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How Are Mobile Devices Changing The Small Business Marketing Scenario?

Guest post by: Gourab Nanda

Article Overview: Reports say that mobile penetration has increased by more than 75% in the last two years. Mobile marketing is an effective way for small enterprises to tap and target all sections of clients. Small businesses are using it as a tool for local marketing and thus impacting their business in many ways.

How Are Mobile Devices Changing The Small Business Marketing Scenario?

Mobiles are like a necessity for most of us today! We need it to text, to talk, to Google, as our alarm clocks, and what not. Mobile phones have become the technology that small businesses need to listen to. Reports say that mobile penetration has increased by more than 75% in the last two years. Mobile marketing is an effective way for small enterprises to tap and target all sections of clients. Small businesses are using it as a tool for local marketing and thus impacting their business in many ways.

Use of text message marketing:

All you need is a database of numbers and you can send text messages to your potential clients and customers. Even if you are not tech-savvy, sending a text message is the simplest thing. And unlike e-mails people tend to read the message superficially at least before deleting them. If you can catch the attention of your customers with your first line, chances are that the message will actually be saved in their box instead of going to their electronic trash bin.

Use of mobile coupons:

Small business owners send discount mobile coupons through SMS, promoting their business. For example, if you own an electronics goods store you can send discount coupons of your electronic goods to your existing customers during festival periods.



Increasing use of mobile apps:

The use of mobile applications has increased phenomenally. These downloadable applications designed for very specific functions make the device much more feature rich for its users. Tying-up with application developers or creating your own applications that meet the needs of your customers is a great way to let them know that you have expertise in your business domain.

Use of location based applications:

Through location based mobile applications, like foursquare, Facebookplaces, etc., people get to have a look at the location where your business is situated. Just through a plain Google maps app your customers/clients can find out the exact location of your business.

Acts as a form of viral marketing:

Mobile phone advertising acts as a form of viral marketing. Let's say, you came to know of a great discount scheme through a text message, will you not forward the message to your friend or relative whom you think may benefit from the discount? Or let's say you are thinking of taking a vacation with your friends and you get a message about great travel discounts, wouldn't you share the information with them?

So if you are a small business and don't have ample time and money to launch an elaborate marketing strategy, mobile marketing is one of the most convenient and easy methods to market your business. A simple text message and a little bit of creativity can do wonders for your business, especially in today's wireless world where customers have become overtly dependant on technology to get bargains, and fulfill their smallest of needs!

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Article Tags: mobile marketing, small business growth, small business management, small business outsourcing, small business tips



Related Forum Posts
Re: The Mobile Marketing - Mobile Marketing involves communicating with the consumer via cellular (or mobile) device, either to send a simple marketing message, to introduce them to a new audience participation-based campaign or to allow them to visit a mobile website. Some of the tools of the trade and a few of the concepts that will be featured in this Mobile Marketing 101 series are: Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Bluetooth, Wireless and Infrared Mobile Internet and Social Media Mobile Applications Mobile connectivity not only enables people to connect to the Internet via a cellular telephone, PDA or other gadget, but also consolidates the different communication channels in a simple, yet effective, medium. Cheaper than traditional means for both the consumer and the marketer - and easy enough for almost any age group to understand and engage with - Mobile Marketing really is a streamlined version of traditional eMarketing.
Re: What is your Business? - We are running a Online Marketing Firm and we have some good clients to which we are offering a complete Digital Marketing strategy like Search, Mobile Marketing, Branding and Design. I think in Online Marketing company online presence can be a wining factor for the success of the company.
New Small Business Topic - Hello everyone, I'm on the lookout for new topics to add to my site. We just launched a Franchising section and are planning Human Resources section. Do you have any thoughts for a new section? Here's a list of what we currently have: Angel Investors Branding Bank Loans Business Coaching Business Plan Franchises (New) Insurance Legal Marketing Public Relations Sales Small Biz Loans Venture Capital
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: The Mobile Marketing - Mobile Marketing is on pace and it'll engage a reputed image soon. Online shopping is based on PCs and Laptops at the present time but soon it will also be popular for mobile phones.


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