still see most of our clients cramming PC experiences onto phones when they should be thinking in terms of mobile moments instead."
Are you doing the same?
(Sources: Reports by Dynamark & Pure360)
This blogger graduated from Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program. Goldman Sachs is a partner of the What Is Working: Small Businesses section.