Mobile Is Dead!!!

James, I think it's a weak play to focus on mobile.

Yes I read your numbers.

Yes I know the growth of mobile users are growing faster
than non mobile websites which has created this great market gap.

Here's the thing, after talking with 2 contractors yesterday,
they think multi-channel advertising.

Multi channel advertising both online and offline.

I was talking with a friend who does all the online marketing
for a cosmetic dental surgeon and his client remarked
he can sleep easy now because all the online marketing is taken care of,
even in a worse case scenario takes place.

Before there were too many people independent people
were involved, he himself didn't know extras were in on it..

James, you may take on the role of a trusted adviser to your clients,
however I fear speaking about just mobile as a golden opportunity
will attract quick buck guys who only see dollar signs
and don't have the best interests of their clients at heart.

For that cosmetic dentist, the biggest value was a broad approach
rather than a very narrow approach.

That's been my experience when talking with
contractors who buy marketing services as well.

You are talking low on the value chain of buyers.

That's their realty.

Nothing much is going to change it.

Best,
Doctor E. Vile

Well it is a rare occasion but I disagree with you Ewen... in some cases ;-)

What you are selling and to whom matters hugely.

Now having said that I still believe in well rounded marketing
but
lets face it 95% of businesses NEVER develop a truly holistic approach
and of those the ones that make any bank go after low hanging fruit.

If your selling to the 18 to 26 year old crowd it's mobile and mobile and more mobile.

My kids fit this demographic. They are almost never on a "real" computer, either cell or tablet researching from work/college. Even my own habits have shifted from 90/10 split of desktop to mobile to about a 50/50 and it would be more mobile if I was not actually developing sites etc...

Several of our kids have bought cars, applied for loans, rented homes, shopped for furniture and it was all done from their mobiles for research and google maps if they had to get there. When they go to the mail box they are texting in one hand and dropping the direct mail into the garbage can just under the mailbox without even glancing. They glance even less these days because they have signed up for electronic billing for every service. They receive NO bills in the mail.

One of my kids when he moved into his apartment actually asked if the mail box was optional lol
We have a family 24/7 monitored mail box for things we order online and he does not want to be bothered emptying the "trash" in his mailbox.

If somebody told me I could only use 1 channel to market to that age group tomorrow, I would choose mobile/facebook.

SMS/Text is continually overlooked or just an afterthought. Yet it comes with one of the highest read rates, which makes sense (just think of the last time you heard a text arrive and you didn't read it almost immediately).

The problem is that it tends to be used improperly or in unimaginative ways. The typical approach is, "Hey I've got 5,000 mobile numbers. I want to run a promo to them".

...failure in the making.

I think there is a perception that it was hot for a while, got overused and too many bad experiences uncovered. Yet the ones using it as a customer engagement and cultivation strategy, rather than a method to bulk send an offer, are the winners.

One specific thing we've done as an SMS platform is to replace the typical email opt-in sales funnel with a mobile number and instant delivery of an offer right into the hands of the consumer. And it makes sense if the majority are already surfing FB on their mobile devices, might as well just deliver to that device.

I agree that mobile is important and growing, but I can't let these attacks on direct mail go undefended.

first, in my experience at least, print and direct mail is a far easier to sell than mobile at the local level, can produce far better results, and can generate much larger revenues and profits for the marketer.

While some people say they just throw their mail away without looking at it, that's not true, it all gets looked at. Some might not get opened but it definitely gets looked at and a conscious decision is made as to whether it's 'junk' or relevant. The 20-30 crowd actually responds incredibly well to direct mail (look it up).

Mail is perceived as junk (just like email, push notifications, commercials, etc.) when it's not relevant. If your favorite restaurant sends you a coupon for 30% off your next visit, it won't be considered junk. Believe it or not even those credit card offers aren't perceived as junk to those who might want a new credit card -- which is why they spend fortunes on sending them.

Direct mail can find customers your client could never have found otherwise, due to its targeting, exposure, convenience, non-intrusiveness, tangibility, speed, and scalibility ... and then when an interested prospect checks out their website or wants to receive promotions -- mobile becomes a very important component.

Let's bring this all together here. There is no need to split hairs.

I bring a lot of people into my sales funnel through telemarketing and old school mail.

If my online presence was junk or not mobile friendly - they would just instantly forget about me.

Whether or not you need a standalone app depends on several factors including your sales funnel, your goals, your industry, and your prospects.

At a minimum - the site should be mobile friendly. If you can add value with an app - then you should.

My sales funnel begins with aggressive calling, then followup with targeted mail monthly, lots of emails, lots of website visits.

Having an easy, useful, and well-designed web presence is the great uniting factor in all my efforts. I suspect it is the same for most service type industries. There are industries where it matters less.

Are you going to convince a brick-supplier that they need the latest bells and whistles on their mobile app? I don't think so.

Are you going to convince a creator of a 99 cent game they should do telemarketing or direct mail? Only if they have no business sense.

All of this stuff is relative. I have a great mobile site AND an awesome mobile app. Very few people install the app - most just use the site. They look and operate very similarly.

Some like the site, some like the app, some like the phone, some like the mail, some need face to face - I LOVE and use ALL of these.

I agree, as a business if you don't have a mobile strategy you're definitely missing something from a marketing perspective. You listed out a number of things in the initial post, don't forget mobile app and mobile sms text messaging continue to be key parts of mobile marketing as well.

You must have mobile strategy,Because in this modern world ,100 out of internet user more then 75% of them using and access there internet using Mobile only.So, you must target those 75% of user's to get business.

^That's the true power of mobile, not only is it effective on the customer side but also as a business owner you're able to manage your mobile marketing campaigns through your own phone device as well.

I am curious if you have seen an uptick in your mobile marketing business during this holiday season?

Mobile ownership has really grown over the past few years, all credits to greater minds in technology today. I have decided as a marketer to point my focus towards mobile advertisement and marketing. The reason i am saying so is because mobile marketing target one on one users and makes it easier to convince someone from a potential to a loyal customer. What I can say is that people especially marketers should not move away from mobile marketing, in fact they should exercise both.