Last updated: Mobile marketing automation and engaging the audience of one

Mobile marketing automation and engaging the audience of one

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Mobile marketing is critical for businesses of all shapes and sizes. We know this, and we’ve already explored how mobility has forever changed consumer behavior, along with the customer lifecycle and buying process.

Now, we need to talk about what engagement looks like in this new world of the on-the-go customer. We understand that consumers don’t engage in a meaningful way with SMS/MMS campaigns, and, generally speaking, mobile banner ads on the web and within native mobile apps perform exceptionally poorly (and when you do get tap-throughs, usually half are accidental; a phenomenon widely accepted by the industry and lovingly referred to as “fat finger clicks”).

And why do these channels fail for marketers? Because no matter how flawlessly these campaigns are executed, they lack the critical component that makes your message compelling to a consumer right then and there: context.

Mobile marketing automation: One-on-one engagement

Mobile marketing automation is a new practice area that enables marketers to provide that magical dimension known as context – engaging each consumer personally and as an audience of one.

There is a rapidly growing set of SaaS tools and platforms that give marketers the keys to the context kingdom. Through the mobile web (i.e. someone exploring the Internet on their device through a mobile browser) and native mobile apps (i.e. someone experiencing an app that they’ve downloaded to their device from an app store) marketers can now create truly contextual experiences through smart, automated messaging.

The automation comes in once we start to understand the smart rules that marketers can apply:

  • Proximity
    • With GPS, geo-fencing, and iBeacon technology, marketing automation software can present marketing messages based on a consumer’s real-world location and proximity seamlessly across the mobile web and within a native mobile app.
  • Behavior
    • Present content and messaging dynamically based on other actions that your consumer has taken across your website, on social media, within your native mobile app, and even in-store or on-premise.
  • Stage
    • If you understand what stages exist in your consumer’s buying cycle, then you can map content and messaging for your consumers based on their buying stage, making your marketing more effective and boosting your conversion rates across channels and devices.
  • Sequencing
    • String together automated content and messaging with mobile web prompts or push notifications so that consumers receive the right message at the right time on the right device.
  • Throttling
    • Set rate limits on messages so that consumers don’t get overwhelmed. Your mobile marketing automation can actually optimize your message delivery over time, ensuring a great experience across every mobile touchpoint that they have with your brand.

How might this look across different verticals; say, for Retailers? This is probably the most obvious application of mobile marketing automation. Beacons can be triggered contextually throughout a brick-and-mortar store. At the front door with an offer, on the New Arrivals table with dynamic product pairings and combinations, by the register with an email capture and loyalty tie in. Connect the automated experience with your CRM, and personalize your messages to provide even more context. The possibilities for retail are tantalizing, and the retail proximity marketing space is crowding quickly with the likes of Swirl, Nomi, and inMarket.

How about for the Auto Manufacturers and Dealers? The web and on-premise at a dealership represent very distinct buying stages, and your marketing can be automated to include that context layer. If I’ve shown interest in an auto on the website or within a native mobile app, then I can be alerted once I reach the dealership that it’s ready for a test drive. The dealer can better manage their customers at their individual buying stage, and then in combination with their CRM, provide an extra service layer for on-going maintenance. Not to mention the widely covered beacon opportunity for auto manufacturers and the Google Open Automotive Alliance, dedicated to bringing beacons and the connected driving experience to life.

And what about Hospitality? One of the most important factors in hospitality marketing is loyalty, and what better way to breed loyalty and advocacy than by creating a personalized and contextual experience in and around the hotel. The front desk can prepare for a guest’s stay through beacon integration at the front gate or parking garage. Relevant notifications can be pushed throughout the hotel campus, activities can be reserved, and purchases can be up-sold (or ‘comped’) based on a guest’s recent behaviors in the real world. Starwood and the SPG App have already started to integrate beacons and Bluetooth LE with a keyless checkin. The hotel becomes smarter, and every guest instantly becomes a VIP through mobile marketing automation.

We’re just now starting to see the shift to mobile marketing automation, which empowers marketers to get smarter about their content and messaging across all devices. In the end, we, as marketers, are all looking to create a better, more compelling, more engaging experience for our customers. It won’t be long before mobile marketing automation is playing a critical role for digital marketers everywhere.

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