Have you had a funny feeling in your pocket lately? Have you noticed a distinct lack of marketing SMS or that you only get SMS from your bank or your mobile operator – no more unwanted SMS. Smart digital agencies and mobile marketing specialists are already moving their clients from this type of communications.

There are 3 very good reasons that this year is the year SMS marketing will die.

1. High Cost of SMS Marketing Campaigns

Sending an SMS campaign still has real costs – typically these costs would double if you want customers to able to reply to your ad message (for example – to get a free code, answer a quiz question or just to reply with STOP). So a campaign with a set of 1000 numbers may cost you up to £100 – and if only 5% respond then your campaign costs are £2 per response.

The same £100 budget could be used smartly on a Google Adwords Campaign and a trial budget of £1 a day would last about 3 months! You would serve out 1000′s of impressions a week and get more CTR or leads.

Targeting Mobile Search or Mobile SEO would also be an attractive option for would be marketers.

2.Limited Marketing Budgets for 2010

Many companies are cutting their budgets again for this year. Predictably, high cost campaigns with low response rates will be the first to go. SMS campaigns that focus on buying something, going somewhere or ones from unsolicited sources are all suffering. Even banks will stop sending balance alert SMS’s unless it can be adfunded.

3. Strong Smartphone sales means you need to use a mobile website or app

All smartphones will come with unlimited monthly internet plans and have access to some kind of app stores. The better smartphones will be more like pocket computers with big screens, HD video playback and more. Customers will be able to connect almost anywhere with your brand.

Strong Smartphone sales including Androids (from manufacturers like Google, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Motorola) will increase in popularity along with iPhone and maybe Windows 7 mobiles. Nokia will continue to have some dominance in mass market 3G devices.

Finally .. now is the time to build a mobile marketing plan that is integrated – think mobile search and SEO – check what your website looks like on your mobile phone. Then contact me.

Now have your say … will SMS Marketing die in 2010?

Damien Saunders

In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be looking closely at Mobile Search and Mobile SEO. This week will be a round up of features on Google Mobile Search

Click to Call

Click to call has been a feature of WAP and mobile portals for sometime, however the mobile phones needed to support this action.

Google has now added Click to Call to Adword Mobile Search Results

Anyone running SEO or Adword campaigns should make sure they have configured the mobile search results as well and to now include the primary phone number for customers or clients to ring in on.

[Source: Google Mobile blog]

Damien Saunders

Should you be worried that you don’t have an iPhone app? Do you know if you’re website works on a mobile? what about mobile SEO? It is very important for CEO’s and CMO’s to add mobile to their communications and marketing strategy.

The fact that most companies have yet to build a mobile website shows you are not alone and many companies want to know what they should do first.

• Build an app.
• Build a mobile strategy or
• Build a mobile website

Considering each approach …

Why Build a Mobile app

Answer Yes to these questions and you’ll know that building an app is right for you:

1. Is your company always first to market?
2. Do you want to get some PR effect?
3. Interested in winning a Mobile or Advertising industry Award

Developing an app for iPhone is the natural option for good PR or getting Marketing Awards. You can build apps and games for iPhones, Android, Nokia and many other smartphones.

Carefully consider too if you need to build an app for widescreen devices like the iPad or Smartphone netbooks.

Building a branded game or app for mobile is a good approach to complement a social media, viral or email campaign.

Develop a Marketing Strategy for Mobile

Want to understand mobile better, then consider how ‘mobile’ fits in your marketing mix. Could you get better PR? Leverage a viral campaign? Link mobile to your social media approach? Or want smartphone users to find your brand. I suggest you build a mobile website and look at your customer relationship marketing strategy.

Build a Mobile Website

Yes just do something. You can start by building a mobile friendly site, build an app and start to learn from them. Stay motivated and maybe expect the same results as the early web pioneers. Once you’ve done something you’ll still need to promote it.

So what were the 3 approaches to mobile marketing strategy again?

1. Build an App

2. Develop a Marketing Strategy plan

3. Build a mobile website

Of course whatever you do, you need to learn, get insights and leverage your stats tools, get feedback from customers and users and don’t expect to get to the top of the iTunes store unless you have a big budget.

Now tell me what you think?

Damien Saunders