Consumers are increasingly using smartphones and tablets as a shopping tool to research brands and products, find special offers, and talk about other customer’s experiences. So what’s the best way for brands to engage with consumers on their mobile device?
Give them a Deal
Who doesn’t love a deal? 20% off, BoGo, Free Gift With Purchase — advertiser have long used the pull of a deal to grab consumer’s attention. And consumers feel more confident in their purchases when they perceive they have gotten a deal.
A new AdAge/Ipsos Observer survey of digital-media habits found that 65% of respondents want brands to offer digital coupons.
The total redemption value of mobile coupons will exceed $43 billion globally by 2016, according to a new study by Juniper Research, as reported by mobilecommercedaily.
Brands that incorporate coupons delivered to mobile phones as part of their advertising campaigns are engage consumers, and Juniper Research finds that mobile coupons will dominate mobile retail marketing spend until 2013:
- Mobile retail will exceed US$12 billion by 2014 (mobile retail is defined as m-coupon redemption values, smart poster fees and advertising expenditure).
- The mobile retail sector would initially be dominated by coupons, but mobile advertising expenditure will exceed coupon redemption values by 2013
Hook with Traditional Ads
It may be surprising that traditional advertising works best to drive online/mobile engagement. Only 27% of people conduct a mobile search due to seeing a mobile ads and that number drops to 18% for online ads, according to a recent Google/Ipsos study. However over two thirds of the 5,000 respondents said they searched using their mobile device because of an ad they saw on traditional media:
Then Engage with Mobile
Smartphones are frequently used while consuming other media. As many as 80% of people multitask on a smartphone or tablet while watching TV, according to Mashable, and 38% say browsing the web enhances their TV viewing experience.
Related post: Multiscreen Campaigns for Multitaskers
3-Step Path to Consumer Engagement
It seems consumers respond best to ads run on TV and radio, they want to receive coupons and special deals from brands, and their preferred method of engagement is their mobile device.
- Capture interest with coupon offer via traditional media
- Provide simple engagement method such as a StarStar number
- Send coupon to mobile device
Once a consumer has engaged, brands can then use social media, apps, and other techniques to deepen their relationship with consumers.