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Mobile Marketing - Shouldn’t YOU be doing it?

posted by: Andy  /  15 January 2010

It doesn't take a genius to know that the mobile phone market is among the fastest growing and largest overall global markets today. So why aren't more companies making the most of this with their marketing campaigns?

The following should give you an understanding of its importance, and the many ways it can be utilised.

Why is mobile marketing so important?

Generally, mobile marketing can be both a cheap and effective marketing method, whilst also retaining a great degree of flexibility. Furthermore, the reach that it allows marketers to have is enormous as there are currently more wireless mobile devices than televisions and computers combined. Mobiles therefore offer a level of opportunity never seen before by any other medium and are used by most major demographics, making it an extremely appealing marketing channel.

Let's break this down with a little market research:

Reach
There are over 15m mobile media users in the UK.

Acceptance
Mobile penetration in the UK is now approaching 125%, meaning many phone users have multiple SIMs or devices.

High response rates
Forrester Research says that SMS campaigns regularly get response rates of 5% to 25%.

Targeting
Mobile phones offer an inherently intimate medium. It facilitates highly targeted, one-to-one communication with lots of potential for personalisation and up-selling.

Wireless Web
28.3% of European mobile subscribers have 3G devices, and Web traffic from mobiles is already estimated to be growing 8 times faster than web traffic from UK PCs.

Applications and Smartphones
Both are on a meteoric rise, especially in developing countries where standard internet access (through a PC) is often non-existent.

Human Behaviour
Changes in the way mobile phones are being used, brings mobile marketing to centre stage. Devices such as the iPhone, Google's Android phones and Windows Mobile smartphones mean its now easier than ever to send and receive email and access the web 'on the move'. Statistics indicate that total 3G penetration has increased by 36% year on year, with the sales of smartphones increasing exponentially in the past 2 years.

So how do they go about doing it?

The entry of big brands to the mobile market support future growth and help to increase growth rate. So what options are available to businesses looking to take advantage of this? Here's a shortlist of the options; some you already know about, others you may not:

• Short Messaging Services (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS)
• Bluetooth, Wireless and Infrared marketing
• Mobile search marketing
• Mobile display advertising
• Mobile video advertising
• Mobile Applications
• QR-codes

If you're looking to take advantage of the opportunities that marketing to mobile device can offer, please call us for a free consultation on 01234 292222.

Search Engine Marketing Trends

posted by: Heather  /  12 November 2009

Recent research has thrown up some interesting information about the current Internet market trends and developments.

Not only are we seeing more and more evidence to show the growth of online marketing but we are also finding out what this means to the Internet surfer’s attitudes to search engine results.

Summary of Online Activity

The table above shows us which areas various companies are spending on online services. As you can see Keyword Research is in the lead with 70% of companies focusing on it. This is a significant number and perfectly demonstrates the importance of getting ahead in SEO programs. The competition for a space on the first results page of Google is increasingly tough but getting there will provide unparalleled Internet exposure for relatively low cost.

The latest Google stats…Why is it still so important to be on the first page?

• 68% of people try another search if they can’t find what they want on the first page of search results. (June 2008)
• 91% of Internet users prefer using natural search results when looking to buy a product or service online. This shows that most people trust natural search results much more than they do PPC adverting.
• Only 8% of Internet users go beyond the third page of results.
• 7/10 people said that they would click a search result on the first page of results.
• Out of those 7/10 people, 90% said that they would change their search if they didn’t find what they wanted on the first page.

By not being on the first page of the major search engines you will loose a huge percentage of potential customers searching for keywords relevant to your service.

How have other Businesses been developing their online marketing strategy?

More and more businesses are allocating valuable Budget to paid search.
This is because it is a cost effective, tried and tested method of generating leads and sales. It is relatively easy to manage and can deliver good levels of ROI in the wake of difficult economic challenges.

Stronger focus on Analytics and Optimisation
Companies are becoming much more creative and confident in their approach to paid search, which has resulted in them paying more attention to the details of conversion and landing page optimisation, in order to maximise their ROI.

Tracking and reporting have been a key focus for companies because of the need for even greater accountability during a recession.

Google continues to rule
The number one goal for all companies is still to focus on hitting the first page in Google search. Although other search engines such as Bing (Microsoft) and Yahoo are still important, Google is growing and evolving at an incredible rate…

For example, Google recently reported revenues of $5.94 billion in 2009; an increase of 7% compared to the same period of 2008.

For more information on how we can help you with your Internet exposure call us on 01234 292 222

Online Lead Generation

posted by: Heather  /  01 October 2009

The credit crunch means that companies large and small need to consider new, effective marketing techniques and new revenue sources in order to ensure maximum efficiency.

Driving an accountable return on your investment (ROI) has never been more important. It is no wonder then that online lead generation in the UK is growing around 35% year on year and accounts for 5% of total UK online advertising spend. This growth is likely to continue in the coming year as utilising online lead generation is a proven technique of targeting and marketing to your audience effectively.

Benefits

- Online lead generation can provide highly targeted, appropriate leads, which produce higher conversion rates compared to most methods of direct marketing.

- Online lead generation is intrinsically measurable, which means it can deliver solid return on investment

- This will drive further growth in the online lead generation sector because the technology enables greater communication with its prospects at a reduced cost.

- Online lead generation technology allows advertisers full control over delivery, quantity and the types of leads received

- Problems that come with users giving false details are eliminated with filters. This means that leads can be checked against data methods such as the electoral role, and procedures can be implemented to validate a user's email and telephone information.

Potential Challenges

When planning marketing strategies, companies need to be able to measure the value of their leads. This is an on-going challenge for most companies and many struggle to manage it effectively.

The reason for this is often:

- Lack of technology or poor technology usage

- Lack of resources

- Lack of understanding

Fivesite specialises in generating cost effective, high quality leads using the latest digital marketing techniques. Please contact us on 01234-292-202 for a FREE initial consultation on how we can generate high quality leads for your business.