Wendy K Emerson
SIGMA CEO Kenyon Blunt recently published his predictions for 2012 Marketing Trends. Included in those 10 trends was this idea of “SoLoMo” or “Mocial” Marketing: Social, Local and Mobile marketing all mashed up into one concept. If executed properly, the combination of social media, localized marketing and mobile messaging can be incredibly powerful for marketers. A prime example, as noted by Kenyon in his article, is that of stealing away customers who are waiting in line to make a purchase, by hitting them at the right time with the right offer.
The infographic provided by Silverpop provides some interesting nuggets about gaps in this form of integrated and true multichannel marketing. Only 17% of marketers surveyed felt their social, local and mobile marketing were tightly integrated, where 65% said somewhat and 12% not at all integrated. I have to believe that in the case of mobile, the early bird may get the worm.
I have a feeling that those marketers who have successfully connected with customers and prospects through mobile opt-in, whether messaging or a custom app for the smart phone, may establish deep loyalty before their competitors even hit the ground running with mobile marketing. Speaking personally, as I allow mobile apps into my world and connect with them, I am less likely to disconnect from one and connect with another from a competitor, if I have already allowed one brand into my circle of trust.
To that end, a combined 30 % of marketers surveyed by Silverpop planned to launch a mobile app in 2011 or 2012, and another 33% already had. Think long and hard about mobile goals before jumping in – if you are creating a mobile messaging strategy just to be loud and be heard, chances are it won’t work. Mobile communications must provide value to consumers, or they will simply tune out. How can you save your customers time, money, or hassle through mobile communications?
Localized check-in based marketing could be a true win, but marketers need to truly understand this type of communication and how a company would use the information, as well as provide value to those checking in. If it makes sense for your local business, and can provide the crowd-sourcing you desire, make your check-in offers sweet, and give your loyal evangelists a reason to talk about you with their local social networks.
Click to view full size Infographic on Silverpop.com
Effective strategy and integration of social, local and mobile marketing will remain in focus for marketers in 2012. We will probably see more and more case studies and success stories as marketers work to bridge the gaps between these channels. B2B marketers may face more of a challenge than the B2C-ers, as there is still a gap between understanding the value of social media and mobile marketing in the business-to-business world. B2B marketers continue to remain skeptical about these channels and how to measure their effectiveness.
At a time when marketing dollars need to stretch, it is difficult to allocate spending to new channels that are not yet established or proven. Companies that have done it the same way for years and years continue to stick with what they know – usually email and print. Building out the localized and social presence, tied together effectively with mobile, is seemingly a massive undertaking… and risk taking in marketing is not for the feint of heart. However, the first movers who do it effectively could win big.
About the Author:
Wendy K. Emerson is the Social Media & Marketing Manager at SIGMA Marketing Group. Connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.
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