The Role Of Print In Mobile Marketing

The smartphone is here to stay and this small device can be a big winner for your business. Prospects and customers use their smartphones to send emails, listen to music, find their way to a location, search the Internet, text, watch television, play games, and oh yes, make phone calls. Think of the smartphone as a small computer and tailor your marketing plan accordingly.

People can instantly find products and services, compare prices, make purchases, and arrange shipping from their smartphones. According to a Forrester research report, by the conclusion of 2011, 39 percent of mobile phone customers used smartphones. However, most corporate marketing plans place only a small emphasis on mobile marketing.

Use print advertising to drive consumers to mobile apps linked to your website. When an online printer is used to create marketing collateral like door hangers and direct mail pieces, costs remain low. A mobile marketing campaign that includes limited time offers and coupons provides immediate results. Take advantage of the fact that smartphones offer spontaneous interaction from anywhere, any time. Optimizing the website for access on a smartphone creates a frustration-free experience.

Integrated marketing strategies should help customers and prospects take advantage of everything their smartphones have to offer. Consider running an SMS campaign that includes special offers and providing click-to-order capabilities. Promote these with door hangers and other printed collateral. If the smartphone campaigns prove successful, expand them to include tablet computers.

By incorporating QR codes into direct mail and door-to-door advertising and on store posters, businesses tap into the smartphone population. An integrated marketing campaign considers the different ways prospects and customers interact with the business. This makes it easier for people to do business and develop a relationship with the company. Capturing relevant data allows a business to identify which methods are most successful.