Advertising on mobile phones

Alright; let me get to the point straight. Name a few things that you just can't do without - things that you almost always carry, no matter where you go. Credit cards, iPods, and... did I miss something important? The irreplaceable, indispensable mobile phone - you do have one, right?

Why am I talking about mobile phones? Pretty simple - I want to talk about mobile advertising - advertising on your mobile phone.

"What?" "Someone's going to advertise something on my mobile phone?" "Why would I EVER allow that to happen???" - If this is your reaction, just relax. Let me explain things to you.

Advertising on mobile phones is considered the next big thing in the market today. Just like you advertise on TV, newspapers, magazines, radio, and the internet, you can advertise on mobile phones. However, there is a vast difference between advertising on mobile phones and advertising on traditional media. The difference is - mobile phone is a very, very personal thing for almost all of us.

Now, before you take a side for or against mobile advertising, you need to know how it actually works. First and foremost - it's not compulsory. Mobile advertising is done on an opt-in basis, which means you take part in an ad campaign only if you want to, not because you have to. So, this eliminates the possibility of someone who's not interested in mobile ads getting them.

Now, you may ask me - 'even if it's done on an opt-in basis, why would I let them send ads to me?' Valid question - I tell you.

First of all, mobile advertisers don't send you ads randomly. They try to send you relevant, targeted ads. In order to do so, they ask for your preferences while you join a particular mobile advertising campaign. For example, let's say you are a fan of Eminem. (Who isn't?) If you get an ad on your mobile phone which has a discount coupon using which you can get a 20% discount on Eminem's latest album, would you say no to that? Similarly, people with different tastes are targeted by advertisers and are sent ads according to their taste. This way, the advertiser benefits from a successful ad campaign, you benefit from discount coupons and other freebies offered via mobile ads, and the brand/company which advertised its services/products has found a valuable customer in you. Everyone in the equation has something to gain.

Apart from this, there are plenty of other ways in which you'll find mobile advertising useful. How about free text messages? How about free talk time? How about free international calls from your mobile phone? Or how about earning some money? All this and more, completely funded by ads. You don't have to spend a buck on anything.

The most important thing about mobile phone advertising is - you can opt in and opt out of any ad plan any time you want. No obligations whatsoever.

But based on all this, I wouldn't argue that mobile advertising is perfect. It isn't. Like any other industry, it's having its initial hiccups. But if they could fix the problems and seal the loopholes, we'd have a very useful business model which would satisfy everyone involved in it.

Mobile phone prices in India have gone down considerably thanks to two reasons. First, the manufacturers target India's middle class. So, they need to make it affordable for them. Second, there is tremendous competition among mobile phone manufacturers in India. So, the prices automatically come down. As a result, they are looking for other ways to generate revenue.

Already, some of the manufacturers are in talks with value added service providers to see if advertising in mobile phones would be feasible and if it will be enough to bring in some revenue. The short answer, though, is yes.

Read the rest of this entry in my blog. Trust me; it's worth a visit. :)

An Introduction to Bluetooth Marketing

Say, you are in a shopping mall. It's a busy day and your wife is on a shopping spree. So, you decide to have your lunch in one of the restaurants in the mall. Suddenly, you get a message in your cell phone. It says '20% off on your favorite burgers. 10% off on your favorite lattes. Grab this offer now.' It's an offer from one of the restaurants in the mall. Would you or would you not make use of this offer?

What is it?

That, my friends, is what we call Bluetooth marketing. Bluetooth marketing companies usually set up hotspots in places like shopping malls and movie halls. When you have the Bluetooth facility in your mobile phone switched on, you'll get advertisements from various companies. The reason why Bluetooth marketing is considered the best is because it's localized. Let me explain further with an example.

A real life example

You walk into a shopping mall. You're purchasing some beauty products. You get a message in your cell phone. It is an ad from ABC company which offers a flat 20% discount on all its products today. If you're interested, you can make use of it and if you're not, you can simply ignore it.

Is there a way out?

One of the most important things about Bluetooth marketing is that it's not compulsory. It's done on an opt-in basis and you can opt out of the service any time you want. This puts you, the user, in the driver's seat. You can opt in to a service and make use of the offers and discounts from companies and if you don't want, you can simply opt out of the program.

Is it of any use to me?

In Europe, Bluetooth marketing has become very popular and a lot of users prefer this over other types of marketing. The reason is simple. These ads are localized. When you get an ad, it's usually from some shop or company near you and you can make use of the offer immediately. In other words, the ad has a call to action. So, the response rate is pretty high, which is exactly what the marketers want.

I'd only like to get ads on products that I'm interested in

These marketing campaigns usually make note of users' preferences. When you opt in to a campaign, you are asked to disclose your likes and dislikes and the services you're interested in. With this kind of data, marketers will be able to send targeted ads to your cell phone. In other words, the ads that you get will be from companies which offer products and services that you're interested in. So, there is a good chance that you will make use of those offers. This way, the marketer gets what he wants - a response from the user and the user enjoys what he gets - discounts, free trials, offers, and stuff like that. It's a symbiotic relationship, so to speak.

Have you guys ever got such ads? Have you ever been a part of Bluetooth marketing campaigns? What's your take on this? Please let me know.

A lot of people these days talk about cell phone advertising. Have you ever wondered how or why cell phone advertising has garnered so much attention of late? Well; the answer is very simple. Advertising on cell phones is by far the most effective method to reach the target customers of a business.

People advertise on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and of course, the internet. However, the click through rate, or the response rate, of these ads varies. At best, the response rates for such ads are around 0.01% to 0.05%. Surprisingly, ads served on cell phones have a whopping response rate of 2% to 4%.

The reason is not hard to find. Cell phone ads, by definition, are very personal and are bound to catch the attention of the user. This is simply not possible with any other traditional advertising method.

Most importantly, when a mobile marketer comes up with a mobile advertising campaign, he takes users' preferences into consideration. Cell phone users who opt in for such advertising offers are asked for their likes, dislikes, preferences, and other such data which help marketers target their ads effectively. So, when a cell phone user gets an ad on his cell phone, it's something that he has a liking for. You just cannot guarantee this kind of targeted advertising with any other traditional advertising medium. This is the reason why cell phone advertising is considered the next big thing.

The best example of a successful mobile marketing company is Blyk. The UK based operator offers free talk time and free text messages for users who opt in for cell phone ads. As a result, it has gained significant attraction in the mainstream media and the customer response for the company has been stunning so far. This just goes to show that cell phone users are actually fine with targeted, relevant ads, as long as they get something in return.